Rare Book & Manuscript Library
 

Nicholas Publishing Company records, 1971-2003

Summary Information

Abstract

Records documenting the sale to China of United State scientific and technical bibliographic materials in the 1970s.

At a Glance

Call No.: MS#1985
Bib ID 14327474 View CLIO record
Creator(s) Nicholas Publishing Company; Greenfield, Stanley R., 1925-
Title Nicholas Publishing Company records, 1971-2003
Physical Description 0.42 Linear Feet (1 document box)
Language(s) English .
Access You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

Arrangement

Description

Content Description

The papers presented in this collection primarily contain Nicholas' correspondence with the aforementioned agencies of the US Government and the China National Publications Import Corporation (CNPIC). The orders Nicholas placed on behalf of the CNPIC, which averaged around 5,000 documents annually, were among the largest technical information purchases recorded by the Department of Commerce. One particular order, for example, was for the 10,000 microfiches (approximately 600,000 pages) of NASA documents from the 1960s. Nicholas' role in this large-scale information transfer was indispensable because at the time the US had not recognized the PRC, and all interaction between the two governments needed to go through private channels. After the two governments established formal diplomatic relations in 1979, CNPIC ceased placing orders through Nicholas and the relationship came to an abrupt stop.

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Conditions Governing Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

Conditions Governing Use

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Curator of Manuscripts/University Archivist, Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML). The RBML approves permission to publish that which it physically owns; the responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Nicholas Publishing Company Records; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Rachel Greenfield, 2019.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Subject

Heading "CUL Archives:"
"Portal"
"CUL Collections:"
"CLIO"
"Nat'l / Int'l Archives:"
"ArchivedGRID"
Negotiation in business -- China Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Technology transfer -- China Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID

History / Biographical Note

Biographical / Historical

Nicholas Publishing Company was founded by Stanley R. Greenfield in 1973. That year, Nicholas proposed to the People's Republic of China that it act as its acquiring book and document agent in the United States. From 1975-1979 Nicholas, as a registered foreign agent, was the sole representative of the PRC for the acquisition of all scientific and technical bibliographic materials from the United States, including serials, patents, US government documents, technical reports, juridical materials, and commercial databases. Nicholas performed its function with the concurrence of the White House, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Departments of State and Commerce.

After clicking 'Submit Request', users will login with their UNI and password (Columbia affiliates) or their special collections account (external users). Appointments are required and will be arranged according to each individual repository's policy.


Series I: Correspondence



Box 1 Folder 1 China National Publications Import Corporation to Stanley R. Greenfield, Nicholas Publishing Company, 1974-1985


Box 1 Folder 2 Stanley R. Greenfield to China National Publications Import Corporation, 1974-1997


Box 1 Folder 3 Stanley R. Greenfield to Office of Science and Technology Policy, 17 July 1978

(Item 30)


Box 1 Folder 4 Stanley R. Greenfield to Ambassador Huang Hua, 27 October 1971


Box 1 Folder 5 Stanley R. Greenfield to Liu Chung-jen, 15 March 1974


Box 1 Folder 6 Stanley R. Greenfield to NTIS, 22 February 1977 & 18 October 1978


Box 1 Folder 7 George Meany to Stanley R. Greenfield, 10 July 1974

(photocopy)


Box 1 Folder 8 Department of State to Stanley R. Greenfield, 7 January 1974


Box 1 Folder 9 Stanley R. Greenfield to The New York Times


Box 1 Folder 10 Miscellaneous correspondence, 1973-1983

Series II: Topics


Information Transfer:


Box 1 Folder 11 "How and When Information Transfer to the People's Republic of China Began"


Box 1 Folder 12 "A Proposal to the People's Republic of China"


Box 1 Folder 13 Agreement between NTIS and Nicholas Publishing Company, 1977


Box 1 Folder 14 A Proposal to China National Publications Import Corporation


Box 1 Folder 15 "History of Stanley R. Greenfield's activities on behalf of China National Publications Import Corporation, 1874-1979 and inverted file preparation, 1980


Box 1 Folder 16 Exhibits No. 1-30 regarding the operations of Nicholas Publishing Company


Box 1 Folder 17 List of publications ordered by China National Publications Import Corporation, 1978


Box 1 Folder 18 Statement on the relations between Nicholas Publishing Corporation and China National Publications Import Corporation, 12 December 1977


Box 1 Folder 19 Visit by Members of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations to the Nicholas Publishing Company, 3 November 1977


Box 1 Folder 20 Board of Expert Advisors, February 1974


Box 1 Folder 21 Department of State. Memorandum of Conservation, 19 December 1973


Box 1 Folder 22 "China's Man in Space, NASA Technology Based?", 10 December 2003


Box 1 Folder 23 Memoranda re. "Project Red Star", 21 March 1972


Box 1 Folder 24 Dial-A-Book (successor to Nicholas Publishing Company)


Box 1 Folder 25 Purchase Orders


Box 1 Folder 26 Biographical Information and FBI Freedom of Information Response:


Box 1 Folder 27 Brief Biographical Background-Stanley R. Greenfield


Box 1 Folder 28 FBI Freedom of Information reply


Clippings:


Box 1 Folder 29 Photocopies of article from The New York Times: "How U.S. Science Got To China Before '79", 27 May 1986