3/9 - 3/15

This past week went rather smoothly. I continued to find more useful journal articles and dissertations pertaining to the development of research universities in the United States. Early in the week I felt a significant degree of frustration in regard to finding useful books. However, an important clarification was made after Dr. Shermer and I met on Tuesday afternoon. I had apparently been too specific in my pursuit of books, and my search results in Loyola's Pegasus and Worldcat databases evinced that. Last Tuesday I was advised to acquire books on the development of research universities in the United States rather than simply the development of the five particular universities that Dr. Shermer's book will focus on. This clearly made things significantly easier in regard to finding books.
I was also given a several "buzzwords" to use in order to locate relevant books more efficiently. Key historical figures, terms, authors, and the titles of books themselves were given as a starting point. Subsequently, I was advised to look at the footnotes in various books which I find to lead me to even more sources. By doing this, a seemingly infinite chain of sources will emerge and the amount of sources in the Zotero program will increase drastically. I have already gotten my hands on a few useful books and have begun this process- which I am rather excited about.
My several secondary sources of emphasize the G.I. Bill of Rights (formally known as the Serviceman's Readjustment Act of 1944) with respect to the growth of practically all American colleges and universities. The bill significantly increased the access opportunities of veterans by means of federal grants. These grants only somewhat assisted research universities due to the fact that those who received said grants could simply attend any college of their choice. In this respect, research universities were indirectly helped to a moderate degree.
I also began taking a deeper look into congressional hearings pertaining to the role of government (both on the federal and state level) in the development of research universities in the U.S. I particularly find the response to Sputnik fascinating due to the fact that it ignited federal aid to universities out of the concern that the USSR had superior educational institutions (particularly pertaining to math and science). In this respect- research universities were given special attention and expanded dramatically. 
It appears that each week of this internship has become subsequently easier. I do not mean to use the term "easy" in a manner which implies that the research I am responsible for doing is free of frustrations or difficulties. By "easier" I meant clearer objectives, a more definite direction, and overall a greater familiarity with the programs and databases at my disposal. Though frustrations and roadblocks do seem to inevitably emerge- they are always triumphed.