Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections

Archival Inventory

Historical Sketch:
An interdepartmental major in Latin American Studies came into being in 1940 under the sponsorship of Viola Barnes (History), but it was not until 1974 that the program was first formalized. Prior to 1974, it was considered to be a "special major" and not formalized to exist as a major in its own right. For many years, from the time the program was formalized until her retirement in 1992, Joan Ciruti chaired the Latin American Studies Committee. Since its creation the program has relied heavily on the Five Colleges for course offerings. Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary program which emphasizes critical approaches to the culture, history, society, and political economy of the Latin American region.

Description of Records:
The Latin American Studies Program Records contain booklets, brochures, articles, and annual reports dating from 1974-1995. Included in the records are two booklets on Latin American Studies which describe the program, career opportunities, study abroad and internships, major and minor requirements, course descriptions, the Five College Certificate Program, and short faculty biographies, as well as, a brochure, put out by the Office of Admissions, on "Latin American Studies at Mount Holyoke." The records contain three articles: "A New Definition of the Latin American Studies Program," a Mount Holyoke News feature "Focus on Latin American Studies," and an article titled "Latin American Partnership" which describes the five year cooperative degree program with the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University. Also included in the records are annual reports from the years 1974/75 through 1990/91. These reports contain information on program needs such as the need for more courses and a full-time Latin American Studies faculty member, statistics on enrollments, information about course development, the Five College Latin American Studies Council, the Five College Seminar on Latin America, and the faculty exchange with the University of the Andes in Colombia. Also included in the reports are descriptions of various events such as lectures, film series, and the Latin American dinner.

Cite as: Latin American Studies Program Records, Archives and Special Collections, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

Access Restrictions: Records restricted to use by office/department of origin for 25 years from date of record creation.