Title: Richard and Ann Baxandall Krooth Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1955-1968

Creators:

• Krooth, Richard
• Krooth, Ann Baxandall

Call Number: Mss 1010

Quantity: 1.2 c.f. (3 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers of attorney Richard Krooth and his wife, Ann Baxandall Krooth, both of whom were social activists in the 1960s. Most of the materials were collected or created by Richard Krooth during the course of his employment as Community Consultant for the Anti-Defamation League's Southeast regional office during 1963-1964. Rather than directly documenting the activities of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), this collection documents the issues that civil rights workers were concerned with: desegregation, discrimination, suffrage, community organizing, civil rights legislation, and right wing opposition groups. Additionally, there is a small amount of material related to the Madison Free University, a group organized in 1968 by Ann Baxandall Krooth and other students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in opposition to the traditional university model of education.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss01010

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Richard (Dick) Krooth was born May 8, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois to Arthur Lewis and Helen Dolly Krooth. He received a B.S. from De Paul University (1958), a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1962), and a Ph.D. from the University of California-Santa Barbara (1980). He also briefly attended Atlanta University (1963-1964). Krooth married Mary Ann Baxandall, a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on August 30, 1963; she changed her name to Ann Baxandall Krooth. They had one child, Karl William, together.

The Krooths have maintained a lifelong interest in issues of social justice and racial equality. After graduating from law school, Dick started volunteering as a constitutional law researcher for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in New York. He was then hired as Community Consultant in the ADL's Southeast Regional branch office in Atlanta.

B'nai B'rith, the Jewish service organization, established the ADL in 1913 with the express purpose of combatting the defamation of Jewish people in print, on stage, and in the movies. Although its purpose has always been, first and foremost, the eradication of anti-Semitism, a second tenet is to help all people achieve legal and social equality. The organization was a visible presence in the civil rights movement. During the short period of time (approximately 1962-1964) that Richard Krooth worked for the ADL, the Atlanta office was caught in the tumultuous whirlwind of desegregation and the increasing fervor of the civil rights movement.

Richard Krooth's position at the ADL was entry-level, and his responsibilities were highly varied, depending on need: working with pre-existing grassroots organizations, helping to organize new groups within the community, legal advocacy for individuals, providing information to the press and the community. The papers that Krooth collected during his tenure with the ADL document the upheaval these communities were experiencing; in particular, they document discrimination, desegregation, civil rights legislation, and major events of the time.

By 1966, the Krooths had moved back to Madison, Wisconsin, where Ann enrolled in University of Wisconsin's Academic Comparative Literature program. She received her M.A. in 1967. It was during this time period that she helped found the Free University of Madison. It started in October 1966 as a collaborative effort by many of the student groups on campus. Although this was a point of contention, the Free University was established as a University of Wisconsin-Madison student group, in order to avoid paying for facilities. Anyone was free to teach any subject they chose; the courses were offered to the public at no charge.

According to the first article of the group's constitution, their purpose was “to provide a broad range of educational experiences with all ideas and subjects, in all fields of intellectual endeavor, open to question and consideration.” Courses ranged widely, from knitting to economics, from suicide to cryptography. The group was concerned with several facets of the traditional university model, such as the student-teacher hierarchy, grades as a basis for student evaluation, and restrictions placed on the content of courses. For most, if not all, of the group's existence, Ann Krooth served as its president. Although Richard Krooth did not seem to be involved with the administration of the Free University, he occasionally taught classes.

The Krooths were also involved with the Wisconsin Alliance, a socialist organization dedicated to fostering collaboration between grass-roots workers, small farmers, and students. Richard Krooth served as its research director from the group's inception in 1968 until 1972.

The Krooths relocated to California, and starting in the late 1970s, Richard taught and researched at numerous universities, including the University of California at the Santa Barbara, Riverside, and Berkeley campuses, the California Institute of Management in Berkeley, San Francisco University, Sonoma State University, Golden Gate University, and the Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin. He was also the director of various research groups, including the Law and Labor Research Group of Santa Barbara, California and the Americas Research Group. From 1987 he also worked as a jury consultant.

Richard Krooth has published a large number of books and articles on topics ranging from America's imperialism to racial issues in juries. Occasionally he uses the pseudonyms Mark Able and Richard Lowenrosen. Over the years, Ann Krooth has worked as a social worker, photographer, editor, and writer.

Richard Krooth Timeline

May 8, 1935	Born in Chicago, Illinois
1958	Receives B.S. from De Paul University
1962	Receives J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
1962-1964	Member of civil liberties staff in New York City and Atlanta, ADL
August 10, 1963	Marries Ann Baxandall Krooth
1963-1964	Attends Atlanta University
1966-1972	Special Research Assistant in economics and sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
1968-1972	Research Director, Wisconsin Alliance Research Center
1969-1972	Associate in political science and legal institutions, Omega School
1978-1979	Director, Law and Labor Research Group of Santa Barbara, California
1979-1982	Professor, University of California-Santa Barbara and -Riverside
1980	Receives Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California-Santa Barbara
1980-1981	Coordinator, Isla Vista Community Research Group
1980-1982	Academic Director of Diversion Team, Riverside County Criminal Youth Division
1983-1984	Visiting Professor, American socio-economic institutions, judicial systems, and political science, Madison Area Technical College, Madison, Wisconsin
1983-1984	Director, Americas Research Group
1983-	Arbitrator, American Arbitration Association
1983-	Arbitrator, American Arbitration Association
1985-1986	Visiting Scholar, University of California-Berkeley
1985-1989	Professor, Political science and comparative socio-economic development, California Institute of Management, Berkeley, California
1987-1989	Research Associate, California Institute of Management, Berkeley, California
1987-	Jury Consultant, Scientific Legal Services, Inc.
1989, 1993-	Research Associate, University of California-Berkeley
1990	Lecturer in interdisciplinary social sciences, San Francisco University
1991-1992	Lecturer in criminal justice, Sonoma State University
1993-	Adjunct Professor of international studies, Golden Gate University

This collection is divided into two series, the ANN BAXANDALL KROOTH PAPERS and the RICHARD KROOTH PAPERS. The ANN BAXANDALL KROOTH PAPERS document the Free University of Madison, Wisconsin, during the period 1966-1968.

The Free University material consists of only two folders, but this collection contains remarkably complete documentation of the organization from 1966-1968. A lengthy paper by Ann Baxandall Krooth describes the intellectual underpinnings of the Free University, and contextualizes the organization within a larger cultural movement. The organization's constitution sets out the group's framework and operations. Newspaper clippings describe the group's genesis and report on its activities. Course schedules describe the courses being offered, the instructor's names, and sometimes a very brief description of their background. Recruitment materials and blank instructor feedback forms illustrate the group's attitude toward its mission. Finally, a handful of materials related to other free universities and similar organizations provide context and comparison.

The RICHARD KROOTH PAPERS document various aspects of the civil rights movement from 1955 to 1968, with the bulk of the documents created in 1963-1964. Note that while these documents were collected or created by Richard Krooth during his employment at the ADL, they do not reflect the activities of the ADL per se. Rather, they document events unfolding in the Southeastern United States during 1963-1964 from the perspective of a civil rights worker from the North. A large percentage of these materials are newspaper clippings, primarily from 1963, and culled from both local (Southeastern) and national newspapers. There are reports, pamphlets, brochures, flyers, manuals, fact sheets, and press releases from various sources: major and minor news media outlets, individuals, various civil rights organizations, and the right wing opposition. A smaller portion of the material is the work product of either Richard Krooth or others at the ADL; this material includes handwritten notes, lists, manuals, reports, transcripts for public service announcement radio spots, internal ADL memoranda, and correspondence. The Richard Krooth papers consist of the following subseries: Community Organizing, Desegregation, Discrimination, Events, Labor and Economic Base, Law, Organizational Tactics, Right Wing Opposition Groups, and Suffrage.

Community Organizing contains manuals, reports, fact sheets, bibliographies, handwritten notes, and a few memoranda. These materials document the efforts of groups such as the ADL and OASIS (Organizations Assisting Schools in September) to foster the creation of grassroots civil rights organizations in support of pending desegregation. Most materials are targeted at individual citizens interested in forming such grassroots organizations, but there are a few documents concerning the creation of the City of Minneapolis Commission on Human Relations. The ADL's perspective is documented in one of the few pieces in this collection that is directly attributable to Richard Krooth, “The Creations and Functions of a Bi-Racial Committee.” There is also a lengthy (100+ page) manual produced by HOPE, a non-profit group advocating for the continuation of schools during desegregation; the manual was co-sponsored by the ADL and the Southern Regional Council. The few pieces of correspondence and memoranda all relate to Project Friendship in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Desegregation contains a large amount of materials on school desegregation in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, and a small amount of materials on the desegregation of public facilities in Birmingham and Atlanta (circa 1963-1964). This series consists of a wide variety of materials, including memos, correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, press releases, and transcripts of radio and television public service announcements. Particularly well-documented are the preparations made in the Chattanooga and Atlanta communities for public school integration.

Discrimination documents discrimination in housing and religion, as well as specific events stemming from discrimination such as the Birmingham bombings. Alabama governor George Wallace is covered in several newspaper articles, as is the fair housing movement. The series contains newspaper clippings, brochures and programs from conferences and workshops, and a few memoranda. The bulk of the materials are from September-October 1963, but there are a few documents from the preceding summer. Although several different issues are covered in this series, no one particular topic is covered in depth.

Events includes newspaper clippings, correspondence, timelines, a report, and handwritten notes. These materials document civil rights abuses, pending legislation, protests, bombings, and other significant events. The newspaper clippings range from May-September 1963, and primarily document events in Birmingham, especially the church bombings. Two timelines of civil rights events, one created by Richard Krooth and one created by the Southern Regional Council, are arranged by state. Handwritten notes from Richard Krooth's timeline are more extensive than the typewritten copy. Although no event is documented in detail, the timelines may prove useful for researchers interested in less well-known incidents. They are limited in date range but extensively cover that short period of time. There is also one small set of handwritten notes regarding elections.

Labor and Economic Base documents opinions about the effects of desegregation on the economy and the relationship of African Americans to industry and labor. This series is mostly newspaper clippings, circa June-October 1963, but there are also a few reports, article reprints, and pamphlets. There are also some promotional materials from the Ecumenical Voluntary Service.

Law contains three subheadings. The first, Civil Rights Legislation, contains primarily newspaper clippings, along with a few pieces of correspondence, conference materials, and one report. The clippings range from May-October 1963 and document the period leading up to the passage of the civil rights act from a national and local perspective. The issue is fairly well documented, from both pro- and anti-civil rights perspectives. Materials on the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights include a comparative analysis of three different versions of the civil rights bill. Constitutional Law and States' Rights is one folder containing an Amicus Brief filed by the ADL and the ACLU in Sherbert v. Verner, a few newspaper clippings, and one copy of the ADL Bulletin, with hand-written notes. Current Law documents the legal process from Krooth's perspective as an attorney, particularly as regards civil liberties, conscientious objection, and the division of governmental powers. Reports describe the rules of evidence, the relationship of power between the branches of government, instructions on how to prepare a legal brief, and an unsigned paper on the legal process. A few clippings document high-profile civil rights litigation. A short run of Civil Liberties Dockets (November 1962-August 1963) were likely used as background materials. The utility of the Current Law heading is compromised somewhat by the absence of any authorship.

Organizational Tactics presents a wide-angle view of civil rights activities between January-October 1963. Newspaper clippings, which comprise the bulk of the series, document protests, marches, and litigation; the desegregation of institutions such as the National Education Association; the activities and organizational structure of groups such as the NAACP; and public reactions to all of the above, both through reporting and editorials. An unsigned report discusses racial attitudes, and some ADL memoranda are marked “Confidential.” Of particular interest is the memo from Benjamin Epstein, National Director of the ADL, describing two group meetings of civil rights and religious leaders that he attended at the White House in June 1963; also in attendance to discuss racial tensions were President Kennedy, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Right-Wing Opposition Groups documents the anti-civil rights movement in general, and a few groups in particular, from the multiple perspectives of the news media, civil rights organizations, and the anti-integrationists themselves. Several documents in this series present the ADL's particular perspective on civil rights matters, as in correspondence that analyzes the effects of events upon anti-Semitism. Newspaper clippings from May-August 1963 comprise most of the series, documenting police action, integration, Barry Goldwater and George Wallace. Reports by ADL staffers and other civil rights organizations address black Muslims, the Ku Klux Klan, the radical right, human rights violations in Alabama, and police brutality in Georgia.

Suffrage is a rather unorganized group of documents related to voting rights, voting discrimination, and civil rights in both the United States and abroad. Pamphlets and manuals describe voting rules in Georgia, and handwritten notes break down election possibilities and the division of power in Congress. A few pieces of correspondence indicate that Richard Krooth was consulting on a criminal prosecution in Atlanta. Voting Discrimination is a folder of newspaper clippings from 1959-1963. This appears to have been an official ADL file, because there is an ADL routing slip stapled to each clipping. The articles, however, predate Richard Krooth's tenure at the ADL. There is also a series of newspaper clippings that document several seemingly tangential topics, including South Africa, the livestock industry, federal research, and poverty.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Richard and Ann Baxandall Krooth, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Goleta, California. Accession Number: M72-490, M80-411

Processing Information

Processed by Christine Hartman (Practicum student), May 2006.

Mss 1010	Series: Ann Baxandall Krooth Papers
Box   1 Folder   1-2	Free University, 1966-1968
	Series: Richard Krooth Papers	⇧
	Subseries: Community Organization
Box   1 Folder   3	Background materials, circa 1961-1963
Box   1 Folder   4	Manuals and reports, circa 1962-1963
Box   1 Folder   5	Minneapolis Human Relations Committee, 1963
Box   1 Folder   6	Notes, undated
Box   1 Folder   7	Project Friendship, 1963
	Subseries: Desegregation	⇧
Box   1 Folder   8	Public Facilities Desegregation, 1963-1964
	School Desegregation
Box   1 Folder   9	Premise, 1963
Box   1 Folder   10	Preparation, 1961-1962
Box   1 Folder   11	Business, 1961-1963
Box   1 Folder   12	Schools, 1960-1963
Box   1 Folder   13	Editorials, 1955, 1961-1963
Box   1 Folder   14	Public officials, circa 1961-1963
Box   1 Folder   15	Clergy, 1957, 1961-1963
Box   1 Folder   16	Private groups, 1961, 1963
Box   1 Folder   17	Police and military, 1961-1963
Box   1 Folder   18	Bi-Racial Committees, 1963
Box   1 Folder   19	Mobile, 1963
Box   1 Folder   20	Tuskegee, 1963
Box   1 Folder   21	Unfiled documents, 1962-1963
	Subseries: Discrimination	⇧
Box   1 Folder   22	ADL memoranda, 1963
Box   1 Folder   23	Civil Rights Support, circa 1960-1963
Box   1 Folder   24	Conference and workshop materials, 1963
Box   2 Folder   1	Newsletters, 1963
Box   2 Folder   2	Newspaper clippings, 1963
Box   2 Folder   3	Right-Wing Opposition, circa 1962-1963
Box   2 Folder   4	Workshop notes, circa 1963
	Subseries: Events	⇧
Box   2 Folder   5	ADL memoranda, 1963
Box   2 Folder   6	Correspondence, 1961, 1963
Box   2 Folder   7	Newspaper clippings, 1963
Box   2 Folder   8	Notes, circa 1963
Box   2 Folder   9	Timelines, 1963
	Subseries: Labor and Economic Base	⇧
Box   2 Folder   10	Ecumenical Voluntary Service, 1964
Box   2 Folder   11	Newspaper clippings, 1958, 1963
Box   2 Folder   12	Pamphlets, undated
Box   2 Folder   13	Reports, 1962-1963
	Subseries: Law	⇧
	Civil Rights Legislation
Box   2 Folder   14	ADL memoranda, 1963
Box   2 Folder   15	Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, 1963
Box   2 Folder   16	Newsletters, 1963
Box   2 Folder   17	Newspaper clippings, 1963
Box   2 Folder   18	Constitutional Law and States' Rights, 1962-1963
	Current Law
Box   2 Folder   19	Civil Liberties Docket, 1962-1964
Box   2 Folder   20	Legal Process, undated
Box   2 Folder   21	Newspaper clippings, 1963
Box   3 Folder   1	Research materials, undated
	Subseries: Organizational Tactics	⇧
Box   3 Folder   2	ADL memoranda, 1963
Box   3 Folder   3	Background materials, 1963
Box   3 Folder   4	Newspaper clippings, 1963
	Subseries: Right-Wing Opposition Groups	⇧
Box   3 Folder   5	ADL memoranda, 1963
Box   3 Folder   6	Newsletters, 1963
Box   3 Folder   7	Newspaper clippings, 1963
Box   3 Folder   8	Press releases, 1963
Box   3 Folder   9	Reports, 1963
Box   3 Folder   10	The Thunderbolt, 1962
	Subseries: Suffrage	⇧
Box   3 Folder   11	ADL memoranda, 1963-1964
Box   3 Folder   12	Correspondence, 1961, 1963-1964
Box   3 Folder   13	Legal issues, undated
Box   3 Folder   14	Newsletters and press releases, 1963-1964
Box   3 Folder   15	Newspaper clippings, 1963-1964
Box   3 Folder   16	Notes, undated
Box   3 Folder   17	Reports, 1962-1964
Box   3 Folder   18	Unfiled documents, 1961-1964
Box   3 Folder   19	Voter discrimination, 1957-1963
Box   3 Folder   20	Voter information, circa 1963-1964