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John Nicholas Beffel Papers

Call Number

TAM.055

Date

1909-1970, inclusive

Creator

Beffel, John Nicholas
Beffel, J. Ray (Role: Donor)
Travaglio, Esther Hartz (Role: Donor)
Garst, Rina (Role: Donor)

Extent

16.5 Linear Feet 33 boxes, 2 oversize folders

Language of Materials

Materials are primarily in English

Abstract

John Nicholas Beffel (1887 1973) was a radical journalist, publicist, and editor. A prolific writer of articles, essays, and publicity dealing with leftist issues, many pertained to the syndicalist labor organization the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), anarchism and several noted anarchists (he edited several works by or about them). Beffel also produced short stories, autobiographical sketches and poems. Much of his activity involved defense committees for radicals either prosecuted either for their beliefs or for activity related thereto. The collection contains correspondence, subject files, writings by Beffel and others, (unprocessed) Family Files, and an unprocessed Addundum.

Historical/Biographical Note

John Nicholas Beffel (1887 1973) Radical journalist, publicist, and editor. A prolific writer of articles, essays, and publicity dealing with leftist issues, many pertaining to the syndicalist labor organization the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), anarchism and several noted anarchists. Beffel also produced short stories, autobiographical sketches and poems. Much of his activity involved defense committees for accused radicals in such cases as: the Mooney Billings Case in which the two men were found guilty of a fatal bombing during a Preparedness Day parade in San Francisco in 1916; the Centralia, Washington, case in which ten IWW's were accused of murder during an assault of IWW headquarters in connection with an Armistice Day parade in 1919; Sacco and Vanzetti; the Kentucky Miners Defense, stemming from the bloody "Battle of Evarts" in Harlan County, 1931; the case of Athos Terzani, an anti fascist accused of accidentally murdering a comrade during a fascist rally in New York in 1933; and the unĀ¬solved political murder of anti fascist leader Carlo Tresca in 1943. Beffel was also involved with The League for Mutual Aid, a social service agency for leftists in need of assistance, founded by Roger Baldwin in 1920. Much of the boxes of correspondence relates to Beffel's organizational and publicity efforts in these causes; much of the rest concerns his writings or those of his correspondents. Beffel edited several (published and unpblished) manuscripts, primarily by or about various anarchists (including Mikhail Bakunin, Rose Pesotta, and Harry Kelley, co-founder of the Ferrer colony in Stelton, N.J.), was interested in, and wrote about mysterious disappearances, and sometimes wrote articles under the names of Lancey Fitzgibbons, George Moresby, Mary Starland, Daniel Tower and others.

Arrangement

The papers are arranged in eight series: I. Correspondence; II. Subject Files; III. Writings by Beffel; IV, Writings by Others; V. Family Files (unprocessed); Series VI: User photocopies from Series IV (Writings by Others); Series VII, Addendum (unprocessed); "Series" VIII: Index to Correspondents. Folder level control for series I, Correspondence; box level control for the remaining series.

Scope and Contents

The papers contain correspondence, subject fifles, writings (by Beffel and others), Family files (unprocessed), an Index to Series I, Correspondence, and an unprocessed Addendum. Correspondents include Richard Brazier, Ralph Chaplin, Daniel Eisenberg, Aldino Felicani, Covington Hall, Harvey O'Connor, Rose Pesotta, Anna Roy, Vincent Starrett, Fred Thompson, Wilma Haywood Veleker, Albert Wehde, Art Young, and numerous family members. Note that correspondence is also found throughout the subject files. Series II, Subject Files, chiefly relate to Beffel's organizational and publicity efforts in the defense of accused radicals in the Mooney-Billings case, Centralia, Wash.; a case involving members of the Industrial Workers of the World (WW); the Sacco-Vanzetti case; the Kentucky miners' defense in Harlan County (1931); the case of Athos Terzani; and Beffel's involvement with the League for Mutual Aid, a social service agency for leftists. The two Writings series contain manuscripts of writings by Beffel and others, including Bakunin's Political Philosophy: His Writings on Scientific Anarchism, edited by Beffel; several chapters from Rose Pesotta's Bread Upon the Waters (1944), edited by Beffel and Days of Our Lives (1958), both before editorial changes; unpublished autobiographies by Harry Kelly (co-founder of the Ferrer colony in Stelton, N.J.)and Enness Ellae (IWW member); published and unpublished articles and essays, most about labor and leftist personalities and issues; and stories, poems, reviews, and autobiographical pieces on Beffel's boyhood in Seneca, Ill. and notes for a book. Although preoccupied with leftist causes, Beffel manifested a deep interest in his writings in mysterious disappearances; notes for a book on the subject is found here under the title "Where Did These Men Die?"

NOTE: There is an Index to Correspondents ("Series" VIII) at the end of the container list. This Index references correspondents represented in more than one location in the collection, and in particular, correspondents represented in Series II, Subjects. Conversely,the SEE and SEE ALSO references found in Series II, Subjects, refer researchers to additional correspondence by the individuals in question to be found in Series I, Correspondence, for which there is a folder level container list.

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by the Beffel estate were transferred to New York University in 1979 by Lisa Luchkovsky (Beffel estate trustee). Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from Tamiment Library. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu, (212) 998-2630.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by J. Ray Beffel (brother of John Nicholas Beffel) via Robert Calese in 1973. An additional accession was donated by Esther Hartz Travaglio via Paul Avrich in 1974, and another accession was donated by Rina Garst in 1991. The accession numbers associated with these gifts are 1972.001, 2018.002, NPA 1993.016, and NPA 2005.070.

Custodial History

Robert Calese, friend of John Nicholas Beffel, delievered Beffel's papers to Tamiment Library after Beffel's death in 1973. Shortly after, J. Ray Beffel, brother of John Nicholas Beffel, granted Tamiment Library permission to keep the materials delivered by Calese.

Esther Hartz Travaglio's donated materials in 1994. These materials were delivered to Tamiment Library by Paul Avrich.

Rina Garst, niece of Lisa Luchkovsky (Beffel estate trustee), donated materials in 1991.

Collection processed by

Debra Slotkin Shulman

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 16:48:26 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is in English

Processing Information

Several works of original art and prints, which had been separated from the original collection were accessioned and reintegrated into Series VII January 2018.

Revisions to this Guide

March 2020: Updated by Anna McCormick to correct the Custodial History note and Finding Aid Author.

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