Series 1 consists of information tracing the study circle movement back to the 1970s. The series contains historical information about the Study Circle Consortium of New York State including meeting minutes, correspondence, pamphlets and membership information. Included are various published articles directly related to the study circle initiative both in Sweden and the US, along with files about various individual study circles including the circles on nuclear disarmament, parenting, child abuse, the environment, the Domestic Policy Association, quality circles, and others. There is also oversized material available in this series.
This series is made up of subject files the office maintained on university events that it promoted, such as research conferences, speaking engagements, building dedications and artistic performances. This series contains files as well on individuals and organizations that the office had contact with, inluding legislators and student groups. These files contain press releases, copies of advertisements placed in local publications as well as correspondence.
Series 1 contains the meeting minutes of the Congregation of Beth El Jacob from 1957-1961, local area Jewish newspapers, newspaper clippings, mortgage files, various local area Jewish organizations' anniversary commemoration pamphlets, academic articles, community reports, a master list of Soviet Jewish immigrants, and a bound volume of a Jewish prayer book in Yiddish.
The Subject Files of the Theatre Department contain correspondence of the Department Chair, various committee minutes, academic planning documents and general administrative documents collected and generated during the years 1948-1978, 1984. Major projects of the department for which documentation exists include clippings, correspondence, publicity, course material, account ledgers, and Annual Production Reports, 1958-1969 of the Arena Summer Theatre and the Summer Theatre, 1972-1977. Also contained are early records relating to the planning and development of the Children's Theatre; Paul B. Pettit's involvement in the New York State Community Theatre Association; and the development of an Experimental Theatre program, 1969-1977.
Of particular interest in the Subject Files are the records of the Legal Redress Committee and the Education Committee. The Legal Redress Committee files are a valuable resource for researchers investigating African Americans and criminal justice in Albany in the 1970s and 1980s. These files contain considerable correspondence from prisoners in correctional facilities throughout New York State, and letters from individuals who felt they had received unfair treatment at the hands of the justice system or at their work because of their race. Researchers will also find documentation of incidents of discrimination in Albany schools and businesses. Also in these files are newspaper clippings from the Times Union and the Knickerbocker News documenting press coverage of incidents and legal cases involving African Americans. The files also include fundraising records for the branch's Legal Fund, established in 1967 to help individuals who could not afford to post bail, and records of the Legal Redress Committee's outreach efforts to educate community members about the arrest process and citizens' legal rights when arrested. Related to the Legal Redress Committee Files are the following folders: Arrest Pamphlet (1979-1985), Bail Bill (1974-1977), and Bail Workshop (1980-1981). The Education Committee files document key events in the history of Albany's public school system in the 1960s and 1970s, along with the NAACP's involvement in these events. There are newspaper clippings, meeting minutes and agenda, and related materials, along with Harry Hamilton's notes, on these happenings, which include the creation of Arbor Hill Elementary School and the new Albany High School (at 700 Washington Avenue), and the transition from three to two Albany middle schools. The Executive Board Committee files (1977-1987) contain extensive information about the activities of the NAACP; they consist of meeting minutes and agenda, newspaper clippings, NAACP newsletters, correspondence, administrative records, and Harry Hamilton's notes on all of the above. Those interested in the Branch's history may wish to consult the History file (1976-1985). While not extensive, it contains material related to Harry Hamilton's research on the history of the Branch that he did while writing the brief history of the organization that was included in the 1985 Freedom Fund program. It includes several letters from past presidents of the Albany branch reflecting upon their tenures as President.
This series contains correspondence generated or received by Concerned Citizens Against Crossgates, petitions, fliers and ads relating to CCAC meetings, lists of CCAC speaking engagements and witnesses for CCAC. Also included are folders on the canidates for the 1980 Town of Guilderland elections. This series also contains data gathered on traffic at other malls and literature relating to residential property values.