‘Memories of the Nuclear Age’ to convene Japanese and US experts in Houston Nov. 18-20

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

‘Memories of the Nuclear Age’ to convene Japanese and US experts in Houston Nov. 18-20
Conference will include a reconciliation service

HOUSTON – (Oct. 22, 2015) – Leading Japanese and American experts will gather in Houston Nov. 18-20 to highlight their ongoing cooperative efforts to preserve and disseminate information about the historic Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC). This international conference is jointly hosted by Rice University’s Humanities Research Center, the Texas Medical Center Library and Asia Society Texas Center.

Paper lanterns float downstream on the Motoyasu River alongside the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park during the park's annual memorial ceremony marking the Aug. 6, 1945 nuclear bombing of Hiroshima.

The conference’s events are free and open to the public. Registration for the Asia Society Texas Center events is encouraged.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Japan. In November 1947, President Harry Truman initiated the establishment of the ABCC for the long-term study of survivors. TMC Library’s John P. McGovern Historical Collections and Research Center maintains a large-scale ABCC collection comprising manuscripts and other records donated by former commission members throughout the U.S.

The conference aims to raise awareness about the effects of radiation historically and how they relate to today’s concerns about nuclear energy and radiation, according to organizers. A reconciliation service to mark 70 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki each were decimated by an atomic bomb is among the events planned for the conference.

Who: Leading Japanese and American scientists, historians, archivists and humanities

scholars. For the complete list of speakers, see

http://library.tmc.edu/nuclearconference/speakers.

What: A three-day conference titled “Memories of the Nuclear Age.”

When: Nov. 18-20.

Nov. 18: 1-8:30 p.m., Hudspeth Auditorium, Anderson-Clarke Center, Rice University, 6100 Main St.

Nov. 19: 9 a.m.-noon, Asia Society Texas Center, 1370 Southmore Blvd. The public can RSVP at http://asiasociety.org/texas/events/memories-nuclear-age.

Nov. 20: 2-5 p.m., TMC Library, 1133 John Freeman Blvd. A reconciliation service held by the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center will be from 2 to 3 p.m. in the library lobby.

For the complete agenda and schedule, see http://library.tmc.edu/nuclearconference/schedule.

The conference’s presenting partners include Asia Society Texas Center, the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center, the Japan America Society of Houston, Japan Society, Rice’s Humanities Research Center and the TMC Library.

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

For a map of Rice’s campus, go to www.rice.edu/maps/maps.html. For parking information, go to parking.rice.edu.

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