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Finding Aid |
1979-1989

RG XXI: Steering Committee for the Survey of Sources in the History of Modern Science and Technology

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION


Historical Note

The Steering Committee for the Survey of Sources in the History of Modern Science and Technology was officially active from 1982-1985. Developed at the suggestion of Charles Smith, Director of Programs at the System Development Foundation (SDF), the purpose of the committee was to consider how to advance knowledge of twentieth-century science and technology. The Steering Committee throughout consisted of Harvey Brooks, Nathan Rosenberg, Charles Smith, and Alexandra Oleson.

A planning meeting was held on October 16, 1982. Eventual efforts focused on a computerized bibliography of sources, prepared by Gilbert Whittemore. It included an accompanying essay by Nathan Rosenberg with the assistance of Harvey Brooks. In 1984, Computerized Bibliography of Sources in the History of Twentieth-Century Science and Technology in America was published in 8 double-sided, double-density diskette sets, also in hard disk, and included 2694 items which were indexed according to 816 keywords.

Funding was provided by the System Development Foundation (SDF).

Scope and Content

The series is contained within the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ Archives’ Record Group XXI: Çï¿ûÊÓƵ Projects and Programs. This series contains the administrative and publication records related to the Survey of Sources in the History of Modern Science and Technology, commonly referred to as the SDF Computerized Bibliography, from 1979-1989, the majority created between 1981-19877 by Executive Officer John Voss, Assistant Executive Officer Alexandra Oleson, and other members of the Steering Committee, but particularly Harvey Brooks. Included among administrative records are general memos and correspondence, records related to grant activity (including proposals), and transcripts of meetings. Included among publication records are collected reprints of bibliographies, draft printouts of the Computerized Bibliography, cassette backups, and instruction manuals for use of the Superfile system.

See records of related effort, RGXXI: Committee on Translation Activities and RGXXI: Committee on the History of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1968-1980), which both produced a Survey of Sources as a final product. The later Committee was part of the larger Çï¿ûÊÓƵ Program and related records, RGXXI: Çï¿ûÊÓƵ Projects and Programs, Committee on Recent Science and Technology. While related to the Steering Committee on the Survey of Sources in the History of Modern Science and Technology intellectually, the Committee on the History of Recent Science and Technology had no administrative control over the Steering Committee and indeed was no longer active.

Arrangement

Processing for the 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 the Steering Committee were held in by the executive office of John Voss, particularly Alexandra Oleson. Many records were created by Harvey Brooks, Steering Committee Member. Original order of the records was generally maintained in groups of records, with individual records sorted chronologically and interfiled where appropriate. 

The series is arranged into two subseries: Subseries 1: Administrative Records; and Subseries 2: Publication. Both are arranged chronologically.

Volume

4 records center boxes (3.25 linear feet)

Preferred Citation

[Item title, date]. Record Group XXI: Çï¿ûÊÓƵ Projects – Steering Committee for the Survey of Sources in the History of Modern Science and Technology, 1979-1989. Archives, American Çï¿ûÊÓƵ of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Subjects

Brooks, Harvey
Oleson, Alexandra, 1939-
Rosenberg, Nathan, 1927-2015
Smith, Charles S.
Voss, John, 1917-
Whittemore, Gilbert
System Development Foundation
Knowledge
Science--History--Bibliography
Technology--History--Bibliography

ITEM LIST


Subseries 1: Administrative Records, 1979-1989

Description: This subseries contains records related to the operation of the project. This includes general memos and correspondence, proposals and grant files, and transcripts of meetings.

Box 1

Folder 1 Background - SDF [1979-1989]
Folder 2 SDF Proposals - 1st Drafts [1980-1983]
Folder 3 SDF transcript 10/16/82 [folder 1 of 2] [1982, 1987]
Folder 4 SDF transcript 10/16/82 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 5 SDF Transcript [October 16, 1982]
Folder 6 SDF Planning Meeting - Correspondence - Oct. 1982, Dec-1982 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 7 SDF Planning Meeting - Correspondence - Oct. 1982, Dec-1982 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 8 SDF Proposals [1982] [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 9 SDF Proposals [1982] [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 10 SDF - Original Papers [1982]
Folder 11 SDF - Brooks-Ros Memos [1982]
Folder 12 SDF - 1982 1 of 2 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 13 SDF - 1982 1 of 2 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 14 SDF - 1982 2 of 2 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 15 SDF - 1982 2 of 2 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 16 Nathan Rosenberg [1982]
Folder 17 Peter Buck - Barbara Rosenkrantz [1982]
Folder 18 Carrol, Thomas - SDF - Biographical Data [1982]
Folder 19 Donovan, Arthur - SDF - Energy [1982]
Folder 20 Gerson/Seidel [1982]
Folder 21 John Heilbron [1982]
Folder 22 Loren Graham [1982]
Folder 23 Daniel Kevles [1982]
Folder 24 Alex Roland - Merritt Roe Smith [1982]
Folder 25 Hughes/Kohler [1982]
Folder 26 Correspondence from SDF [1982]
Folder 27 Questionnaire for Corporations [1982]
Folder 28 SDF Final Reports [1982-1987]
Folder 29 People to Contact at Some Point [1983]
Folder 30 SDF - 1983 1 of 2 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 31 SDF - 1983 1 of 2 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 32 SDF - 1983 2 of 2

Box 2

Folder 1 Correspondence to SDF [1983]
Folder 2 Correspondence to Consultants [1983-1984]
Folder 3 Correspondence from Consultants [1983-1984]
Folder 4 SDF Correspondence 1983-1986 [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 5 SDF Correspondence 1983-1986 [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 6 Memos to Çï¿ûÊÓƵ [1984]
Folder 7 Interviews - Notes [1984]
Folder 8 Mailing List - Anthro., etc. [1984]
Folder 9 SDF - Memos - Current [1984]

Subseries 2: Publication, 1982-1986, n.d. 

Description: This subseries contains records relating to the publication of the Computerized Bibliography. This includes collected reprints of bibliographies, draft printouts of the Computerized Bibliography, cassette backups, and instruction manuals for use of the SuperFile system.

Box 2 (cont.)

Folder 10 Bibliography - SDF [1982-1983]
Folder 11 Bibliog - Alphab. (old), 11-17-83
Folder 12 Bibliography - Computer Searches [1983]
Folder 13 Reprints - Rosenberg, et al [1983]
Folder 14 Reprints - Anthropology [1983]
Folder 15 Reprints - Brooks [1983-1984]
Folder 16 Tech & Culture Bibliographies - '68. '67, '66, '65 [ca. 1983-1984]
Folder 17 Tech & Culture Bibliographies - '74, '73, '72, '71, '70, '69 [ca. 1983-1984]
Folder 18 ISIS Bbiliog. 1979 [ca. 1983-1984]
Folder 19 ISIS Bibliog. 1980, 1981, 82, 83 [ca. 1983-1984]
Folder 20 Tech & Cult - entered into computer [1983-1984]
Folder 21 Work in Progress - to be entered into computer [ca. 1983-1984]
Folder 22 Work in Progress - entered into computer [1984]
Folder 23 Review Articles Xeroxed for Consultant [ca. 1984]
Folder 24 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: [added to MAINBIB] [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 25 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: [added to MAINBIB] [folder 2 of 2]
Folder 26 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: MAINBIBL.D00
Folder 27 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: MAINBIB2
Folder 28 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: MAINBIB3
Folder 29 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: MAINBIB4
Folder 30 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: MAINBIB6
Folder 31 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 11-28
Folder 32 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 11-30
Folder 33 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 12-02
Folder 34 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 12-05
Folder 35 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 12-07
Folder 36 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 12-08
Folder 37 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 12-09
Folder 38 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 12-13 NEW
Folder 39 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 12-14 NEW
Folder 40 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 12-15 NEW
Folder 41 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 12-16 NEW
Folder 42 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 12-27 NEW
Folder 43 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 12-28 NEW
Folder 44 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 12-29 NEW
Folder 45 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 01-04 NEW
Folder 46 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 01-05 NEW
Folder 47 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 01-06 NEW
Folder 48 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 01-17 NEW

Box 3

Folder 1 [loose] Original, Unalph. Files: 01-18 NEW [- 05-16]
Folder 2 Output [March 1-2, 1984]
Folder 3 Draft - Latest Intro & I [April 4-5, 1984]
Folder 4 Draft II [April 6, 1984]
Folder 5 Draft Essay III [April 9, 1984]
Folder 6 Draft Essay IV [April 11, 1984]
Folder 7 Draft of Essay V [April 12, 1984]
Folder 8 Draft of Essay VI [ca. 1984]
Folder 9 Draft - Full Text - 4/18[1984]
Folder 10 Essay - Draft & Notes [ca. 1984]
Folder 11 SDF - Essay [1983-1986]
Folder 12 Bibliography - Abbreviated (old), 4-20-84
Folder 13 [loose] Bibliography Printout, June 6, 1984 [folder 1 of 6]
Folder 14 [loose] Bibliography Printout, June 6, 1984 [folder 2 of 6]
Folder 15 [loose] Bibliography Printout, June 6, 1984 [folder 3 of 6]
Folder 16 [loose] Bibliography Printout, June 6, 1984 [folder 4 of 6]
Folder 17 [loose] Bibliography Printout, June 6, 1984 [folder 5 of 6]
Folder 18 [loose] Bibliography Printout, June 6, 1984 [folder 6 of 6]
Folder 19 [binder] Bibliography Printout, June 6, 1984 [folder 1 of 4]
Folder 20 [binder] Bibliography Printout, June 6, 1984 [folder 2 of 4]
Folder 21 [binder] Bibliography Printout, June 6, 1984 [folder 3 of 4]
Folder 22 [binder] Bibliography Printout, June 6, 1984 [folder 4 of 4]
Folder 23 Contents of June 1984 Printed Bibliography
Folder 24 Abbreviated Bibliog , 11-19-84
Folder 25 Directory of Key Words [1984]
Folder 26 Computer [Subjects] [1984]
Folder 27 Computer - Directories [ca. 1984]
Folder 28 Computer [Subjects] [1984]
Folder 29 Computer - Directories [ca. 1984]
Folder 30 [binder] FYI2000 Superfile, User Manuel [1984] [folder 1 of 3]
Folder 31 [binder] FYI2000 Superfile, User Manuel [1984] [folder 2 of 3]

Folder 32

[binder] FYI2000 Superfile, User Manuel [1984] [folder 3 of 3]

Folder 1
(Box 4)

[Scotch - DC 600Adata cartridge] Track 0-2: C*.* Date: 8/22/25
Folder 2
(Box 4)
[Scotch - DC 600Adata cartridge] Track 1: TGBACKUP C:\SDFBIBLI\*.*/T0/S Date: April 10, 1985
Folder 33 Corrections to Enter [n.d.]
Folder 3
(Box 4)
[index card citations] [n.d.]
Folder 34 [binder] [Tech and Culture Bibliographies, 1970-1984] [n.d.] [folder 1 of 2]
Folder 35 [binder] [Tech and Culture Bibliographies, 1970-1984] [n.d.] [folder 2 of 2]