Guide to the Lee Gorsuch papers
1978-1999
Collection number: HMC-0454.
Creator: Gorsuch, Lee.
Title: Lee Gorsuch papers.
Dates: 1978-1999.
Volume of collection: 9.0 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Professional papers of a former Chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA).
Biographical note:
Lee Gorsuch joined UAA in 1976 as director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER). In 1985-86 he was a visiting research associate at Harvard University. After returning to UAA he became dean of the School of Public Affairs in 1988. In 1994, he accepted the UAA Chancellorship where he served until 2004. He also served on the Anchorage School Board (1979-1985) in a variety of roles and on the U.S. Arctic Research Commission.
Collection description:
The records in this collection represent some of Lee Gorsuch’s involvement with civic and governmental organizations. They include his copies of records from: the Anchorage School Board, on which he served from 1979 to 1985; the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, on which he served from 1996 to 1999; and the Frontier Thinking Conference from 1990 in which he participated.
Arrangement: The collection is divided into parts by organization and event: those parts are arranged in chronological order by date of Lee Gorsuch’s involvement with them. Within, the records are arranged as noted in the container list below.
Digitized copies: This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Materials in the collection may be subject to copyright. Copyright to the materials in this collection is not held by the Archives.
Preferred citation: Lee Gorsuch papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Works used in preparation of inventory:
Accolades. Anchorage, Alaska: University of Alaska Anchorage, 2004.
Acquisition note: The materials were given to the Archives by Lee Gorsuch in 2004-2005.
Processing information: This collection was initially held as three separate collections: HMC-0454, HMC-0694, and HMC-0830 and the creator listed as the organization or event with which the records were associated. As these all were Lee Gorsuch’s files and not the official record copy of the materials, the three collections were brought together under Lee Gorsuch as the creator/collector, the finding aids combined and standardized into current finding aid format by Arlene Schmuland in 2011. Initial arrangement and description of the collections was completed by Jeffrey Sinnott in 2004-2005.
Container list:
Part 1: Anchorage School Board records; 1978-1989. 7.6 cubic feet.
The Anchorage School Board (ASD) governs and creates policy for the Anchorage School District. Lee Gorsuch was a member Anchorage School Board from 1979 to 1985. He held the school board positions of treasurer, vice-president, and president and parliamentarian. These records were collected by Lee Gorsuch during his service on the board. The collection includes five series: administrative files; financial files; curriculum files; reference files covering such subjects as affirmative action, asbestos removal from schools, human resource development, minority student issues, and youth at risk; and meeting information for school board members including agenda, minutes, memoranda, and reports.
Part 1: Anchorage School Board records. Series 1: Administrative files; 1978-1989. 1.0 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/1 | Administration organization and functions chart | 1983 |
| 1/2-4 | Policy handbook | 1983 |
| 1/5-8 | Personnel directories | 1980-1984 |
| 1/9 | Directory of Alaskan School Boards | 1983-1984 |
| 1/10 | Annual report | 1979-1980 |
| 1/11-14 | Mid-term status reports | 1982-1984 |
| 1/15 | End of year status report | 1983 |
| 1/16 | Board evaluations | 1980 |
| 1/17-18 | Elementary administration manual | 1984 |
| 1/19 | Facilities planning manual | 1981-1982 |
| 1/20 | Accreditation guidelines | 1985 |
| 1/21-25 | Areas of emphasis evaluations and status reports | 1979-1982 |
| 1/26 | Parent handbook | 1989 |
| 1/27 | Graduation requirements survey | undated |
| 1/28 | Enrollment statistics | 1969-1979 |
| 1/29-30 | Letter of recommendations | 1983-1984 |
| 1/31 | Management letter | 1982 |
| 1/32 | Profile for Excellence in Alaska’s Schools | 1984 |
Part 1: Anchorage School Board records. Series 2: Financial records; 1979-1986. 2.6 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 2/1-6 | Adopted financial plans | 1979-1985 |
| 2/7 | On-base budget | 1979-1980 |
| 2/8-12 | Adopted financial plan summaries | 1979-1985 |
| 2/13 | Annual financial report | 1979-1980 |
| 2/14-16 | Comprehensive annual financial reports | 1980-1983 |
| 3/1-6 | Budget requests | 1979-1986 |
| 3/7-10 | Program improvement requests | 1982-1986 |
| 3/11 | Potential budget reductions | 1983-1984 |
| 3/12 | Budget information | 1984-1985 |
| 3/13-14 | Preliminary financial plan | 1985-1986 |
| 3/15 | Proposed financial plan | 1985-1986 |
| 3/16 | Six year building and sites program | 1979-1985 |
| 3/17 | Six year capital improvement program | 1979 March 12 |
| 3/18 | Six year capital improvement program analysis | 1980-1986 |
| 3/19 | Capital improvement program legislative request | 1980 December |
| 3/20 | Ten year capital improvement program analysis and recommendations | 1982-1992 |
| 3/21-22 | Ten year capital improvement program report | 1984-1994 |
| 3/23 | Capital improvement program planning standards | 1985 |
| 4/1-4 | Ten year capital improvement program analysis and recommendations | 1872m 1874 |
| 4/5 | Teacher salary and benefits survey results | 1985 |
| 4/6-7 | Financial planning exhibit schedule | 1982-1983 |
| 4/8-9 | Financial planning exhibit | 1983 |
| 4/10-12 | Bond issue | 1982-1983 |
| 4/13 | Component unit financial report | 1983-1984 |
| 4/14 | Budget instruction manual | 1981 |
| 4/15 | ASD and Anchorage Education Association negotiated agreement | 1979-1982 |
Part 1: Anchorage School Board records. Series 3: Curriculum records; 1980-1987. 1.0 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 4/16 | Curriculum development departmental handbook | 1983-1984 |
| 4/17 | Catalog of course descriptions, revisions | 1980 |
| 4/18 | Program of studies, grades 9-12 | 1986-1987 |
| 4/19-23 | Elementary science curriculum guide | 1980, 1982 |
| 5/1 | Scope and sequence curriculum guide: language arts | 1981 |
| 5/2 | Scope and sequence curriculum guide: mathematics | 1981 |
| 5/3 | Scope and sequence curriculum guide: science | 1981 |
| 5/4 | Scope and sequence curriculum guide: social studies | 1981 |
| 5/5 | Vocational education project | 1983 |
| 5/6 | Comprehensive testing report | 1983-1984 |
| 5/7-11 | Tests and scores | undated |
Part 1: Anchorage School Board records. Series 4: Reference files; 1980-1985. 1.5 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 5/12 | Association of Alaskan School Boards database workshop | 1984 |
| 5/13-15 | Affirmative action plan negotiated agreement | 1980 |
| 5/16 | Community interest in education survey | 1983 |
| 5/17 | Comprehensive twenty year site acquisition plan | 1984 |
| 5/18 | Drug use survey | 1983 Spring |
| 6/1 | Education reading file | undated |
| 6/2-4 | Goals | 1979, 1980 |
| 6/5 | Hazardous transportation | 1983 |
| 6/6 | Labor relations | 1980 |
| 6/7 | Leadership reports (NEA guide) | undated |
| 6/8 | Lobbyist contract | 1981 |
| 6/9 | Method: Alaskan perspectives | 1980 Spring |
| 6/10 | Municipality of Anchorage proposition 24 | 1984 |
| 6/11 | Profile of performance | 1984-1985 |
| 6/12 | Secondary school reform seminar | 1984 |
| 6/13-16 | Senior high school reform seminar | undated |
| 6/17 | Twenty-five years of statehood celebrartion | 1983 |
| 6/18-26 | Asbestos abatement files | 1983-1989 |
| 7/1-8 | Human resources development program | 1981-1986 |
| 7/9-11 | Minority student issues | 1982-1983 |
| 7/12-17 | Youth at risk | 1982-1985 |
Part 1: Anchorage School Board records. Series 5: Meeting records; 1979-1981. 1.5 cubic feet.
Meeting agendas, minutes, memoranda, reports, and other reference materials provided to school board members prior to meetings. Arranged chronologically by meeting date.
| Box/Folder | Date |
| 7/18-21 | 1979 October |
| 7/22-24 | 1979 November |
| 7/25-26 | 1979 December |
| 7/27-30 | 1980 January |
| 7/31-33 | 1980 February |
| 7/34-36 | 1980 March |
| 7/37-38 | 1980 April |
| 7/39-41 | 1980 May |
| 8/1-4 | 1980 June |
| 8/5-6 | 1980 July |
| 8/7-10 | 1980 August |
| 8/11-14 | 1980 September |
| 8/15-19 | 1980 October |
| 8/20-23 | 1980 November |
| 8/24-27 | 1980 December |
| 8/28-30 | 1981 January |
| 8/31-33 | 1981 February |
| 8/34 | 1981 March |
Part 2: U.S. Arctic Research Commission records; 1996-1999. 0.8 cubic feet.
The United States Arctic Research Commission was established by the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984. The Commission’s primary duties are to establish national policy, priorities and goals for federal programs for basic and applied scientific research regarding the Arctic; to promote Arctic research, recommend research policy, and communicate that policy to the President and Congress; to work with the National Science Foundation, the lead agency for implementing Arctic research policy, and foster cooperation within the Federal Government; to give guidance to the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Commission to develop national projects and a five year plan for their implementation; and to interact with Arctic residents, international Arctic research programs and organizations and local institutions in order to obtain a broader view of Arctic research needs. The commission has seven voting members appointed by the President. The composition of the commission include four members from academic and research institutions, two from private industry, and one indigenous resident. The commission holds business meetings and conducts public hearings in Alaska and elsewhere to receive input and make site visits and field trips to research facilities and projects in the Arctic. Lee Gorsuch, then Chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage, served as a member of the commission from 1996 to 1999. The records consist of the reference and meeting books of member Lee Gorsuch from 1996 to 1999. The collection contains a commissioner’s reference book and meeting books from twelve meetings held from December 1996 to December 1999. The meeting books contain agenda, minutes, trip reports, correspondence, executive session records, budget information, articles, personal notes, and other materials. The books are arranged in chronological order by meeting date.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 8/35 | Commissioner’s reference book | 1996 |
| 8/36 | Meeting book, 45th meeting, Washington, D.C. | 1996 December 2-3 |
| 8/37 | Meeting book, 46th meeting, Arlington, Virginia | 1997 March 24 |
| 8/38 | Meeting book, 47th meeting, Woods Hole, Massachusetts | 1997 June 9-10 |
| 8/39 | Meeting book, 48th meeting, Barrow, Alaska | 1997 August 8-9 |
| 8/40 | Meeting book, 49th meeting, Washington, D.C. | 1997 November 3-4 |
| 8/41 | Meeting book, 50th meeting, Washington, D.C. | 1998 February 22-24 |
| 9/1 | Meeting book, 51st meeting, Seward, Alaska | 1998 August 3-4 |
| 9/2 | Meeting book, 52nd meeting, Fairbanks, Alaska | 1998 October 29-30 |
| 9/3 | Meeting book, 53rd meeting, Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia | 1999 March 22-24 |
| 9/4 | Meeting book, 54th meeting, Boulder, Colorado | 1999 July 7-8 |
| 9/5 | Meeting book, 55th meeting, Arlington, Virginia | 1999 October 18-19 |
| 9/6 | Meeting book; 56th meeting, Anchorage and Kodiak, Alaska | 1999 December 6-8 |
Part 3: Frontier Thinking conference videocassettes; 1990. 0.6 cubic feet.
The Frontier Thinking Conference was held in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 21 to 23, 1990, one year after the Prince William Sound oil spill. The conference was organized by Ecological Economics of Alaska, Inc. and World Times. Its purpose was to “compare the insights and experiences of countries, corporations and civic organizations who have squarely faced the paradox of developing resources and conserving nature, and are seeking innovative responses to what will be the decade’s central challenge.” This series consists of videocassettes of the Frontier Thinking Conference. The collection contains: eight VHS videocassettes, one .75 inch videocassette, and two xerographic copies of a handout from the conference. The VHS videocassettes are of conference proceedings, including speeches and panel discussions. Speakers include: futurist and writer Robert Theobald; Noel Brown of the United Nations Environment Programme for North America; Jason Clay of Cultural Survival; futurist and economic analyst Hazel Henderson; Lee Gorsuch of the University of Alaska Anchorage; former Prime Minister of Sweden Ola Ullsten; William Y. Brown of Waste Management, Inc.; and environmentalist Manuel Guerra. Panels included those on regional and global matters, “Oil and Water,” moderated by former Alaska Governor Walter J. Hickel, and another moderated by Joan Bavaria of the Franklin Research and Development Corporation. The .75 inch videocassette is of a thirty second public service announcement for an Ecological Economics Conference. The handout identifies conference sponsors, scholarship providers, supporters and organizers, and provides speakers’ biographies.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 9/7 | Handout | 1990 March |
| 9/8 | Videocassettes | 1990 March |