These Socialist Party papers are primarily duplicates of materials held at Duke University. The exceptions include a volume containing the minutes of the 1919 National Convention, and a small amount of correspondence. Although the collection includes items from 1907 to 1965, the bulk of the material covers the period from the late 1920s to the early 1950s.
The National Office of the Socialist Party was in Chicago until late 1940 when it was relocated in New York. Consequently, materials originating from the Socialist Party of Illinois and Cook County locals are in evidence before 1940 and, beginning about 1939, a fairly large amount of material from the Socialist Party of New York state and various New York City locals is included.
The papers are arranged in ten series: correspondence; circular letters; minutes; conventions and constitutions; campaigns; newsletters; press releases; reports and memoranda; resource materials, resolutions and policy statements, and position papers; and miscellaneous materials. For the most part, the papers in each series are arranged according to issuing body and chronologically thereunder.
CORRESPONDENCE: This series is predominantly copies of typed letters relating to party organization, work of locals, and petition drives. Included are three colorful letters describing attempts to organize farm workers in California in the late 1940s. A selected list of significant correspondents is in an Appendix to this finding aid.
CIRCULAR LETTERS: This series consists of circular letters emanating from the National Office and other bodies; 1917-1919, 1923-1965. The letters were mimeographed and circulated both to the general membership and to key individuals. They are generally concerned with the more practical aspects of party life such as fund raising and membership drives.
MINUTES: This series consists of the minutes of various bodies, including the National Action Committee, the National Executive Committee, the Anti-War Committee, and the National Conventions. The minutes reveal the internal life of the Socialist Party from the 1919 split to the persistent financial embarrassment and dwindling membership which characterized the 1940s and 1950s. Especially apparent are the split at the 1919 convention, the minutes of which constitute a very important document in the history of American politics; the unsuccessful drives for party rejuvenation in 1945 to 1946 and 1948; the determination to run candidates for national office when nearly all other party functions had ceased; and the final abandoning of national campaigns.
CONVENTIONS AND CONSTITUTIONS: This series includes reports and proceedings of national conventions, 1936 to 1958, as well as the constitutions of the Socialist Party for 1944, 1948, and 1952. One folder contains constitutions and information relating to the conventions of the New York City and state Socialist organizations.
CAMPAIGNS: This series includes material directly related to the process of campaigning, such as handbooks to guide locals in the running of campaigns, biographical sketches and lists of speakers, itineraries of campaign tours, and speeches. While most of these speeches were probably delivered in the course of political campaigns, some date from periods of little or no campaign activity, but were kept with the campaign speeches for the convenience of the researcher.
The Socialist Party began using national radio networks as a medium for its speakers in 1936. The series includes radio speeches, most of them delivered by Norman Thomas, as well as other addresses by Mr. Thomas, covering the years 1940 to 1961.
Since political campaigns were a constant concern of the Socialist Party, materials relating to individual campaigns may be found throughout the collection. Folders in this series are arranged alphabetically.
NEWSLETTERS: Newsletters and bulletins are included in this series. In addition to general informational bulletins such as “News and Views” and “Progress Report,” the series includes a number of newsletters of special interest: “Socialist Action” (1935-1936) outlines organizing procedures and techniques for party locals (issue no. 3 is devoted to the role of women in the party); the Negro Labor News Service publication (1929-1931) contains articles on racial problems and socialist solutions; “Socialist C.O.” (1942-1945) contains articles on conscientious objection, pacifism, and Civilian Public Service (CPS) camps; “Fraternally Yours” and later, the monthly newsletter of the Serviceman's Committee (1943-1945) brought Socialist Party news to men in uniform; and “Notes for Speakers” (1933) and other outlines contain information about economic conditions in early depression years. The series is arranged in the following order: (1) various newsletters from the National Office, chronologically; (2) selected newsletters from the National Office, alphabetically; (3) newsletters issued by state and local organizations, by issuing body; and (4) newsletters not issued by the Socialist Party or affiliates, chronologically.
PRESS RELEASES: This series is divided into two categories: regular releases from Socialist Party Press Services (1929-1936), and special press releases (1913-1961). Regular press service releases, under various titles, are arranged chronologically; special press releases are arranged by issuing office.
MEMORANDA, REPORTS: This series includes memoranda, on a variety of issues, directed to members of the National Executive Committee. Since these were meant for the information of party officials and not for publication, they tend to be personal, candid reports. Three memoranda, in typescript, bear corrections in Norman Thomas' handwriting and his signature. One of these concerns the party's anti-war stand and the relationship of the U.S. to Europe (1940, Dec. 6); another is a “Memorandum on Japanese Situation in California” (circa 1942). Other memoranda include “Auto Report no. 2” [on the UAW] (1938) and “Report on the C. P. [Communist Party] in the Southern Conference” (circa 1944).
RESOURCE MATERIALS, RESOLUTIONS AND POLICY STATEMENTS, AND POSITION PAPERS: Resource materials consist of information on various types of cooperative activities ranging from municipal coal yards to community dancing. These materials, along with some statistical information, were released by the Information Department (circa 1914-1916).
Resolutions and policy statements are internal expressions of socialist opinion on various topics, Evidently, many were prepared to be voted on by the membership.
Position papers are public expressions of socialist points of view, Many are concerned with explaining what socialism is, what it has done, and what it proposes to do.
The series is arranged according to type of material, in the order given above.
MISCELLANEOUS: This series includes bibliographies of writings available from, or recommended by, the Socialist Party; financial reports showing National Office expenditures (1929, 1939-1961); copies of local ordinances, state statutes and bills (1909-1948); lists of Socialist Party members (incomplete) and miscellaneous lists of names and addresses (1937-1950); Membership Reports showing numbers of Socialist Party members, by states, for the years 1928, 1929, 1930, 1940 and 1956; and total membership figures for the years 1900 to 1932.
The last three folders in this series contain miscellaneous printed material and ephemera, including pamphlets, flyers, newspaper clippings, and brochures (1900-circa 1961).
Folders in this series are arranged alphabetically
