Commission on the Bicentennial of the Constitution records, 1984-1988

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Summary

Title:
Commission on the Bicentennial of the Constitution records
Dates:
1984-1988
Creators:
Commission on the Bicentennial of the Constitution
Abstract:
The Commission on the Bicentennial of the Constitution (the Commission), consisting of 23 members appointed by President Ronald Reagan, was charged with promoting and coordinating activities to commemorate the 200 year anniversary of the Constitution. This collection documents the work of the Commission, as well as activities planned by state and local organizations for the Bicentennial. These records consist of the meeting materials, planning documents, and publications generated by the Commission, as well as materials highlighting events that took place throughout the United States.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Folder Title], Box # Folder #, Commission on the Bicentennial of the Constitution, Copley Library, University of San Diego, Archives and Special Collections.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection documents the work done by the Commission on the Bicentennial of the Constitution, as well as local and state agencies to commemorate the 200 year anniversary of the Constitution. The bulk of this collection consists of the meeting materials and planning documents generated by the Commission. Meeting materials include the agendas and minutes of meetings as well as documentation of administrative matters such as budget materials. Meeting materials document discussions about which activities and events would best commemorate the Bicentennial as well as information about the American Revolution Bicentennial which took place in 1976. The Commission used the 1976 celebration as an initial guide in their planning. These records also include memos and reports from local and state organizations sharing how they planned to celebrate the Bicentennial and hoping to receive promotional support from the Commission. Reports and newsletters distributed by the Commission, calendars of local events, and newspaper articles referencing community reaction to the commission's work are also included.

Among the local projects highlighted in this collection are the "We the People 200" celebration in Philadelphia, exhibits and events held at the Library of Congress, publications by Project '87, and The Mini Page publication which featured a series of Constitution themed newsletters for children.

This collection also includes records specific to Commission member and University of San Diego professor Bernard Siegan. These records include planning materials for the fourth Commission meeting held at the University of San Diego, which Siegan coordinated, and biographical information about Siegan.

Biographical / historical:

The Commission on the Bicentennial of the Constitution was created by an Act of Congress (Public Law 98-101) in September 1983 in order to promote and coordinate the commemoration of the 200 year anniversary of the Constitution. In 1985, President Ronald Reagan appointed the Commission's 23 members. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, who resigned from the Supreme Court in 1986 to focus his attention on the Commission, served as the Chairman. Commission members included historians, professors, judges, and businesspeople. Among the appointed members was Bernard H. Siegan, Professor of Law and Director of Law and Economics Studies at the University of San Diego School of Law. At the time, Siegan was the author of seven books including Economic Liberties and the Constitution . Prior to his appointment, he served on President Ronald Reagan's Task Force on Housing (1980-1981) and Commission on Housing (1981-1982), and served as a consultant to the Federal Trade Commission.

The first meeting of the Commission took place in Washington D.C. on July 29th and 30th, 1985. In this meeting, the Commission began to set plans for coordinating the Bicentennial. Given the delay between the 1983 Act and the first meeting in 1985, the Commission relied heavily on encouraging state and local organizations to plan events. One of the Commissions tasks, therefore, was to coordinate promotion of these state and local events in order to bring them all under an umbrella of national celebration. To do this, they vetted the state and local proposals for those they wished to promote. The Commission also coordinated a number of national activities including essay contests, funded grants for an array of educational projects, and supported a number of television series featuring historic events. Additionally, the Commission coordinated the creation of a Bicentennial logo, commemorative postage stamps and commemorative medals.

The Bicentennial was initially slated to be a three year commemoration, with each year representing a theme: 1987 “Framing the Constitution”; 1988 “Ratifying the Constitution: The People Consent”; and 1989 “Establishing a Government under the Constitution.” The Bicentennial expanded to encompass more than a three year celebration with commemorative publications coming out in 1985. Disney World collaborated with the Commission on a joint celebration in October 1986 to celebrate Disney World's 15th anniversary and to generate interest in the Bicentennial. The Commission appointment was later extended by Congress to December 31, 1991 in order to include the addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution in the celebrations. Nationwide, more than 1,000 Bicentennial programs occurred through the six year period.

Processing information:

This collection was processed by Tessie Camina in 2008.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into three series:

Series I. Meeting Materials

Series II. Informational Records

Series III. Publications

Physical description:
3 boxes (3 linear feet)
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Ashley Toutain
Date Prepared:
© 2016
Date Encoded:

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Preferred citation:

[Folder Title], Box # Folder #, Commission on the Bicentennial of the Constitution, Copley Library, University of San Diego, Archives and Special Collections.

Location of this collection:
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, CA 92110 2492, US
Contact:
(619) 260-2730
spcoll@sandiego.edu
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