Evelyn Jones Kirmse was born in 1900 in Baltimore, Maryland and died in 1986 in Tucson, Arizona. Kirmse received her bachelors and masters of art degrees from George Washington University in the 1920’s. She came to the University of Arizona in 1929 as Dean of Women. Kirmse served as a State Board of Regents member from 1951 to 1959 and was elected the first women president of the board in 1958. In 1980, she received an honorary degree from The University of Arizona. She co-chaired the Centennial Committee that planned the 100th anniversary celebration for UA in 1985. As Special Assistant to University President John Schaefer she worked on creating a history of the University which was not completed before her death. In 2006 Kirmse was honored with a donation to the Women’s Plaza of Honor on the UA campus.

Research files, documents and printed material, 1885-1986 (bulk 1930-1986). The bulk of the material is notes and printed material taken and collected while researching the writing of a history of the University of Arizona. Notes are hand-written, typed and on note cards. The collection also contains drafts and outlines for sections of the history as well as correspondence and progress reports. There is information on a variety of subjects including notable individuals, campus buildings and sites, colleges and departments, events and thematic topics like athletics, women, salaries, student activism, extension work and academic freedom.