Frank Beckum Papers
Collection
Identifier: MS100
Frank Beckum taught architectural history and drafting in the College of Architecture from 1955 until 1990, serving as Assistant Dean from 1982 until 1990. His papers include course materials from his architectural history classes, primarily lectures and exams.
(three document cases)
Student exams and course evaluations are restricted as noted in the folder list.
Permission to publish materials from this collection must be obtained from the Head of Archives and Special Collections.
1.2 Linear Feet
The Frank Beckum papers are composed exclusively of teaching materials for his architectural history courses, including lectures, exams, quizzes, syllabi, handouts, and supplemental reading material. As mentioned previously, course numbers changed during his teaching career; where original order made these changes evident, materials for the same courses were kept together, even if the course numbers differed. Two folders, one containing student exams and papers for Architecture 437 and one containing course evaluations for Architecture 1203, have been restricted (Box 1, Folder 14 and Box 3, Folder 6, respectively). The bulk of the papers are undated course lectures. The dates provided for some folders should not be considered inclusive dates for the contents; the vast majority of the papers are not dated, but can be assumed to span Beckum's entire teaching career. This collection lacks any materials documenting Beckum's personal life or his interaction with students or colleagues.
Arthur Franklin Beckum (known as Frank), a native of Wrens, Georgia, was on the Georgia Tech faculty from 1955 until 1990. After serving in the Army during World War II, Beckum began his association with Georgia Tech in 1947 as an undergraduate. As a Tech student, he participated in Phi Eta Sigma, Tau Beta Pi, Beta Theta Pi, and Phi Kappa Phi. He belonged to the Architectural Society and made the Dean's List all four years. He obtained both his B. S. (1950) and bachelor's degree in architecture (1952) from Georgia Tech. In 1950, he became Tech's first World Student Fund Scholar, studying in Stuttgart, Germany. He later earned a master's degree in fine arts from Princeton University.
Beckum returned to Tech in 1955 as an assistant professor, was promoted to associate professor in 1960, and became a full professor in 1969, teaching classes in architectural history and drafting. In 1987, he received the ANAK Faculty Award as the distinguished professor at Tech. He served from 1982 until his death as Assistant Dean of the College of Architecture. Beckum died on Sunday, April 29, 1990, at the age of 64. The Frank Beckum Memorial Scholarship was created in his honor.
These papers are arranged by course number, with materials arranged alphabetically by folder title within each course number designation. Many of the courses changed numbers during Beckum's teaching career, but for the sake of simplicity, the course number appearing on the lectures was used, and no attempt was made to chronicle changing course numbers over the years.
A print copy of this finding aid is available in the Georgia Tech Archives reading room.
Elizabeth Dowling, College of Architecture, transferred these papers to the Archives. Accession #1992.1201 (old number: 92-12-01).
(three document cases)
Susan J. Illis processed these papers in 2000.
Part of the Archives and Special Collections, Library, Georgia Institute of Technology Repository