The Record - May 1998

Conference on Cold War History and Documentation

The National Archives and Records Administration and the University of Maryland have announced a jointly sponsored conference that will examine issues relating to Cold War documentation. The conference, with the working title "The Power of Free Inquiry and Cold War International History," will take place on Friday, September 25, and Saturday, September 26, 1998, at the National Archives at College Park, adjacent to the University of Maryland campus. The plenary session on September 25th will feature a keynote address on the importance of open and available documentation by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Conference participants, including government historians and archivists, members of the academic community, and staff of non-governmental research institutes will explore opportunities and challenges presented by the Cold War documentary record. A specific focus of the conference will be on how newly declassified U.S. materials

have affected research and interpretation of Cold War history. Featured sessions will examine "Cold War Documentation, National Security, and the Fullest Possible Accounting: Restriction vs. Access," "The Cold War and the Former Soviet Bloc," "The Challenge of New Record Formats and Recordkeeping Practices," "The Cold War and East Asia," "The Nuclear Threat in the Cold War," and "Nontraditional Resources and Research Opportunities."

The conference is open to all with an interest in Cold War international history, including former and current government officials or diplomats as well as academic and public historians and political scientists. Graduate students are especially encouraged to participate. For information on conference sessions, participants, and registration, please contact Tim Wehrkamp by e-mail at: timothy.wehrkamp@nara.gov.