The University of Chicago Library > The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center > Finding Aids > Guide to the University of Chicago International House Council Records 1959-1984
© 2007 University of Chicago Library
| Title: | University of Chicago. International House Council. Records |
|---|---|
| Dates: | 1959-1984 |
| Size: | 0.5 linear feet (1 box) |
| Repository: |
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center |
| Abstract: | The International House Council Records consist of minutes of Council meetings (1970-1972), copies of the Chicago Compass, International House Board of Governors minutes (1959-1973), correspondence, memoranda, and other records of the Council. |
The collection is open for research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: University of Chicago. International House Council. Records, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
International House at the University of Chicago was constructed in 1932 at 1414 East 59th Street through the support of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. His hope was “to promote international understanding and friendship of the people of Chicago and the Middle West towards nations and cultures other than their own.” The co-educational residence was designed by Holabird and Roche, and built out of Indiana limestone in the gothic style. It could house over 500 students and was administered by a Board of Governors consisting of members of the faculty and representatives of the Chicago business community.
The idea for International House began in 1910 at Columbia University through the work of Harry E. Edmonds. International Houses were built in New York (1924); Berkeley, California (1930); Boston, and Paris. The goals of International House were (1) to provide educational facilities for students of different nationalities and races, (2) to promote understanding and friendship among students of diverse national, cultural, and social backgrounds, and (3) to serve as a cultural facility for the foreign students at the University of Chicago and other educational institutions in the Chicago area.
Members of the International House organized dances, film festivals, lecture series, debates, and forums. The International House Council at the University of Chicago was one of the governing bodies of International House, along with the Board of Governors and the Senate.
The majority of the papers in this collection concern events of the early 1970s. In the spring of 1971 I-House announced the firing of part of its maid staff in an effort to economize. This led to active student protests, including picketing, and a call for more student participation in I-House budget-making. This led to the formation of the I-House Senate, which was composed of the I-House Governors and the I-House Council. Moreover, this event led to student membership on I-House Governors Committees, student attendance at I-House Governors meetings, increased budgets for activities such as film festivals, and a preservation of I-House cafeteria service. In the winter of 1972 students passed a referendum for co-ed housing, which was resisted by some students and led to changes in the amount of power given to I-House Council.
The International House Council Records consist of minutes of Council meetings (1970-1972), copies of the Chicago Compass, International House Board of Governors minutes (1959-1973), correspondence, memoranda, and other records of the Council.
| Box 1 Folder 1 | Constitution of International House, 1970 |
| Box 1 Folder 2 | Council Minutes, 1971-1972 |
| Box 1 Folder 3 | Council Social Events |
| Box 1 Folder 4 | Council correspondence and referenda |
| Box 1 Folder 5 | Board of Governors minutes |
| Box 1 Folder 6 | Resident Protest materials |
| Box 1 Folder 7 | Chicago Compass, 1971-1974 |
| Box 1 Folder 8 | Senate materials, 1972-1973 |
| Box 1 Folder 9 | Lists of residents, 1972, 1974 |
| Box 1 Folder 10 | miscellaneous |