Jump to Content

Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
National Model United Nations Records
0046  
View entire collection guide What's This?
Search this collection
Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Conditions Governing Use
  • Preferred Citation
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • Biographical / Historical
  • Scope and Contents
  • Arrangement
  • Processing Information

  • Title: National Model United Nations Records
    Collector: Moore, John Allphin, Jr., 1940-
    Identifier/Call Number: 0046
    Contributing Institution: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Special Collections and Archives
    Language of Material: English
    Physical Description: 7.4 Linear Feet 4 boxes, 1 framed award
    Date (inclusive): 1977-2012
    Abstract: The collection consists of items collected by Professor Moore from his years as Cal Poly Pomona's NMUN advisor. The collection includes awards, photographs, notes from the conferences, course materials and memos from the program.

    Conditions Governing Access

    Advance notice required for access.

    Conditions Governing Use

    Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

    Preferred Citation

    [Box/folder# or item name], National Model United Nations Records, Collection no. 0046, University Archives, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    The collection was transferred to the University Archives in 2010 by John Allphin Moore, Jr., former Professor of History at Cal Poly Pomona and National Model United Nation's (NMUN) advisor.

    Biographical / Historical

    Model United Nations History
    The National Model United Nations (NMUN) is the oldest and largest collegiate simulation of the UN in the United States, very likely the largest in the world. It convenes each spring in New York City and holds its meetings at the iconic UN building on First Avenue and at a nearby hotel.
    Beginning as a simulation of the League of Nations, the NMUN reorganized after World War II and the launching of the United Nations. It is a student-administered annual conference organized and managed in its early years mainly by students from East Coast colleges and universities, with a heavy participation from Ivy League schools. As the 20th century moved on, the conference grew larger and became extremely popular. As of 2009, the NMUN was actually an international as well as national conference, attracting colleges and universities from throughout the United States and from many countries abroad. In 2009 the NMUN, to accommodate its escalating appeal, organized two overlapping simulations, held at two nearby midtown hotels and at the UN building.
    The National Collegiate Conference Association (NCCA) is the incorporated body that governs the NMUN's extensive business and logistical affairs. For many years student Head Delegates (each delegation has a single Head Delegate) elected the student members of the NCCA's Board of Directors at a plenary session held during the spring conference. Faculty advisers attending the annual conference have always elected the faculty members of the Board. In the last decade, amendments to the by-laws of the NMUN brought more efficient long-term stability to the program, while nonetheless diminishing the influence of annual student delegations on the composition of the Board. Currently, there is a permanent Executive Director who maintains a year-around administrative role. At the annual spring conference, it selects the student Secretary-General who will be the top administrator for the coming year's conference and helps in bringing together the full student staff (who will assume titles corresponding to the simulated officials of the actual UN and will convene throughout the year to plan and execute the conference). In addition, the Board maintains continual contact with faculty advisers and Head Delegates, and deals with multiple business matters.
    The NMUN is formally affiliated with the United Nations as a registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). This official status brings several advantages to the national conference. For example, the opening session each spring occurs in the Great Hall of the General Assembly at the UN building in New York, and the last full day's sessions take place in meeting rooms at the UN building, with the final plenary session of all delegates returning to the Great Hall (where awards are announced and the senior staff for the next year introduced). Additionally, senior diplomatic staff at the UN conduct briefings for select simulated committees during the week's conference, and all delegations—representing each member nation of the organization—receive briefings from the Mission (in New York) of the country being represented.
    Cal Poly first sent a delegation to the national conference in the spring of 1974. Dr. Mohammed Al-Saadi, of the Political Science Department, was faculty adviser for the 1974 team. There was then a three-year hiatus during which Cal Poly did not participate. In the fall of 1976, three members of the university's ASI (Associated Students—the university's student government) asked Professor of History Emeritus, John Allphin Moore Jr. to assume the position of faculty adviser. Two of those students—Sean Heger and Peggy Weis—became delegates on our first team in 1977. A set of bylaws was set down by the ASI. With these bylaws the ASI was able to have a system of recruitment and registration, also to send forms to the national organization. This system for the most part, has be followed to the present day. Also, the course SSC 410 (Studies of Peace) was organized at Cal Poly Pomona and became the NMUN preparatory class.
    Major funding for the NMUN program has always come from ASI and IRA (Instructionally Related Activities) annual budget allotments. In the early years of the program, the Pomona Valley United Nations Association provided modest but helpful contributions. The retirement community at Mt. San Antonio Gardens in Claremont for many years provided annual Great Decisions pamphlets, published by the Foreign Policy Association, which aided the students' study of up-to-date current world affairs. (After returning from the spring conference each year, students always met with the Pomona Valley UNA and the retirement community for discussions of their experiences at the conference). Since 1995 (the only year the program received no ASI allotment) the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, under the leadership of Dean Barbara Way, has also provided funding. Finally, in 2004, the Hassen Endowment—initiated by the family of Farrah Hassen, a two-time Head Delegate—began to provide supplemental funding.
    Conference officials grant coveted awards each year to a few special delegations. When Cal Poly first attended the NMUN there was one award—"Best Delegation"—granted to a small number of schools for superb participation. As it happens, Cal Poly won "Best Delegation" in 1977, even though the Cal Poly Pomona team contained no experienced delegates.
    Over time, awards categories have evolved, partly to take into account the increase of participating teams, and also to stimulate a more cohesive conference. As of the first decade of the 20th century, the awards for participation were: "Outstanding Delegation," "Distinguished Delegation," and "Honorable Mention." Only a handful of schools gain such recognition. For about a decade there has also been an "Outstanding Position Paper" award, granted to a select few delegations. Cal Poly has been a frequent award-winner at the NMUN, having received recognition for 19 of the 32 years of participation up to 2009, including 12 straight years from 1998-2009. That is, the university has established a reputation as one of the top participants in this international conference.
    Here are the countries Cal Poly Pomona has represented each year and the awards each team earned (to 2012):
    1977- Poland, "Best Delegation"
    1978 - Yugoslavia
    1979 - Hungary
    1980 - China
    1981 - Austria
    1982- Czechoslovakia, "Distinguished Delegation"
    1983 - France
    1984 - Italy
    1985 - German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
    1986 - United Kingdom, "Distinguished Honorable Mention"
    1987 - The Netherlands
    1988 - Federal Republic of Germany (W. Germany), "Distinguished Delegation"
    1989 – France, "Distinguished Delegation"
    1990 - Federal Republic of Germany
    1991 - Syria
    1992 - Mexico, "Honorable Mention"
    1993 - Palestine, "Honorable Mention"
    1994 - Vietnam
    1995 - (no delegation)
    1996 - Trinidad and Tobago
    1997 - Finland
    1998 - Norway, "Honorable Mention"
    1999 - Lebanon, "Honorable Mention"
    2000 - Finland, "Distinguished Delegation"
    2001 - Costa Rica, "Outstanding Delegation" and "Outstanding Position Papers"
    2002 - Tunisia, "Distinguished Delegation" and "Outstanding Position Papers"
    2003 - Belize, "Distinguished Delegation" and "Outstanding Position Papers"
    2004 - Syria, "Outstanding Delegation" and "Outstanding Position Papers"
    2005 - Djibouti, "Honorable Mention"
    2006 - Hungary, "Outstanding Delegation" and "Outstanding Position Papers"
    2007 - Greece, "Distinguished Delegation"
    2008 - Portugal, "Outstanding Delegation" and "Outstanding Position Papers"
    2009 - Slovakia, "Honorable Mention" and "Outstanding Position Papers"
    2010 – Guinea, "Honorable Mention" and "Participant of more than 30 Years"
    2011 – Poland, "Distinguished Delegation"
    2012 – Republic of Cyprus "Distinguished Delegation"

    Scope and Contents

    The collection includes awards, photographs, notes from the conferences, course materials, memos, and correspondences from the program and John A. Moore.

    Arrangement

    The collection is arranged chronologically.

    Processing Information

    The collection was processed by Ernesto Sanchez in 2010, with later additions processed by David Baeza in 2012. The collection number was changed from SC2010.03 to 0046 and the collection title was changed from National Model United Nations Collection to National Model United Nations Records in 2020.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    National Model United Nations
    United Nations