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Arkansas-East Bolivia Partners of the Americas Records

 Collection
Identifier: MC 1532

Scope and Content Note

The collection includes correspondence from 1973 to 2000, information on volunteers from both Arkansas and Bolivia, and different projects of the Arkansas POA chapter. It also includes information on programs the chapter established in Bolivia. It includes materials from state, national, and international conventions of the organization as well as materials related to meetings and committees. The collection includes periodicals put out by the national organization, including the newsletters Direcciones, Frontlines/USAID, Partnergrams, and The Compañero. The collection includes meeting minutes, treasurer reports, and membership directories of the chapter. It also includes trip reports and travel information for volunteers who traveled to and from Bolivia. The collection contains by-laws and operating procedures of Partners of the Americas, various pamphlets, newspaper clippings, forms, financial material as well as slides and photographs.

The first section of the collection contains correspondence, which includes letters to and from President Clinton, both as governor of Arkansas and president of the United States, as well as a photocopy of a letter from President Ronald Reagan to the chapter president. Correspondence includes Spanish language materials. The second section includes membership applications, followed by sections containing information on committees, conventions, and meetings; convention materials include items related to meetings in Little Rock, Albuquerque, Washington D.C., Mexico City, and Buenos Aires. Afterwards is a section on trip reports and travel information, followed by a section with materials on POA bylaws and operating procedures. Following this are sections containing materials related to POA finances, forms, and membership lists; forms include applications for grants, travel requests, and awards. Afterwards is a section collecting various POA publications, including periodicals and pamphlets. Notable among the pamphlets are items published by WinRock International. The next section contains subject files; subjects include the Bill Haymes Project, Youth Development and Women in Development programs, the Andean Project, Economic Exchange, and the Heifer Project International. Following is a section containing images, including photographs and slides featuring scenery from Bolivia and event photos. Afterwards a section containing audio and visual materials, including cassette tapes, compact discs, and VHS tapes. Next is a group of artifacts including a name tag, a tote bag, and a plaque.

Dates

  • 1925-2009

Language of Materials

Materials are predominantly in English; some materials are in Spanish.

Access Information

Access restrictions apply: Access to original presidential letters is restricted for preservation reasons; photocopies are available for research use.

Please call (479) 575-8444 or email specoll@uark.edu at least two weeks in advance of your arrival to ensure availability of the materials.

Use Information

No Use Restrictions Apply.

No Interlibrary Loan.

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Biographical Note

The Partners of the Americas (POA) was founded in 1964 by Jim Boren in response to President John F. Kennedy's call for a "people-to-people alliance." This alliance was formed to complement the 1963 Alliance for Progress, a program of government-to-government economic cooperation across the Western Hemisphere. Originally called the Partners of the Alliance, the POA was initially constituted as part of the United States Agency for International Development. However, it afterwards went private, changing its name to the Partners of the Americas. The Arkansas chapter was established in 1965 by Russell H. Matson, Jr. (1920-1992) of Little Rock. In addition to his role in the POA-Arkansas, Matson served as a pro-integration member of the Little Rock school board during the Central High crisis in 1957-1959.

With membership initially concentrated in central Arkansas, the POA-Arkansas partnered with concerned people in east Bolivia, emphasizing medical aid. In recent years its membership has increased in northwest Arkansas, with several University of Arkansas faculty volunteering. The Arkansas chapter has been active in democratic initiatives, social and cultural programs, a new sports initiative, and special education, as well as community health initiatives and radio communications.

Extent

15.73 Linear Feet (16 boxes and 1 oversize folder)

Arrangement of the Papers

Materials are arranged by topic and format.

Acquisition Information

The Arkansas-East Bolivia Partners of the Americas Records were initially donated to Special Collections by Susan O. Heily of Conway, Arkansas, on February 6, 2004. Additional materials were donated by Leah Wilkinson of Little Rock on February 10, 2008, by Libby Wheeler in 2009, and circa 2015-2016.

Processing Information

Initially processed by John Gore, Gentry Collier and John Poe; completed in April 2009. Processing of the 2009 donation as an addendum, MC 1532b, was begun in 2010 by Special Collections staff; those materials as well as additional materials donated circa 2015-2016 were integrated into MC 1532 by Katrina Windon as Boxes 15-16 and as Box 14, Folder 5 in September 2021.

Source

Title
Arkansas-East Bolivia Partners of the Americas Records
Status
Completed
Author
John Gore, Gentry Collier and John Poe
Date
April 2009
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Department Repository

Contact:
University of Arkansas Libraries
365 N. McIlroy Avenue
Fayetteville AR 72701 United States
(479) 575-8444