Events

• Anniversary Ball - May 28th, 2009 at Frazier Alumni Pavilion on the Texas Tech campus (more information)

Highlights of the First Twenty Years

Letter of Support for creation of Vietnam Center from Dale Cluff, TTU Library, and David Murrah, Southwest Collection (October 1989)

• May 1989:
  • First meeting of local Vietnam veterans to discuss forming an archive to begin collecting local veterans’ materials for use by Texas Tech students. At this meeting Dr. E. Dale Cluff, Director of Libraries, established the Vietnam Archive [then called The Archive of the Vietnam Conflict].
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• 22 June 1989:
  • Formal proposal for establishment of the Vietnam Archive approved by Dr. Cluff, and $10,000 in initial funding provided by Library.
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• 6 November 1989:
  • University releases preliminary news release concerning establishment of Vietnam Archive. Series of media events scheduled for 6-11 November.
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• 11 November 1989:
  • Official announcement of establishment of the Center for the Study of the Vietnam Conflict.
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• 2 December 1989:
  • Center for the Study of the Vietnam Conflict formally approved by the Board of Regents.
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The Vietnam Center Amigos: David Shelly, vice-president; Jim Reckner, director; Phil Price, president
• 7 March 1990:
  • Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt accepted Chairmanship of the Vietnam Center Advisory Board.
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• September 1990:
  • Vietnam Center Advisory Board held elections. Results:
    • John Lowey, CEO of Llano Estacado Winery, elected President;
    • Vice President: Colonel Don McCullough, USAF (Ret);
    • Secretary: Larry McAuley
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• 22-24 April 1993:
  • VNC hosts first conference: "Vietnam Paris + 20." This later is designated The First Triennial Vietnam Symposium.
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William Colby at the Vietnam Center's 2nd Triennial Symposium (April 1996)
• 28 October 1993:
  • Ambassador Colby donates his personal papers to VNA.
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• 10 February 1994:
  • Ground breaking for SWC/Special Collections Library.
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• May 1994:
  • Vol. 1, Issue 1 of the Friends of the Vietnam Center newsletter published. Front page includes photos of Zumwalt, Colby, Westmoreland.
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• 29 August 1994:
  • The first 343 boxes of the Douglas Pike Collection arrive at Texas Tech University.
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• 31 March – 1 April 1995:
  • First annual conference, with idea that these conferences, smaller in scope than the Paris +20 conference would be held in years when no large conference (subsequently reclassified as triennial symposium) was scheduled. The first such conference was called "Vietnam Roundtable On Winning and Losing: The Summers Thesis and the Vietnam War." [Co-hosted with Army War College, but held in Lubbock.]
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• 18-20 April 1996:
  • 2nd Triennial Vietnam Symposium.
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First page of the Friends of the Vietnam Center Newsletter, Vol. 1, Issue 1. (May 1994)
• March 1997:
  • Douglas Pike accepts position as Senior Research Fellow at the Vietnam Center. Remainder of the Douglas Pike Collection also arrives at Texas Tech.
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• January 1998:
  • First edition of Indochina Chronology published from Texas Tech.
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• 14 April 1999:
  • Chancellor John T. Montford unveiled plans for Vietnam Center building.
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• 16-18 April 1999:
  • Hosted Third Triennial Vietnam Symposium, with participants from Europe, Australia, Vietnam and the US.
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• December 2000:
  • The Vietnam Archive receives US Congressional Support through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for creation of the Virtual Vietnam Archive.
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• 11-13 April 2002:
  • Vietnam Center hosts Fourth Triennial Vietnam Symposium.
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Douglas Eugene Pike: July 27, 1924 - May 13, 2002
• 13 May 2002:
  • Professor Douglas Pike passes away.
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• May 2004:
  • Vietnam Center receives $154,000 from the Houston Endowment for purchase of high speed microfilm scanner.
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• 17-19 March 2005:
  • Vietnam Center hosts Fifth Triennial Symposium. Symposium includes panels with members of both Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
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• 19 March 2005:
  • Fred and Rob Whitehurst donate the Diaries of Dr. Dang Thuy Tram. Dr. Tram's mother and sisters visit the Vietnam Center to view the diary in October.
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• May 2005:
  • Vietnam Archive receives a grant from the National Film Preservation Lab to preserve the film Dong Tam Base Camp of the William Foulke Collection.
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The family of Dr. Dang Thuy Tram views her diary (October 2005)
• January 2006:
  • Vietnam Archive receives donation of four Vietnam Era helicopters from Mr. Chuck Carlock of Ft. Worth.
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• June 2006:
  • Vietnam Archive receives grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) to fund processing of the records of the Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association (FVPPA).
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• September 2007:
  • Dr. Stephen Maxner becomes director of the Vietnam Center, replacing Dr. James Reckner, who was named Executive Director of the newly formed Institute for Modern Conflict, Diplomacy and Reconciliation, of which the Vietnam Center becomes a part.
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• 13-15 March 2008:
  • Vietnam Center hosts Sixth Triennial Symposium.
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• 28 May 2008:
  • FVPPA Collection opened to researchers.

Conceptual drawing of proposed Vietnam Center building
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• January 2009:
  • Dr. James Reckner retires. Dr. Dennis Patterson is named as interim Executive Director of the Institute for Modern Conflict, Diplomacy and Reconciliation.
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• 28 May 2009:
  • Vietnam Center 20th Anniversary Ball with guest speaker H. Ross Perot, Sr.