The Institute on Man and Science, 1963-1991

In 1964 The Institute on Man and Science in Rensselaerville, New York invited Vincent Schaefer to serve on the faculty of scientists and humanists for its July summer program. Established in 1962 as an educational center to encourage life-long learning and explore ideas about human problems, the Institute changed its name in the 1980s to The Rensselaerville Institute to reflect its broader focus on local self–help programs, small town revitalization efforts, innovation in government, and cultural and educational programs. The Institute remains in existence today. In addition to Schaefer, participants and faculty of the Institute on Man and Science included a Supreme Court Justice, Nobel Prize recipients, award-winning authors, scientists, economists, and a former Secretary-General of the United Nations.

This initial invitation in 1964 led to a three decades-long relationship between the Institute, Schaefer, and his wife Lois. Based upon his experiences on the 1964 summer program faculty, Schaefer subsequently established a Natural Sciences Institute field unit in Rensselaerville the following year. Students attended all of the 1965 summer program lectures at The Institute on Man and Science. Schaefer continued to serve as a faculty member for educational programs, was on the Research and Development Committee, advised the Institute about science more generally, became an Associate of the Institute in 1971, and by the mid-1970s began many years of service on the Board of Trustees.

This series includes materials related to Schaefer’s varied and long-term service to the Institute. There is correspondence, both general and Trustee-specific, literature about the Institute and its programs, and a small number of newsletters. There are Trustee semi-annual meeting materials, the majority kept by Schaefer in the form of complete meeting packages given to Trustees during the Spring or Fall meeting. There are minutes from the Executive and Finance Committees, some of which Schaefer saved individually, and others he kept within the Trustee meeting packets. In addition, Schaefer retained reports about the Institute’s community renewal work in small towns, including Stump Creek, Pennsylvania and Corbett, New York.

Please note that not all dates are inclusive and see Series 8, Subseries 1 for documents relating to the Natural Sciences Institute field unit in Rensselaerville.