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Intercollegiate Socialist Society Records

Call Number

TAM.048

Date

1900-1921, inclusive

Creator

Intercollegiate Socialist Society (U.S.)

Extent

4.5 Linear Feet
in 9 manuscript boxes.

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Abstract

The Intercollegiate Socialist Society (ISS), an on-campus student and faculty organization, was established in New York in 1905. The ISS established numerous study and reading groups, sponsored rallies and lecture engagements for prominent socialists, published book lists and pamphlets relating to a variety of socialist issues and held occasional national meetings and annual conventions. In 1921, the ISS changed its name to the League for Industrial Democracy so as to reflect its then older constituency and broader objectives. Harry W. Laidler was the organizing secretary of the ISS from 1910 to 1921 and the executive director of the League for Industrial Democracy from 1921 to 1956. The collection includes: correspondence, financial and membership records, executive committee minutes, organizing secretary reports, pamphlets, booklets, office materials, Bulletin of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society, 1908-1912, and newspaper clippings.

Historical Note

The Intercollegiate Socialist Society (ISS) was established by a prominent group of socialists in New York in 1905. Among the founding members of the ISS were James Graham Phelps Stokes, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, William English Walling, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Leonard D. Abbott, Jack London, Upton Sinclair, B. O. Flowers, Clarence Darrow, and Oscar Lovell Triggs. The ISS was organized for the purpose of promoting the study and advocacy of socialism among college students and faculty members. During its most productive years, the ISS had active chapters on many campuses across the country, particularly in the eastern and Midwestern states. As a socialist educational organization, the ISS established numerous study and reading groups, sponsored rallies and lecture engagements for prominent socialists, published book lists and pamphlets relating to a variety of socialist issues, and held occasional national meetings and annual conventions. In 1921, the ISS changed its name to the League for Industrial Democracy so as to reflect its then older constituency and broader objectives.

Sources:

The Intercollegiate Socialist Society, 1905-1921: Origins of the Modern American Student Movement/ Max Horn. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1979. 259 p.

Arrangement

Folders are generally arranged chronologically with the exception of Series II which is arranged topically.

Arranged into six series:

Series I. Correspondence Series II. Executive Committee & Administrative Materials Series III. Printed, Mimeographed, and Office Materials Series IV. Bulletin of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society Series V. Newspaper Clippings Series VI. Photographs

Scope and Contents

The Intercollegiate Socialist Society Records, 1900-1921, originate from the papers of Harry W. Laidler. (Laidler was the organizing secretary of the ISS from 1910 to 1921 and the executive director of the League for Industrial Democracy from 1921 to 1956.) The collection consists five series, divided into 29 subject files (some contain more than one folder of material), including correspondence; financial and membership records; Executive Committee minutes; Organizing Secretary reports; printed, mimeographed, and office materials; and newspaper clippings.

The contents of each subject file have been arranged chronologically, with all undated items placed at the end of the file. Each subject file has been assigned a frame number and has been cited in the complete reel list which follows this description of the arrangement of the collection. In the representative frame number, XII:1, the number "1" stands for the first subject file, while the roman numeral "XII" indicates that the ISS Records are the 12th of the 19 collections in the microfilm set Socialist Collections in the Tamiment Library, 1872-1956.

The second largest quantity of records in this collection is the correspondence (XII:1). Most of the correspondence covers the period, 1904 1910, although there are several items for 1912 and 1918. The correspondence contains information about the establishment of the ISS, activities of various ISS chapters, and routine organizational matters, such as sponsoring fund raising drives and scheduling speaking events and special conferences. Among the most prominent correspondents in this file are Harry W. Laidler, Upton Sinclair, William English Walling, James Graham Phelps Stokes, M. R. Holbrook, William Feigenbaum, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, W. J. Ghent, and John Spargo.

Two important, though not sizable, files in this collection are the Executive Committee minutes and the organizing Secretary reports. The Executive Committee minutes (XII:7) contain informative reports on ISS activities and proposed policy resolutions. This is undoubtedly the most complete set of Executive Committee minutes in existence, although some minutes are missing. The organizing Secretary reports (XII:8) document many of the activities which occurred in the ISS chapters throughout the country. These reports, which were written by Harry W. Laidler, also contain information about membership, new chapters, special events relating to the ISS, and financial matters. It should be emphasized that these reports are incomplete for the period covered in this file.

The printed, mimeographed, and office material (XII:9 XII:27) constitute the largest group of records in this collection. These papers are actually the contents of several ISS scrapbooks, which were compiled by Harry W. Laidler. The materials consist of memoranda, pamphlets, form letters, annual convention reports, lecture announcements, press releases, statements, and miscellaneous printed matter. These items have been arranged chronologically by year, month, and day, with undated items placed at the end of each year. The pamphlets and leaflets in these files have been bibliographically cited in the complete reel list under the particular file in which they are located.

This collection also contains most issues of the Bulletin of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society, 1908-1912, and a large number of newspaper clippings pertaining to the ISS. Serving as the major serial publication of the ISS during its formative period, the Bulletin of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society(XII:28) offers information about major policy developments and activities of the organization. The newspaper clippings (XII:29) were taken from a variety of socialist and non-socialist newspapers during the period, 1906 1918. These clippings contain information about the ISS's response to World War I, the ISS's idealistic visions of a socialist millennium, Rose Pastor Stokes and the controversy over distributing birth control information, the ISS's position regarding the 1912 and 1916 Presidential campaigns, and the important developments occurring at ISS meetings and quest lectures.

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Tamiment Library has no information about copyright ownership for this collection and is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials from it. Materials in this collection, which were created in 1900-1921, are expected to enter the public domain in 2042.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date; Intercollegiate Socialist Society Records; TAM 048; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.

Location of Materials

Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please request materials at least two business days prior to your research visit to coordinate access.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Possibly donated by Harry Laidler in 1970. The accession number associated with this collection is 1970.003.

Original correspondence, bulletins and pamphlets found in repository in May 2014 were added to this collection. The accession number associated with this material is 2014.089.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Due to the fragile nature of the original materials, researchers must use the microfilmed version; microfilm call number is Film R-7124, Reels 27-28. Series VI: Photographs is not available on microfilm.

Related Material at the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

Harry Laidler Papers (TAM 047)

Harry Laidler Photographs (PHOTOS 009)

Film R-7124, in the Tamiment Library, 1872-1956 (Film R-7124)

Film R-7124, in the Tamiment Library, 1872-1956: a Guide to the Microfilm Edition.

Collection processed by

Tamiment Library Staff

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-02-06 13:59:48 -0500.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is in English

Processing Information

Decisions regarding arrangement, description, and physical interventions for this collection prior to 2019 are unknown. In 2019, materials were rehoused in new acid-free folders and boxes in preparation for offsite storage.

Revisions to this Guide

2014: Updated to include materials found in repository, and
March 2019: updated by Amy C. Vo to reflect container list changes due to rehousing,

Edition of this Guide

This version was derived from ISS Guide

Repository

Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012