A Journey into Memory: Visiting the ISCSC Archives at Dickinson College

There are moments when leadership stops feeling abstract and suddenly becomes deeply tangible. Our recent visit in April 2026 to the archives of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations at Dickinson College was one of those moments.

Together with Joseph Drew, Editor-in-Chief of the Comparative Civilizations Review, who generously drove us from Washington, D.C. to Pennsylvania, I set out on what became far more than a simple institutional visit. The journey itself already felt like entering another rhythm of America. Driving through the countryside from a European perspective was fascinating: picturesque roads winding through quiet landscapes, small towns with church steeples, historic houses, and a sense of continuity that felt almost cinematic.

Along the way, we also stopped in the picturesque town of Hanover, Pennsylvania, where we visited the printing facilities connected with the production of the Comparative Civilizations Review. Seeing both the physical process through which the journal continues to be produced and, later, the preserved archives of the Society itself created a striking sense of continuity — from living intellectual production to the safeguarding of institutional memory.

Arriving in Carlisle, a quaint and beautiful town with a calm intellectual atmosphere, seemed like the perfect setting for preserving the memory of an organization devoted to the study of civilizations.

At Dickinson College, we were warmly welcomed by archivist Jim Gerencser, whose deep knowledge of the archives, sharp mind, and thoughtful reflections immediately set the tone for the visit. Beyond simply guiding us through the collection, he shared stories about the college, the history of the archives, and the long relationship between Dickinson and the ISCSC. Our conversations became not only informative but genuinely inspiring.

Then came the moment of entering the archives themselves.

Box after box. Files. Correspondence. Conference programs. Administrative records. Decades of intellectual labor and institutional memory were carefully preserved. As the new president of the organization, I was particularly interested in understanding how the ISCSC functioned during earlier decades — how conferences were planned, how scholars communicated, how ideas were exchanged, and how a global intellectual network was sustained long before digital communication made such things easy.

What struck me most was the correspondence of former ISCSC president Matthew Melko (1983-1986). Reading his letters and observing the meticulous way conferences and initiatives were organized opened an entire world before us. One could feel the seriousness of purpose, the intellectual curiosity, and the determination that shaped the organization during its formative years. These were not simply administrative papers. They were traces of vision, ambition, friendship, and scholarly dedication.

Standing among these documents, I felt something profoundly important: we are not merely administrators of an organization. We are caretakers of a legacy.

Institutions such as the ISCSC are built over generations through the efforts of countless individuals who dedicate their time, intellect, and energy to sustaining something larger than themselves. Looking through the archives creates a powerful sense of continuity. One realizes that the organization we inherited today was carefully shaped by people who deeply believed in the importance of civilizational dialogue and comparative scholarship. That realization carries both humility and responsibility.

The visit also reinforced the importance of preservation moving forward. As we continue rebuilding and modernizing the organization, one of our priorities will be the gradual digitization and safeguarding of archival materials to ensure that future generations of scholars, researchers, and members can access this remarkable institutional history. Preserving memory is itself a civilizational act.

Leaving Carlisle, I carried with me more than notes and photographs. I carried a renewed sense of stewardship. The archives reminded me that organizations are living continuities between past, present, and future — and that our task today is not only to preserve what was built, but to ensure that it continues to evolve meaningfully for generations to come.

Bibi Pelic, CCF President