Cornell University Human Affairs Program records, 1969-1977.
Collection Number: 53-29-4281

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
Cornell University Human Affairs Program records, 1969-1977.
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Collection Number:
53-29-4281
Abstract:
Collection contains organization files, correspondence, and the files of Daniel Leahy and Virginia Jinx Dowd.
Creator:
Cornell University Human Affairs Program
Quanitities:
1.0 cubic feet.
Language:
Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

The Human Affairs Program (HAP) was an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental program that provided students with theoretical and practical instruction in human and social problems across various communities. The program received funding from the Ford Foundation and the New World Foundation. The program originated through the School of Industrial and Labor Relations with groundwork laid by Professor William Whyte. Through academic and research study as well as community service the program focused on social, political, educational, and economic concerns. The program was both innovative and controversial during its existence. Daniel Leahy later served as director from September 1973 to June 1976; Virginia Jinx Dowd served as assistant director.

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Collection contains organization files, correspondence, and the files of Daniel Leahy and Virginia Jinx Dowd.

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Cite As:

Cornell University Human Affairs Program records, #53-29-4281. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
Access Restrictions:

Access to Box 1, Folder 14 restricted to permission of Cornell Counsel's Office.

SUBJECTS

Names:
Cornell University

CONTAINER LIST
Container
Description
Date
Series I. General Administrative Files
Box 1 Folder 1
Origins, Proposals and Experimental "sections."
1969-06-1969-08
Scope and Contents
June, 1969: Memos to "Human Affairs Planning Group"; Proposal for "College of Applied Human Affairs"; Planning group on "poverty and the university"; WFW memo to ILR; "Proposed College of Human Affairs"; Memos from WFW on"making the social sciences relevant to Students." July, 1969: Paul M. DuBois memo on structure of "Program in Human Sciences"; Planning Conference II; Progress reports; Proposal for Student Involvement in Governmental Affairs. August, 1969: WFW and Ben Nichols staged planning. September-November, 1969: Proposal to Ford Foundation. Memos.
Box 1 Folder 2
Origins, Proposals and Experimental "sections."
1969-09-1969-12
Scope and Contents
Proposal to Ford Foundation, Memos.
Box 1 Folder 3
Origins, Proposals and Experimental "sections."
1970
Scope and Contents
Seminar notes, minutes, Student Activities Reports, March-May, 1970. First Year Report, July 1, 1970 by WFW. Proposal to The New World Foundation, September 15, 1970.
Box 1 Folder 4
Origins, Proposals and Experimental "sections."
1971
Scope and Contents
Forty page Report of the Educational Policy Board, February 1, and other Educational Policy Board materials. Arguments to shift funding from Foundation support to University funds, April, 1971. Proposal for the University Year of Action.
Box 1 Folder 5
Origins, Proposals and Experimental "sections."
1972-1973
Scope and Contents
January, 1972, Year long Evaluation proposal. General Program and Objectives for HAP, September, 1972. Budget Request for 73-74 Fiscal year. Report of the Committee on City Planning. Financial support. Attack on Human Affairs program projects by the Cornell Campus Coalition, (no date). March, 1973, Report by WFW to ILR on involvement in the Human Affairs Program. Fall, 1973, WFW Report on involvement of 20 ILR students in Human Affairs Program. Final Report to New World Foundation by Director Theodore L. Reed, July 23, 1973
Box 1 Folder 6
Human Affairs Program (HAP) section descriptions
1971-1973
Scope and Contents
Community Auto School, Groton Project, Civitas Half Way House, Housing and Community Development, Alternative Junior High School Markles Flats, Child Care Organizing
Box 1 Folder 7
Human Affairs Program (HAP) section descriptions
1971-1973
Scope and Contents
Storefront, Blue Bus, the Community Communications Section, Elmira Project, Tompkins County Bail Fund, Criminal Justice and Health Project
An Organizer's Notebook on Public Utilities and Energy for New York State
1975-06-03
Series II. Dan Leahy and Virginia Jinx Dowd Files
Box 1 Folder 8-9
Development, Reorganization and Recruitment of new Section Heads
1973-09-1974-05
Scope and Contents
Folder includes notice for a full time director and has materials from the time Dan Leahy became Executive Director. Requests for Development Funds, Budget requests for 1974-1975, correspondence to President Dale Corson, March-April, 1974, Strategy Paper by Dan Leahy, "HAP as a Movement Resource," internal HAP conflict, elimination of certain HAP sections, summer recruitment of new section leaders.
Box 1 Folder 10
HAP Sections
1974-1975
Scope and Contents
Student Rosters with name, address, phone and project from Fall 1970 to Spring, 1974. Also descriptions, reports, etc about these sections: Elmira Section; Property,Taxation and Wealth; Unemployment and Wealth; Public Utilities and Energy, Labor and Corporations, Corporate Research, Criminal Justice, Independent Legal Research, and the Women's Section. Brochure: A Resource for Community Action Organizing. Staff: Jinx Dowd, Lin Farley, Bob Fitch, Tom Haight, Dan Leahy, Susan Meyer, Tonya Prattis, Larry Reverby, Karen Sauvigne and Jim Schmidt.
Box 1 Folder 11
Sections, Staff Reports and Accreditation of HAP sections
1974-1975
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and reports by the new and old section heads throughout this year. Discussion with various Cornell University bodies about which HAP sections will be carried for credit by Cornell's various colleges and by the university itself.
Box 1 Folder 12
Public Utilities and Energy Section Grant Funded by O.E.O
1975-1976
Scope and Contents
The Human Affairs Program applied for and received a $20,000 from O.E.O via the Cortland County Community Action program for the year January 1975 to January 1976. The grant was officially entitled the "Energy Crisis Education and Development Project." As part of this project, the HAP staff, Jim Schmidt, Jinx Dowd and Dan Leahy, conducted energy education workshops in multiple counties throughout New York State. |Contains workshop planning questionnaires, workshop agendas multiple guides and research materials, as well as a 20 page "Index of Community Organizations" (May 1975); a Rick Turner slide show description: "People in Struggle: Community Resources and the IOU's" (June, 1975). Also contains a three page summary of the work done by this HAP section from November 1974 to April 1976, including the production of the massive "An Organizer's Notebook on Public Utilities and Energy for New York State" compiled with the assistance of Kat Dalton and containing the research of HAP staff member, Bob Fitch. There is also a Urban Fellows Institute report by Mary Ann Herberling (Municipal Ownership of Electric and Gas Service in Schenectady), August 1975.
Box 1 Folder 13
Working Women's Institute
1975-1976
Scope and Contents
Includes Dan's notes on a discussion with staff member Lin Farley to create a "Women's History Film" that would explore the rich history of the region and emphasize the role of "ordinary women" in making history; notes on possible source materials, funding sources, staffing, time table, etc. December 1974: five page memo to new hires, memos about how to set up a separate tax exempt institute. June, 1975: formation letter of Working Women United and Working Women United Institute in response to a woman experiencing sexual harassment by her boss; Annual Report by Karen and Susan (June, 1975) describing all of their extraordinary work leading up to the May 4th "Speak Out" attending by over 250 women and the follow up work to create an independent Working Women's Institute; Lin Farley's annual report describing her work as leader of the Women's section and her work with the Speak Out; Leahy preparation memo; Questionnaire about sexual harassment; Testimony of Lin Farley, Director of Hap's Women's Section before the NYC Commission on Human Rights, April 21, 1975. Various proposals for research on sexual harassment. A section of Working Women United. Establishment of a Working Women United Legal Fund. Documents, guidelines, research by various HAP staff for use in Training Sessions. Book proposal by Lin Farley, "Sexual Harassment of Women at Work" to James Selligman Agency, NYC. Description of her work at HAP in interviewing women experiencing sexual harassment on the job. March 1976: funding for a "Working Women's Guide." Carmita Wood case. One copy of "Labor Pains" (November 1975) published by working women united institute.
Box 1 Folder 14
Sex discrimination charge materials.
1976-05-1976-06
Access Restrictions apply.
Box 1 Folder 15-16
Peoples Power Coalition of New York (PPC)
1974-1977
Scope and Contents
In the fall of 1974, the HAP program's Jim Schmidt began organizing a conference to bring together groups concerned with utilities, energy and the environment.|November 8-9, 1974 in Ithaca, New York: conference agenda, list of participants, research on public versus private power companies, HAP brochure "Break Through the Blackboard", planning questionnaires, speech outlines, press releases. Out of this conference came the PPC with the HAP staff acting in support. Steering Committee meeting agendas, development of an organizational structure, press articles, reaction of Cornell's Provost and subsequent decision to terminate HAP in June, 1976. Shift to use of Upstate Community Resource Institute (UCRI) to support PPC, fund raising efforts. Letters of support to Cornell for the HAP work. Organizational documents of PPC through March 1977. A history of the PPC written by Jinx Dowd, December 1, 1976. Internal disputes. Shift away from HAP/UCRI as staff to PPC. Securing adequate funding and establishment of PPC office in Albany, NY in February, 1977.
Box 1 Folder 17
Upstate Community Resource Institute, Inc. (UCRI)
1976-1977
Scope and Contents
Formed in January, 1976, in response to Cornell's termination of the HAP program as of June, 1976. The UCRI was intended to continue the support work for the Peoples Power Coalition, the Labor Action Coalition and the various municipal power campaigns stimulated by the April, 1976, "Municipal Power for New York State" conference organized by UCRI's Jim Schmidt, Jinx Dowd and Dan Leahy. |Contains all the organizational development documents through February, 1977, and extensive research on public power in New York State, speeches at that conference, proposal for a statewide public power project in New York State, Report on the Institute's organization and activity from January to October 1976. Press compilations, funding proposals, internal debates, conference registration lists and its unsuccessful efforts to secure funding for its projects and staff by 1977.
Box 1 Folder 18
Upstate Community Resource Institute: Power Line Support work
1975-1977
Scope and Contents
Jinx Dowd of UCRI led the organization of a Civil Disobedience training and a "Power Line Strategy Weekend" February 4-6, 1977 in Holland Patent, New York. This folder contains planning documents for the weekend, a press history compiled by Jinx Dowd (October 12, 1975 to January 2, 1977), background on PASNY's proposed 765 KV power line from Quebec to New York City, conference registration lists, organizational statements in relationship to the power line.
Box 1 Folder 19-20
Community Research and Training Institute
1976-01-1976-10
Scope and Contents
In January 1976, six months before HAP was to be terminated, Dan Leahy and Jinx Dowd proposed this Institute (CRTI) to fulfill the University's obligation for public service and its mandate as a land grant college under the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1865.| This folder contains Leahy and Dowd's effort to secure endorsements from community and labor organizations, New York State Assembly members and State Senators, from the Board of Regents, Board of Trustees, etc. Also contains proposals, brochure and extensive correspondence with officials throughout New York State.
Series III. Project Files
Box 1 Folder 21
Elmira Correctional Facility Education Program, community resources and organizing, "People In Struggle"
1974-1975
Box 1 Folder 22
Upstate Community Resource Institute
1976