Collections : [New York State Modern Political Archive]

The files contain newspaper clippings, codes, and investigations on a wide range of topics pertaining to urban issues such as housing codes and enforcement, highway construction, parking, preservation and demolition of buildings and historical sites, preservation of the Pine Bush, security, burglary, a 1973 investigation of police enforcement and corruption, taxes, urban community and neighborhood development and preservation, ordinances, and zoning. They contain correspondence with and information on the Hudson/Park and Pine Hills Neighborhood Associations, Albany neighborhood associations, Capitol Hill Improvement Corporation, Capitol Housing Rehabilitation Corporation, the Historic Albany Foundation, Historic Resources Commission (1988), Historic Sites Commission, Albany Industrial Development Agency, Mayor Corning Memorial Committee (1984), and St. Joseph Housing Corporation (1983); and correspondence with and information on the New York City Brownstone Revival Committee, New York State Council on Architecture, and Preservation League of New York State; and national correspondence with and information on Alliance for Neighborhood Government, and Neighborhood Preservation.

This series contains files pertaining to planning decisions in Albany County, New York. There are a wide variety of documents covering county-level planning -- e.g., open space plans, county land use regulations, transportation plans for I-87/Northway, as well as plans involving the airport and the Pine Bush Preserve. There are also plans for specific municipalities within the county: villages, towns, and the City of Albany, itself. For the City of Albany, there are housing studies, community buying guides, economic development strategies, community improvement program reports, land use inventories, downtown development plans, to name a few of the most common document types.

This series contains appraisal documents of commercial and residential properties in Newburgh from NYR-189 and NYA-10 with full specifications on most of the residential lots (physical condition, measurements, and information on the owners). The documents also include photographs of the properties. A very small number of files related to apprisals are also located in the Administrative series.

The Arts in Education Series documents Ruth Perham's concerts, residences, workshops, and programs at various youth-centric and educational institutions. Included are song lyrics she distributed and/or developed with students in various stages of the writing process, legal and financial documentation, correspondence between Pelham and institutional staff (usually school faculty), photographs of events, personal notes, reflections on events, post-performance evaluations, and thank you notes from participants (usually youths). This series is a more intimate look at the inner processes that kept the Music Mobile's wheels turning beyond grant funding and fundraising.

Rhoda Fox Graves' personal and political papers are interfiled. Much of what is contained in these records are correspondence between her constituents and fellow legislators, legislative bills, and pamphlets distributed by various Republican organizations. Personal letters and records reflecting daily activities are included as well as files dating before her election into the Assembly.

Recorded tapes of oral history interviews. All interviews were transcribed and the transcripts are located in Series 2. The labels for a few of the tapes indicate that they were the first of two interviews; however, additional interviews were never conducted. Access to some tapes is either permanently or temporarily restricted, as noted in the box and folder list.

The highlights of Miles' life up to about 1945 are contained in a typewritten manuscript of 138 pages. This item, meant for his children and grandchildren, is divided into eleven chapters and titled True Tales From Tin Lizzy Times and Other Sketches. Biographical information can be found on Boyd Fisher (chap. VI), the force behind the Ohio Relief Production Units (1934-1935) and the Rural Electrification Administration; Sally Rand (chap. IX), the exotic dancer; Franklin Roosevelt's Aunt Bessie (chap. X) and John Pratt Whitman (chap.XI), mystic, teacher, social worker, actor, journalist and author who is Miles' "most unforgettable character". This series also includes a five page statement, written in 1986, concerning his undergraduate experience at Antioch College as well as materials related to his first published article in 1932.

This first series is further divided into two sub-series: (1) autobiographical and biographical; and (2) family correspondence.

The multiple issues that Rensselaer County Greens (RCG) raised with this company can be seen in the diversity of the records in this series. Environmental issues were the primary priority with information pertaining to water pollution, air pollution, traffic congestion, previous contaminants in the ground where the new site was to be built, and the noise and smell that would be given off by the plant documented in the records. Application and permit material make up a major component of the series while background statistics and material directly from the court proceedings account for another large section of the series. The environmental concerns and research files were created to be used by RCG, and as a result the majority of the information in the series documents RCGs claims against Besicorp. The pros and cons of what Besicorp could mean for Rensselaer and what it could do to influence the lifestyles of Rensselaers citizens is documented in the various newspaper stories on the topic. RCG handouts give a clear statement of why the organization was fighting against the newly planned plant.

This series contains Norman Studer's curriculum vitae, a partial autobiography, a brief biography, memorial tributes, family photographs, family records, and correspondence. The correspondence has been identified by correspondent's name only when the volume or significance warrants such separation; however, the bulk of the correspondence is arranged chronologically. Notable correspondents include Pete and Toshi Seeger and David Dunaway, Seeger's biographer as well as a former Camp Woodland camper.