Papers on the Nuffield College Social Reconstruction Survey, 1941-1955

The Nuffield College Social Reconstruction Survey began in February 1941, before the College had buildings of its own, and was an attempt to foster the co-operation of scholars and the nation's business and political leaders. Prompted by G.D.H. Cole, the Nuffield College Committee not only approved an initial research programme but set up a Social Reconstruction Committee to supervise it. Under Cole's urgent direction, the Survey expanded its research activities from the initial inquiry on the location of industry and the distribution of population, during and after the war, to education, local government and social services. The Survey collaborated with the Oxford Institute of Statistics and the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), and assisted the Beveridge Inquiry. The arrangement of the papers reflects the original administrative structure of the Survey. Papers referring to specific Private Conferences held during the Survey have, however, been catalogued separately as have publications (see collection reference NCSRS PUBLICATIONS) produced by Nuffield College during the war years.

The Survey's headquarters were in Oxford. It also had a small office in London and regional teams of largely unpaid volunteer investigators working from twenty-eight regional centres, based chiefly on the universities. The Survey was an unofficial body but it began with official backing in the form of a grant of £5,000 from the Treasury in the financial year 1941–1942. In return, reports were prepared at the request of government departments and for official inquiries such as the Scott Committee, which investigated industrial developments in rural areas. During this period, Cole instigated a series of private conferences, which brought together people from diverse political and professional backgrounds. Opposition to the Survey first manifested itself in November 1941 when a motion was passed by the Hebdomadal Council urging the Survey to restrict the scope of its research. In the following year, Lord Nuffield expressed his unease at Cole's role in the Survey. In February 1943, the Treasury, which had proved increasingly obstructive, announced that it would not be renewing its grant beyond the end of March. Government departments were by now paying much greater attention to the issue of reconstruction. This inevitably led to friction and resentment on the part government departments at the perceived intrusion of the Survey into their spheres of responsibility. The Nuffield Committee responded on 12 June by ordering that the Survey be wound up within seven months. After the official end of the Survey on 31 January 1944, the Education, Local Government and Social Services Sub-committees continued to meet. The fruits of their work were published in the form of books and pamphlets over the next four years. G.D.H. Cole kept some of the papers of the Survey but these have been returned to the original collection.

By sections as follows: General administration, Local Government Department, Industrial and Planning Department, Education Department, Social Services Department, International Department, Statistical Department, Social investigation, Conference, Publications, Maps, Related committees and reconstruction organisations.

By prior appointment only. Application in writing (letter or email) to the Assistant Librarian (Archives). See Nuffield College Archives location page for more details.

The handlist for the Nuffield College Social Reconstruction Survey collection can be found [online] Link: https://www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/the-college/library/special-collection-and-archives/archive/

The Nuffield College Social Reconstruction Survey papers were deposited after the completion of the project in 1947.