The records of the Committee to Secure Justice for Morton Sobell document the activities of the Committee from its inception in 1951 until shortly after Sobell's release in 1969. Although the records focus mainly on Sobell, the nature of the case makes it impossible to separate his situation from that of the Rosenbergs. The collection relates not only to the case itself, but also to the lives of Morton and Helen Sobell throughout his long imprisonment.
The papers are organized into six sections: an extensive Subject File compiled by the Committee which includes the Sobells' correspondence; Legal Records; Financial Records; Publications, News Clippings, and Sound Recordings, Films, and Filmstrips. (The 28-reel microfilm edition contains all of the Subject File, Legal Records, and Financial Records, and the non-copyrighted portion of the Publications.)
The SUBJECT FILE constitutes the major portion of the Committee's records. The Committee organized its files in an alphabetical subject sequence with headings referring to individuals, local organizations, correspondence from a specific geographic area, conferences, rallies and other fund-raising events, and subjects of interest to the Committee. Both the organization and the subject headings used by the Committee have been retained with a few exceptions. In cases where folders contained only one or two letters, the contents were usually filed in National Committee - Correspondence. Subject headings were created for persons most active in the Committee's work, such as Helen Sobell; Morton's mother, Rose Sobell; David and Emily Alman who headed the Rosenberg Committee; Ted Jacobs, head of public relations; Aaron Schneider; Leah Schneider; Reverend Erwin A. Gaede; and Aaron Katz. Two of the headings used by the Committee, Foreign Correspondence and V.I.P. Correspondence, were eliminated due to their inconsistency, for foreign letters and correspondence with important individuals appear throughout the collection, filed under the names of the various countries, names of specific individuals, and the National Committee correspondence. Following the Contents List is a partial index to numerous important correspondents who do not have individual files.
Correspondence from the same individuals appears in many places within the collection. For example, a particular clergyman's correspondence can be found under Clergy, National Committee - Correspondence, Helen Sobell - General Correspondence, Ted Jacobs, and the various headings for appeals and fund-raising events. Letters of appeal to Presidents and Attorney Generals appear also as enclosures in National Committee - Correspondence and Helen Sobell - General Correspondence.
Correspondence of Morton and Helen Sobell represents a substantial portion of the Subject File. Helen Sobell's papers are divided into General Correspondence (1951-1969), Letters to Morton Sobell (1950-1969), European Trip Correspondence (1962-1964), Correspondence regarding Poems (1955-1964), and Articles and Speeches (1951-1965). Her general correspondence is both incoming and outgoing. The fact that her replies are often attached to the original letters, and that the correspondents often enclosed copies of other letters affects the otherwise chronological order of the file. Helen Sobell answered a great deal of the Committee's mail personally; she also wrote prolifically to clergymen, lawyers, writers, journalists, and other public figures, in order to gain support for her husband's release and vindication. She was actively involved in all aspects of the Committee's work, from publicity and fund raising to the legal developments in the case.
Morton Sobell's general correspondence is separated into incoming (1950-1969) and outgoing (1951-1969) chronological sequences, and consists largely of correspondence with his attorneys, a few friends and relatives, and scholarly journals and institutions. He wrote regularly to his parents and children. The letters to his children were often written at the bottom of letters to his wife, due to prison regulations limiting the number of letters he was permitted to send. Helen Sobell would cut these strips off the bottom of the page, so that the children could each have a letter of his own.
The Sobells' letters to each other reveal how the emotional strength of their relationship enabled them to survive the long years of separation. The letters discuss the legal and public relations aspects of the case, but also concentrate heavily on the details of their daily lives. Morton Sobell also included critical analysis of his readings and psychological and philosophical assessment of his situation.
National Committee - Correspondence (1950-1969) deals with many of the same topics as Helen Sobell - General Correspondence. However, much of this correspondence is of a more general nature, including letters of support, requests for information on the case, and acknowledgments of contributions. The file contains both incoming and outgoing letters, and is arranged in chronological order.
National Committee - Circulars and Statements (1950-1969) is a chronological file largely of mimeographed material, consisting of copies of important letters and notices of activities, events, and legal developments.
Information on the Rosenbergs is scattered throughout the collection. Much of the material dated before June 19, 1953 refers specifically to them. Of particular note are the various Rosenberg and Carnegie Hall Meeting files.
The LEGAL RECORDS (1950-1968) relate to all aspects of the Rosenberg-Sobell case. They have been divided into a chronological file of legal correspondence and another, larger file of printed and mimeographed legal documents. These latter documents have been arranged in chronological order by year and by court within each year.
The Legal Correspondence is largely outgoing, written by various lawyers involved in the case over the years, notably Marshall (Mike) Perlin and William Kunstler. Some incoming correspondence from other interested lawyers is also included here. The correspondence explains the legal progress of the case, and complements the transcripts, petitions, affidavits, amicus curiae briefs and memoranda included in the legal documents. Letters of Helen and Morton Sobell to their lawyers are located in their own files.
The FINANCIAL RECORDS are extremely fragmentary, and include financial correspondence (1954-1969), an audit of the National Committee in August 1953, and two payroll books for the National Committee (1951-1954). Additional financial information relating to the Committee's advertising campaigns appears in the Advertising and Sandler (Ysobel) Advertising Company, Inc. folders in the Subject File.
PUBLICATIONS include leaflets, pamphlets, and broadsides produced by the Committee and other interested parties, and relate to all aspects of the Rosenberg-Sobell case. Only publications without copyright have been filmed in the microfilm edition. Other relevant printed material has been retained in the category Unfilmed Publications (1952-1969, undated) which include pamphlets, articles, poetry, and a play entitled Chant Public Devant Deux Chaises Electriques by Armand Gatti. This material is mainly from copyrighted periodicals of international scope. Publications are arranged in alphabetical order by author when available, or else by the title of the article or journal.
The NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS (1950-1969, undated) consist of a chronological file of mounted and unmounted articles, editorials, and letters to the editor from national, international and local papers, detailing all aspects of the Rosenberg-Sobell case. Many of the clippings are mimeographed copies, reprinted by the National Committee. These were not filmed for the microfilm editions but subsequently were microfilmed by the Historical Society and the original clippings were then discarded.
The SOUND RECORDINGS, FILMS, AND FILMSTRIPS (1952-1969, undated) include radio and television interviews, panel discussions, rallies and fund-raising events, and documentaries on the Rosenberg-Sobell case. Helen Sobell and others active in the National Committee appeared regularly on interview shows, and used the tapes made of these shows along with those made at fund-raising events to further publicize the case.
