Washington State University Libraries: Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)

Summary Information

Repository

Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections

Creator

Northwest Scientific Association

Title

Northwest Scientific Association Papers

ID

Cage 591

Date [inclusive]

1935-1987

Extent

5 containers., 5 linear feet of shelf space.

Language

Collection materials are in English.

Abstract

Correspondence, financial records, membership lists and reports, chiefly related to annual meetings and publication of Northwest Science, a journal. Most records are from the period 1965-1980.

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Biography/History

The first meeting of the Northwest Scientific Association took place in the Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington on the evening of February 9, 1923. The organizing committee had formed at the urging of Spokane's Superintendent of Public Schools, Orville C. Pratt to organize a scientific association for the Inland Empire. The first general meeting was held at the Lewis and Clark High School April 6, 1923 and it was attended by a small group of regional scientists. In April of 1924, the first NWSA program meeting was held in conjunction with the Inland Empire's Teacher's Association Annual Meeting. Forty-seven papers were presented in the categories of Botany-Zoology, Chemistry-Physics, Education, Geology--Geography, Medicine-Bacteriology and Plant Pathology. Membership was $1.00 annually.

Many prominent Northwest scientists contributed to the leadership of the NWSA including: Dr. M.F. Angell, University of Idaho; Dr. Curtiss Meriman, Cheney Normal; Dr. F.D. Heald, Washington State College; E.A Bryan, Washington State College, and W.C. Hungerford. It was due largely to the efforts of these men and other dedicated regional scientists that NWSA began to publish a quarterly journal which included publication of the papers presented at the NWSA Annual Meetings.

NWSA became duly incorporated as a nonprofit organization under Washington State law on May 7, 1928 (Article 6566). Three officers, eight councilors and eleven trustees comprised the structure of the association at that time. There was some restructuring in the 1950s and again in the 1970s. The councilors were replaced by members elected to standing committees by the president and the position of Secretary-Treasurer divided into two separate positions.

NWSA became affiliated with the Pacific division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1932. NWSA membership included more than 500 scientists and educators from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. An endowment for the organization was established in 1936 as a memorial for NWSU Past President and Trustee Howard R. Flint, who had died in 1933. The Flint family and several members of the U.S. Forest Service including Major E.W. Kelly and Bob Marshall contributed to the fund. AAAS grants and the Flint Fund made it possible for the NWSA to fund scientific research grants.

The NWSA had two primary goals. The first was to encourage scientific research in the Northwest in the form of grants and by creating a forum where scientists could meet and exchange ideas. The second goal was to establish a journal to publish and aid scientific research in the Northwest. The first Northwest Science journal was published in May, 1928. In 1948, publication of the journal switched from the presses of the Daily Idahonian in Moscow, Idaho, to the State College of Washington Press. The journal published research on the natural and social sciences in the Northwest and was one of the earliest forums for research relating to the Columbia River Basin Project. In 1952,  Northwest Science was abstracted or indexed in the Agricultural Index, Bibliography of Agriculture, Biological Abstracts and Chemical Abstracts; institutions and individuals in 34 countries subscribed to the journal.

NWSA continues to be the foremost organization of its kind in the Northwest. Its membership spans the globe and it has expanded its geographical focus to include British Columbia. The journal has enjoyed a sixty five year long reputation for scholastic and scientific excellence to the benefit of NWSA members and the scientific community.

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Scope and Content

Some items of interest include: the history of the association and some correspondence with the IRS from 1970-1974 which includes a long argument about nonprofit status and incompetent IRS personnel.

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Arrangement

There are six series contained in the Northwest Scientific Association records. Each series is arranged alphabetically by subject heading and chronologically thereunder. Each series consists of records pertaining mainly to the time period 1965-1980. These bulk dates are consistent throughout the collection, though there are some materials which date back to the 1920s and continue through to 1991. Some of the financial records also continue past 1980.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Washington State University Libraries: Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC) © 1992

https://libraries.wsu.edu/masc/

Terrell Library

P.O. Box 645610

Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA

509-335-6691

mascref@wsu.edu

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research use.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Northwest Scientific Association were donated to the WSU Libraries in two accessions, the first in 1988 and the second in 1991. (MS88-42, MS91-15)

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Related Materials

Related Material

Copies of the Northwest Science journal formerly held as part of this collection can be found in the MASC’s WSU Publications collections, as WSU 118.

Preliminary Guide to the Northwest Scientific Association Records, 1924-2013 (MS.2002.12).

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Names and Subjects

Corporate Name(s)

Creator(s) :

• Northwest Scientific Association --Archives

Subject(s)

• Science -- Northwest, Pacific--Congresses
• Science -- Periodicals--Publishing--Archives
• Science
• Washington (State)

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Bibliography

For a more complete history including a list of officers, trustees, and of researchers published in the journal since 1928, see: Merriam, Willis B, A History of the Northwest Scientific Association, WSU Press, 1960 and  The Northwest Scientific Association: What It Is, Its Aim, Its Method of Work, ca. 1936, both located at Box 2, Folder 29.

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Detailed Description of Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series 1: Correspondence
			box	folder
Correspondence: membership 1969-1973			1	1
Correspondence: UBC Centre for Continuing Education			1	2
General Chronological Correspondence 1968-1984			1	3
Editor's Chronological Correspondence
			box	folder
1969			1	4
1970			1	5
Jan-June, 1971			1	6
July-Dec 8, 1971 1972			1	7
1973			1	9
Jan-June, 1974			1	10
July-Dec, 1974			1	11
Jan-May, 1975			1	12
June-Dec 14, 1975 1976			1	13
Treasurer's Chronological Correspondence
			box	folder
1961-1976			1	15
1973-1977			1	16
1978-1983			1	17
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Series 2: Annual Meetings
			box	folder
Programs			2	18
Reports			2	19
46th Annual Meeting 1973			2	20
52nd Annual Meeting 1979			2	21
54th Annual Meeting 1981			2	22
55th Annual Meeting 1982			2	23
56th Annual Meeting 1983			2	24
57th Annual Meeting 1984			2	25
58th Annual Meeting 1985			2	26
59th Annual Meeting 1986			2	27
60th Annual Meeting 1987			2	28
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Series 3: Association Records
			box	folder
NWSA Association History			2	29
Constitution and By-Laws			2	30
Editor's Reports			2	31
NWSA Research Grants			2	32
NW Science Journal			2	33
NW Science Journal: Back Issues Sent 1974-1981			2	34
Officers and Trustees			2	35
Secretary's Report			2	36
Treasurer's Report			2	37
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Series 4: Presidents' Records
			box	folder
Affiliate Societies			2	38
Annual Meetings 1967-1971			2	39
Audit 1972 1973			2	40
Citations 1972			2	41
Committees 1967-1970			2	42
Constitution, By-Laws & Policy			2	43
Correspondence Re: 1968 Meeting 1968			2	44
Editor's Report 1973			2	45
Fiscal 1965-1970			2	46
Grants-Awards 1968-1971			2	47
Grants 1971-1972			2	48
1972 NSF Grant proposal 1972			2	49
Membership Lists 1965-1968 1971			2	50
Minutes 1965-1970			2	51
Miscellaneous 1969-1972			2	52
Nominations			2	53
Official Correspondence 1971-1972			2	54
Publicity			2	55
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Series 5: Financial Records
Finance/Accounts: First Security Bank
			box	folder
Checking Acct. Ledger 1970-1975			3	56
1972			3	57
First Sec. Bank/ Seattle First 1972			3	58
National Bank 1973			3	59
First Sec. Bank 1974			3	60
First Sec. Bank 1975			3	61
First Sec. Bank (FSB) 1976			3	62
FSB Dues and Deposits 1976			3	63
FSB 1977			3	64
FSB 1978			3	65
FSB 1979			3	66
FSB Statements 1980			3	67
FSB Dues and Deposits 1980			3	68
FSB 1980			3	69
Finance/ Audit Statements 1972-1981			3	70
Finance/ Budget paid Bills
			box	folder
1972			3	71
1973			3	72
1973-1974			3	73
1975			3	74
1976			3	75
1977			3	76
1978			3	77
1979			3	78
1980			3	79
1981-1983			3	80
			box	folder
Finance/ Deposit 1981-1983			3	81
Finance/ Institutional Membership Payments 1973			3	82
Invoice/Expenses 1985			3	83
Invoices/ Statements of Account
			box	folder
Paid 1979			3	84
Unpaid 1979			3	85
Paid 1980			3	86
Paid 1981			3	87
Unpaid 1981			3	88
Statements: Revenue and Expenditures			4	89
Taxes: IRS Correspondence 1935 1970-1974			4	90
Taxes: Tax Returns 1974-1981			4	91
Tax Returns 1975-1981			4	92
NHSA Treasurer's Records
			box	folder
1973			4	93
1974			4	94
1975			4	95
1976			4	96
1977			4	97
1978			4	98
1979			4	99
1980			4	100
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Series 6: Membership
			box	folder
Membership Lists: 1973-1975			4	101
Misc. membership Lists and Forms			4	102
Necrology File			4	103
New Members 1980			4	104
New Members 1981			4	105
Memberships Paid [A-H] 1980			4	106
Memberships Paid [I-Z] 1980			4	107
Oversize 1976-1982			box 5	folder 108
				box
Checking Acct. Ledger				5
Boxed Membership Index Cards				5
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