Margaret Meier Collection of Extreme Right Ephemeral Materials M0688
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf2b69n5qw No online items Guide to the Margaret Meier Collection of Extreme Right Ephemeral Materials M0688 Processed by Sarah Sussman and Meredith Alexander; machine-readable finding aid created by Michael Olson Department of Special Collections and University Archives 2001 Green Library 557 Escondido Mall Stanford 94305-6064 [email protected] URL: http://library.stanford.edu/spc Guide to the Margaret Meier M0688 1 Collection of Extreme Right Ephemeral Materials M0688 Language of Material: English Contributing Institution: Department of Special Collections and University Archives Title: Margaret Meier collection of Extreme Right Ephemeral Materials creator: Meier, Margaret, collector. Identifier/Call Number: M0688 Physical Description: 28 Linear Feet Date (inclusive): 1930-1980 Scope and Content The Margaret Meier Collection of Extreme Right Ephemeral Materials, c1930-1980, consists of 47 manuscript boxes and 9 print boxes. The collection contains Margaret and Herbert Meier's materials documenting the rise and the activities of the extreme right in California and national politics. The bulk of the materials date from the 1960s-early 1970s, with additional materials from the late 1930s through the 1980s. Much of the materials relate to activities and groups in Southern California, where the Meiers lived, especially the towns of Arcadia and Sierra Madre. Included are political ephemera, newspaper and magazine clippings, and serials from extreme right groups such as the John Birch Society, Americanism clubs, various Christian right organizations, republican and extreme right political personalities. A censorship debate regarding the Arcadia Public Library's decision to include Kazantzakis' work, The Last Temptation of Christ, the activities of and opposition to the John Birch Society, and opposition to Senator Kuchel of California are three examples of subjects which are especially well covered. The collection also contains 18 boxes of serials and 3 OS boxes of newspapers, including publications of the John Birch Society and its leader, Robert Welch, the Institute for American Democracy, and Gerald L.K. Smith. MM's notes are found throughout the collection. The processors have made every attempt to retain MM's original order of the collection when possible, and have ordered the unorganized materials in this spirit. Biographical / Historical Margaret and Herbert ("Herb") Meier were active in Republican politics in Orange County, and in California as a whole, primarily during the 1960s and 1970s. Herbert worked as a "field underwriter" at the Pasadena office of Home Life Insurance Co., of New York. Both were moderate Republicans, although Margaret held a membership card for the Moderate Democrats [see Box 20, folder 10]. In 1965, Herbert Meier was president of the Arcadia-Sierra Madre Chapter of the California Republican League, a "state-wide volunteer political organization authorized by the California Republican State Central Committee and activated in 1964," whose objective was that the "party must be broader, more dynamic, more forward-looking." Both Herbert and Margaret also held other state and local positions in Republican political groups. This collection reveals their effort to document the rise of the extreme right during these years. Preferred Citation Margaret Meier Collection of Extreme Right Ephemeral Materials (M0688). Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif. Provenance Purchased, 1994. Conditions Governing Use While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns. Conditions Governing Access Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use. Subjects and Indexing Terms Antisemitism. California -- Politics and government -- 1951- Censorship. Conservatism -- United States -- History -- 20th century. United States -- Politics and government -- 1945-1989. Civil rights -- United States. Right-wing extremists. Fundamentalism. Guide to the Margaret Meier M0688 2 Collection of Extreme Right Ephemeral Materials M0688 Anti-communist movements. Goldwater, Barry M. (Barry Mor John Birch Society. Young Republican National Federation (U.S.) Ku Klux Klan (1915- ) Wallace, George C. (George Cor Kuchel, Thomas H. United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American. Smith, Gerald L.K. (Gerald Lym Arcadia Public Library. Rousselot, John H. Flournoy, Houston I. (Houston Irving) Richardson, William. Goff, Kenneth. Republican Party (United States:1854- ) Republican Party (Los Angeles County, Calif.) Republican Party (Los Angeles County, Calif.). Central. Republican Party (Calif.) Reagan, Ronald Oliver, Revilo P. (Revilo Pend Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994 Meier, Margaret, collector. Series 1. Subject Files Arrangement note Pamphlets: Included under pamphlets are all non-serial publications that do not easily fit into a subject category. Serials are included here if they represent the only issue in this collection. The Pamphlets are arranged by alphabetical order, either by author, or if more logical, by title or publishing body. Scope and Contents note Series 1, Subject Files, is arranged alphabetically by subject [issue, organization, person, event]. Most subject headings follow MM's original order of the collection. In cases where no logical order of the materials existed, additional subject headings were created during processing to allow for greater access. Types of materials included in the Subject Files include: extreme right political ephemera and newspaper and periodical clippings about issues [threat of communism, obscenity], people [Nixon, Robert Welch], or events [local and national elections]. box 1, folder 1 A.B.C. (Alliance for a Better Community) 1963-65 Scope and Contents note -see also ABC in Serials box 1, folder 2 A.C.L.U. - literature and clippings box 1, folder 3 Alert America Association box 1, folder 4 Holmes Alexander - clippings box 1, folder 5 American Committee to Free Cuba box 1, folder 6 American Conservative Union box 1, folder 7 American Council of Christian Churches Scope and Contents note -see also Christian Group Guide to the Margaret Meier M0688 3 Collection of Extreme Right Ephemeral Materials M0688 Series 1. Subject Files box 1, folder 8 American Council of Christian Laymen Scope and Contents note -see also Christian Groups box 1, folder 9 American Legion box 1, folder 10 American Nazi Party box 1, folder 11 American Opinion Bookstore - Santa Barbara Scope and Contents note -materials from bookstore; other materials from bookstore in specific subject files. box 1, folder 12 American Opinion Bookstore - Santa Barbara box 1, folder 13 American Opinion Bookstore - Sierra Madre box 1, folder 14 American Opinion Library - Costa Mesa box 1, folder 15 American Party box 1, folder 16 American Security Council box 1, folder 17 American Veterans Against Communism - Monrovia box 1, folder 18 Americans for Constitutional Action box 1, folder 19 Americans for National Security box 1, folder 20 Americans United Council -- Long Beach 1961-63 box 1, folder 21 Americanism clubs/schools box 1, folder 21 Americanism Centers box 1, folder 22 Americanism Educational League 1977 box 1, folder 23 Eagle Rock Americanism Center box 1, folder 24 Glendale Americanism School box 1, folder 25 Monterey Park Americanism Center box 1, folder 26 South Pasadena Americanism School box 1, folder 27 America's Future, Inc. (education org.) box 1, folder 28 Anti-Communist Voters League box 1, folder 28 Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith (ADL) Scope and Contents note - see Watchdog Groups--1980-90s box 2, folder 1 Anti-Red Schools box 2, folder 3 Anti-Semitism box 2, folder 4 Anti-Semitism box 2, folder 5 Anti-Semitism-Clippings box 2, folder 6 Anti-Semitism-Clippings box 2, folder 6 JBS Anti-Semitic and Racist Materials Scope and Contents note -see JBS box 2, folder 7 Arcadia City Council Race, 1964 box 2, folder 8 Arcadia Educational Forum box 2, folder 9 Arcadia Love-In box 2, folder 10 Arcadia Public Library Controversy. Scope and Contents note This group of materials focuses on the fight to censor Kazantzakis' book The Last Temptation of Christ in the Arcadia Public library, 1962-64. Included are correspondence, minutes from Arcadia Library Board of Trustees, clippings and articles, and related material about censorship/freedom of speech. The controversy reflected the different stands of the moderate and radical Christian right in the town. -see also Censorship box 2, folder 10 Arcadia Library Controversy ; Arcadia Library box 2, folder 10 Board of Trustees box 2, folder 11 Arcadia Library Board of Trustees Guide to the Margaret Meier M0688 4 Collection of Extreme Right Ephemeral Materials M0688 Series 1. Subject Files box 2, folder 12 Arcadia Library Board of Trustees box 2, folder 13 Arcadia Library Board of Trustees box 2, folder 14 Arcadia Library Board of Trustees box 2, folder 15 Arcadia Library Board of Trustees box 2, folder 16 Arcadia Library Board of Trustees box 2, folder 17 Arcadia Library Board of Trustees box 2, folder 18 Arcadia Library Board of Trustees box 3 Arcadia Library Controversy box 3, folder 1 Arcadia Library Board of Trustees