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international Union of Geodesy and Geophysics records, 1922-2000 (1955-1998).

by International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics.

41 linear feet (77 boxes).

Owning Repository:

American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

http://www.aip.org/history/ead/browse.html#aip_iugg (Online finding aid)

Country of Repository:

Biography/History:

The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, a non-governmental scientific organization dedicated to the promotion and coordination of physical, chemical and mathematical studies of the Earth and its environment in space, was established in July, 1919, during a meeting of the then International Council of Research (now the ICSU) in Brussels. Thirteen countries requested membership in the original Union, which consisted of the five "sections" of Geodesy, Magnetism and Terrestrial Electricity, Meteorology, Oceanography, and Seismology. In 1920, financially contributing member countries included Belgium, Canada, France, Greece, Japan, Monaco, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Italy and Mexico became members of the Union in 1921. In 2000, the Union included 76 member countries from six continents. The first General Assembly of the IUGG was held in May, 1922, in Rome. At the first General Assembly, the sections of Hydrology and Volcanology were added to the Union. In 1933 at the fourth General Assembly in Lisbon, the seven sections where officially designated to be semi-autonomous Associations, each with its own separate but related discipline or subject. The seven Associations of the IUGG are: the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA), the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS), the International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Ocean (IAPSO), the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI), and the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI). Since 1963, General Assemblies have been held every four years. In addition, the IUGG sponsors Inter-Association Commissions, symposia and workshops, and interdisciplinary research programs in support of its dedication to the scientific study of the Earth and the applications of the knowledge gained by study to the needs of society. The Union is a member of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), a co-sponsor of the Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Data Analysis Services (FAGS), and cooperates with UNESCO in the study of natural catastrophes. The IUGG is administered by a Bureau that consists of the Union's President, Vice-President, Secretary General, Treasurer, and four elected members. The Executive Committee, including the Bureau, the retiring President of the Union, and the Presidents of each Association, is responsible for overseeing the Union's scientific programs. The Union published the IUGG Chronicle from 1952–1995. The official languages of the Union are French and English.

Scope of Material:

This collection contains the correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, publications, and financial and historical documents of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG). The collection constituted the archives of the IUGG and was previously maintained by each successive Secretary General of the Union. The bulk of the records documents the activities of the Secretary Generals through correspondence with Union officers, member countries, and associations, and with other related organizations within the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The records are organized into series following the original order of the Secretary Generals. The majority of records of Secretary General Georges R. Laclavere, dating from 1955 to 1963, are in 26 cloth bound volumes labeled "Chronos" for strictly chronological files of correspondence, or "CIR" for circulars and other reports arranged chronologically and individually numbered. Beginning with the records of Secretary General George D. Garland in 1963, the records are organized into subject categories based on the office, country, committee, association, or activity to which each record relates.

Access Restrictions:

Permission of an officer of the IUGG is required for access to records less than 25 years old.

The majority of records are in English and French, but some in Spanish, German, Chinese and other languages are also included.

Finding aid, 16 pages, also available on microfiche at repository.

Financial records.

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AIP International Catalog of Sources