Çï¿ûÊÓƵ

Finding Aid |
1966, 1968, 1972-1978, n.d.

RG XXI: Planning Committee for a National Humanities Center

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION


Historical Note

The Planning Committee for a National Humanities Center (NHC) was active from May 1973 to December 1976. Initiated by Morton Bloomfield and Gregory Vlastos, Bloomfield served as Co-chair for the duration, with Charles Frankel following Vlastos as co-chair in the final year of the project.

Small meetings were held in 1973 to begin work, with a national conference held at Wingspread in Racine, Wisconsin from April 19-20, 1974. During this meeting, general plans for the center were discussed and formulated. On February 26, 1976, the establishment of a center in Research Triangle Park near Raleigh was announced, with the aim to "promote humanistic studies in the US, and to enlarge capacity to contribute to national discourse about major problems in society". Though the committee continued through the year, it was in a diminished capacity, concluding its efforts in December of 1976. The Çï¿ûÊÓƵ continued relations for some time with the NHC, with a representative serving on the Executive Board.

Funding was provided by the Mellon Foundation and 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 1966, 1968, 1972-1978. The majority of the records were created or received from 1976-1976 by the Executive Office of the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ, with a significant contribution from Morton W. Bloomfield and to a lesser degree from Steven Marcus. Records from after 1976 primarily relate to the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ's role on the Executive Board, with involvement in the search for a Director. Records primarily include correspondence, both among the committee and with meeting participants, but increasingly with representatives of the NHC. Of particular note are the organized chronology collected by John Voss, as well as draft position papers advocating for the creation of the NHC and proposing a structure. Finally, there is also a significant amount of records relating to the search for a location for the NHC as well as Director search files.

See (unprocessed) record group RG IV Executive Office relating to Other Institutions.

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 of both series were held by the Executive Office of John Voss. Some files were kept out of the filing scheme and have been interfiled where appropriate. 

This series is arranged into 2 subseries: Subseries 1: Administration; and Subseries 2: Planning.  Each has three sub-subseries. 

Subseries 1: Administration includes 3 sub-subseries: Sub-subseries 1.1: Grants and Proposals; Sub-subseries 1.2: Chronology; and Sub-subseries 1.3: Reports. 

Subseries 2: Planning includes 3 sub-subseries: Sub-subseries 2.1: Planning Committee; Sub-subseries 2.2: Meetings and Papers; and Sub-subseries 2.3: Site and Personnel.

Volume

3 records center cartons (3 linear feet)

Preferred Citation

[Item title, date]. Record Group XXI: Çï¿ûÊÓƵ Projects – Planning Committee for a National Humanities Center, 1966, 1968, 1972-1978, n.d. Archives, American Çï¿ûÊÓƵ of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Subjects

Bloomfield, Morton W. (Morton Wilfred), 1913-1987
Frankel, Charles, 1917-1979
Marcus, Steven, 1928-2018
Schelling, Corinne Saposs
Vlastos, Gregory
Voss, John, 1917-
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
National Humanities Center (U.S.)
Rockefeller Foundation
Humanities--United States
Wingspread (Racine, Wis.)

ITEM LIST


Subseries 1: Administrative Records, 1966, 1968, 1972-1977

Description: This subseries contains records relating to the operation of the Committee. This includes grant files, a collected chronology by John Voss, and reports. 

Arrangement: This subseries is further divided into three sub-subseries, by record type: Sub-subseries 1.1: Grants and Proposals; Sub-subseries 1.2: Chronology; and Sub-subseries 1.3: Reports

Sub-subseries 1.1: Grants and Proposals

Description: This sub-subseries contains records relating to grant proposals and grant management by the Committee. 

Box 1

Folder 1 NHC - Other "Humanities Institutes" Proposals [1968-1977]
Folder 2 NHC - Humanities [1974-1975]
Folder 3 AAAS - Humanities [1974-1975] [folder 1 of 3]
Folder 4 AAAS - Humanities [1974-1975] [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 5 AAAS - Humanities [1974-1975] [folder 3 of 3]
Folder 6 NHC - Other "Humanities Institutes" Proposals: NHC-ACLS [1974-1976]
Folder 7 AAAS - Humanities Policy [1975]

Sub-subseries 1.2: Chronology, 1966, 1972-1976

Description: This sub-subseries consists of a Chronology of the Committee's efforts, collected by John Voss and includes primarily correspondence, but also includes meeting notes and transcripts.

Box 1 (cont.)

Folder 8 NHC - Higham Article [1966]
Folder 9 John Voss' notes - NHC [1972-1974]
Folder 10 National Humanities Center - Background material - May, 1973 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 11 National Humanities Center - Background material - May, 1973 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 12 National Humanities Center - June-December, 1973 [folder 1 of 3]
Folder 13 National Humanities Center - June-December, 1973 [folder 2 of 3]
Folder 14 National Humanities Center - June-December, 1973 [folder 3 of 3]
Folder 15 National Humanities Center - January-April, 1974 [folder 1 of 3]
Folder 16 National Humanities Center - January-April, 1974 [folder 2 of 3]
Folder 17 National Humanities Center - January-April, 1974 [folder 3 of 3]
Folder 18 National Humanities Center, May 1974-September 1974 [folder 1 of 3]
Folder 19 National Humanities Center, May 1974-September 1974 [folder 2 of 3]
Folder 20 National Humanities Center, May 1974-September 1974 [folder 3 of 3]
Folder 21 National Humanities Center, October 1974-December 1974 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 22 National Humanities Center, October 1974-December 1974 [folder 2 of 2]

Box 2

Folder 1 National Humanities Center, January 1975-August 1975 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 2 National Humanities Center, January 1975-August 1975 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 3 National Humanities Center, September 1975-Dec 1976 [folder 1 of 3]
Folder 4 National Humanities Center, September 1975-Dec 1976 [folder 2 of 3]
Folder 5 National Humanities Center, September 1975-Dec 1976 [folder 3 of 3]

Sub-subseries 1.3: Reports, 1973-1976, 1978

Description: This sub-subseries contains reports of the Committee, primarily prepared for publication in Çï¿ûÊÓƵ publications.

Box 2 (cont.)

Folder 6 NHC - Report for Records, 1973-1974
Folder 7 NHC - Bulletin Article, Jan. 1974
Folder 8 NHC - Progress Report [1974]
Folder 9 NHC - MWB Note for MLA Newsletter [1974]
Folder 10 NHC - Bulletin article - January 1975
Folder 11 NHC - Bulletin article, April 1975
Folder 12 NHC - Bulletin Article, April 1976
Folder 13 NHC - Press Conference 2/27/76
Folder 14 NHC - Bulletin Article, October 1978

Subseries 2: Planning, 1973-1977

Description: This subseries contains records relating to the work of the Committee to create a National Humanities Center. This includes meeting minutes, papers, and site evaluations.

Arrangement: This subseries is further divided into three sub-subseries by function: Sub-subseries 2.1: Planning Committee; Sub-subseries 2.2: Meetings and Papers; and Sub-suberies 2.3: Site and Personnel.

Sub-subseries 2.1: Planning Committee, 1973-1977

Description: This sub-subseries contains the records relating to the operation of the committee, collected. 

Box 2 (cont.)

Folder 15 Planning Committee - 1973
Folder 16 NHC - Curricula Vitae of Members of the Planning Committee [1973-1974]
Folder 17 NHC - Planning Committee - 1974 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 18 NHC - Planning Committee - 1974 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 19 NHC - Planning Office (Marcus) [1974-1975]
Folder 20 NHC - Planning Committee 1975 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 21 NHC - Planning Committee 1975 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 22 Planning Committee - 1976
Folder 23 NHC - Planning - 1977

Sub-subseries 2.2: Meetings and Papers, 1973-1976

Description: This sub-subseries contains records relating to the meetings of the committee. This includes meeting planning and transcripts, and drafts of proposals and papers presented.

Box 2 (cont.)

Folder 24 NHC - Bloomfield Memo (with Stone & Ziolkowski) April 1973
Folder 25 NHC - Summary of May 10, 1973 Meeting
Folder 26 NHC - Bloomfield Memo, August 1973
Folder 27 NHC - Agenda and names for Sept. 25, 1973 Meeting
Folder 28 NHC - Gordon Ray Article [1973]
Folder 29 NHC - Papers [1973-1974]
Folder 30 [NHC - Wingspread Mtg. April 1974 -Invitations] [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 31 [NHC - Wingspread Mtg. April 1974 -Invitations] [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 32 NHC - Wingspread Mtg. April 1974 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 33 NHC - Wingspread Mtg. April 1974 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 34 List of Participants - Conference - National Humanities Center, April 19-20, Racine, WI
Folder 35 [National Humanities Center Conference, 1974]
Folder 36 Abrams Position Paper - June 1974
Folder 37 NHC - H.N. Smith Position Paper [1974]
Folder 38 H.B. Letter to J.V. - re: comments Marcus Proposal (copies) [1974]
Folder 39 Marcus Memorandum NHC, September 1974
Folder 40 NHC - Marcus Position Paper, n.d.

Box 3

Folder 1 NHC - MWB's "Elitism in the Humanities" [n.d.]
Folder 2 NHC - Marcus Proposal [n.d.]
Folder 3 NHC - Planning Meeting - Wingspread June 6-7 1975
Folder 4 "The Uncertain Future of the Humanistic Educational Ideal" - Lionel Trilling [1975]
Folder 5 NHC Narrative, 1976
Folder 6 NHC Narrative, 1976: NHC - Narratives, Prospectus
Folder 7 NHC - Adams Position Paper [n.d.]
Folder 8 NHC - Appendices I & II - Role of Consultant, Planning Com. [n.d.]
Folder 9 NHC - Appendix III (confidential) [n.d.]

Sub-subseries 2.3: Site and Personnel, 1974-1977

Description: This subseries contains records relating to site search and personnel search. This primarily includes individual potential site reports, and records relating to the director search.

Box 3 (cont.)

Folder 10 NHC - Executive Board Discussions [1974-1975]
Folder 11 NHC - Potential Sites I: UCNY [1974-1975]
Folder 12 NHC - Potential Sites I: U. of Chicago [1974-1975]
Folder 13 NHC - Potential Sites I: Caltech [1974-1976]
Folder 14 NHC - Potential Sites I: SUNY - Buffalo [1974]
Folder 15 NHC - Potential Sites I: U. Cal. - La Jolla, San Diego [1974-1975]
Folder 16 NHC - Potential Sites I: U. of Arizona [1974]
Folder 17 NHC - Potential Sites I: Amherst/U Mass [1974-1975]
Folder 18 NHC - Potential Sites I: Miscellaneous [1974-1976]
Folder 19 NHC - Potential Sites II: U. of Washington (Seattle) [1974]
Folder 20 NHC - Potential Sites II: Washington Univ. - St. Louis [1974]
Folder 21 NHC - Potential Sites II: U. of Texas-Austin [1974-1975]
Folder 22 NHC - Potential Sites II: Univ. of Rochester [1974-1975]
Folder 23 NHC - Potential Sites II: U. Pennsylvania [1974-1975]
Folder 24 NHC - Potential Sites II: U. of Michigan [1974-1975]
Folder 25 NHC - Potential Sites II: Research Triangle, North Carolina [1974-1975]
Folder 26 NHC - Potential Sites II: John Hopkins U. [1974-1975]
Folder 27 NHC - Potential Sites II: Emory University [1974-1975]
Folder 28 "Friends of the Center" [1974-1976] [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 29 "Friends of the Center" [1974-1976] [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 30 NHC - Search for Director [1975-1977] [folder 1 of 5]
Folder 31 NHC - Search for Director [1975-1977] [folder 2 of 5]
Folder 32 NHC - Search for Director [1975-1977] [folder 3 of 5]
Folder 33 NHC - Search for Director [1975-1977] [folder 4 of 5]
Folder 34 NHC - Search for Director [1975-1977] [folder 5 of 5]
Folder 35 Correspondence of Wm. J. Bennett Asst. Director - NHC [1976]
Folder 36 NHC - Steven Ast [1976]
Folder 37 National Humanities Faculty [1976]