WAIS History

Beginning in 1970, CIIS/WAIS published the paper-and-ink journal World Affairs Report, but in the early 1980s Prof. Hilton saw the possibilities of connecting an international scholarly community in real-time through the wonders of computer technology. Beginning in 1983 WAR became accessible to 15,000 university terminals through the DIALOG computer system. The Stanford Campus Report stated in a March 9, 1983 article that WAR was the first journal of any kind to make its entire text available on-line.

Now under the editorship of Prof. Hilton's successor, John Eipper, a Hispanist at Adrian College (Michigan), WAIS carries on daily discussions among its 250+ correspondents in 30 nations on topics far and wide. The WAIS goals are analysis and insight. We are not constrained by any single ideology--indeed, "WAISers" represent the entire spectrum of political views, from Left/Marxist to US Democratic to Republican to Right/Libertarian.