Dr. William Griffith papers
Scope and Contents
William B. Griffith was Elton Professor of Philosophy and Public Policy at George Washington University. He joined the GW faculty in July 1964. He devised and taught more than 30 courses during his tenure, with a special emphasis on ethical theory, philosophical aspects of public policy issues, economic justice and logic. Dr. Griffith served several terms as chair of the Department of Philosophy and was one of the longest-serving members of the Faculty Senate, where he occupied several different leadership positions.
Dates
- 1960-2014
Conditions Governing Access
Some materials are restricted, such as student information and salary information. Please check with the University Archivist.
Conditions Governing Use
Materials in this collection may be governed by copyright. For activities that the researcher determines fall under fair use as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission to cite or publish is required. Researchers are responsible for determining who may hold materials' copyrights, determining if the intended re-use falls under fair use, and obtaining approval from the copyright holder if the intended use does not fall under fair use. Please contact Special Collections if the copyright status of the materials you wish to reuse is unclear. Staff will provide additional information.
Biographical / Historical
William B. Griffith was Elton Professor of Philosophy and Public Policy at George Washington University. William Byron Griffith was born in Fort Worth and was a 1958 graduate of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. After studying at the University of Louvain in Belgium on a Fulbright scholarship, he received master’s (1962) and doctoral degrees (1963) in philosophy from Yale University. He served in the Army before joining GWU in July 1964.
His research interests and publications focused on the application of theories of distributive justice to environmental policy, welfare policy, tax policy, and the regulation of business. He devised and taught more than 30 courses during his tenure, with a special emphasis on ethical theory, philosophical aspects of public policy issues, economic justice and logic. He was the principal architect and long-serving director of the MA Program in Philosophy and Public Policy, the first of its kind in the United States.
Dr. Griffith served several terms as chair of the Department of Philosophy and was one of the longest-serving members of the Faculty Senate, where he occupied several different leadership positions, including chair of the Executive Committee, and chair of the Committee on Fiscal Planning and Budgeting. He also served as the redoubtable parliamentarian for Columbian College faculty meetings through the fall of 2013.
He died at midnight on February 10, 2014.
Extent
22.5 Linear Feet (18 record center cartons)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
William B. Griffith joined the George Washington University faculty in July 1964 and was Elton Professor of Philosophy and Public Policy. The collection contains his work in the department, as well as other professional activities such as the faculty senate and papers given at conferences.
Physical Location
Materials are stored off-site, and will require additional retrieval time. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
- Faculty Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Public policy Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Source
- Griffith, Patricia Browning (Donor, Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Dr. William Griffith papers, 1960-2014
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University Repository
