Michael Spero Papers

Series 1. Rhode Island State College
Box 1-2, Folder 1-12
This series contains the notes, exercises, assignments and tests taken by Spero during his years at Rhode Island State College. Most of the series consists of notebooks from hydraulics, civil engineering, mechanics, strength of materials, algebra and calculus classes taken in East Hall on the Rhode Island State College campus. There are also graded problem assignments and tests for the mechanics, strength of materials, and hydraulics courses which were taught by Professor R.L. Wales. The material in the files reflects the state of hydraulic engineering during the depression and was used by engineers to build all the major dams in the United States during that time. This series is filed alphabetically by subject.

Series 2. Afghanistan: Plan of Development
Box 3, Folder 1-5
This series contains materials relating to Spero's work with the Planning Section of the Irrigation and Water Resources Development Authority in Kabul. The planning program sought to raise the economic id="c15" level in Afghanistan from one of subsistence to sustained yield through a series of internationally cooperative engineering projects aimed at improving agricultural irrigation and building efficient power plants that would aid in the production of export crops and industrial products. The Planning Section also had the responsibility of obtaining the required financial funding from the World Bank and other international monetary organizations.

This series consists of project evaluations, geological evaluations of Afghanistan damsites, summary and recommendations reports, letters to the Afghanistan Water and Power Authority, and a plan of operations report by the United Nations Development Program. The series is filed alphabetically by subject.

Series 3. Afghanistan: Planning Reports
Box 4, Folder 1-31
The material in this series documents the climate, topography, population, economy, and transport accessibility in Afghanistan, and the effects these have on the country's agriculture, irrigation, and manufacturing. The reports and studies in this series also address the geological and structural feasibility of dams, reservoirs, and irrigation projects existing in various regions in Afghanistan. Also included are program and work analysis reports, minutes of monthly "experts" meetings, the first coordinated committee meeting (1974), and a planning activities log consisting of a chronological monthly outline of the progress and results of project activities undertaken between August 1973 and February 1975. Of interest is correspondence between Spero and the General President of the Irrigation and Water Resources Development Authority, Joma M. Mohammadi, in which Spero declines an invitation by Mohammadi to extend his assignment in Afghanistan, citing irreconcilable ethical and professional discrepancies with the United Nations. The series is filed alphabetically by subject.

Series 4. Afghanistan: Handwritten Material
Box 5, Folder 1-9
This series contains detailed handwritten project cost-estimate computations and project report drafts. These drafts identify the geographic location, terrain, and the general construction strategy for each project. The drafts of cost estimates consist of itemized mathematical formulas representing the cost of the projects. The "Planning Activities" folder contains a blueprint drawing of the excavation plan with project data for the Hari-Rud Project. This series is filed alphabetically by subject.

Series 5. Afghanistan: Subject File
Box 6, Folder 1-11
The Subject File series consists of material that was kept separate from the material contained in the previous series. These files contain selected issues of the Kabul Times along with several clippings, a diagram depicting the legal, economic, and scientific aspects of establishing a water rights system, a compendium of civil engineering reports, a compilation of lectures given at Kabul University, a letter of dissent to the United States Ambassador to the United Nations William Scranton, and a letter to The Wall Street Journal. Both of the aforementioned letters are accompanied by detailed and intriguing reports outlining Spero's political and professional assessments of his experiences in Afghanistan. The newspaper articles and headlines appear to concentrate on official appointments, Soviet-Afghan relations, and President Mohammed Daoud. The series also contains various reports and project studies including one written in Russian with the English translation, a directory of government officials, and numerous project meeting attendance sheets. The series is filed alphabetically by subject.

Series 6. Afghanistan: Printed Matter
Box 7-8, Folder 1-13
This series contains an historical guide of Afghanistan, an English-Afghan dictionary (Dari), a travel book of translated phrases, a color photograph tourist brochure, several Russian industrial pamphlets for Soviet-owned powerplants in Afghanistan with English translation, and a variety of standard and topographical maps. The Operational Navigation Chart (ONC) maps were produced by the Defense Mapping Agency Aerospace Center and offer a detailed topographical record of central Asia. The Project Development Plan Map depicts the project sites that were targeted by the Irrigation and Water Resources Development Authority and their topographical and geological conditions. This series is filed alphabetically by subject.

Series 7. Afghanistan: Photographs
Box 9, Folder 1-3
This series contains 197 photographic slides taken by engineers working on the Afghanistan project. They served to provide information that helped them develop a complete water resources development plan for Afghanistan. The slides are housed in two boxes numbered A1-A81 and 1-116 respectively. Each slide has the location, date, and an assigned number written on the frame, and are filed in numerical order.

Of interest are three bound logs of photographs with an accompanying report. This report was written by Spero and contains an introduction to the political and geographical subjects represented in the photographs. Also in these reports, each slide is identified and accompanied by brief contextual and/or descriptive comment. The series is filed alphabetically by subject.

Series 8. The Upper Columbia River-Priest Rapids Dam to Columbia River Manuscript
Box 9A, Folder 1-6
This series contains Spero’s extensive manuscript entitled "The Upper Columbia River-Priest Rapids Dam to Columbia River." Included is a letter from Spero regarding the history of the project that the manuscript details. The manuscript was written to preserve the activities of the people who helped build the Columbia River dams, including engineers, administrative professionals, and laymen. The letter also includes a detailed biography and CV.