Title: Young Socialist Alliance Records
Inclusive Dates: 1954-1992

Creator:

• Young Socialist Alliance (U.S.)

Call Number: Micro 726; Micro 949; Micro 1079; SC 3018; FF 033

Quantity: 23 reels of microfilm (35mm), 0.1 cubic feet (1 folder), and 1 film

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:

Records of the national office of the Young Socialist Alliance, a revolutionary Marxist youth group closely allied to the Trotskyist Socialist Workers Party. The YSA was formed in 1960 and it dissolved into the SWP in 1992. The collection documents YSA's role in the protest against the Vietnam War, in various struggles for minority rights, and in numerous other political and social conflicts dating from the 1960s through the 1980s.
On microfilm are National Executive Committee minutes, mailings, financial reports, mimeographed materials produced by the national office for intra-party communication, historical files, and detailed narrative reports on local activities during the 1970s. Subject files relate to involvement with the international student movement during the 1980s, and especially with the movement in South Africa; the domestic student movement of the 1970s; trials of several expelled dissidents; conferences and defense cases; and correspondence about diverse organizations such as Prisoners United and the Symbionese Liberation Army. Predating the YSA are bulletins and minutes of the National Action Committee of the Young Socialist League and minutes of the editorial board and mailings of the Young Socialist. Also included is a print of To Make a Revolution, a film by David Weiss concerning the YSA during the early 1970s. A few items, 1965-1971, are available in paper form.

Note:

There is a restriction on use of this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-micr0726

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The Young Socialist Alliance was formed as a result of the regroupment of the non-Communist Party Left during the 1950s. Leaders in this movement included Tim Wohlforth and Shane Mage of the Young Socialist League, as well as young members of the Socialist Workers Party and former members of the Communist Party. In 1957 this loose coalition of socialist youth met and launched the monthly radical newspaper, The Young Socialist. Gradually clubs formed to support the distribution of the paper and to discuss their political beliefs, and in December 1958 a meeting at Detroit called for the formation of a national organization. This organization, the Young Socialist Alliance, was formed on April 15-17, 1960 in Philadelphia. Although organizationally independent, the YSA maintained a close relationship with the Socialist Workers Party, and YSA members campaigned for SWP candidates, followed its lead on most political issues, and raised funds by selling SWP publications.

In the early 1960s YSA supported the Cuban revolution and worked with the Fair Play for Cuba Committee to mobilize opposition to U.S. policies toward Castro. The Cuban revolution proved one of the most divisive issues in YSA history, and in 1963 minority elements headed by Wohlforth and James Robertson were expelled from the party. The YSA was also active in the civil rights movement in the South, but the issue which had the greatest impact on the YSA was the Vietnam War. Beginning early in the 1960s and continuing through the 1970s YSA assumed a leadership role in organizing national anti-war demonstrations. Using the organizational structure of its local and regional membership, its strict adherence to the strategy of non-exclusion, and its willingness to work with other organizations opposed to the war, the YSA was able to influence the direction of the broad student opposition to the war. As a result YSA reached its peak membership (1372) in 1975.

Declining membership during the next fifteen years placed an increasing burden on the organization, and, in response to a motion from the SWP Political Committee, the YSA voted to dissolve and unite with the SWP in 1992.

Numerous YSA publications, including the Young Socialist, are available on microfilm in the Wisconsin Historical Society Library.

The collection documents the origins and development of the Young Socialist Alliance from 1954 through its absorption by the Socialist Workers Party in 1992. Most of the collection consists of mimeographed material produced by the national office to keep local members informed about national and international developments and to coordination their political activities. There are virtually no files of original correspondence. The records are organized into eight series: YOUNG SOCIALIST LEAGUE PAPERS, YOUNG SOCIALIST PAPERS, GENERAL MAILINGS, NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES AND RECORDS, LOCAL REPORTS, HISTORY, SUBJECT FILES, and PAPER RECORDS. Almost the entire collection is available on microfilm only. After microfilming, all material was returned to the Socialist Workers Party. Because the records were filmed in parts at three different times, the reels bear three different call numbers.

Background information on the coalition of youth organizations which established the Young Socialist in 1957 and which eventually led to the formation of YSA is found in the first two series. Included here are newsletters and minutes of the National Action Committee of the Young Socialist League (1954-1958), which represented one faction of the radical newspaper's founders, and editorial board minutes and mailings of the Young Socialist. Minutes of the Midwest Conference of Young Socialists (February, 1958) are filed at the end of the 1958 material at Micro 726, Reel 1, Frame 696. The Young Socialist itself, as well as numerous other publications of the YSA, is available on microfilm in the Wisconsin Historical Society Library.

The third series consists of chronologically-arranged GENERAL MAILINGS of the Young Socialist Alliance. Here may be found mimeographed letters and memoranda to local organizers, together with financial and sales reports. Beginning in the late 1960s reports on anti-war organizing became an increasingly important part of the communications. Scattered material such as local reports, formal protests, and letters from individual members were sometimes duplicated for distribution and are therefore also included here as are minority faction statements and reports on the activities of other left wing organizations.

The NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES AND RECORDS consist of mimeographed minutes of the YSA's National Executive Committee, together with some supplementary material distributed to committee members. This section includes minutes and materials documenting national committee plenums and national conventions. However national conventions are seldom represented by any documentation beyond the summary minutes.

The LOCAL REPORTS consist of detailed descriptions of YSA locals prepared during the 1970s. The reports are of several types, with the organizational (or leadership) reports and the team (or regional) reports being most numerous. Although the content of the two reports is similar, the organizational reports are filed chronologically, while the team reports are filed alphabetically by region name. The organizational reports were prepared by representatives of the YSA national organization who travelled around the country to present reports to the branches about the national situation. Generally, these representatives visited each branch annually in the spring and fall. The purpose of the regional teams is less clear, although they seem to have focused on publication sales. The authors of the regional reports are seldom identified. Taken together, the reports contain very useful accounts of the conditions within each local, as well as its problems and relationships with other radical organizations.

The HISTORY files consist of copies of articles about YSA and the Young Socialist. Of note among this small series is an unpublished manuscript by Gus Horowitz and a transcript of an oral history interview with Tim Wohlforth.

The alphabetically-arranged SUBJECT FILES consist of a variety of materials transferred to the Historical Society after the dissolution of the YSA. This series contains virtually the only material in the collection that reflects the original filing order used by the YSA national office, although some materials (such as the miscellaneous publications, study guides, reports, etc.) probably represent fugitive documentation that was never correctly filed by the YSA. Included are correspondence, memoranda, flyers, clippings, and minutes. Most of the series dates from YSA's last years as a separate organization, although a few items are older. The most recent material primarily documents YSA's involvement with the international student movement of the 1980s, especially its relationship with South Africa. Also dating from the 1980s are files pertaining to the trials of several expelled dissidents and information on conferences and defense cases. Of special interest is the correspondence of YSA officer Greg McCarten with the Prisoners United, an organization of prisoners in Texas prisons. Files on Harvard, San Francisco State University, and other schools relate to student activism in 1969, although little of the material specifically relates to YSA involvement in these actions. Also dating from this period is correspondence (in the Chapter file) about the involvement of a YSA member with the Symbionese Liberation Army and a limited run of minutes of the New York chapter of YSA. Also listed with this diverse material is a print of To Make a Revolution, a film by David Weiss concerning the YSA during the early 1970s.

Finally, PAPER RECORDS is a small amount of material, 1965-1971, presented by Fred Halstead. Included is miscellaneous incoming correspondence, reports to the National Executive Committee, and other items, mainly relating to opposition to the Vietnam War.

Use Restrictions

The copyrights that reside with the SWP and related collections are held by SWP National Secretary Jack Barnes. Researchers are cautioned that any use beyond “fair use” may require the approval of Jack Barnes. Anyone wishing to publish from any of the material must obtain written permission from Mr. Jack Barnes or his representative, Mr. Steve Clark.

Some materials in the collection may be covered by copyrights held by individuals or organizations other than the SWP, and researchers are cautioned that any use beyond “fair use” may require approval from these copyright holders.

SWP Contact Address: Mr. Steve Clark, Socialist Workers Party, 406 West Street, New York, NY 10014-2570

Acquisition Information

Most materials were loaned for microfilming by the Young Socialist Alliance National Office, New York, New York, 1978; and the Socialist Workers Party via Reba Hansen, Library of Social History, New York, New York, 1986, and via Steve Clark, 1992. One folder presented by Fred Halstead, Los Angeles, Calif., 1978. Accession Number: M78-492, M78-639, M86-116, M92-049, M92-174

Processing Information

Prepared for microfilming by Mary Diezel and Max Evans, 1979; Karen Baumann and Karen Godfroy, 1986; and Carolyn Mattern, 1995.

Micro 726 Reel   1 Frame   1	Series: Young Socialist League Papers, 1954-1958
	Series: Young Socialist	⇧
	Editorial Board minutes and communications
Reel   1 Frame   720	1957-1958
Reel   2 Frame   1	1959
Reel   2 Frame   158	1960 January-April
	General Mailings
Reel   2 Frame   226	1960
Reel   2 Frame   299	1965-1968
Micro 949 Reel   1 Frame   1	1969-1970
Micro 726 Reel   2 Frame   574	1975-1976
Micro 949 Reel   1 Frame   49	1977
Reel   1 Frame   100	Miscellaneous business papers, 1958-1988
	Series: General Mailings	⇧
Micro 726 Reel   2 Frame   716	1961-1964
Reel   3 Frame   1	1965
Reel   3 Frame   121	1966
Reel   3 Frame   240	1967
Reel   3 Frame   355	1968
Reel   3 Frame   687	1969
Reel   4 Frame   1	1970
Reel   3 Frame   272	1971
	1972
Reel   4 Frame   599	January-June
Reel   5 Frame   1	July-December
Reel   5 Frame   355	1973
Reel   6	1974
Reel   7 Frame   1	1975
Reel   7 Frame   643	1976
Micro 949 Reel   1 Frame   160	1977-1979
Micro 1079 Reel   1 Frame   1	1980
Micro 949 Reel   1 Frame   269	1980, continued
Micro 1079 Reel   1 Frame   8	1981
Micro 949 Reel   1 Frame   382	1981, continued
Micro 1079 Reel   1 Frame   407	1982
Micro 949 Reel   1 Frame   555	1982, continued
Micro 1079 Reel   1 Frame   707	1983
Micro 949 Reel   1 Frame   666	1983, continued
Micro 1079 Reel   2 Frame   1	1984
Micro 949 Reel   2 Frame   1	1984, continued
Reel   2 Frame   236	1985
Reel   2 Frame   108	1986-1992, February
	Series: National Executive Committee Minutes and Records	⇧
Reel   10	Constitutions, 1960-1986
Micro 726 Reel   8	1960-1966
Reel   9	1967-1971
Reel   10	1972-1974
Reel   11	1975-1976
Micro 949 Reel   3	1977-1986
Reel   4	1987-1992, February
	Series: Local Reports	⇧
Reel   5 Frame   1	1971, Leadership tours
Reel   5 Frame   135	1972, Leadership tours
Reel   5 Frame   252	1973, Political reports (Texas, La. only)
	1974
Reel   5 Frame   273	Organization tours
	Regional reports
Reel   5 Frame   412	Atlanta
Reel   5 Frame   438	Chicago
Reel   5 Frame   453	Cleveland
Reel   5 Frame   466	District of Columbia
Reel   5 Frame   472	Detroit
Reel   5 Frame   484	Illinois-Wisconsin
Reel   5 Frame   514	Michigan-Indiana
Reel   5 Frame   552	Mid-Atlantic
Reel   5 Frame   565	New England
Reel   5 Frame   580	New York-Connecticut
Reel   5 Frame   607	Northern California
Reel   5 Frame   637	Ohio-Kentucky
Reel   5 Frame   668	Pennsylvania-West Virginia
Reel   5 Frame   669	Puerto Rico
Reel   5 Frame   711	Rocky Mountain
Reel   5 Frame   736	Seattle-Portland
Reel   5 Frame   763	Southeast
Reel   6 Frame   1	Southern California
Reel   6 Frame   47	St. Louis
Reel   6 Frame   80	Texas
Reel   6 Frame   94	Twin Cities
Reel   6 Frame   114	Upper Midwest
	1975
Reel   6 Frame   143	Campaign tours
Reel   6 Frame   158	Organization tours
Reel   6 Frame   369	Regional reports and summaries
Reel   6 Frame   382	Chicago
Reel   6 Frame   ?	Denver
Reel   6 Frame   387	Illinois
Reel   6 Frame   396	Michigan-Indiana
Reel   6 Frame   420	Mid-Atlantic
Reel   6 Frame   441	Missouri-Kansas
Reel   6 Frame   467	New England
Reel   6 Frame   475	New York-New Jersey-Connecticut
Reel   6 Frame   489	Northern California
Reel   6 Frame   514	Ohio-Kentucky
Reel   6 Frame   523	Pennsylvania
Reel   6 Frame   530	Rocky Mountain
Reel   6 Frame   541	Seattle-Portland
Reel   6 Frame   546	Southeast
Reel   6 Frame   557	Southern California
Reel   6 Frame   579	Texas
Reel   6 Frame   595	Upper Midwest
Reel   6 Frame   613	Wisconsin
Reel   6 Frame   635	1976, Organization reports
Reel   6 Frame   756	1991, Southern sales team report
	Series: History	⇧
Reel   7 Frame   1	1967, Young Socialist article
Reel   7 Frame   16	1968, Gus Horowitz draft article
Reel   7 Frame   117	1970, Young Socialist article
Reel   7 Frame   122	1970, Organizer series
Reel   7 Frame   137	1971, Oberlin class presentations
FF 033	1972, To Make a Revolution film
Micro 949 Reel   7 Frame   360	1975, Convention presentations
Reel   7 Frame   233	1976, Peter Archer draft article
Reel   7 Frame   313	1975-1976, Young Socialist series
Reel   7 Frame   375	1976, Tim Wohlforth oral history interview
Reel   7 Frame   361	1983, Convention presentations
	Series: Subject Files	⇧
Reel   7 Frame   406	Advance Youth Organization defense, 1963
Reel   7 Frame   456	Ann Arbor YSA “Documented Fact Sheet on Vietnam,” circa 1966
Reel   7 Frame   482	Anti-war area reports, 1972
Reel   7 Frame   466	Bloomington students defense, 1964-1968
Reel   7 Frame   596	Budget miscellany, 1985-1987
Reel   7 Frame   640	Cambridge antiwar vote, 1967
Reel   7 Frame   651	Canada, 1987-1991
Reel   7 Frame   664	Central American Youth for Peace conference, 1987
Reel   7 Frame   781	Chicago Red Squad settlement, 1985
Reel   8 Frame   1	Chapter correspondence, 1974
Reel   8 Frame   77	Convention miscellany, 1967-1991
Reel   8 Frame   119	Correspondence, Miscellaneous, 1985-1991
Reel   8 Frame   145	Cuba, 1981-1990
Reel   8 Frame   175	Curtis, Mark
Reel   8 Frame   188	Dominican Republic, 1987-1988
Reel   8 Frame   210	Dube, Fred, Defense case, 1987-1990
Reel   8 Frame   280	France, 1986-1989
Reel   8 Frame   308	Germany, 1990
Reel   8 Frame   312	Grenada, 1981-1989
Reel   8 Frame   357	Gulf War demonstrations, 1991
Reel   8 Frame   375	Harvard student strike, 1969
Reel   8 Frame   488	Iceland, 1989-1991
Reel   8 Frame   495	International correspondence, Miscellaneous, 1973-1974
Reel   8 Frame   516	Korea, 1990
Reel   8 Frame   523	Latin American youth conference, 1990
Reel   8 Frame   543	Mahoney, Don, trial, 1982
Reel   8 Frame   646	Martin, William, Press releases, 1968-1970
Reel   8 Frame   654	Membership statistics, 1961-1991
Reel   8 Frame   760	National Student and Youth Campaign for Peace in the Middle East, 1991
Reel   8 Frame   796	New York local minutes, 1966-1967
Reel   9 Frame   1	New Zealand, 1986-1991
Reel   9 Frame   26	Nicaragua, 1979
Reel   9 Frame   99	Omaha GIs defense case, 1991
Reel   9 Frame   150	Pittsburgh Socialist Youth and Activists Conference, 1988
Reel   9 Frame   182	Prisoners United for Revolutionary Education, 1985-1987
Reel   9 Frame   269	Progressive Student Network, 1986-1991
Reel   9 Frame   307	Publications, Miscellaneous
Reel   9 Frame   366	Puerto Rico, 1987-1988
Reel   9 Frame   375	Reports, Miscellaneous, 1961-1964
Reel   9 Frame   406	San Francisco State College strikes, 1969
Reel   9 Frame   483	South Africa, 1987-1990
Reel   9 Frame   686	Spartacist League (including Kris Kurovsky trial), 1964, 1986
Reel   9 Frame   723	Stryffeler, Jim (GI free speech case), 1983-1984
Reel   9 Frame   740	Student Action Union, 1989
Reel   9 Frame   791	Student elections, 1969
Reel   9 Frame   841	Study guides, 1973, 1980-1981, undated
Reel   9 Frame   896	Trials, Miscellaneous(includes Jason C.), 1986-1987, 1991
SC 3018	Series: Paper Records	⇧