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At the end of the academic year 1953-54, Julian Park retired as the first dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, a position he had held since 1919. Born in Buffalo in 1888, he was the son of Dr. Roswell Park. After graduating from Williams College and studying at the Université de Paris, Julian Park joined the faculty of the University of Buffalo in 1913.

It was Park who is credited with initiating UB’s honors program, which allowed selected juniors and seniors to study independently, and the subsequent tutorial plan, established in 1932, which required all upper-level students to work directly with faculty tutors and in small student groups as substitutes for most formal coursework. These programs gave UB a national reputation for innovative undergraduate liberal arts education.

From 1917-20, Park was the French consular agent for Western New York. The French government honored him as an Officier d’Academie and a Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur. In 1938, he became Docteur honoris causa from the Université de Dijon.

He wrote a history of UB in 1917, and after he retired as dean, served as the university’s historian. Park published a biography of Samuel P. Capen in 1957, and spent many years writing an updated history of the university, portions of which were published prior to his death in 1965.

Park’s impact on UB during the first half of the 20th century was greater than any other, with the exception of Capen. Special Collections in the University Libraries holds Park’s personal and professional papers, and his large collection of rare and first editions, especially of English literature and French history. He is the namesake for Park Hall on the North Campus.

—John Edens, University Archives