This series consists of materials relating primarily to the College of Complexes, which Brundage operated, with some interruptions, at several different locations throughout Chicago’s Near North Side from 1951 until 1972. Materials pertaining the Culture Vulture, a similar operation which operated from late-1961 until mid-1962 are arranged separately in Series 5.

The Curriculum was a monthly program of the speakers who were scheduled to appear at the College of Complexes, as well as any special programs or events planned for that month. Some early issues of The Curriculum also include a brief essay or two by Brundage on various topics. For most years only a few issues of The Curriculum are available. Brundage, however, often typed carbon copies of his outgoing correspondence on the back of old issues of The Curriculum, so it is possible that additional issues of The Curriculum might be found by examining the reverse sides of Brundage’s personal outgoing correspondence and the outgoing correspondence of the College. One should also note that several issues of The Curriculum from 1971 and 1972 have miscellaneous notes and drafts of other Curriculum issues on the reverse side as well.

Newspaper clippings pertaining to the College of Complexes are broken down into six different categories: advertisements, general articles, mentions, miscellaneous, New York City Branch, and speaker and program announcements. The “general articles” category consists of newspaper articles about the College of Complexes, whereas the “mentions” category consists of articles where the College of Complexes name appears, but there is no substantive discussion of the College. The latter category includes blurbs such as “Slim Brundage, the gruff and cynical dean of Chicago’s unique College of Complexes offers this timely pre-convention reminder: in any election picture, be on the lookout for the ‘frame!’” The reason why Brundage saved the articles in the “miscellaneous” category is not always clear at first glance, although some of the articles probably gave him ideas for speakers and debate topics. The “speaker and program announcements” category consists primarily of listings in newspaper nightlife sections of upcoming speakers at the College.

Many poets wrote and read poetry at the College of Complexes over the years. In 1966, a collection of these poems was compiled under the title, Poems From the College of Complexes. Poems belonging to this collection are arranged in folders under the chapter headings used in that work. Other poems from the College of Complexes that were not included in the Poems From the College of Complexes collection are filed under the heading “Poems, Miscellaneous.”

Initial requests by the College of Complexes asking people to appear at the College and speak are filed under the heading “Speaker Solicitations” and then arranged chronologically. Any further correspondence with the potential speaker (e.g., rejections, acceptances, and confirmations) are filed in the “General Correspondence” category under the speaker’s last name. A good deal of the material in the General Incoming Correspondence folder consists of letters from individuals asked to speak at the College.