This collection documents the activities of the Socialist Party of Wisconsin and its
local chapter, the Socialist Party of Milwaukee, through correspondence,
administrative and organizational records, subject files, photographs, as well as
audio and video recordings. The materials were maintained by Frank Zeidler and
Zeidler's correspondence and records are also present. Through most of the time
period covered by the collection, the Socialist Party of Wisconsin and the Socialist
Party of Milwaukee were run out of the same office and many of the same members were
active in both organizations. As such, it is often impossible to distinguish between
files created or maintained by the two organizations. In 1978, the building that
housed the Parties' offices burned down, and therefore most of the materials in this
collection date from after the fire. During processing, the collection was divided
into three series: Administrative Files, Subject Files, and Audiovisual Materials.
The organizations' publications, particularly the near-complete run of the Wisconsin Socialist Observer, are a good access point to
the parties' activities and are included in the administrative files.
The Administrative Files consist of organizational records used by the Socialist
Parties of Wisconsin and Milwaukee in order to conduct ordinary business or to
document the functions of the organizations. These materials include newsletters and
publications, meeting minutes, membership lists, party platforms and position
papers, constitutions and bylaws, correspondence, and materials used in chapter
meetings. The series includes records pertaining to the Socialist Party USA, the
Socialist Party of Wisconsin, and the Socialist Party of Milwaukee, and platforms,
position statements, and constitutions are included for each organization. Socialist
Party USA materials form the smallest portion of this series and primarily relate to
the annual national conventions and national committee meetings attended by
Wisconsin representatives. The bulk of the series pertains to the Socialist Party of
Wisconsin and Socialist Party of Milwaukee, whose records exist in parallel groups
of files. Most numerous here are the Minutes and Meetings, Socialist Party of
Milwaukee and State Executive Committee files, which often overlap. The Minutes are
a more comprehensive run, dating from the 1970s to the 2000s. The Meetings,
Socialist Party of Milwaukee files seem to have been materials collected for
discussion at specific meetings in the 2000s. While they often include meeting
agendas, these files rarely include minutes. In the case of the state party, the
State Executive Committee files are similar to the Meetings, Socialist Party of
Milwaukee files. Meetings of the full membership of the Socialist Party of Wisconsin
are most readily available in the State Convention files. While order was given to
most of the collection during processing, an effort was made to retain
correspondence in its original order. For that reason, the dates on correspondence
files often overlap. These correspondence files include correspondence of the state
party, the Milwaukee local chapter, and personal correspondence of Frank Zeidler and
other party officials.
The Subject Files series consists of materials collected by the Socialist Parties of
Milwaukee and Wisconsin on a number of individuals and issues as well as files on
local and national Socialist party campaigns. With the exception of the campaign
files, most of these files do not contain materials produced by the Socialist
Parties of Wisconsin or Milwaukee. Occasional files include brief correspondence or
notes. The presidential campaigns are the most well-documented of the campaign
files. These files often include promotional materials, platforms, and biographies.
Additional campaign materials are contained within the Audiovisual Materials
series.
The Audiovisual Materials series consists of photographs, videocasettes, and audio
cassettes. Photographs date largely from the 1990s, although there are also a few
folders of older materials. The videocasettes and audio cassettes include both
materials produced by the Socialist Parties and recordings of interviews or debates
in which Socialist representatives participated. Of particular note are the
incomplete tape recordings of the 1978 National Convention of the Socialist Party
USA.
