Contents and Arrangement
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Subseries 3A.5: Freedom of Belief, Expression, and Association: Censorship, 1939-1989

43 boxes
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Collection Overview

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The ACLU censorship files (18.06 linear feet) contain materials which reflect the ACLU's involvement and interest in guaranteeing that freedom of speech and the press are not abridged. The ACLU fought hard against Post Office censorship, pressure groups, and government to protect the rights of artists, nudists, movie makers, homosexuals, and others to express their views, ideas, and images in books, magazines, and movies. These files are the documentation of that struggle.

This subseries is arranged chronologically by year and alphabetically under consistent headings within each year; however, each heading may not be represented every year. The headings found include: books, comic books, cases, customs bureau, federal government, libel, library, movies and theater, military, newspapers and magazines, obscenity, post office, and pressure groups. These files contain correspondence, memoranda, newspaper clippings, printed materials, reports, statements, court documents, legislation, and in earlier years, the actual printed materials that were censored.

During the 1940s and 1950s censorship issues primarily concerned Communist or "un- American" content and obscenity. Interracial situations presented in movies or literature were also subject to censorship. From 1947 through the late 1960s the Post Office played a major role in censorship by banning, withholding, and/or destroying "questionable" materials that were being sent through the mail. One of the largest cases concerning Post Office censorship was the Sunshine and Health case. The dispute over this nudist magazine began in 1950 and went on for eight years.

Various pressure groups and the government played important roles in censoring materials. While organizations like Citizens for Decent Literature and the National Organization for Decent Literature primarily targeted books and newsstands, minority groups tried to censor movies and books that portrayed their group in a negative light. Patriotic organizations like the American Legion were very active in attempting to censor various types of materials. In addition, the government undertook various anti-obscenity measures.

Researchers should also consult the Mass Communications subseries for materials pertaining to freedom of the press and libel issues, and National Coalition Against Censorship minutes in the Board Committees subseries.

Arrangement

No arrangement action taken or arrangement information not recorded at the time of processing.

Collection History

Appraisal

During the processing of this collection, many items were discarded, including newspaper clippings from the New York Times and other major newspapers, government publications, well- known serial publications, and publications and large distribution memoranda from well-known and well-documented organizations such as the American Jewish Committee or Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

Sponsorship:

These papers were processed with the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and the John Foster and Janet Avery Dulles Fund.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Paula Jabloner in 1994-1996 with the assistance of Assistant Archivist for Technical Services Daniel Linke, Special Collections Assistants Amy Escott, Claire Johnston, Alison McCuaig, and Tom Rosko, and students Laurie Alexander, Christina Aragon, Laura Burt, Jue Chen, Clement Doyle, Joe Faber, Said Farah, Boyd Goodson, Naomi Harlin, Janet Hine, Matthew Honahan, Katherine Johnson, Damian Long, Theresa Marchitto, Laura Myones, Olivia Kew, Grace Koo, Dan Sack, Bijan Salehizadeh, Tina Wang, Kyle Weston, and Elizabeth Williamson.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Subgroup 2 is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Subseries 3A.5: Freedom of Belief, Expression, and Association: Censorship; American Civil Liberties Union Records: Subgroup 2, Subject Files Series, MC001-02-03, Public Policy Papers, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Location:
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
(609) 258-6345
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (rcpph): Box 755-797

Find More

Existence and Location of Copies

American Civil Liberties Union Records: Subgroup 2, Subject Files Series, Boxes 704 through 1192 are stored offsite. The records in these boxes have been digitized and are available online to members of the Princeton University Community, or visitors to campus, through the Princeton University Library's subscription to the Gale database American Civil Liberties Union Papers, 1912-1990.

Public records of the ACLU from 1917 to 1989, have been microfilmed by the Microfilming Corporation of America (MCA) and University Microfilms International (UMI). These records include minutes of the board of directors, mailings to the board of directors, biennial conference papers, policy guides, the national legal docket, organization manuals, constitution and bylaws, legal briefs, and publications. The microfilm may be requested through this finding aid, in the second series.

Related Materials

American Civil Liberties Union, Washington, D.C. Office Records

American United for the Separation of Church and State Records

Roger N. Baldwin Papers

Osmond K. Fraenkel Diaries

Fund for the Republic Records

Arthur Garfield Hays Papers

Peggy Lamson Collection on Roger N. Baldwin

Law Students Civil Rights Research Council Records

PEN American Center Records (at Firestone Library)

Other Finding Aids

This finding aid describes a portion of the American Civil Liberties Union Records held at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library. For an overview of the entire collection, instructions on searching the collection and requesting materials, and other information, please see the Guide to the American Civil Liberties Union Records.

Bibliography

Historical sketch based on In Defense of American Liberties: A History of the ACLU by Samuel Walker. See also Samuel Walker's The American Civil Liberties Union: An Annotated Bibliography.

Names:
American Union Against Militarism
United States. | Constitution. 1st-10th Amendments
Marshall Civil Liberties Trust Fund
National Civil Liberties Bureau (U.S.)
New York Times company
Baldwin, Roger N. (Roger Nash) (1884-1981)
Dorsen, Norman
Dulles, John Foster (1888-1959)
Ennis, Bruce J. (1941)
Epperson, Susan
Escobedo, Danny
Everson, Arch R.
Gault, Gerald Francis (1949 or 1950-)
Gideon, Clarence Earl
Griswold, Estelle
Hays, Arthur Garfield (1881-1954)
Holtzman, Elizabeth.
Jacobellis, Nico
Levy, Herbert Monte (1923)
Malin, Patrick Murphy (1903-1964)
Miranda, Ernesto
Neier, Aryeh (1937)
Neuborne, Burt (1941)
Nixon, Richard M. Richard Milhous (1913-1994)
Pemberton, John de J., Jr. (1919-2009)
Perry, Richard L.
Pound, Ezra (1885-1972)
Powell, John A. (John Anthony)
Reitman, Alan
Schempp, Edward L.
Schwarzschild, Henry
Scopes, John Thomas (1900-1970)
Seeger, Daniel A.
Tinker, John Frederick
Wulf, Melvin A.