BRACERS Record Detail for 122352

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Collection code
RA3
Recent acquisition no.
291D
Source if not BR
Australian Inst. International Affairs
Recipient(s)
Dickins, Nance
Australian Institute of International Affairs
Sender(s)
BR
Date
1950/07/13
Form of letter
TEL(X)
Pieces
1
BR's address code (if sender)
BRB
Notes, topics or text

Australian Lecture Tour (1950)

"Thanks tentative programme. Please delete arrangements for drives or visits weekends. Grateful if Saturdays and Sundays be quiet fill. As stated on previous programme delete dinner Rationalists 26th July. Will give interview to Rationalists but not at dinner. Would like to know when conferring of degree date fixed. Have suggested 28th or 31st and asked university to inform you."

Transcription

BR TO AIIA /.NANCE DICKINS, [13 JULY 1950]
BRACERS 122352. TEL(X). Australian Institute of International Affairs. B&R Hh2020.01
Edited by A.G. Bone. Reviewed by S. Turcon


BRISBANE1

DICKENS2
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
177 COLLINS ST MELBOURNE

THANKS TENTATIVE PROGRAMME3 PLEASE DELETE ARRANGEMENTS FOR DRIVES OR VISITS WEEKENDS GRATEFUL IF SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS BE QUIET FILL AS STATED ON PREVIOUS PROGRAMME DELETE DINNER RATIONALISTS 26TH JULY WILL GIVE INTERVIEW4 TO RATIONALISTS BUT NOT AT DINNER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN CONFERRING OF DEGREE DATE FIXED5 HAVE SUGGESTED 28TH OR 31ST AND ASKED UNIVERSITY TO INFORM YOU

RUSSELL

  • 1

    [document] The telegram was edited from a photocopy of the telegram form showing a date-received stamp made in a Melbourne office.

  • 2

    [recipient] Formerly a Commonwealth civil servant, Nance Dickins (not “Dickens”) was secretary of the AIIA’s Victoria branch, a position she had held since 1946. Under the general-secretaryship of George Caiger, Dickins also performed similar duties for the organization’s Commonwealth Council (i.e. national executive) — on an ad hoc basis until her joint administrative role was formalized when the Commonwealth secretariat moved to Melbourne in 1951. She became Honorary Secretary of the AIIA in 1959 but remained actively involved with many aspects of its business until her retirement sixteen years later. She was considered indispensable to the AIIA and was “the one continuing element in the work of the national organization” (J.D. Legge, Australian Outlook: A History of the Australian Institute of International Affairs [St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 1999], p. 106).

  • 3

    TENTATIVE PROGRAMME Among the papers of the AIIA (see RA Rec. Acq. 291d) are several copies of Russell’s final Melbourne programme, including for the four days he spent there after returning at the end of his tour (18–21 August) to preside over the annual congress of Australasian Association of Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Melbourne.

  • 4

    PLEASE DELETE … DINNER RATIONALISTS … WILL GIVE INTERVIEW Russell seems eventually to have acceded to the more formal request from the Rationalist Society of Australia, for the function he attended as guest of honour at Melbourne’s Hotel Federal on 26 July was described explicitly by one city newspaper as a “dinner” (“And He Ran True to Form”, The Argus, 27 July 1950, p. 5; App. I.16 in Papers 26). The “interview” portion consisted of BR’s witty, extemporized answers to various questions from the floor (ibid., and “Philosopher in ‘Impish Oracle’ Role”, The Sun, Melbourne, 27 July 1950, p. 3; App. I.17 in Papers 26).

  • 5

    WHEN CONFERRING OF DEGREE DATE FIXED. An honorary Doctorate of Law was conferred upon Russell by the University of Melbourne immediately before he delivered the second instalment of a two-part public lecture entitled “Living in the Atomic Age” (11b in Papers 26). BR never listed this award among his honours (see Nicholas Griffin, “Russell in Australia”, Russell, no. 16 [winter 1974–75]: 9).

Publication
B&R Hh2020.01
Permission
Everyone
Image
Transcription Public Access
Yes
Record no.
122352
Record created
Apr 19, 2013
Record last modified
Jul 02, 2023
Created/last modified by
blackwk