Administrative/Biographical History
Early graduates found employment with the aid of the President’s Office. School supervisors were greeted by the president and prospective candidates were, then, called to the office for interviewing. In 1917 Floyd Ritzman, director of Training Schools, was given the job of coordinating placement services. Later, in 1922, a Bureau of Appointments was established to handle placement matters. The name was changed in 1928 to the Appointments Committee and, again, in 1930 to the Placement Bureau.
The Director of the Placement Bureau was Mr. O.E. Peterson. He served as director from 1933 until his death in 1951. During that time Mr. Peterson was also head of the Education Department. Martin Bartels succeeded Peterson and was director of the Bureau until he retired in 1974. Mr. Bartels also served as an associate professor in the Education Department.
In 1953 the Placement Bureau was assigned to Student Personnel Services. It later became part of the Student Affairs Division and was renamed the Career Planning and Placement Center in 1972. At the end of 2004 Cooperative Education was merged with Career Planning & Placement.
