Professor of Personnel Management

Director of the Bureau of University Research

Dean of the Graduate School

VP & Director of Educational Investigation Activities

Regents Name Vice-Presidents, Shirley Smith and Clarence Yoakum


New Offices are Created to Aid President Ruthven's Administration

Plans for the adoption of a 
new system of administration
 of University affairs, in which 
certain administrative duties will be divided between two newly-appointed vice-presidents, were announced on March 13 by
 President Alexander G. Ruthven. The positions of vice 
president will be held by Shirley W. Smith, '97, A.M.
 '00, Secretary and Business Manager of the University, 
 and Professor Clarence S. Yoakum, formerly Director 
of the Bureau of University Research.

In accordance with the statement issued in "The
 Ruthven Platform" at the time of the President's election last fall, the new organization is formed "to relieve the President of several duties last year delegated to the Dean of Administration, and
 permit him to give more time to
 academic problems."

Mr. Smith's official title is now 
Vice President and Secretary of the
 University, while Professor Yoakum is Vice President and Director of Educational Investigation Activities. 


Mr. Smith has been Secretary of 
the University for twenty-two years, having assumed that office in
 1908, following a term as General
 Secretary of the Alumni Association. During this time he has served under four different presidents, 
 Dr. Harry B. Hutchins, Dr. Marion L. Burton, Dr. Clarence Cook Little, and President Ruthven, and has seen the University develop enormously, the property value increase
 many times its original value, and
 the enrollment practically doubled. 


He is a native of Michigan. He 
was born in Nashville in 1875, the
 son of the late Judge and Mrs.
 Clement Smith. Judge Smith was a member of the Law Class of 1867. 
 Shirley Smith enrolled in the University from Hastings, Michigan, receiving his degree in 1897. In 1898 he
 was added to the teaching staff of the Engineering College, as an instructor in English. He also continued his
 studies at the same time, and received a Master's Degree in 1900. A year later he became Secretary of the
 Alumni Association, a position which he retained until
 1904. At this time he severed connections with the University, and was for four years in the President's office of the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company in 
Philadelphia. In 1908 he returned to become Secretary of the University
of Michigan. In comparatively recent years the title of Business Manager was bestowed upon him. 


Professor Yoakum, until his
 resignation last summer to accept the position of Dean of the 
College of Liberal Arts at Northwestern University, was a member of the University of Michigan 
faculty, with the title of Professor
of Personnel Administration and
 Director of the Bureau of University Research. He was born in 
Leavenworth County, Kansas, and 
received his A.B. degree from Campbell College, in that state. 
 Some years later, after teaching at 
the college from which he graduated, at Hiawatha Academy, and at 
the University of Chicago, he obtained the degree of Ph.D. from Chicago. He was head
 of the Department of Philosophy and Psychology at 
the University of Texas 
from 1908 until 1919. From
 1919 until 1924 he was at 
the Carnegie Institute of 
Technology, and in 1924 accepted a position at the University as professor. Three
 years later he was made Director of the Bureau of 
University Research. Although the change in administration becomes effective at once; Professor Yoakum will not be able
 to assume his duties until
 July, owing to his connection with Northwestern. 


Other changes incidental 
to the main reorganization 
of the administrative system
 of the University provide 
for the preparation of the 
budgets and handling of 
problems of faculty personnel directly by the president. 
 The faculty committee to the Director of Alumni Relations has been made an administrative committee, 
 composed of President Ruthven, William W. Bishop, 
Librarian, Dean John Robert Effinger, Professor Lewis
 M. Gram, of the Department of Civil Engineering, and
 
Dean G. Carl Huber, of the
 Graduate School. The recently organized University 
Press has been given a committee with administrative 
powers. The University
 Press does not provide a 
printing establishment; but
 merely indicates a supervisory element over all University publications. It is 
headed by Dr. Frank E. 
Robbins, Assistant to the
 President. 


The reorganization of the
 administration of the University into a corporation 
plan is the third important
 change, which has been effected by President Ruthven within the past month. The first of these was the
 initiation of changes in the 
administration of the Medical School. The second was 
the appointment of Miss
 Alice C. Lloyd, '16, as Dean
 of Women, in place of the committee of three advisers, created by Dr. Clarence C. Little in 1926. 


The office of Dean of Administration, which the
 new system is putting out of existence, was established
 in 1927 by Dr. Little, and was held by President Ruthven from July. 1928, until he took office as President.

The Michigan Alumnus, March 22, 1930, Page 427