Proxy Committee Records, 1973-1996
General International Standard for Archival Description
Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
Finding aid encoded in NoteTab Pro. Encoded by Julie A. Singley. 2007-08-09
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Proxy Committee Records
Creation of Proxy Committee Records
Time of Creation of Proxy Committee Records
Mount Holyoke College. Board of Trustees. Proxy Committee
Biographical History for: Proxy Committee Records
Historical Note The Proxy Committee was established in 1974 as a sub-committee of the Board of Trustees Finance Committee. The purpose of the committee was to monitor the investments of Mount Holyoke College and inform the Finance Committee of actions by corporations in which the College was a share holder that did not comply with socially responsible practices. Much of the focus of the committee's work through the mid-1980s concerned the question of whether the College should divest itself of investments in companies doing business in South Africa or with the South African government, which the Board of Trustees voted to do in November, 1985 to protest that country's apartheid system. Other issues considered by the committee include corporate policies affecting the health of workers and the environment.
Scope and Contents of the Collection The records of the Proxy Committee date from 1973-1996 and concern the investments of Mount Holyoke College, particularly those in South Africa. Proxy Committee records also contain minutes, agenda, correspondence, and other documents generated by the Mount Holyoke faculty advisory Committee on Social Responsibility, which favored divestiture of investments in South Africa because of that country's apartheid system. Materials are arranged in three series: Meeting Binders, Subject Files, and Divestiture Materials; Correspondence, Committee on Social Responsibility Materials, Background Materials, and Reports; and Meeting Notebooks and Chronological Files. Meeting Binders, Subject Files, and Divestiture Materials (1973-1992) consist of minutes and agenda, reports, correspondence, questionnaires, notes, statements, resolutions, articles, and publications. These documents also include copies of a paper by a Mount Holyoke College student, Carol Ann Drogus entitled An Analysis of Divestiture. Correspondence, Committee on Social Responsibility Materials, Background Materials, and Reports (1981-1994) were used by the Committee to prepare recommendations concerning the College's investments. Many of these reports were published by the Investor Responsibility Research Center (IRRC). There are also two Sullivan Reports (1984, 1985) that discuss policies of corporations with regard to the fair and equal treatment of all employees. Meeting Notebooks and Chronological Files (1973-1996) contain minutes and agenda, reports, correspondence, questionnaires, statements, shareholder proposals, notes, proxy voting records, publications, and newspaper and magazine articles. These materials include minutes and reports of the Committee on Social Responsibility for 1978-1990, reports by the IRRC, and materials relating to the Sullivan and the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) investment principles.
Apartheid--South Africa.
lcsh
Investments--Moral and ethical aspects.
Social responsibility of business.
United States--Foreign economic relations--South Africa.
Drogus, Carol Ann.
lcnaf
Mount Holyoke College. Board of Trustees. Proxy Committee.
Mount Holyoke College. Committee on Social Responsibility.
Mount Holyoke College--Administration.
Mount Holyoke College--Finance.
Mount Holyoke College--Records and correspondence.
Investor Responsibility Research Center.
Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies.
aat
series
Meeting Binders, Subject Files, and Divestiture Materials
Creation of Meeting Binders, Subject Files, and Divestiture Materials
Time of Creation of Meeting Binders, Subject Files, and Divestiture Materials
Binder 1978-1980
Binder January-November 1981
Binder November 1981-1982
Binder 1982-1983
Binder 1983-1984
Reports 1974-1984
Social responsibility background material circa 1979-1983
General files 1985
General files 1986-1987
General files 1988-1989
General files 1989-1990
Memos re: divestiture 1978-1989
Divestiture correspondence 1978-1992
Reports re: divestiture 1978-1983
Resolutions, proposals, statements regarding divestiture 1973-1984
Meeting agenda re: divestiture 1982
Statement on social responsibility in investments 1987
Clippings re: divestiture 1979, 1981
Announcement concerning a student forum on apartheid 1980
Correspondence, Committee on Social Responsibility Materials, Background Materials, and Reports 1981-1994
Correspondence 1985-1986
Committee on Social Responsibility Material 1981-1993
Memoranda 1973-1994
Communication between the Proxy Committee and the Committee on Social Responsibility 1984-1985
Background material 1985-1987
Background material November 1985
Sullivan reports 1984-1985
IRCC reports 1984-March 1985
IRCC reports April 1985-February 1986
IRCC reports February-November 1986
IRCC reports 1991-1992
Meeting Binders and Chronological Files 1973-1996
Meeting binder 1974-1984
Meeting binder: Committee on Social Responsibility 1978-1987
Meeting binder 1981-1987
Meeting Binder: Committee meetings 1988-1994
Meeting binder: Committee members 1992-1996
Committee records 1973
Committee records 1974
Committee records 1975
Committee records 1976
Committee records 1977
Committee records 1978
Committee records 1978-1979
Committee meeting April 11, 1978
Letters to corporations re: South Africa 1977-1979
Committee records 1979-1980
Committee records 1980-1981
Committee records 1981-1982
Committee meeting November 6, 1981
Committee records 1982-1983
Committee meeting April 15, 1983
Committee records 1983-1984
Committee meeting April 11, 1984
Committee records 1984-1985
Committee meeting April 16, 1985
Committee records 1985-1986
Portfolio 1985-1986
Meeting April 16, 1986
Committee on Social Responsibility 1985-1986
Committee on Social Responsibility: Meeting re: South Africa November 7, 1985
Mount Holyoke College policy on social responsibility and investments (historical) 1973-1987
Social responsibility policies of other institutions 1985-1986
South Africa matters 1985-1986
Sullivan Principles 1985-1986
Faculty letter and reply June 1985
Corporate response to Elizabeth T. Kennan letter July 22, 1985
Coca-Cola response to Elizabeth T. Kennan letter July 22, 1985
General Electric response to Elizabeth T. Kennan letter July 22, 1985
Mobil response to Elizabeth T. Kennan letter July 22, 1985
Consortium on South Africa 1985-1986
After divestment 1985-1986
Alumnae responses to divestment decision 1985-1986
Alumnae Quarterly article Summer 1986
Divestiture 1985-1986
Committee records 1986-1987
Mailed ballots 1986-1987
Portfolio 1986-1987
Meeting April 14, 1987
Committee records 1987-1988
Meeting April 15, 1988
Meeting and voting history 1987-1988
Portfolio June 30, 1988
Proxies to be voted and mailed ballots 1987-1988
Committee records 1988-1989
Proxies to be voted 1988-1989
Mail ballots and proxies to be voted 1988-1989
Meetings April 19, 1989 and May 12, 1989
Divestment information 1988-1989
South Africa list 1984-1988
Mail ballots 1989-1990
Joint meeting with Committee on Social Responsibility November 3, 1989
Meeting April 12, 1990
IRCC reports 1989-1990
Committee records 1990-1991
Mail ballots 1990-1991
Portfolio and South Africa list February 28, 1991 and July 10, 1991
Committee records 1991-1992
Mail ballots 1991-1992
Committee records 1992-1993
Committee records 1993-1994
Proxies to be voted 1993-1994
Mail ballots 1993-1994
CERES (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies) Principles 1992-1994
South Africa 1993-1994
Committee records 1994-1996
Proxies to be voted 1994-1995
Mail ballots 1994-1995
Meeting March 19, 1995
Proxy voting guidelines and voting history 1994-1995
IRRC 1995-1996
Mount Holyoke College-Chase addendum June 12, 1996