The NCC welcomed five organizations as new members during the December 27 biannual meeting in San Francisco. The American Association for the History of Medicine, the Association for Documentary Editing, The American Military Institute, the National Association of State Archives and Records Administrators, and the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic broaden both the grass-roots network and the financial base of the NCC. The NCC Director’s report noted that 1983 had also been a good year for the expansion of the state committee network with the addition of four committees—Alabama, Arizona, Maryland, and Oklahoma—bringing the total or state committees to twenty-seven.
Discussion of the legislative agenda for 1984 focused on work to secure passage or S.905 and H.R. 3987, bills to restore independence to the National Archives and Records Service by separating it from the General Services Administration. Issues related to federal policy on declassification and cultural resource management are also of major concern to NCC member organizations. During the past year the NCC has monitored legislation and developed NCC briefing sheets on fifteen issues: adequate funding for the National Archives and Records Service, reauthorization legislation for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission’s grants program, the subordination of the National Archives to GSA, funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Freedom of Information Act, the Executive Order on Classification, funding for the National Science Foundation, funding for historic preservation, National Park Service policies, student aid for higher education, funding and reauthorization of the Fulbright Academic Exchange Program, legislation to establish a commission to coordinate plans for the bicentennial of the Constitution, funding for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), National Heritage Resource Act, and Women’s History Week.
The NCC added two new categories of membership during the past year—Departmental Associate for history departments and State Archival Associate for state archival agencies. The advocacy program of the NCC requires an effective mechanism for alerting historians and archivists across the country to developments in Washington. These new membership categories have already proved valuable in the NCC’s campaign to secure cosponsors for the National Archives independence legislation. Furthermore the added income from the $100 contributions has helped to raise the NCC budget to almost $40,000. However additional funds are needed for postage, copying, and some secretarial help. Thus far eleven states have responded to the NCC appeal to become State Archival Associates: North Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina, Nevada, Delaware, New York, Illinois, Oklahoma, Idaho. and Mississippi.
The current list of history departments participating in the NCC as Departmental Associates numbers thirty-three and includes: Northwestern, Southern Methodist, University of Maine-Orono, University of Minnesota, St. Olaf College, Washington University, Georgetown, University of North Carolina, University of California-Los Angeles and Berkeley, Kansas State, Stanford, Emory, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and La Crosse, Fordham, SUNY-Stony Brook, University of Maryland-College Park, Washington State, Boston College , Oklahoma State, University of Iowa, College of William and Mary, University of Texas-Austin, California State-Chico, University of Connecticut, University of Hartford, New York University, Western Illinois University, Iona College, Salem State College, Brigham Young, and Southern Illinois University.
Please urge your department to become a part of the NCC advocacy program. For details write NCC, 400 A St., SE, Washington. DC 20003.
