BSPS Archive

The BSPS Archive is an archive of past society records, which is held by the University of Leeds. For information about accessing the archive and its contents, please the BSPS Honorary Secretary.

The archive was organised and catalogued by Peter Vickers of the University of Leeds. The material was collected by Steven French, past President of the Society and was received from Tony Dale, former Treasurer of the BSPS, Donald Gillies, past President of the BSPS and former Editor of the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Robin Hendry, former Secretary of the BSPS, and Greg Hunt, former Editor of the BJPS. It has been grouped according to who it was received from, as indicated below. The preparation of the archive was supported by funding from the British Society for the Philosophy of Science.

French and Vickers would like to thank Rachel Cooper, Secretary of the BSPS, Alice Drewery, Treasurer of the BSPS, Liza Giffen, University of Leeds Library Archivist, Sharon Connell, Conservation Officer, University of Leeds Library, and
the Committee of the BSPS for all their help and support. The British Society for the Philosophy of Science would also like to thank the Leeds University Library for agreeing to host the archive.

Gillies Box 1, File 1 (1978-1988)

Includes Bundle marked “Ancient Minutes etc” (Oct 1985-Feb 1988). Loose minutes (March 1978- May 1986). Envelope marked “A”, members of BSPS 1985 [DPA Sensitive]. Envelope marked “B”: correspondence concerning conference ‘Philosophy of Technology’, 1985. Bundle marked “Ancient Conferences” (1980-March 1986), some DPA sensitive.

Gillies Box 1, File 2 (1974-1993)

Includes Bundle marked “Old Journal correspondence etc”, including [DPA sensitive] old Editor’s reports concerning articles accepted and rejected (Nov 1976-March 1984). Bundle marked “Old Teasurer/auditor correspondence etc.” (1976-1982). Bundle marked “Bank” [DPA sensitive], bank details Feb 1980-June 1993. Bundle marked “Old journal stuff (AUP)”, where ‘AUP’ refers to ‘Aberdeen University Press’, Feb 1974-Oct 1983. Bundle marked “Microfilm”, Oct 1975-Feb 1979. Bundle marked “Insurance” [DPA sensitive], insurance details Aug 1976-Dec 1987.

Gillies Box 1, File 3 (1979-1989)

Includes Folder marked “B.S.P.S.”, containing [DPA sensitive] bank information, minutes, correspondence (eg. Prof. D. H. Mellor), details of members of BSPS [DPA sensitive], Aug 1982- Dec 1989. Unmarked envelope, [DPA sensitive] bank details (receipts) 1985. Envelope addressed to “DR A J Dale, Hon Treasurer”, containing DPA sensitive receipts 1986. Loose receipts, cheque books, bank details (1986-87). List of members 1979. More loose cheque books, correspondence, etc 1982-86.

Gillies Box 2, File 1 (1986-1994)

Includes Single folder marked “BSPS PENDING”, containing correspondence between OUP, BSPS treasurer Anthony Dale, etc., treasurer’s report 1993, minutes, [DPA sensitive] financial statements, documents on byelaws, documents regarding conferences supported by the BSPS, [DPA sensitive] names and addresses of society members, and similar documents. Two envelopes addressed to “The British Society for the Philosophy of Science (Members)”, containing [DPA sensitive] address labels for members (including Karl Popper). A third similar envelope contains subscription renewal receipts.

Gillies Box 2, File 2 (1981-1994)

Includes Loose documents: various [DPA sensitive] financial documents (invoices, receipts, accounts, etc), correspondence, especially concerning finances (W.H. Newton-Smith, Tony Dale, Noretta Koertge, David Knight, OUP), conference details (especially travel bursary documents). Stack of [DPA sensitive] Lloyds Bank account statements (1981-1990).

Gillies Box 2, File 3 (1958-1992)

File marked “ANCIENT HISTORY”. Includes Loose cheque books (1981-84 and 1988-92). Envelope marked “MAY ’87 SUB SLIPS”, containing [DPA sensitive] subscription slips from members 1987. Envelope marked “BSPS. Copies of constitution. Past treasurer’s reminder letters”, containing copies of constitution of BSPS and reminder letters for membership renewal (1983-4). Loose membership registration forms. Folder marked “Historical I. BSPS Treasurer’s Statements etc.”, containing financial documents 1958-75. Envelope marked “BSPS – pre 1984 cheque-book stubs”, containing cheque-book stubs 1980-83. Envelope marked “BSPS Receipts pre 1984”, containing various financial documents (receipts, invoices, related correspondence) 1981-84. Envelope marked “Invoices & Receipts – pre 1984”, various financial documents, including [DPA sensitive] invoices from Aberdeen University Press, related correspondence, and cheque-book stubs. Paper-clipped bundle, with various financial documents 1984-85. Paper-clipped bundle, with various financial documents 1984. Small paper-clipped bundle, with a few financial documents 1984. Red book marked “Analysis”, containing expenditure and income details 1977-1984.

Gillies Box 3, Metal Box File (1979-2000)

Includes Manilla Document Wallet marked “Ancient Stuff from Journal File”, which in turn includes the following: (i) Bundle marked “Aberdeen U. Press (ancient journal accounts).” with British Journal for the Philosophy of Science accounts documents 1985-89; (ii) Loose documents focusing on Aberdeen University Press journal accounts 1980-1986. Sliding metal file marked “Journal Receipts/invoices”: loose documents including [DPA sensitive] invoices and receipts 1985-2000, with a little correspondence. Sliding metal file (unmarked): includes a few loose cheque receipts and invoices 1995-1999. Sliding metal file marked “Journal accounts”: includes cheque-book stubs 1993-1999, paying-in book 1994-2000, bank statements 1993-1999, and BJPS account summaries 1988-95. Sliding metal file marked “OUP”: correspondence with Oxford University Press 1987- 2000, including profit and loss of BJPS in those years. Sliding metal file marked “Journal corresp.”: loose correspondence regarding journal matters 1995-1998. Sliding metal file marked “Royalties”: loose sheets on royalties paid to the BSPS 1979-1993.

Gillies Box 4, Metal Box File (1974-2000)

Includes Sliding metal file marked “CURRENT A/C (LLOYDS) BSPS”: includes cheque book stubs (1990-2000), a Lloyds ‘Credit Book’ (2000), a bundle of Lloyds bank statements (1990-99), loose Lloyds bank documents (1990-2000). Sliding metal file marked “Expenses etc paid”: includes (mainly travel) expenses paid (for meetings, conferences, etc), plus a little attached correspondence [some DPA sensitive] (1994-2000). Sliding metal file marked “National Savings”: empty. Sliding metal file marked “Accounts”: includes BSPS and BJPS financial statements, auditor’s reports, treasurer’s reports 1984-1999. Sliding metal file marked “VAT TAX”: A handful of loose VAT and tax related documents 1978-88. Sliding metal file marked “IUHPS”: Loose documents relating to the International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science (IUHPS) and the Division of Logic Methodology and Philosophy of Science (DLMPS), and their relationship with the BSPS (1994-2000). Sliding metal file marked “Conferences”: correspondence relating to conferences funded by (or asking for funding from) the BSPS (1995-2000). Sliding metal file marked “Charity Commission”: includes loose correspondence relating to charities, especially from the Charity Commission for England and Wales, BSPS financial documents [some DPA sensitive], documents relating to constitutional amendments, some [DPA sensitive] correspondence, and a key (1974-1999).

Hendry Bag 1 (1988-2001)

Contains (1) Bundle (unmarked cardboard folder), including BJPS leaflets (1999), the BSPS constitution (1988), correspondence, minutes, treasurer’s reports for both the journal and the society (1999), subscription figures for BJPS 1994-2000, correspondence concerning BSPS support for conferences, correspondence concerning possible candidates for President of the Society (1999). (2) Bundle (unmarked cardboard folder), including BSPS minutes (1997), some correspondence. (3) Bundle (cardboard folder marked “BSPS Agendas & Minutes 1996/97 1997/98”), including BSPS minutes (1997 and 1998), some correspondence concerning BSPS society business, BSPS annual conference information (1998), correspondence with OUP (1998), correspondence regarding the ‘Poiesis project’ (1997), documents concerning byelaws. (4) Loose sheets, including correspondence concerning BSPS business 1989-98 (involving Peter Lipton, Jeremy Butterfield, Robin Hendry, David Papineau, Chris Daly, John Worrall, etc).

Hendry Bag 2 (1960-2004)

Contains (1) Cardboard folder marked “BSPS from June ’72 Internal correspondence”, including correspondence regarding society positions (eg. President-Elect), the BJPS contract with Cambridge University Press, etc., between Ian Hacking, Mary Hesse, Nicholas Rescher, Imre Lakatos, and others (1971-73). (2) Loose sheets including correspondence concerning BSPS society business between Robin Hendry, Jeremy Butterfield, etc, [DPA sensitive] voting slips, various leaflets, minutes of meetings, treasurers’ reports, etc (1989-1998). (3) Cardboard folder marked (on the inside) “BSPS Conference Submissions”, including correspondence regarding BSPS business (1999), and paper copies of submissions of abstracts for presentation at the BSPS annual conference 1999 (including acceptance and rejection details). (4) A few loose papers and envelopes of little substance (1999), (5) An unmarked ‘niceday’ cardboard folder including some correspondence with Robin Hendry, BSPS committee meeting minutes, conference details (grants from BSPS, etc), some finanical documents, an unmarked bundle (wrapped in a piece of cream-coloured A4 paper) containing minutes of 2000/01 BSPS Committee meetings, suggestions for speakers 2002/03, etc., loose documents relating to committee meetings and annual conferences (2000-01) and Treasurer’s Report 2000, (6) A red, hardback, exercise book marked (on the inside) “British Society for the Philosophy of Science: Programme of Meetings 0-1”, containing information on attendence at ‘Ordinary Meetings’ from 1985-1994, plus titles of papers given at such meetings, (7) An envelope marked “ROBIN Ord. Meeting Minutes Up To JAN ’94”, with BSPS committee meeting minutes from 1984-1994, (8) A (broken) folder marked “BSPS – BA”, containing correspondence with The British Academy, The Royal Society, etc. (1971-1974, including M. Hesse and N. Rescher) and a letter from P. Suppes (1960), (9) Loose documents including correspondence with Oxford University Press, the AHRB, and the British Academy (1999), [DPA sensitive] names and addresses of (presumably) society members (no year), Committee Byelaws documents (1987 and 1998), BSPS Constitution and Rules (1988), report on BJPS (2002), correspondence with Robin Hendry (1999-2000), [DPA sensitive] names and addresses of members of the BSPS Committee 1999-2000, (10) Bundle wrapped in elastic band, containing information pertaining to BSPS annual conferences 1987-2000, and related correspondence 1992-99, (11) Unmarked ‘niceday’ folder containing some correspondence (2002-03), BSPS financial statement (2002), committee meeting minutes (2003), documents pertaining to ‘One-Day Conference in Honour of Nancy Cartwright’s 60th Birthday’ (2004), (12) [DPA sensitive] names and addresses of society members (presumably) printed on sticky labels (no year), (13) Folder marked “BSPS OUP matters”, including information on BSPS copyright and publishing history, correspondence with OUP (1996-98), and documents pertaining to Poiesis Project, (14) Unmarked ‘niceday’ folder, with a few loose documents including committee meeting minutes 2002-03, (15) Loose documents including [DPA sensitive] names and addresses of BSPS Committee Memers 1999-2000, committee meeting minutes 1999, and some loose correspondence (1999), (16) Folder addressed to “DR ROBIN HENDRY”, including some pieces of society correspondence 1986-1996, (17) Slips for voting for the election of an ordinary member to the committee (1997), (18) A floppy disk marked “BSPS members 1996”.

Hendry Bag 3 (1983-2001)

Contains (1) Loose documents including correspondence concerning conferences, the BJPS editorship, BSPS ‘Constitution and Rules’ 1988, and BSPS financial statement 1995 (1989-1999), (2) A cardbard folder marked “BSPS CONSTITUTION, STANDING ORDERS, ETC., STANDARD FORUMS”, including correspondence with OUP (1996-98), (3) Loose documents including BSPS Committee Meeting minutes (1994-99), and BSPS financial statement 1998, (4) Bundle of documents wrapped in elastic band, including BSPS Annual General Meeting minutes 1983-1997, including treasurer’s reports, (5) A4 envelope marked “BSPS Byelaws”, including BSPS Committee Byelaws booklets 1987, and ‘Proposed SECRETARY’S CALENDAR’ 1988, (6) ‘Niceday’ folder marked “BSPS Agendas & Minutes 1998/9”, including AGM minutes (1997-99), BSPS financial statements (1997-8), and details of contributed papers for BSPS annual conference (1999), (7) Unmarked folder including documents pertaining to BSPS annual conference (2000), AGM minutes (1999-2001), BSPS financial statement 1999, and Secretary’s Report 1999-2000, (8) Folder marked “BSPS”, including society correspondence (1997), documents pertaining to BSPS Annual Conference 1997, AGM minutes 1997, [DPA sensitive] names and addresses of secretaties of various FHSTM members (1997), and BSPS programme of speakers 1996-97.