Summary Information
Jack Alan Robbins Papers
1965-1977
Micro 872
7 reels of microfilm (35mm)
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers of historian and socialist Jack Alan Robbins, consisting of texts and drafts of his two doctoral dissertations on American Trotskyism and French Marxism; drafts, notes, and reference material for other articles and writings; annotated copies of many of the writings of Leon Trotsky; book reviews; copies of the Democratic Left Book Review and Ripples in the Stream; and fragmentary correspondence. Also present are scattered papers concerning a variety of socialist and other organizations.
There is a restriction on use of this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-micr0872 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Historian and socialist Jack Alan Robbins was born June 22, 1944 to Phillip and Marian Robbins of Mt. Vernon, New York. He attended local schools prior to studying government and international relations and Soviet and Eastern European area studies at the University of Notre Dame, where he received a B.A. in 1966. Robbins then pursued graduate work in political science at Fordham University, from which he received both an M.A. and a Ph.D. (1972). At Fordham Robbins researched and wrote a dissertation on American Trotskyism, 1928-1941, a topic which was ultimately rejected in 1969 as too controversial by the department of political science. The following year Robbins began a second dissertation on French Marxist Maurice Merleau-Ponty, which was eventually accepted for the degree in 1972.
During the school years, 1967-1969, Robbins was a teaching assistant at Fordham, and later worked with the Urban Renewal Department of Mt. Vernon and in the public information office of Fordham for summer vacations and other short breaks. In January 1970 he became the executive director of the Mt. Vernon Human Rights Commission, a position that he held for several years. Since receiving his doctorate, Robbins has turned his attention to writing and reviewing the works of others. He has written drafts and prospectuses of several articles, books, and anthologies, as well as numerous book reviews for different journals. Robbins has also been active in the Middle Atlantic Radical Historians Organization, and presented a paper at the 1976 convention. He served as editor and publisher of the Democratic Left Book Review and its successor, Ripples in the Stream, and in 1974 had a weekly show, The Literary Scene, on WARY Radio, Westchester College, Valhalla, New York.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Jack Alan Robbins have been arranged into three series. The largest series consists of the Writings of Jack Robbins, with the other series being Organizations with which he was active, and Miscellany.
The WRITINGS OF JACK ROBBINS include examples of all types of works; drafts of books, articles, and book reviews; pieces written for inclusion in anthologies; a dramatic adaptation; radio scripts of book reviews; college term papers; an index to all Trotsky articles in The Militant; and drafts of both of Robbins's dissertations. Documentation of Robbins's first dissertation, “American Trotskyism, 1928-1941: Birth of a Revolutionary Marxist Movement,” is most complete, consisting of prospectuses and plans of work, correspondence with advisors, outlines, notes, questionnaires used to gather information, bibliographies, the text of the paper, and extensive reference material. Within the reference material are annotated copies of writings of Leon Trotsky, 1906-1939, and several contemporary articles regarding Trotsky. Similar material is present regarding Robbins's second dissertation, “Merleau-Ponty on Marxism, 1945-1955: A Dialectic of Politics and Philosophy,” including the text, a handwritten draft and a typewritten revision, correspondence, outlines, proposals, and bibliographies.
Other writings by Robbins in the collection are “The Last Year of 'Che' Guevara,” a 1968 article, with a partial text, notes, and reference material; book reviews written for his 1974 radio show; and texts and drafts of The Complete Poetry of John Reed, a Greenwich Village writer, activist, and supporter of the Russian Revolution, and of Literary Horizons. Both of these anthologies were edited by Robbins. Other works edited by Robbins are present in partial form, or only as proposed projects, including Bayard Rustin, From Protest to Politics, Socialism Today: The Reorientation Since Norman Thomas, “Problems of Democratic Socialism and Problems of Marxism in the Third World,” and a collection of the essays of Max Eastman entitled Communism, Socialism, and Democracy: A Perspective of 50 Years. Robbins also edited for two years the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee's Democratic Left Book Review, and its successor, Ripples in the Stream, for which there are printed copies, drafts of reviews and articles, and a few printing invoices. Another of Robbins's editorial projects is a collection of the literary essays, 1954-1974, of James T. Farrell, edited by Robbins in 1976, with the draft may be found a table of contents, reference materials, and correspondence. From Robbins' college days are files of term papers, 1965-1968, and his adaptation of the Albert Camus play, Les Juste, which Robbins also produced at the University of Notre Dame. A final portion of the series consists of fragmentary correspondence, mainly pertaining to writing projects, reviews, a written critique by Paul Buhle, and articles, excerpts, and reference materials by and about James T. Farrell, Newton Arvin, Herman Melville, and Henry James.
The ORGANIZATIONS file contains materials regarding many socialist and other groups with which Robbins was active. From the Mt. Vernon Commission on Human Rights, there are correspondence, papers concerning board meetings and a complaint filed against Robbins, and his notes defending his actions, Papers of the Socialist Scholars Conference date from the period of Robbins' membership on the steering committee, and include correspondence, 1970 conference papers, and lists of steering committee members. The Middle Atlantic Radical Historians Organization is represented by abstracts and other 1976 conference material, including items regarding Robbins's paper “Granville Hicks and Marxist Literary Criticism.” Papers of other organizations in the collection consist of printed correspondence and memoranda, leaflets, and flyers.
A small amount of MISCELLANY in the collection is composed of a typescript, an unidentified and undated work (possibly a dissertation) on political philosophy, and a few leaflets documenting the visit of Raya Dunayevskaya to the United States.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Jack Alan Robbins retains all literary rights to material in the collection.
Presented by Jack Alan Robbins, White Plains, New York, 1970-1977. Accession Number: M70-282, M73-154, M73-316, M73-341, M73-377, M74-33, M74-90, M74-291, M75-70, M75-594, M76-269, M77-159
Processed for microfilming by John Wright and Menzi Behrnd-Klodt, August 1981.
Contents List
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Series: Writings of Jack Robbins
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“American Trotskyism, 1928-1941: Birth of a Revolutionary Marxist Movement,” PhD dissertation, Department of Political Science, Fordham University
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Reel
1
Frame
1-24
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Plan of work, correspondence, bibliographies, 1967; prospectus, revised prospectus, outlines, 1968
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Reel
1
Frame
25-75
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Correspondence, 1966, re: dissertation research; notes
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Reel
1
Frame
76-116
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Questionnaires used for dissertation
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Reel
1
Frame
117-416
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Text of dissertation
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Reel
1
Frame
417-528
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Bibliographies
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Reference Material Used for Dissertation
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Reel
1
Frame
529-591
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Periodical citations and notes re: Trotsky
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Reel
1
Frame
592-758
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Articles on Trotsky, reference materials, correspondence, excerpts of Trotsky's writings
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Works By and About Trotsky
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Reel
1
Frame
759-769
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Court Speech at 1906 Trial for 1905 Petrograd Soviet Insurrection
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Reel
1
Frame
770-882
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The Bolsheviki and World Peace, 1914
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Reel
1
Frame
883-902
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Chapters From My Diary, 1917
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Reel
1
Frame
903-978
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Our Proletarian Revolution, with V. Lenin, 1917
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Reel
1
Frame
979-1001
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Our Military Construction and Our Fronts, 1919
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Reel
1
Frame
1002-1040
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Towards Socialism or Capitalism?, 1925
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Reel
2
Frame
1-26
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Towards Socialism or Capitalism?, continued
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Reel
2
Frame
27-126
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The Real Situation in Russia, 1927
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Reel
2
Frame
127-138
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World Unemployment and the Five Year Plan, 1930
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Reel
2
Frame
139-176
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Communism and Syndicalism, 1931
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Reel
2
Frame
168-182
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What Hitler Wants, 1933
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Reel
2
Frame
183-198
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The Soviet Union and the Fourth International, 1934
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Reel
2
Frame
199-275
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Articles from The New International, July 1934-June 1936, and other journals
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Reel
2
Frame
276-291
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The Revolution in Spain, 1937
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Reel
2
Frame
292-304
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Leon Sedoff, Son, Friend, Fighter, 1938
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Reel
2
Frame
305-315
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“Hitler's National Socialism,” Yale Review, December 1933
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Reel
2
Frame
316-319
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“Trotski Pro and Con,” The Living Age, June 1934
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Reel
2
Frame
320-330
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“If World War Comes Again,” Yale Review, June 1938
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Reel
2
Frame
331-358
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The Spanish Revolution in Danger, 1938
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Reel
2
Frame
359-372
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In Defense of the Soviet Union, 1939
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Reel
2
Frame
373-599
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Articles by Trotsky
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Reel
2
Frame
600-743
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Militant Index - Trotsky articles
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“The Last Year of 'Che' Guevara: Death in the Mountains of Bolivia,” 1968
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Reel
2
Frame
744-862
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Partial text and notes
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Reel
2
Frame
863-1069
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Reference material and miscellany
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“Merleau-Ponty on Marxism, 1945-1955: A Dialectic of Politics and Philosophy,” PhD dissertation, Department of Political Science, Fordham University, 1971
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Reel
3
Frame
1-278
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Text of dissertation
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Reel
3
Frame
279-326
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Correspondence re: topics, outlines, proposals, prospectuses, and bibliographies, 1970-1971
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Reel
3
Frame
327-646
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Outline, handwritten draft
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Reel
3
Frame
647-883
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Typed, revised draft
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Reel
3
Frame
884-945
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Bayard Rustin, From Protest to Politics, edited and with an introduction by Jack Alan Robbins - articles, tentative table of contents, correspondence
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Reel
3
Frame
946-1122
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Partial/draft of The Militant, by Robbins
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Reel
4
Frame
1-69
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“The Literary Scene,” WARY Radio Show, Westchester College, Valhalla, New York, 1974 - Press release, scripts of book reviews presented by Robbins
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Reel
4
Frame
70-90
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Socialism Today: The Reorientation Since Norman Thomas, edited by Robbins - Correspondence, proposals, bibliographies, and outline, 1971
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Reel
4
Frame
91-278
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“Problems of Democratic Socialism and Problems of Marxism in the Third World” - Book proposals, outlines and reference materials (some in French)
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Reel
4
Frame
279-384
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Communism, Socialism and Democracy: A Perspective of 50 Years - Essays by Max Eastman, edited by Robbins. Correspondence, outlines, table of contents, partial draft, bibliographies, articles by Eastman, reference materials.
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The Complete Poetry of John Reed, edited by Robbins, with an introduction by Granville Hicks, and memoir by Max Eastman, 1973
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Reel
4
Frame
385-546
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Typed text
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Reel
4
Volume
547-688
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Draft of text
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Reel
4
Frame
689-888
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Drafts, reference material
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Literary Horizons, co-edited by Granville Hicks, Oscar Cargill, and Robbins, 1973 (alternate title: Granville Hicks on British and Canadian Writers)
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Reel
4
Frame
889-1120
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Typed draft
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Reel
5
Frame
1-144
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Typed draft, continued
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Reel
5
Frame
145-232
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Democratic Left Book Review, Vol. I. nos. 1-5, Oct. 1974-Jan. 1975 - Correspondence, printed copies, drafts, draft reviews
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Reel
5
Frame
233-279
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Ripples in the Stream, Vol. I. nos. 1-3, Mar/Apr - Sept/Oct 1975 - Drafts, printed copies, reviews, printing invoices
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Manuscript of literary essays, 1954-1974, of James T. Farrell, 1976
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Reel
7
Frame
1-127
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Draft of work, table of contents, correspondence, reference material
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Reel
7
Frame
128-348
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Reference material
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Reel
5
Frame
280-319
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Adaptation of Les Juste, Act I, by Albert Camus, adapted by Robbins for production at the University of Notre Dame, May 1965 - Revised script, directions, notes
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Reel
5
Frame
320-691
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Term papers, 1965-1968
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Reel
5
Frame
692-924
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Correspondence, reviews, other materials, 1966-1974
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Series: Organizations
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Reel
5
Frame
925-969
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Mt. Vernon Commission on Human Rights, 1969-1973, undated
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Reel
6
Frame
2-126
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Socialist Scholars Conference, 1968-1970
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Reel
6
Frame
127-347
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Socialist Party-Democratic Socialist Federation, U.S.A., 1969-1973
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Reel
6
Frame
348-381
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International Union of Social Democratic Teachers, 1970-1971
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Reel
6
Frame
382-492
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League for Industrial Democracy, 1970-1973
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Reel
6
Frame
493-522
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Social Democrats U.S.A., 1973-1974
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Reel
6
Frame
523-537
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Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee, 1973-1974 - Study Group papers
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Reel
6
Frame
538-545
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U.S. Committee for Justice to Latin American Political Prisoners, 1974
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Reel
6
Frame
546-589
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Middle Atlantic Radical Historians Organization, 1976
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Reel
7
Frame
360-364
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Conference Material, 1977
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Series: Miscellany
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Reel
6
Frame
590-938
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Unidentified manuscript, typewritten, undated
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Reel
7
Frame
349-359
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Raya Dunayevskaya - Visit to United States
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