American Studies Association

A Register of Its Records in the Library of Congress

Prepared by Rebecca Lahr and Karen Linn Femia
with the assistance of David Armenti and Darcy Alicia Kern

Manuscript Division, Library of Congress

Washington, D.C.

2007

Contact information: http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mss/address.html

Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division, 2008

Finding aid URL: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms008048

Table of Contents

Collection Summary

Selected Search Terms

Organizations

Locations

Administrative Information

Provenance:

Processing History:

Copyright Status:

Restrictions:

Preferred Citation:

Scope and Content Note

Organization of the Papers

Description of Series

Container List

Collection Summary

Selected Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.

Administrative Information

Part I of the records of the American Studies Association was given to the Library of Congress between 1971 and 2003 by the American Studies Association, the office of the American Quarterly, Arthur Dudden, Robert H. Walker, and Edward N. Waters. Part II was given by the association and Allen F. Davis in 2006.

A small part of the collection was processed in 1983 and integrated into Part I in 2007. The 2006 addition to Part II was organized by the American Studies Association before being received by the Library that year.

The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of the records of the American Studies Association is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).

Restrictions apply governing the use, photoduplication, or publication of items in this collection. Consult a reference librarian in the Manuscript Division for information concerning these restrictions.

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Roman numeral designating the part followed by a colon and container number, Records of the American Studies Association, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Scope and Content Note

Part I of the records of the American Studies Association spans the years 1946-2003, with the bulk of the material dating from 1965 to 1980. The records are organized in an Administrative File and American Quarterly series. The Administrative File contains correspondence, committee material, minutes and notes of meetings, financial records, and program information. Files dedicated to committees chronicle the history of the organization and the development of a definition of “American studies.” The files also include items from the Radical Caucus of the ASA, a short-lived ad hoc committee. Membership files and surveys illustrate the membership of the organization, and program surveys document the teaching of American studies.

Also contained in the Administrative File are the files of the National American Studies Faculty, an organization within the American Studies Association that existed from 1972 until the late 1970s, when it lost its main source of funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The purpose of the organization was to develop and expand American studies programs at the high school and college level. It also collected and distributed course outlines and bibliographies for those seeking to enhance the American studies curriculum.

The bulk of the American Quarterly records consists of correspondence, queries, and articles that were submitted to the board of editors and rejected. Material that was selected for publication is filed by date of issue. Other files include selections of the editorial board, pending articles, and correspondence between the journal and the American Studies Association.

Part II of the records of the American Studies Association spans the years 1951-2005, with the bulk of the material dating from 1980 to 2005. The records primarily contain correspondence, printed programs, and minutes of meetings. Subjects include annual meetings of the association, committees, council meetings, prizes, and the American Quarterly.

Organization of the Papers

This collection is composed of four series arranged in two parts

Part I:

• Administrative File, 1946-2003
• American Quarterly, 1950-2003

Part II:

• 2006 Addition, 1951-2005
• 2007 Addition, 1972-1991

Description of Series

Container List