Çï¿ûÊÓƵ

Finding Aid |
1970-1976

RG XXI: Committee on Human Diversity

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION


Historical Note

The Committee on Human Diversity was officially active from 1973-1975, however planning work began in 1971. Initially, the purpose of the Committee was to examine the problem of encouraging research and teaching in human behavioral genetics, however, it expanded more generally into a discussion of human behavioral genetics. Chaired by Bernard Davis with Talcott Parsons as Vice-Chair, each serving for the duration with Christopher Jencks and Ernst Mayr. Work culminated in four separate seminars collectively titled "Human Diversity: Its Causes and Social Significance": "Evolution", October 26-27, 1973; "Genetics", December 14-15, 1973; "Behavioral Genetics", February 15-16, 1974; and "Intelligence and Group Differences", May 10-11, 1974. Proceedings were collected and published as Human Diversity: Its Causes and Social Significance, edited by Bernard Davis and Patricia Flaherty, published by Ballinger Publishing Company in 1976.

Funding was provided by the Rockefeller Foundation.

Scope and Content

The series is contained within the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ Archives’ Record Group XXI: Çï¿ûÊÓƵ Projects and Programs. It contains the administrative and project records of the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ relating to the Committee, from 1970-1976.  About half of the records were created or received from 1973-74, by Bernard Davis and the Executive Office of the John Voss, with a significant contribution from Staff Associate Patricia Flaherty. The other half, created by the same persons relates to the planning period before and summary activity following the seminars. Records primarily include correspondence amongst John Voss and the Committee, with records of planning meetings and individual seminars. Of note is much of the early correspondence and planning meetings exploring the sensitive nature of the subject, as well as the individual summaries of the seminars themselves.

Later Çï¿ûÊÓƵ project on Evolution and Ethics, aka Sociobiology, put forward by Edward O. Wilson is related in subject, but not institutionally.

Arrangement

Processing for this series utilized MPLP principles, thus minimum preservation steps were taken, and folder titles listed in the finding aid are as they appear on the actual folders. Records were held by the Executive Office of John Voss, including Patricia Flaherty. Original order was generally maintained, groupings of records mostly intact, with chronology instituted. 

This series is arranged into 3 subseries: Subseries 1: Chronology, 1970-1976; Subseries 2: Meetings, 1971-1974; and Subseries 3: Meetings Administration, 1971-1975. These subseries are flat with no corresponding sub-subseries.

Volume

2 records center cartons (2 linear feet).

Preferred Citation

[Item title, date]. Record Group XXI: Çï¿ûÊÓƵ Projects – Committee on Human Diversity, 1970-1076. Archives, American Çï¿ûÊÓƵ of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Subjects

Davis, Bernard D., 1916-1994
Flaherty, Patricia, 1938-
Jencks, Christopher
Mayr, Ernst
Parsons, Talcott, 1902-1979
Voss, John, 1917-
Rockefeller Foundation
Behavior genetics--Study and teaching
Genetics
Human genetics
Nature and nurture

ITEM LIST


Subseries 1: Chronology, 1970-1976

Description: This subseries contains a group of records collected together by the executive office, recording the history of the Committee. It includes copies and originals of correspondence, meeting minutes, and other general records relating to the operation of the Committee.

Arrangement: Original order, chronological.

Box 1

Folder 1 HD - Miscellaneous Papers, etc. on Related Topics [1970-1974] [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 2 HD - Miscellaneous Papers, etc. on Related Topics [1970-1974] [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 3 HD - Executive Board Reports [1971-1975]
Folder 4 HD - General, through 1972 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 5 HD - General, through 1972 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 6 HD - General, 1973 [folder 1 of 3]
Folder 7 HD - General, 1973 [folder 2 of 3]
Folder 8 HD - General, 1973 [folder 3 of 3]
Folder 9 HD - General, Jan. to Apr. 1974 [folder 1 of 3]
Folder 10 HD - General, Jan. to Apr. 1974 [folder 2 of 3]
Folder 11 HD - General, Jan. to Apr. 1974 [folder 3 of 3]
Folder 12 HD - General, May to 1974 [1974-1976] [folder 1 of 4]
Folder 13 HD - General, May to 1974 [1974-1976] [folder 2 of 4]
Folder 14 HD - General, May to 1974 [1974-1976] [folder 3 of 4]
Folder 15 HD - General, May to 1974 [1974-1976] [folder 4 of 4]

Subseries 2: Meetings, 1970-1976

Description: This subseries contains records of the meetings of the Committee, including planning meetings as well as individual seminars. It primarily includes summaries of seminars held 1973-1974.

Arrangement: Original order, chronological.

Box 1 (cont.)

Folder 16 HD - Correspondence with Participants - Planning Meeting, May 27, 1971
Folder 17 HD - Note on Planning Meeting May 27, 1971
Folder 18 HD - Summary of Planning Meeting May 27, 1971
Folder 19 HD - Steering Committee Meetings, 10-21-71 and 12-20-71
Folder 20 Human Diversity: Its Causes and Social Significance - Seminar I, October 26-27, 1973
Folder 21 HD - Summary of Seminar I (Evolution) October 26-27, 1973
Folder 22 Human Diversity: Its Causes and Social Significance - Seminar II, December 14-15, 1973
Folder 23 HD - Summary of Seminar II (Genetics) December 14-15, 1973
Folder 24 Human Diversity: Its Causes and Social Significance - Seminar III, February 15-16, 1974
Folder 25 HD - Summary of Seminar III (Behavioral Genetics) Feb. 15-16, 1974
Folder 26 HD - Summary of Seminar IV (Intelligence and Group Differences) May 10-11, 1974 [folder 1 of 2]

Box 2

Folder 1 HD - Summary of Seminar IV (Intelligence and Group Differences) May 10-11, 1974 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 2 Human Diversity - Seminar IV - Summary & Appendices, May 10-11, 1974
Folder 3 [binder] Human Diversity, 1973-74 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 4 [binder] Human Diversity, 1973-74 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 5 [binder] Human Diversity Proceedings, 1973-74 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 6 [binder] Human Diversity Proceedings, 1973-74 [folder 2 of 2]

Subseries 3: Meeting Administration, 1971-1975

Description: This subseries contains records relating to the planning of the seminar, and the resulting follow-up work of the seminar. This primarily includes correspondence and draft papers. It also includes correspondence regarding the summaries themselves.

Arrangement: Original order, chronological.

Box 2 (cont.)

Folder 7 [binder] Human Diversity - Development and Background Materials for Sessions, I, II, III [1971-1974] [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 8 [binder] Human Diversity - Development and Background Materials for Sessions, I, II, III [1971-1974] [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 9 [binder] Human Diversity - Background Materials for Session IV [1972-1974] [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 10 [binder] Human Diversity - Background Materials for Session IV [1972-1974] [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 11 HD - Rockefeller Proposal, May 17, 1973
Folder 12 HD - Prospectus, August 1973
Folder 13 HD - Background Materials for the Four Seminars 1973-74 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 14 HD - Background Materials for the Four Seminars 1973-74 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 15 HD - Agenda for the Four Seminars 1973-74
Folder 16 HD - Correspondence re: Summaries of the Four Seminars 1973-1974 [folder 1 of 5]
Folder 17 HD - Correspondence re: Summaries of the Four Seminars 1973-1974 [folder 2 of 5]
Folder 18 HD - Correspondence re: Summaries of the Four Seminars 1973-1974 [folder 3 of 5]
Folder 19 HD - Correspondence re: Summaries of the Four Seminars 1973-1974 [folder 4 of 5]
Folder 20 HD - Correspondence re: Summaries of the Four Seminars 1973-1974 [folder 5 of 5]
Folder 21 HD - List of Appendices to Summaries of the Four Seminars 1973-74
Folder 22 HD - Participants in the Four Seminars 1973-74
Folder 23 Human Diversity - February 15, 16, 1974 Friday and Saturday
Folder 24 HD - Requests for Seminar Summaries [1975]