National Endowment for the Humanities (Web)
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Kranzberg, Melvin, Dr., 1917-1995
setName: label: See more items in
content: Melvin Kranzberg Papers
label: See more items in
content: Melvin Kranzberg Papers / Series 1: Consultation and Advisement, 1958-1987
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1972-1983
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0266, Subseries 1.5
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: General Files, 1972-1980 includes one box with five folders documenting the development of a newspaper series "Courses by Newspaper" and a TV Series "Connections" during the period of 1979-1981.

A grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to "Courses by Newspaper," University Extension, University of California, San Diego, was used to develop Technology and Change (1979), a book edited by John G. Burke and Marshall C. Eakin.

 
Courses by Newspapers" (CBN) started September 9, 1979, and concurrently the BBC/Time-Life Television Series on PBS began September 30, 1979, narrated by James Burke. James Burke also wrote an accompanying book, Connections.

This subseries also includes drafts of Kranzberg's article "Assessing and Directing Technology," for "Courses By Newspaper," copies of lectures, letters from readers, WQED episodes, clippings (1972-78), and "Educational Packets."

Seminars and Proposals FNEH1, 1978-1983.  The National Endowment sponsored seminars in 1978, 1979, and 1980 at Georgia Tech on the general subject of technology and democratic ideals. Requests for additional sponsorship for additional years are included in the box of seven folders related to this subject.

The month-long summer seminar of 1978 for journalists (members of professions outside the field of teaching) was "Machine-Made America: Technology and Democratic Ideals." The dominant theme was the interrelationship between technology and American history. Participants represented a diversity of experience, age, background, and were from all sections of the country.  Included in the folders are application statements by participants, seminar evaluations, and performance reports.

The 1979 seminar concentrated on the historical relationship between technology and society in exploring answers to two main questions: To what extent has technology really served to democratize society? And how has society recently moved to democratize society? Facilities at Georgia Tech (including the nuclear reactor) and the General Motors Assembly Plant, Doraville, Ga., were visited.

The 1980 seminar examined the role that technology has played throughout American history, the extent to which technological innovations have helped to democratize American, and topics related to energy.

Correspondence and proposals for additional seminars are in the last three folders. Newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and brochures are in many of the files.