Columbia Forum records, 1956-1975
Summary Information
Abstract
At a Glance
- Call No.:
- MS#0250
- Bib ID:
- 4078629 View CLIO record
- Creator(s):
- Columbia University
- Repository:
- Rare Book and Manuscript Library
- Physical Description:
- 40.03 linear feet (78 document boxes and 6 record cartons)
- 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.
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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.
This collection has no restrictions.
Description
Summary
Editorial files of THE COLUMBIA FORUM, consisting of correspondence, manuscripts, memoranda, editorial reports, blurb and biographical forms, and promotional materials. These comprise the authors' morgue, organizational materials, Comments and Letters and "Before the House" sections, biographical and anthology files, and files of unpublished articles.
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Series V: Editors files, 1956-1975
This series is made up of the files kept by FORUM editors Lee Ambrose, Peter Spackman and Erik Wensberg. The bulk of the material consists of a sequence of subject and correspondence files in alphabetical order. It also includes letters to the editor, production logs and rejections from the 1970s.
Arrangement
Selected materials cataloged; remainder arranged. This collection is arranged in five series.
- Series I: Cataloged Material
- Series II: Morgues, Rejections, Cover Letters
- Series III: Organizational Materials
- Series IV: Journal Items
- Series V: Editors files, 1956-1975
Using the Collection
Restrictions on 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.
This collection has no restrictions.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Columbia Forum records; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Libraries.
Related Materials
Columbia University Forum (call# CJ C723)
Columbia Forum (call# CJ C7231)
In addition to the issues of the magazine, see The Columbia University forum anthology, edited by Peter Spackman & Lee Ambrose. (Call number B378.7CJ Sp11 OR call number CJ C723a). Additional materials can be found in the Office of Provost records (UA#0083).
Accruals
Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
Alternate Form Available
Pearl S. Buck letter is on: microfilm.
Ownership and Custodial History
Gift of The Columbia Forum, 1975.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source of acquisition--Office of The Columbia Forum. Date of acquisition--1975. Accession number--M-75. Series V materials were transferred from the Office of the President (Low B-15) to the University Archives in 2002 (Acc # 2002.054, formerly UA#0048) and incorporated into MS#0250 in July 2019.
About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Processing Information
Cataloged Christina Hilton Fenn 05/04/89. Series V was processed by Joanna Rios in July 2019.
Revision Description
2012-04-09 xml document instance created by Alison Rhonemus.
2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.
2019-07-12 Added Series V (6 RCs) from the former University Archives collection US#0048 (5692952)
Biographical / Historical
The Columbia Forum was a quarterly journal for alumni started in 1957. As a replacement for the Columbia Alumni News, it was originally created to provide a forum for the thoughts and opinions of people who were in some way connected to Columbia, covering the entire range of the arts and sciences. It also included the Columbia Chronicle, a short section of news about the University. The publication was sent free-of-charge to alumni; non-alumni could subscribe or buy single copies with the proceeds going to the Columbia General Scholarship Fund. Writers for the Forum included such well-known Columbia professors as Peter Gay, Richard Hofstadter, Moses Hadas, Eric Bentley, Fritz Stern, and Ivar Berg. An anthology of the quarterly was published in 1968, edited by Peter Spackman and Lee Ambrose.
In October 1970, the University announced that the Forum's budget allotment would be discontinued and that Winter 1970 issue would be its last. The Forum appealed to its readers for funding pledges and it was soon reinstated as a non-official University publication. The Winter 1971 issue was the first of the new magazine and was also the last under the auspices of the University, mailed free to alumni. Subsequent issues were paid for by subscriptions and donations on its way to becoming a self-sustaining magazine, featuring no advertisements. The magazine was unable to become financially independent. With declining subscriptions and increasing debt, the Forum ceased publication in 1975.
Subject Headings
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
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