Title: Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group Records
Inclusive Dates: 1970-1974

Creator:

• Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group

Call Number: Mss 344

Quantity: 1.0 c.f. (3 archives boxes)

Repository:

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

Archival Locations:

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

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Records of the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG), one of several state organizations formed to investigate merchandising abuses and other public interest issues. The collection consists of correspondence, publicity, clippings, fundraising information, records relating to the establishment of chapters on University of Wisconsin campuses at Madison and Green Bay, and files on various projects and research activities especially its efforts to have dangerous toys banned from local stores.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00344

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The Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG) was one of several state Public Interest Research Groups emanating from Ralph Nader's investigations of the 1960s and 1970s into what he contended were merchandising abuses. The avowed purpose of WISPIRG was to research a variety of issues in the “public interest” and to publicize the results in order to influence public and legislative action. An elected Board of Directors was responsible for coordinating the organizational efforts and the research projects among various WISPIRG affiliates on the campuses of the University of Wisconsin. The major thrust of their efforts was the petition drive, which was designed to provide for the establishment of a funding mechanism for the group. But this process, in which students were to be assessed a small, refundable donation at the same time that they paid their registration fees, was never put into effect. Nonetheless, some research projects were undertaken, especially by the Madison and Green Bay affiliates. Its major research effort was the toy project, an attempt to identify dangerous toys in the area stores and have them removed. However, because of WISPIRG's lack of adequate funds, the organization was officially disbanded October 29, 1974, following nearly two years of extremely limited activity.

The records of WISPIRG are divided into four series: administration, correspondence, activities, and publicity. They primarily document the efforts to organize and establish WISPIRG, and also include some records of its research projects on the Madison campus, especially those concerning dangerous toys and flammable fabrics. Records from the State Board of Directors are fragmentary, as are those relating to fundraising.

The ADMINISTRATION series, January 1971-October 1974, contains records dealing with the organization of WISPIRG, arranged hierarchically; and one folder concerning fundraising. The organizational material includes official proposals submitted to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents for the establishment of WISPIRG on various campuses; bylaws and articles of incorporation for the Madison branch including the resolution to dissolve the corporation; minutes and memoranda, primarily of state WISPIRG meetings; petitioning materials, including information, schedules, and publicity used at the Madison campus, and at other campuses around the state and two folders of information concerning the organizing efforts, especially the petition drives, from Minnesota, MPIRG, and Oregon, OSPIRG. The fundraising file contains a proposal to the Board of Regents, some unsigned contracts between WISPIRG, Inc. and the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay and at Madison, and a few letters.

The CORRESPONDENCE file, June 1971-April 1973, includes letters from WISPIRG members at various University of Wisconsin campuses concerning organizing affiliates and establishing lines of communication; incoming and outgoing routine business letters; correspondence about the various research projects on University of Wisconsin campuses; and official memoranda from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to student organizations. Under each heading, the correspondence is arranged chronologically.

The ACTIVITIES series, February 1970-November 1974, includes pamphlets about consumer protection, correctional institutions, and environmental issues, arranged alphabetically. There are some research records from the Madison campus dealing with flammable fabrics. The toy project segment consists of the results of the research on hazardous substances used in toy production, Wisconsin legislation concerning these substances, survey reports of Madison stores, and miscellaneous information from University of Wisconsin campuses, nationwide reports and articles about dangerous toys, and the FORTRAN cards used in computing the results from the store surveys.

The PUBLICITY series, April 1971-July 1973, contains copies of WISPIRG's news bulletin, The Advocate (only published three times), press releases, and lists of student and community organizations. Also found are directories of individuals and groups WISPIRG may have had an interest in contacting; information from PIRGs nationwide; reports from MPIRG; clippings about WISPIRG in general, primarily relating to its establishment in Wisconsin; and clippings about the toy project.

See also Tape 641A, an interview with Stephen B. Schneider, former secretary of WISPIRG, by Erika Thickman, July 11, 1977.

Acquisition Information

Presented by the Center for Conflict Resolution Resource Center, Madison, Wisconsin, January 29, 1975. Additions donated by Stephen B. Schneider, Madison, Wisconsin, July 11, 1977. Accession Number: M75-46, M77-210

Processing Information

Processed by Erika Thickman (archives intern) and Joanne Hohler, July 20, 1977.

	Series: Administration
	Organization
Box   1 Folder   1	Proposals, 1971, Fall-1972, June
Box   1 Folder   2	Bylaws and articles of incorporation, 1972, March-1972, June; 1974, October
Box   1 Folder   3	Minutes and memoranda, 1971, November-1972, August
Box   1 Folder   4	Petitioning--Madison, 1972, January-1972, May
Box   1 Folder   5	Petitioning--Statewide, 1971, October-1973, Spring
Box   1 Folder   6	Materials from MPIRG, 1971, January-1972, June
Box   1 Folder   7	Materials from OSPIRG, 1971, January-1971, February, undated
Box   1 Folder   8	Fundraising, 1973, February-1974, October
	Series: Correspondence	⇧
Box   1 Folder   9	Statewide--initial organization, 1971, June-1973, February
	Business
Box   1 Folder   10	Incoming, 1971, December-1973, April
Box   1 Folder   11	Outgoing, 1971, October-1973, April
Box   1 Folder   12	Regarding research projects, 1971, December-1973, April, undated
Box   1 Folder   13	Memoranda from University of Wisconsin to student organizations, 1973, December-1973, April
	Series: Activities	⇧
Box   1 Folder   14	Consumer protection, 1970, February-1974, November
Box   1 Folder   15	Correctional institutions, 1972, November
Box   1 Folder   16	Environment, 1971, January-1972, May, undated
Box   2 Folder   1	Flammable fabrics, 1971, July-1973, June
	Toy project
Box   2 Folder   4	Results, 1971, December-1972, November
Box   2 Folder   5	Survey reports, 1972, November-1972, December
Box   2 Folder   6	Legislation, 1971, August-1973, February
Box   2 Folder   7	Miscellaneous information, 1971, June-1973, January
Box   3	FORTRAN cards, 1972, November-1972, December
	Series: Publicity	⇧
Box   2 Folder   8	WISPIRG Advocate, 1972, January-1972, August
Box   2 Folder   9	Press releases, 1971, October-1973, July
Box   2 Folder   10	Media contact sheets, 1972, December
	Speakers' bureau
Box   2 Folder   11	Information and comments, 1971, October-1971, November, undated
Box   2 Folder   12	Student organizations contact sheets, 1971, October-1971, December
Box   2 Folder   13	Community organizations contact sheets, 1971, November
Box   2 Folder   14	Directories, 1971, December-1973, July
Box   2 Folder   15	Nationwide information, 1971, September-1973, April
Box   2 Folder   16	Reports from MPIRG, 1971, November-1972, December
	Clippings
Box   2 Folder   15	General, 1971, April-1973, July
Box   2 Folder   16	Toy project, 1972, April-1973, June