Collection number: UA 9/9/1
Size: 1 box
(0.33 cu.ft.)
About International Studies Council
The International Studies Council was a committee of professors from the University of New Hampshire. The primary founders were David Larson and John Holden, both professors of political science at UNH, who were later joined by Donald Vincent, the university librarian. This committee came together to investigate the possibility of not only furthering the study of political science but garnering support for it through the establishment of a consortium of schools throughout the Northeast devoted to the study of political science and international relations. While the aim of the Council was to promote the study of political science on the graduate and postgraduate level, they also hoped to enrich it on an undergraduate and pre-collegiate level as well. The committee made proposals for programs on the high school, middle and elementary level as well.
Working with the International Studies Council was the former New England Center. While the Council was directly associated with UNH and with implementing a specific curricula there, the Center focused on offering educational programs to the general community and more broadly at furthering education for all. Both the Center and the Council worked with the Universities of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont regarding international studies. By means of their partnership the Center and the Council were able to offer programs, classes, and conferences to the community. As a result of their work together they had access to more funding for international studies, a critical issue. The members of the International Studies Council were also able to use the location of the New England Center as a base from which to teach classes on a community level. Later they also worked with another organization, the International Studies Council Center. The New England School of International Studies was also proposed but was never fully realized.
Funding was critical for the continuation of the organization because of the scarcity of funds available from the university and the fact that the Council was not initially supported by the institution financially. Therefore many proposals and grants were written by various members. A logical source of funding came about when the International Education Act was passed in 1966. The Act provided a source of grant money for educational institutions of higher learning that were teaching specifically about international studies, the area in which the council focused. However, the competition was fierce, and there is no clear indication that they were the recipients of the grant money.
About the International Studies Council Records
This collection covers the years 1965 to 1968. It consists of the memorandums, correspondence, minutes, and agendas of the Internationals Studies Council, as well as their reports and proposals. The memos and correspondence cover the time period from April 1967 to July 1968. The correspondence is from members of the council, President McConnell, and other members of the faculty at that time. The collection includes discussions in memo form or recommendations, goals, and curricula. The minutes and agendas of the committee cover the years 1967 and 1968. They primarily focus on developing the curricula of international relations at UNH on the undergraduate level and increasing its popularity and enrollment.
The collection also contains two books compiled by the council. The books contain documents pertaining to the mission of the council, its organization, and function, as well as a copy of the International Education Act of 1966. These were intended as guides for current and future members. There are two separate sections of reports, those produced by the International Studies Council, which focus on budgets and programs, and a separate set which covers a broader area, focusing on programs of interest such as Japanese studies, high school programs, as well as the library’s role in graduate studies.
In addition to the reports there are also proposals which include problems identified by the council and their specified strategy to combat the problem. These vary from increasing effective teaching at the high school level, to having a social science major at UNH, to having a faculty workshop on international agricultural development, and to a request for a program in the Americas. There are a set of papers from a meeting of the New England State Universities Consortium for Education, identifying the objectives of the consortium, desirable programs, and considerations.
Finally, there is an address written by David Larson, entitled “Current Developments in the Teaching of International Relations,” followed by a set of papers which were used in teaching political science and have been kept as an example of what was considered a model of political science teaching at that time.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the University of New Hampshire.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], International Studies Council Records, 1965-1968, UA 9/9/1, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.
Acquisitions Information
Aquired from the files of Librarian Don Vincent, 2009
Collection Arrangement
This collection was originally part of the University Librarian’s files and but separate from that collection due to the content. The two books compiled by the council have been kept in the original order in which they were found. The collection has been organized into chronological order, with the exception of the two books compiled by the council.
Collection Contents
| Box 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 1, Folder 1 | 1967 | Memos and Correspondence |
| Box 1, Folder 2 | 1967-1968 | Memos and Correspondence |
| Box 1, Folder 3 | 1968 | Memos and Correspondence |
| Box 1, Folder 4 | 1967 | Minutes and Agendas |
| Box 1, Folder 5 | 1968 | Minutes and Agendas |
| Box 1, Folder 6 | 1965-1967 | Book I: International Studies at other NE Universities |
| Box 1, Folder 7 | 1967 | Book 2: International Studies Council - UNH |
| Box 1, Folder 8 | 1967 | International Studies Council Reports |
| Box 1, Folder 9 | 1965-1968 | Reports |
| Box 1, Folder 10 | 1966-1968 | Proposals |
| Box 1, Folder 11 | 1965 | New England State Universities Consortium |
| Box 1, Folder 12 | 1968 | "Current Developments in the Teaching of International Relations" |
| Box 1, Folder 13 | 1976 | Teaching Materials |
