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Canadian-American Center records

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 33-20-872

Scope and Contents

The collection contains records of the Canadian-American Center maintained by Joanne Burgess, Director of the Center and Special Assistant to President Ketter for the Center, between 1980-1982. While the collection contains Canadian-American Center general and correspondence files maintained by Burgess, the bulk of the records document the Acid Rain Conference held at the University in May of 1981. The publication of conference proceedings is also documented.

Dates

  • 1980-1982

Language of Materials

Collection material in English.

Terms of Access

Canadian-American Center records, 1980-1982 are open for research.

Copyright

Copyright is held by the State University of New York at Buffalo, University Archives. Copyright in other papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the University Archives before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Historical Note

The Canadian-American Center (established 1981) headquartered at the Darwin D. Martin House was established to focus on the contemporary dynamics of relations between the United States and Canada. President Ketter proposed its creation in May 1980. It was formally dedicated on June 5, 1981.

The Acid Rain Conference, coordinated by Joanne Burgess, Director of the Canadian-American Center and Special Assistant to the President for the Canadian-American Center, was sponsored by the newly-formed Canadian-American Center of the State University of New York at Buffalo.

The two-day conference held on May 1-2, 1981 in O'Brian Hall, addressed economic, social, and political aspects of the acid rain issue and the effects regarding international interaction. The four main points of discussion were:

After the conclusion of the Canadian-American Center, the Canadian-American Committee Studies was established in the late 1980s under the management of the Dean's Office of the College of Arts and Sciences. The Canadian-American Studies Committee was involved in coordinating, supporting, sponsoring, and carrying-out instructional and service activities related to Canada with the goal of stimulating scholarly research and an awareness of Canada in the University at Buffalo community.

  1. "Is there a problem?" (a definition of acid rain under varying perspectives);
  2. "Cost and benefits: Should Acid Rain be reduced?";
  3. "Transboundary politics and institutions--what do we have and how effective are they?"; and
  4. "The quest for effective future transboundary relations".

Guest lecturers including university faculty, government associates, and ecological organizers were invited to present a particular area of expertise and to engage in discussions cross disciplinary discussions. The reaction to the conference was mixed with heavy negativity shown by the Canadian press.

The proceedings of the conference, Acid Rain: A Transjurisdictional Problem in Search of Solution, was published as a result of the conference and is derived primarily from the transcripts of the conference proceedings.

Extent

.8 Linear Feet (2 manuscript boxes)

Abstract

Canadian-American Center Records maintained by Joanne Burgess, Director of the Center and Special Assistant to President Ketter for the Center, between 1980-1982. The bulk of the records document the Acid Rain Conference held at the University in May of 1981.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into three series: I. General files, II. The Acid Rain Conference, and III. Publication of Acid Rain: A Transjurisdictional Problem in Search of Solution.

Acquisition Information

The Archives received the collection from the Office of the President in 1986. Its accession number was 86-006.

Accruals and Additions

No further accruals are expected to this collection.

Related Resources

Gold, Peter S., ed. (1982) Acid Rain: A Transjurisdictional Problem in Search of Solution. Buffalo, NY: Canadian-American Center, State University of New York at Buffalo.

Processing Information

Processed by Karen Walton Morse, January 2004.

Source

Title
Finding Aid for the Canadian-American Center records
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Karen Walton Morse.
Date
2006
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Revision Statements

  • October 2014: Finding aid migrated to ArchivesSpace by Danielle White.
  • May 2023: Historical note updated to add information about the later Canadian-American Studies Committee, by Jessica Hollister

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives Repository

Contact:
420 Capen Hall
Buffalo New York 14260-1674 US
716-645-2916
716-645-3714 (Fax)