Guide to the Bicentennial Conference on Religious Liberty (1976 :Philadelphia, Pa.) Records

Descriptive Summary

Title

Bicentennial Conference on Religious Liberty (1976 :Philadelphia, Pa.) Records

Inclusive Dates

1972-1976

Call Number

RG 132

Creator(s)

Bicentennial Conference on Religious Liberty (1976 : Philadelphia, Pa.)

Quantity

2.00 cubic feet

Restrictions on Access

Open for research. Medical, educational, and psychological records of living people are closed.

Repository

Presbyterian Historical Society, 425 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 USA

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Administrative History

The Bicentennial Conference was an inter-faith program of the Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and the Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia. The Bicentennial Religious Coordinators met and proposed "that the religious community of the Philadelphia metropolitan area ...sponsor and support a national Bicentennial conference on Religious Liberty to be held in Philadelphia in 1976." The intent was to provide a forum for scholarly presentation and deliberation and an opportunity for public hearing and response to the points of view of Roman Catholics, Protestants and Jews. William B. Miller, director of the Department of History (UPCUSA) served as secretary of the planning committee, which included representatives of the Friends, Lutherans, Jews, Presbyterians, Baptists, and Catholics.

The conference took place during the last week of April 1976. It included seminars, discussion sessions, films, speakers and worship services.

Collection Overview

Record Group 132 is a miscellaneous collection of records of the conference. It includes correspondence, background materials, publications, survey replies, and registration forms.

Collection processed and finding aid prepared: March 1978
Robert A. Goldstein, Assistant Records Researcher

Notes added to finding aid: April 1992
Stephanie Muntone, Processing Archivist

Catalog Headings

The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in the society’s electronic catalog.

Corporate Subject

United States. Declaration of Independence Bicentennial, etc.

Conference Subject

Bicentennial Conference on Religious Liberty (1976 : Philadelphia, Pa.) Archives.

Topical Subject

Freedom of religion Congresses.

Liberty Religious aspects Congresses.

Corporate Added Name

Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia.

Catholic Church. Archdiocese of Philadelphia (Pa.)

Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia.

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description

1	1	Finding Aid to Record Group 132
	2	BCRL Printed matter: banquet invitation; descriptive pamphlets; program; etc
	3	General Background Information
	4	Conference leadership; Background papers: National Committee membership structure; etc
	5	BCRL Proposal (rejected) to National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): Conference implementation funding (final draft); N.L. Nolde (Exec. Dir.) memo re: background of NEH review of Proposal
	6	Suggested BCRL seminar topics: SURVEY responses, 1974
	7	Early correspondence and organizational papers; Minutes of early meetings, etc, 1972-74
	8	William B. Miller (Secretary): Correspondence, 1972-75

		General Correspondence

1	9-11	1974
	11-16	1975
	17-19 1976
	19	1976-1977

1	20-21	Plenary Session Speeches--Draft texts (typescript)
	22	Plenary Speakers--photographs
	23	Conference membership: Final roster; Registrees Not in attendance

		Conference Registration Forms

1	24	A - F
	25	G - M
	26	N - Z

1	27	BCRL Speakers' Bureau: Application Forms; organizational papers
	28	Seminars: Background and planning papers; selected correspondence Seminar membership: Working Files (cards, boxed)
	29	Seminars: Short Reports
	30	Seminars: Long Reports
	31	Report Groups A-D, Reports

2	1	Conference Volume: Background and planning papers; correspondence
	2	Press Operation: Correspondence; planning papers; BCRL radio spots: texts.
	3	Press releases: pre-Conference; Conference Releases
	4	Press clippings
	5	Financial Summaries--Cash Ledgers
	6	"Report of the BCRL" : June, 1976 (typescript)
	7	Conference Participant Evaluation Questionnaires
	8	Human Rights and the United Nations: pamphlet; typescript documents: 1952-53

		Cassette Tapes

2	1-23	Conference Introductions, Plenary Addresses, April26-30, 1976 (with guide)

	1-50	(a) Program/Planning Committee Meetings
		(b) Seminar Orientation Meeting (1/19/76)
		(c) Meeting with NEH officials (9/23/74)
		(cassettes individually labeled)

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Guide to the Bicentennial Conference on Religious Liberty (1976 :Philadelphia, Pa.) Records

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