SAINT PAUL-NAGASAKI SISTER CITY COMMITTEE (SAINT PAUL,
MINN.):
An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Saint Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee (Saint Paul, Minn.), creator. | |
| Title: | Committee records. | |
| Dates: | 1952-2018. | |
| Language: | Materials in English, Japanese. | |
| Abstract: | Articles of incorporation and bylaws, correspondence, minutes, membership lists, newspaper clippings, annual reports, financial information, a scrapbook, photographs, and related material of a volunteer organization formed in 1955 to promote understanding and fellowship between the two cities. | |
| Quantity: | 5.6 cubic feet (6 boxes, 9 folders in 1 partial box, and 1 oversize folder in 1 partial box). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
HISTORICAL NOTE
In the years following World War II businessman, state legislator, and philanthropist Louis W. Hill, Jr. advocated that Saint Paul establish a special cultural tie to Nagasaki, Japan. Initial steps were taken in December 1955 to establish what was called a Town Affiliation between the two cities, a precursor to what became the Sister City cultural exchange movement. The Sister City concept originated with President Dwight Eisenhower's People-to-People Program in 1956. Nagasaki was chosen by the United Nations Secretariat and was the first Asian city to become a American sister city.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The records reflect the committee's organization, its purpose in furthering understanding of Japanese culture and history, the exchange of student art and scholarship programs, the exchange of delegations between Saint Paul and Nagasaki, cooperation with other organizations in sponsoring events relating to Japan and its culture, its support of the Japanese garden in Como Park, and other activities.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Saint Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee Records. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 14,647; 16,171; 17,260; 17,908
Processing Information:
Processed by: Bonnie Palmquist, October 1993; Christopher G. Welter, January 2009; David B. Peterson, April 2019; and Leif Kopietz, December 2022.
Catalog ID number: 990017299960104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| 143.C.10.8F | 1 | Data sheets, 1952-1990. 3 folders. | |||||||||
| Compiled by the organization's historian, these descriptive notes often list correspondents, subjects discussed, group-sponsored celebrations and events, and visitors to and from Nagasaki. The sheets' box and folder number citations no longer correlate with the papers. | |||||||||||
| Board of directors documents: | |||||||||||
| Articles of incorporation and bylaws, 1965-1998. | |||||||||||
| Minutes, 1965-2013. 12 folders. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 143.B.16.7B | 7 | Minutes, agenda, correspondence, and program materials, 2007, 2009-2018. 12 folders. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 143.C.10.8F | 1 | Annual meetings, 1985-2013. | |||||||||
| Tax status, 1970-1989. | |||||||||||
| Membership and mailing lists, 1967-2004. 5 folders. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence and miscellaneous records: | |||||||||||
| Chronologically-ordered correspondence: | |||||||||||
| undated, 1952-March 1969. 10 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes annual reports and some financial information. Correspondence concerns the establishment of the sister city relationship (1955), visits by representatives from both cities (including the USS Toledo representing the people of Saint Paul at the Swa Shrine Festival, 1959), the naming of Nagasaki Road in Saint Paul (1961), exchanges of children's artwork, membership drives, chrysanthemum shows at Como Park Conservatory, artwork shown at the Twin Cities airport, Japan's honoring the fifteenth anniversary of the sister city relationship (1970), the spring Japanese tea, and other cultural events. | |||||||||||
| Principal correspondents include James Aldridge, Thomas R. Byrne, Joseph E. Dillon, Steve Gadler, Louis W. Hill, Jr., the Japan America Society of Minnesota, Charles McCarthy, Bob Ryan, Alpha Smaby, Ruth Tanbara, and the Town Affiliation Association. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 143.C.10.9B | 2 | April 1969-1972. 5 folders. | |||||||||
| 1973-1984. 28 folders. | |||||||||||
| Concerns the visit of Mayor Marotani of Nagasaki, art displays at Saint Paul's airport and in its skyway system, book shipments to Nagasaki, cooperation with Japan's Rotary Club, relations with the Festival of Nations and the Town Affiliation conference in Atlanta, planning for Como Park's Japanese garden, a chrysanthemum show and homage to Nagasaki (1973), inception of KSTP-Nagasaki Broadcasting affiliation (1974), and a Japanese film crew shooting a sister city story (1974). | |||||||||||
| Other subjects include fund drives, anniversary commemorations, visitors to and from Nagasaki, the Boy Scouts' gift of a totem pole (1981), the continuing problems of the Japanese garden (1981), and the establishment of a cooperative language program between Junshin Women's College in Nagasaki and the College of Saint Catherine in Saint Paul (1981). | |||||||||||
| Principal correspondents include James Aldridge, Lawrence D. Cohen, Charles Evans, Walter Fricke, Steve Gadler, Louis W. Hill, Jr., William Hughes, the Japan America Society of Minnesota, George Latimer, Malcolm Lien, Evelyn Mitsch, Andrew N. Otani, Joan H. PolivkaSeigfried Ramler, Akiko Sako, Barbara Stuhler, Ruth Tanbara, and Arnulf Ueland. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 143.C.10.10F | 3 | 1985-1993, 1997-2000. 18 folders. | |||||||||
| Topics include the organization's involvement in plans for the development of Navy Island in Saint Paul and the Kite Festival (1987); Songs of Hope (a children's choir from the Sister Cities, 1991); the Midwest premiere of Rhapsody in August, an Akira Kurosawa film about Nagasaki (1992); and Paul Granlund's presentation of his sculpture to the Nagasaki Peace Garden (1992). | |||||||||||
| Correspondents include the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans, Anne Dolan, Walter Fricke, Richard Hanson, Louis W. Hill, Jr., George Latimer, Ann O'Neill, Akiko Sako, James Scheibel, and Ruth Tanbara. | |||||||||||
| Alphabetically-ordered correspondence: | |||||||||||
| Collis, Keith, 1997. | |||||||||||
| Formal invitations, 1995. | |||||||||||
| Global harmony pre-planning, 1995. | |||||||||||
| Hill family, 1995. | |||||||||||
| Saint Paul Rotary Club, 1995. | |||||||||||
| Events: | |||||||||||
| Japan food booth, 1983-1987. 8 folders. | |||||||||||
| Operated at Saint Paul's annual Festival of Nations. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 149.D.11.3B | 4 | Japan food booth, 1989-1991. 3 folders. | |||||||||
| Dean Potter program, May 1990. | |||||||||||
| Peace statue and tour, 1992. | |||||||||||
| Global Harmony 40th anniversary, 1995. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Tours, 1995. | |||||||||||
| Consul General Mutsuyoshi Nishmura (Chicago) reception, 1995. | |||||||||||
| Global harmony program, 1995, 1998. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Nagasaki Symphony Orchestra, 1995. | |||||||||||
| Peace pledge drive: pictorial stamp cancellation, August 9, 1995. | |||||||||||
| Nagasaki Peace Park, 1995-1996. | |||||||||||
| St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Japan tour, 1995-1996. | |||||||||||
| St. Paul Civic Symphony, 1995-1999. | |||||||||||
| Nagasaki Orchestra, 1995-1997. | |||||||||||
| Calligraphers, 1996. | |||||||||||
| Nagasaki visit, March 1996. | |||||||||||
| Minneapolis-Hiroshima friendship cities collaborations, 1986-1998. | |||||||||||
| Global Harmony Platter 45th anniversary, 1998. | |||||||||||
| Saint Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee 45th anniversary, 2000. | |||||||||||
| Delegation notes goodbye, 2000. | |||||||||||
| Japanese Lantern Lighting festivals, 2000-2012. | |||||||||||
| Delegation visit, 2004. | |||||||||||
| 50th anniversary celebrations, 2005. | |||||||||||
| 50th anniversary gala dinner, 2005. | |||||||||||
| Kusu seed exchange, 2005. | |||||||||||
| Festival of Nations: Japanese cafe, 2009. | |||||||||||
| Jushin visit to Saint Paul, 2010. | |||||||||||
| Sword welcome luncheon, 2013-2015. | |||||||||||
| 60th anniversary, 2015. | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous events, 1987-2009. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 143.B.16.7B | 7 | Coloring book of Japanese kites, Saint Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee in conjunction with the Asia Pacific Wings Festival, undated | |||||||||
| Lantern Lighting Festival message, August 20, 2000. | |||||||||||
| Letter from "Committee Member, Gardner, Tree Doctor, Masami Matsuda" to other Committee members regarding the festival, its history, and the meaningful relationship of the sister city partnership and the event. | |||||||||||
| [0.25 cubic feet empty, legal sized] | |||||||||||
| Folder | |||||||||||
| 142.G.13.2F-2 | 1 | Festival posters, undated, 2010. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 149.D.11.3B | 4 | Subject files: | |||||||||
| President's acceptance speech, undated. | |||||||||||
| History, 1956-2003. | |||||||||||
| History of sister-city origin, 1956-1993. | |||||||||||
| Town Affiliation Association, 1968. | |||||||||||
| Offshoot of the People-to-People Program, established by President Eisenhower in 1956. | |||||||||||
| Sister City Nagasaki-Saint Paul: 15 years, 1970. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence and related materials, 1975-1999. | |||||||||||
| Grant proposals, 1976, 1988. | |||||||||||
| Proclamations and awards, 1985-2004. | |||||||||||
| A song for Nagasaki, May 1988. | |||||||||||
| Young artists contest committee, 1990. | |||||||||||
| Students in Saint Paul high schools were invited to submit art works on a given theme: the winner was then entered in the national contest. The folder includes contest information, memoranda, correspondence, and a photograph of winners and their entries. | |||||||||||
| Grotto Foundation grants and support, 1992-1998. | |||||||||||
| Hill, Louis W., Jr.: Death, 1995. | |||||||||||
| Inventory Committee, 1976-1997. | |||||||||||
| Youth Exchange Program, 1996. | |||||||||||
| Book plate, 1996-1997. | |||||||||||
| Ruth Tanbara, 1964-2005. | |||||||||||
| Oral history project manual, 2003. | |||||||||||
| News clippings and publicity: | |||||||||||
| 40th anniversary, 1995. | |||||||||||
| Website printout, January 20, 2004. | |||||||||||
| Clippings and press releases, 1992-2005. | |||||||||||
| Photographs: | |||||||||||
| Photographs and slides, undated, 1976-August 1995. 5 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes color and black-and-white informal images in both Minnesota and Japan, professional images of Saint Paul locales, Nagasaki port's quadricentennial, and 35mm color slides. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 153.I.6.10F | 6 | circa 1970s-2013. | |||||||||
| Delegation photographs and publicity, 1955-circa 1988. | |||||||||||
| Chris Rossow: | |||||||||||
| Rossow was president of the Saint Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence and related materials, 1985-2013. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Committee people, 1995. | |||||||||||
| Nominations and award, 1990, 1996. | |||||||||||
| Certificate of appreciation and letter, 2005. | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous papers, 1992-2015. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 142.E.4.6 | 5 | Scrapbook, 1960-1976. | |||||||||
| Newspaper clippings, programs, and photographs relating to the committee. | |||||||||||
| Oversize placards and posters, 1995. 5 items. | |||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Art -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul -- Competitions.
- Atomic bomb victims -- Japan -- Nagasaki.
- Exchange of persons programs.
- Japanese Americans -- Minnesota -- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945.
- Japanese students -- Minnesota.
- Rock gardens, Japanese -- Minnesota.
- Sister cities.
- Persons:
- Aldridge, James, author.
- Evans, Charles, author.
- Fricke, Walter, author.
- Gadler, Steve, 1906-1986, author.
- Hill, Louis W., 1909-1982, author.
- Hughes, William, author.
- Mitsch, Evelyn Goodrow, 1909-1982, author.
- Otani, Andrew N., author.
- Sako, Akiko, author.
- Smaby, Alpha, author.
- Stuhler, Barbara, author.
- Tanbara, Ruth Nomura, 1907- , author.
- Organizations:
- College of St. Catherine.
- Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans.
- Japan America Society of Minnesota.
- Junshin Women's College (Nagasaki, Japan).
- Minneapolis-Ibaraki City Cultural Association.
- Rotary Club of Saint Paul (Saint Paul, Minn.).
- Sister City International.
- Town Affiliation Association.
- Meetings:
- Festival of Nations (Saint Paul, Minn.).
- Places:
- Nagasaki-shi (Japan).
- Como Park (Saint Paul, Minn.).
- Saint Paul (Minn.) -- Associations, institutions, etc.
- Document Types:
- Photographs.
Collapse
All