Diane Koenker Papers, 1917-2017 | University of Illinois Archives

Series 1: Correspondence and Subject Files, 1975-2017

This series consists of Professor Koenker's CV as well as correspondence, research reports for grants, and copies of the newsletter "Left/Alternatives Newsletter," which later was renamed "Alternatives Newsletter." This series is arranged alphabetically.

Series 2: Course Materials, 1978-2017

This series includes Diane Koenker's teaching materials, handouts, lecture notes, and assignments for history courses at Temple University and the University of Illinois. This series is arranged by course number.

Series 3: Talks, 1980-2017

This series contains invited talks, lectures, conference papers, workshops, and her handwritten notes for talks she delivered. This series is arranged chronologically.

Series 4: Administrative Service, 1984-2017

This series includes correspondence, budget reports, and committee meeting minutes for the various committees and positions Diane Koenker served on and held, such as: the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS) committee; Graduate Studies, Undergraduate Studies, Executive Committee, and department chair in the History Department; the International Studies committee; the Russian & Eastern European Center (REEC) committee; and the Slavic Review. This series is arranged chronologically.

Series 5: Correspondence with William G. Rosenberg, 1973-1997

This series contains email correspondence between Diane Koenker and William G. Rosenberg (University of Michigan), mostly concerning their joint work on the book Strikes and Revolution in Russia, 1917 (1989) but also departmental politics and politics of the profession. This series is arranged alphabetically.

Series 6: Revelations from the Russian Archives: Historical Russian Documents, 1917-1994

This series contains photocopies of historical Russian documents published in Revelations from the Russian Archives (1997) and contains Library of Congress booklet about the "Revelations from the Russian Archives" 1992 exhibit. This exhibit was one of the most important ever organized by the Library of Congress: it displayed previously secret primary source materials that are essential to understanding the tumultuous history of the USSR in the twentieth-century and represented a public effort by the Russian government, following the fall of the USSR, to affirm free democratic access to information. Professor Koenker was the substantive editor of the subsequent 1997 Revelations from the Russian Archives: Documents in English Translation, which includes documents from the exhibit along with additional papers selected by a curatorial team in Moscow. Most archival documents included in the 1997 publication were translated in their entirety; whenever sections were omitted this was indicated by [...] in the book. To allow researchers to access the complete documents, photocopies of the entire original documents and their translations are preserved in this series. The series is arranged by professor Koenker's coding system.

Series 7: Photographs and Slides, 1917-2012

This series contains photographs and slides. Photographs show Diane Koenker and colleagues at conferences; also included are copies of historical photographs from her publications such as women compositors, factory meetings, factory workers, and printers. Her slides document her trips to Russia and the former USSR, mostly the Fulbright and International Exchanges and Research Board (IREX) funded trips in 1973/1974, and 1984-2001 showing infrastructure, architecture, and scenes of everyday life. This series lists photographs and then slides.

Series 8: Publications and Reviews of Koenker's Work, 1978-2017

This series contains articles and book chapters by Diane Koenker as well as unpublished drafts. This series also includes reviews about Koenker's work. This series is organized chronologically with reviews listed last.

Diane Koenker (1947- ) was an emeritus professor of Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies in the department of History at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before becoming the Director of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) at the University College London in 2018. She is internationally recognized for her work on the 1917 Russian Revolution and early Soviet Union, as well as her work on labor history, social history, and the history of leisure and consumption. During her time at Illinois (1987-2017), professor Koenker chaired the Department of History (2011-2015), directed the Russian and East European Center (1990-1996), and served as the Director of Graduate Studies (2008-2010). Professor Koenker has also been recognized for her excellence in teaching, receiving numerous teaching awards. She also served as the President of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) in 2013 and she was the editor of the Slavic Review from 1996-2006. Her research has been funded by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, International Research and Exchanges Board, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Fulbright-Hays Program, to name a few. Professor Koenker has published numerous books, articles including Moscow Workers and the 1917 Revolution (1981), Strikes and Revolution in Russia, 1917 (1989), Republic of Labor: Russian Printers and Soviet Socialism, 1918-1930 (2005), and Club Red: Vacation Travel and the Soviet Dream (2013).

Diane Koenker was born on July 29, 1947. She earned her undergraduate degree from Grinnell College in 1969. She completed her masters (1971) and Ph.D. (1976) degrees at the University of Michigan. Professor Koenker taught at the University of Illinois in 1975 as visiting lecturer and then at Temple University as an assistant professor from 1976-1983. Professor Koenker returned as an assistant professor to the University of Illinois in 1983, became associate professor in 1986, and full professor in 1988. Professor Koenker is a prolific author who has written numerous books, articles, book chapters on the 1917 Russian Revolution, the early Soviet Union, labor history, and the history of leisure and consumption in Russia. Professor Koenker also served as the director of the Russian and East European Center at the University of Illinois; editor of the Slavic Review; Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of History at the University of Illinois; and she was the chair of the Department of History at the University of Illinois. Professor Koenker retired from the Department of History at the University of Illinois in 2017 and became the Director of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) at the University College London in 2018.

Professor Koenker has been the recipient of countless postdoctoral fellowships and grants, including: the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship (2006-2007); the National Council for Eurasian and East European Research grant (2006-2007); the Mellon Faculty Fellowship (2006); the International Research and Exchanges Board, International Advanced Research Opportunities Program (2006); the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Collaborative Projects Grant (1994-1995); the Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad (1993); and many others.

Professor Koenker has also received numerous awards and honors including: the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Association for Women in Slavic Studies (2014); President of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (2013); the Chester Higby Prize of the Modern European Section of the American Historical Association, for best article in preceding two years in Journal of Modern History (2003); the Arnold O. Beckman Research Board Award (1990-91, 2002-2003, 2012-13); Chair, Modern European Section, American Historical Association (2001-02); the LAS Alumni Discretionary Award for Service (2000); the Department of History George S. and Gladys W. Queen Excellence in Teaching Award in History (1996-1997); and was included on the Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked Excellent by Their Students (1985, 1987, 1991, 1993,1994, 2001, 2006, 2012, 2016).

Diane Koenker is married to Roger Koenker.