RPA History: A Chronology
1968: Radical Caucus formed within Eastern Division of
APA
May 1982: 1st conference of U.S. and Cuban Marxist
Philosophers held in Havana, Cuba
December 1982: APA meetings in Baltimore
* two Cuban philosophers invited to speak at APA denied
visas by U.S. State Department
* Radical Caucus reformed as Radical Philosophy
Association
April 9-10, 1983: 1st New York RPA regional conference at
Marxist School
April 1983: Central APA, RPA sessions; Kathy Russell to be
Mid-West regional coordinator
September 24-25, 1983: 2nd New York RPA reginal conference
at NYU
Dec. 1983: Eastern APA, 3 RPA sessions
May 26-27, 1984: 3rd New York RPA regional conference at
Stony Brook; 100 participants
Fall 1984: 1st computerization of RPA mailing list; as a
step towarda RPA journal, Newsletter to print synopses of articles
and presentations by RPA members
December 1985: Eastern APA, 5 RPA sessions [Cliff DuRand
& Carolyn Korsmeyer]
March 2-3, 1985: RPA regional conf. In Balto. at PAC; 50
participants; steering committee selected to plan future conferences;
need to have officers; Cliff DuRand to collect dues.
Spring 1985: Tony Smith elected president of Mid-West
RPA
Oct. 12-13, 1985: regional conf. on Gender, Race &
Class at NY Marxist School; steering committee established
Dec. 28, 1985: Eastern APA, 4 RPA sessions [Joe
Walsh]; joint session of RPA, SWIP & APA Comm. on Blacks in
Phil.
Feb. 15-16, 1986: joint conf. "From Experience to Theory and
Action: The Politics of ŒDifference‚" of RPA, SWIP &
APA Comm. on Blacks in Phil. In Balto. at PAC
April 18-20, 1986: begin organizing sessions at Socialist
Scholars Conference; 4 sessions
Spring 1986: Sandra Bartky, Milton Fisk, Nancy Fraser, Bill
McBride & David Schweickart join steering comm. from the
Mid-West
April 1986: Socialist Scholars Conference, 4 RPA sessions
[Bob Stone]
May 1986: Central APA, 2 RPA sessions [David
Schweickart]
July 19-26, 1986: Philosopher's Trip to Nicaragua (with
SPSM)
September 26-27, 1986: 3rd joint conf. in New York
December 1986: Eastern APA, 5 RPA sessions
Feb. 28-March 1, 1987: joint conf. in Balto. at
PAC
March 1987: 1st RPA session at Pacific Division of APA
[Anatole Anton]
April 1987: Socialist Scholars Conf., 9 RPA
sessions
May 1987: Central APA, 3 RPA sessions
Summer 1987: over 700 on RPA mailing list, 112 paid
dues
Sept. 12-13, 1987: regional conf. on Gender, Race &
Class in the U.S. Constitution, in Philadelphia [John
Ryder]
Dec. 1987: Eastern APA, 4 RPA sessions [Otto Begus];
RPA committee structure adopted
March 12-13, 1988: joint conf. on Coalition Politics from
the 1960s to the Rainbow in Balto. at PAC; officers: Bob Stone,
eastern region coordinator; Richard Schmitt & Janice McLane,
Newsletter editors; Cliff DuRand, secretary-treasurer
April 1988: Socialist Scholars Conference, [LaVerne
Shelton]
Dec. 1988: Eastern APA, 4 RPA sessions; Radical
Philosophy Review of Books established (Joe Walsh, Editor, Cliff
DuRand, production)
Spring 1989: RPA promotes speaking tour of Philip Agee to
launch his book, Inside the Company
April 1989: Socialist Scholars Conference, [Mary Gibson,
Pat Mann & Joe Walsh]
Nov. 4-5, 1989: 8th Eastern Regional meeting at NY Marxist
School
Dec. 1989: 1st issue of RPRB
December 1989: Eastern APA, 4 RPA sessions
March 1990: Pacific APA, 1 RPA session [Jack Pitt &
Anatol Anton]
April 1990: Central APA, 2 RPA sessions [Dennis Senchuk
& Justin Schwartz]
Spring 1990: Socialist Scholars Conf., 9 RPA sessions
[Steven Jay Gold & Leonard Harris]
1990: 2nd Conference of North American & Cuban
Philosophers „Human Being & Social Progress‰ [Cliff
DuRand]
Fall 1990: planned national conference in Detroit on
Visions of Socialism cancelled [Ron Aronson]
October 19-21, 1990: RPA helped launch Midwest Radical
Scholars & Activists Conference in Chicago on the theme
"Challenging the New World Order," 1200 participants in 120 sessions,
23 organized by RPA
December 1990: Eastern APA, 4 RPA sessions [Phil Gasper,
Leonard Harris & Richard Schmitt]
March 1991: Pacific APA, 1 RPA session [Jack
Pitt]
April 1991: Central APA, 2 RPA sessions [Justin
Schwartz]
April 1991: Socialist Scholars Conference, 7 RPA sessions
[Dion Farquahar, Doug Kellner, Pat Mann, Richard Schmitt &
Bob Stone]
May 24-June 4, 1991: 3rd Conference of North American and
Cuban Philosophers "The Future of Socialism: The View from Cuba:"
[Cliff DuRand]
Nov. 8-10, 1991: Midwest Radical Activists & Scholars
Conf., 18 RPA sessions [Bill Martin]
Dec. 24, 26, 29, 1991: RPA records stolen in break-ins at
PAC in Baltimore
Dec. 1991: Eastern APA, 4 RPA sessions [Steve
Gold]
March 1992: Pacific APA, 1 RPA session [Jack
Pitt]
April 1992: Western APA, 2 RPA sessions
April 24-26, 1992: Socialist Scholars Conf., 6 RPA sessions
[Uma Narayan, Steve Gold & Pat Mann]
May 29-June 12, 1992: 4th Conference of North American and
Cuban Philosophers [Cliff DuRand, Bob Stone, & Joy
Gordon]
Fall 1992: 14 members report having e-mail [Newsltr
#29]
Oct. 1992: Alberto Fraga defects while on RPA speaking
tour
Dec. 1992: 4 sessions at Eastern APA [Steve Gold &
Fred Evans]
Feb. 18, 1993: Calvin Griffin trial [Newsltr
#31]
Feb. 19-21, 1993: RPA conf. "Philosophers Combating Racism"
at PAC
* beginning of Anti Racism Classroom Project
April 9-11, 1993: Socialist Scholars Conference, 10 sessions
[Robert Birt, Cliff DuRand, Gail Presby & Bob
Stone]
April 1993: speaking tour by Cuban philosopher Olga
Fernandez [Cliff DuRand]
1993: RPA sessions at 19th World Congress of Philosophy in
Moscow [Rodney Peffer]
1993: 5th Conference of North American and Cuban
Philosophers "Constructing Socialism: The View from Cuba" [Cliff
DuRand]
December 1993: Eastern APA, 4 RPA sessions [Steve Gold
& Jo-Ann Pilardi]
April 1-3, 1994: Socialist Scholars Conference, 7 RPA
sessions [Gail Presby & Betsy Bowman]
June 10-24, 1994: 6th Conference of North American and Cuban
Philosophers [Cliff DuRand]
Nov. 3-6, 1994: 1st RPA National Conference "Uniting
for Social Change: A Radical Agenda for the Next Decade" at Drake
Univ.
* 125-150 attend, many graduate students with help of $2000
travel fund
* internet committee (Bob Stubbings) & Directory of RPA
Members established; volunteers to help graduate students &
junior faculty get jobs & get published
* Proceedings privately published by Bob Stone; initial 70
copies quickly sold out
* financial surplus of $2924 realized
December 1994: Eastern Division APA, 3 RPA sessions
[Jo-Ann Pilardi]
Spring 1995: Ann Pomeroy becomes membership secretary; Andy
Light corresponding secretary
April 7-9, 1995: SSC with 10 panels and 33 speakers
[Betsy Bowman & Karsten Struhl]
April 1995: Central APA, 2 RPA sessions
June 9-23, 1995: 7th Conference of North American and Cuban
Philosophers and Social Scientists [Cliff DuRand]
Summer 1995: begin discussion of publisher for RPRB; idea
for an anti-death penalty project; anti-part-timization project ;
Center for Democratic Values established as a think-tank to respond
to the rise of the right [Ron Aronson]
December 1995: Eastern APA, 5 RPA sessions
Jan. 5-15, 1996: Mexico Study Trip [Bob
Stone]
Feb 26, 1996: undergraduate essay contest Against the Death
Penalty
April 12-14, 1996: Socialist Scholars Conf., 8 RPA
sessions
April 1996: Pacific APA, [Jack Pitt]
April 1996: Central APA, 2 RPA sessions [Milton Fisk
& Dennois Senchuk]
June 7-21, 1996: 8th Conference of North American and Cuban
Philosophers and Social Scientists [Cliff DuRand]
1996: 1st Directory of RPA Members published
Nov. 1-19, 1996: speaking tour by Cuban philosopher Miguel
Limia [Cliff DuRand]
Nov. 14-17, 1996: 2nd National/International Conference
"Globalization from Below" at Purdue University
* over 150 participants, 46 panels & 4
plenaries
* RPA Constitution adopted
* Bob Stone retires as Coordinator
* Latin American Solidarity Group convened [Beth
Rosdatter, chair]
* proceedings edited by Andrew Light & Mecke Nagel
published by Humanities Press
December 1996: Eastern APA, 6 RPA sessions [Lewis
Gordon]
March 1997: Pacific APA, 3 RPA sessions [Anatole
Anton]
April 1997: Central APA, 3 RPA sessions
April 1997: Socialist Scholars Conference
Spring 1997: Joe Walsh steps down as editor of RPRB; Lewis
Gordon & Andrew Light become editors of Radical Philosophy Review
to be published by Humanities Press; RPA web page
established
May 1997: RPA initiated resolution against death penalty
approved by APA Eastern Division in a mail ballot
June 12-26, 1997: 9th Conference of North American and Cuban
Philosophers and Social Scientists [Cliff DuRand]
June 20-July 1, 1997: 2nd Mexico Study Trip
* Mexico City, Chiapas [Wes Rehberg]
* Conference of Philosophers & Social Scientists of
Mexico, Canada & U.S.: North-South Dialogue in Puebla [Rodney
Pfeffer & Fred Evans]
Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 1997: Intersections of Race conference at
Morgan State University
* Counter-Racist Classrooms Project [Greg
Moses]
December 1997: Eastern APA, 7 RPA sessions
March 1998: Socialist Scholars Conference, 7 RPA sessions
[Betsy Bowman]
March 1998: Latin American Support Group establishes FAT
labor organizer support fund [Fred Evans]
June 12-26, 1998: 10th Conference of North American and
Cuban Philosophers and Social Scientists [Cliff
DuRand]
Aug. 10-16, 1998: World Congress of Philosophy in Boston;
RPA holds 4 sessions
* adopts RPA initiated resolution against the death
penalty
Oct. 1998: Disabilities Project formed [Joan
Mason-Grant]
Nov. 5-8, 1998: 3rd International Conference "Radical
Philosophy for the 21st Century: Towards Formations of New Political
Cultures & Directions" at San Francisco State Univ.
* 170 participants, over 40 panels
* Cliff DuRand retires as Treasurer-Secretary; Harry van der
Linden becomes Treasurer, Joanna Crosby becomes Secretary
* LASG launches Chiapas Solidarity Project, RPA adopts La
Realidad as a sister community, Fred Evans and Patricia Huntington
elected co-chairs of LASG
Dec. 1998: first issue of RPR published by Brill
December 1998: Eastern APA, 10 RPA sessions
April 1999: Socialist Scholars Conf., 4 RPA sessions
[Betsy Bowman]
Spring 1999: Bob Randolph named RPA House Poet
June 9-23, 1999: 11th Conference of North American and Cuban
Philosophers and Social Scientists [Cliff DuRand]
Summer 1999: debate over proposed resolution re Cuba's death
penalty [Newsltr. #49]
August 16-20, 1999: 2nd North-South Dialogue in Puebla
[Richard Schmitt & Fred Evans]
Nov. 5-6, 1999: Teaching Philosophy Radically conference at
SUNY Binghamton [Bat-Ami Bar On]
December 1999: Eastern APA, 7 RPA sessions
March 24, 2000: publication of "Against NATO's War in
Yugoslavia" by New York City RPA group
March 31-April 2, 2000: Socialist Scholars Conf., 11 RPA
sessions [Betsy Bowman]
June 14-28, 2000: 12th Conference of North American and
Cuban Philosophers and Social Scientists [Cliff DuRand and
Jualynne Dodson]
Nov. 1-4, 2000: 4th Biannual RPA Conference "Radical
Philosophy & Politics: To Begin a New Millennium" at Loyola
University, Chicago
* revisions to RPA Constitution
* Anti-Intervention Project established [Betsy
Bowman]
January 2001: delegation to conference on "Emancipatory
Paradigms in Latin America" in Cuba [Cliff DuRand & Jim
Munro]
April 2001: Socialist Scholars Conf., 3 RPA sessions
[Betsy Bowman]
Spring 2001: AIP publishes pamphlet "Plan Colombia: Plan for
Peace? Plan for War?" by Richard Schmitt
June 19-July 3, 2001: 13th Conference of North American and
Cuban Philosophers and Social Scientists [Cliff DuRand and
Jualynne Dodson]
August 14-17, 2001: 3rd North-South Dialogue in Mexico
City
September 6-19, 2001: speaking tours for Cuban scholars
Miguel Limia (philosophy), Clotilde Proveyer (history), Emilio
Duharte (political science), and Carlos Cabrera (political science)
[Cliff DuRand]
Fall 2001: volume 2 of RPA Proceedings "The Problems of
Resistance: Studies in Alternative Political Cultures," edited by
Steve Martinot & Joy James published by Humanity Books
December 2001: Eastern APA, 4 RPA sessions
March 2002: Pacific APA, 4 RPA sessions
April 2002: Central APA, 2 RPA sessions
April 2002: Socialist Scholars Conf., 2 RPA sessions
[Betsy Bowman]
Spring 2002: RPA becomes member of International Federation
of Philosophy Societies, FISP
June 18-July 2, 2002: 14th Conference of North American and
Cuban Philosophers and Social Scientists [Cliff DuRand and
Jualynne Dodson]
Nov. 7-10, 2002: 5th Biennial RPA Conference "Activism,
Ideology, & Radical Philosophy" at Brown University
* Richard Schmitt retires as Coordinator; Anatole Anton
& Mecke Nagel become Co-Coordinators
This page was created on 11.11.02.
URL: http://www.uvm.edu/~radphil/rpachronology.htm
Site work: Will Miller
wmiller@zoo.uvm.edu
and http://www.uvm.edu/~wmiller