This oral history project consists of six audio interviews conducted by New School for Public Engagement student Gerard O. Hemmerle as an independent study under the supervision of Professor Julia L. Foulkes during the Spring 2013 semester. Interviewees consist of long-serving university faculty and staff, primarily associated with what was known as the New School for Public Engagement. Recordings are all in English.

These records were created by the dean's office of the adult education division of The New School (as of 2022, Schools of Public Engagement), and predominantly reflect the activities of two deans, William Birenbaum and Allen Austill, 1961-1979. A subset of records document the formation of New School College in the 1960s, the Institute for Retired Professionals, and the Physicians Assistant program. A number of files are restricted due to confidentiality.