MSS SC 166

Title: Linguistic Circle of Manitoba and North Dakota fonds

Dates: 1959-1998

Extent: 13 cm of textual records

Administrative History: The Linguistic Circle of Manitoba and North Dakota (LCMND) started out in 1959 as an initiative by University of Manitoba and University of North Dakota professors. It was intended to provide a cross-border forum for scholarly exchange, and has been highly successful in realizing its aim by organizing yearly conferences for some forty years in Winnipeg, Grand Forks, Fargo, and Minot (1995). Apart from the founding universities UM and UND, further administrative and financial support was later provided by the University of Winnipeg, North Dakota State University, and Minot State University who joined the Circle as Institutional Members in 1980, 1985, and 1988 respectively.

Custodial History: The bulk of the fonds was donated by Professor Eric Annandale, University of Manitoba French Department, in 1997. The fonds also contains a LCMND document donated by Sandy Gordon in May 2000 and original copies of volumes 1 to 15 donated by the University of Manitoba Classics Department in 1999. This section of the fonds was originally entitled as the Linguistic Circle of Manitoba and North Dakota fonds, Annandale Collection. The fonds also includes a speech given by then LCMND president Neil Besner in 1994 that was formerly considered its own fonds entitled the "Neil Besner fonds (MSS SC 133) – (1994 Linguistic Circle of Manitoba and North Dakota Dinner Address on Carol Shields)". The two fonds were combined in March 2002 due to their shared provenance, and MSS SC 133 was discontinued.

Scope and Content: The fonds consists of the published proceedings of the LCMND annual conferences. Most proceedings include a foreword detailing the history of the LCMND, a listing of its officers, and a brief summary of all the papers to be presented at the annual conference. The collection includes original copies of all proceedings, photocopied copies of several early proceedings, a publication entitled Papers Presented to the Linguistic Circle of Manitoba and North Dakota: 1989-1993, and an unbound [10x14 inches, legal paper] copy of v. 1 (1959) - v. 19 (1979). The collection also includes four folders containing conference programs, a copy of a proceeding, the full text of Juan Bahk's "Dadaism, Zen Buddhism and Tristan Tzara," presented at the 1991 conference, as well as correspondence detailing the donation between Dr. Gaby Divay, University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections, and Professor Annandale. Fonds also includes a copy of a speech given by then LCMND president Neil Besner on October 28, 1994, entitled The Great Canadian Shields. In his speech Besner addresses the biography and the creative writings of author Carol Shields who was to receive the Pulitzer Prize half a year later, in 1995.

Source of Supplied Title: Title based on provenance of fonds.

Restrictions: There are no restrictions on this material.

Finding Aid: Finding aid is currently unavailable.