Clara Woolie Mayer (1895-1988) held a long affiliation with the New School: as a student, as a trustee, and then in administrative roles, including dean of the School of Philosophy and Liberal Arts (1943-1961) and vice president of the New School for Social Research (1950-1961). Dating largely from 1950 to the early 1960s, the collection consists of subject files pertaining to programs, departments, and New School faculty and administration.

Of note is Mayer's correspondence, largely related to teaching and lectures, with well-known figures, including W.E.B. Du Bois, Albert Einstein, Berenice Abbott, Alvin Johnson, John Cage and Erich Fromm. There is also a wealth of material relating to Mayer's contributions to post-war European relief efforts. Finally, the collection contains typescript writings by Mayer, including articles, speeches, commencement addresses and translations. Some files are restricted. Please email archivist@newschool.edu for details.

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.