University of New England - Innovation for a Healthier Planet

Sandra Featherman papers, 1967-2008

Full finding aid (pdf) | Digitized material

Collection Scope and Content

The Sandra Featherman papers consist of published academic papers, correspondence, speeches, news clippings and conference programs documenting her academic career and public service from 1967-2008, as well as a small amount of personal correspondence. The collection is arranged into seven series.

Series 1, Biographical Materials, is primarily composed of newspaper clippings containing quotes from Dr. Featherman on the topics of Philadelphia politics, public education, ethnic voting and women in academia, as well as articles regarding her time at Temple University, University of Minnesota and University of New England. Many articles are personal interviews from local newspapers in Minnesota and Maine.

Series 2, Correspondence, is the most comprehensive series within the Sandra Featherman papers. The materials within this series include letters, e-mails, invitations, notes and cards from Featherman’s colleagues at Temple University, UMD and UNE, academics at other institutions, George Herbert Walker Bush, Maine politicians, former students and colleagues at non-profit organizations. This series also contains a small amount of outgoing correspondence from Dr. Featherman.

Series 3, Organizational Involvement, includes meeting minutes, news bulletins, newsletters and annual reports from Featherman’s affiliation with many non-profit organizations, such as the AAUW, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Pennsylvania Humanities Council and the Blue Ribbon Commission Panel on Dirigo Health.

Series 4, Presentations, contains conference agendas, itineraries and programs, lecture flyers and speeches made by Dr. Featherman. In addition to her lectures at Temple, UMD and UNE, Dr. Featherman was also a frequent speaker at many conferences, including those hosted by the AAUW, ACE and the Pennsylvania Humanities Council.

Series 5, Temple University, contains flyers and press releases on Dr. Featherman’s lectures and courses and the Featherman Lecture Series. This series also includes minutes from faculty senate meetings, and miscellaneous memos and notes from Temple faculty and staff.

Series 6, University of New England (UNE), is composed of various publications such as annual reports, commencement programs, magazines, newsletters and internal administrative reports.

Series 7, Publications, is the second largest series of the collection and is composed of 58 folders. These folders include academic papers, newspaper and newsletter articles, abstracts and handwritten notes published by Dr. Featherman.

Biographical/Historical Note

Dr. Sandra Featherman was born in Pennsylvania in 1934. She received her B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in city and regional planning from the University of Pennsylvania. Trained as a political scientist, Dr. Featherman’s areas of expertise were in urban politics, ethnic voting, diversity issues, women’s leadership and healthcare.

Dr. Featherman’s academic career and public service spanned over three decades. Her career in academia began at Temple University in Philadelphia in 1974, where she taught political science and later served as president of the faculty senate, director of the Center for Public Policy and assistant to the president. From 1991-1995, Featherman was vice chancellor for academic administration and professor of political science at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). In 1995, Featherman became president of the University of New England (UNE) in Portland and Biddeford, Maine. Upon her retirement in 2006, the University of New England’s Board of Trustees named her President Emeritus.

Dr. Featherman published more than 50 academic publications, as well as numerous magazine and newspaper articles. She also lectured on the topic of women and leadership at several national organizations. In addition to her work in academia, Featherman was an active member of many non-profit organizations, such as the American Association of University Women (AAUW), American Council on Education (ACE), American Osteopathic Association (AOA), City of Philadelphia School Board Nominating Panel, Samuel Fels Fund, Maine Community Foundation and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the [Maine] Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Health Care. Her awards included the Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania, Administrator of the Year from Minnesota Women in Higher Education, and the Woman of Distinction Award from the International Women’s Forum. Dr. Featherman married Bernard Featherman and had two sons, Andrew and John. At the time of her death in 2018, she resided in Highland Beach, Florida and Kennebunkport, Maine.