Environmental Defense Collection
Manuscript Collection 232

Introduction

In 1971, just four years after EDF’s incorporation was signed, The Environmental Defense Archive began to take shape with the donation of a small collection of papers by Robert E. Smolker. Dr. Smolker was a professor at Stony Brook University as well as a founding member and Secretary of EDF’s Board of Trustees.

During the next few years, Dr. Smolker and Evert Volkerz, former Head of Special Collections, discussed using Environmental Defense primary sources to support University academic programs. In 1975, the Environmental Defense Archive moved one step closer to fruition with the initiation of a collecting project about environmental groups on Long Island. Because of its roots on Long Island and connections with the University, the Environmental Defense Archive became the cornerstone of this project.

In 1976, Dr. Smolker advocated the donation of files to ED’s Executive Committee. The records transfer began in 1977 and continued throughout the next 15 years. Currently there are office records from New York, California, Colorado and Washington D.C. At present, most of the archive’s holdings are litigation files and governmental hearings transcripts from the 1970s through the early 1980s, reflecting EDF’s original mission using the courts to protect the environment. There are also minutes of Board of Trustees and Executive Committee meetings during the 1971-77 period, providing evidence of managerial discussion and decision making.

In 2001, the Environmental Defense Archive Project was formally initiated by a Memorandum of Understanding. With this document, written and approved by Environmental Defense, Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Foundation, Stony Brook University became the official repository of Environmental Defense.

Additional donations to the archive were provided by Art Cooley, Robert Smolker, Charles Wurster, the family of Dennis Puleston, and Ernst Habicht.