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Collection Overview

Creator:
American civil liberties union
Title:
American Civil Liberties Union Records: Subgroup 3, Regional Offices Files Series
Repository:
Public Policy Papers
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/v692t6966
Dates:
1894-2005 (mostly 1970-1990)
Size:
959 boxes
Storage Note:
  • This is stored in multiple locations.
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Boxes 3612-3666; 4016-4537; 5084-5106; 5120; 5687-5688; 5722-5727; 4196a
  • ReCAP (scarcpph): Box 3667-4015
Language:
English

Abstract

The Regional Offices series documents the work and administration of the ACLU's three regional offices: Mountain States Regional Office, concerned with civil rights in the west and Native American rights, the Southern Regional Office, focusing on civil rights in the south, and the Washington, D.C. office, which concentrates on national legislation and the actions of the federal government. The files include correspondence, case files, office publications, research files, and the papers of individual staff members. Subgroup 3, Subseries 5B (Southern Regional Office) has been digitized and is available for members of the Princeton community to view here. To view the database from outside Princeton University, please see the Guide to the American Civil Liberties Union Records.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The Regional Offices series documents the work and administration of the ACLU's three regional offices: Mountain States Regional Office, concerned with civil rights in the west and Native American rights, the Southern Regional Office, focusing on civil rights in the south, and the Washington, D.C. office, which concentrates on national legislation and the actions of the federal government. The files include correspondence, case files, office publications, research files, and the papers of individual staff members.

Collection Creator Biography:

American civil liberties union

The ACLU is the preeminent civil liberties organization in the United States. The ACLU describes itself as "our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country." Since its inception in 1920, the ACLU has played a part in nearly every significant American social or political issue in the 20th century. This includes important work in the areas of civil rights, children and women's rights, freedom of speech (and all First Amendment questions), and due process, among many others.

For a more detailed history of the ACLU, please see the history in the finding aid for the processed portion of the ACLU Records.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Materials are transferred from the ACLU annually.

A group of Laura W. Murphy's papers (20 boxes) was donated in 2004, but was not accessioned and processed until 2013 (ML.2013.020), when the papers were added to the ACLU Records, Subgroup 3. They can be found in Subseries 5C: Washington, D.C. Regional Office, under "Staff Files."

Appraisal

Development records, personnel records, and mold-damaged records were separated from this series during processing.

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 Adriane Hanson in 2010-2012 with the assistance of Special Collections Assistant David Gillespie and student assistants Brandon Joseph, Abbie Kimbell, Jamie LaMontagne, and Emma Watt. Finding aid written by Adriane Hanson in April 2012. Description of Subseries 5B: Southern Regional Office written by Brenda Tindal in May 2012. A group of Laura Murphy's papers (ML.2013.020) was processed in July 2013 by Sara Griffiths and Rachel Wilson '16. Records were removed to archival boxes at this time. Personnel records were separated from the rest of the collection and placed in separate boxes.

Boxes 3644, 3791, 3792, 4072, 4114, 4142, 4281, 4311, and 4533 were treated by American Freeze Dry, Inc. for mold.

Access & 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.

Materials in MC001.03.05 in Box 4506 have been treated for mold; however, materials may still be fragile and exhibit signs of damage. Researchers should exercise caution when handling these materials. Not all materials were salvaged.

Credit this material:

American Civil Liberties Union Records: Subgroup 3, Regional Offices Files Series; Public Policy Papers, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/v692t6966
Location:
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
(609) 258-6345
Storage Note:
  • This is stored in multiple locations.
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Boxes 3612-3666; 4016-4537; 5084-5106; 5120; 5687-5688; 5722-5727; 4196a
  • ReCAP (scarcpph): Box 3667-4015

Find More

Existence and Location of Copies

FOR DIGITIZED CONTENT: Please see the Guide to the American Civil Liberties Union Records.

Related Materials

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

The Mudd Manuscript Library holds the papers of several ACLU officers:

Roger Nash Baldwin Papers

Peggy Lamson Collection on Roger Baldwin

Osmond K. Fraenkel Diaries

Jeffrey E. Fuller Papers

Arthur Garfield Hays Papers

Carol Pitchersky Papers

Nadine Strossen Papers

The Mudd Library also holds the records of several organizations involved in civil rights, including:

American United for the Separation of Church and State Records

Fund for the Republic Records

Law Students Civil Rights Research Council Records

World Press Freedom Committee Records

The Manuscripts Division at Princeton University holds the P.E.N. American Center Records.

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.

Subject Terms:
Civil rights -- Southern states.
Civil rights -- United States -- Cases.
Civil rights -- United States.
Civil rights -- West (U.S.)
Discrimination -- Southern States.
Government accountability -- United States.
Indigenous peoples of North America -- Civil rights -- 20th century.
Legislation -- United States.
National security -- Law and legislation -- United States.
Suffrage -- United States.
United States -- Emigration and immigration -- Government policy.
Genre Terms:
Correspondence
Legal files.
Publications.
Names:
American civil liberties union
American Civil Liberties Union. Mountain States Regional Office
American Civil Liberties Union. Southern Regional Office
American Civil Liberties Union. Washington Office