Francis Franklin Papers
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Abstract
The Francis Franklin Marxist Historical-Philisophical Manuscripts, 1920-1985 is composed of the unpublished writings of Francis Franklin. Franklin, born in Virginia the son of a Baptist minister, was a communist historian and student of philosphy. He engaged in political activities in the Lynchburg area, 1932-34, after joining the Communist Party in November, 1932. Franklin was expelled from the Party in 1949. The collection includes: Franklin's writings regarding the place of dialectical materialism in history; materials that describe his activity in the Communist Party, 1932-1949; and autobiographical sketches, fiction, poetry, student essays, etc., written from 1920-1933.
Historical/Biographical Note
Francis Franklin (1908-1994), born and raised in Virginia and the son of a Baptist minister, was a communist historian and student of philosphy. He attended the University of Richmond, 1926-29, contracted tuberculosis and spent part of 1929-30 at Blue Ridge Sanitorium in Charlottesville, Virginia. Franklin taught high school and engaged in political activities in the Lynchburg area, 1932-34, and joined the Communist Party in November, 1932. He attended the University of Virginia, 1934-37, later obtaining a MA in Philosophy (with a thesis on Spinoza), and also engaged in political activity in the Deep South. Franklin moved to New York and was the Education Director of the Young Communist League from 1937-39. During 1939-1941 he taught classes organized by F. Brown, the Communist Party's Organizational Secretary, and worked as an assistant to V.J. Jerome, editor of The Communist. Franklin was an instructor at the Workers School (1942-43), and at the Jefferson School of Social Science (1944-47). In 1944, his popular front history, Rise of the American Nation, 1789-1824was published by International Publishers. Franklin also published articles in the New Masses and other Party publications.
In the period following the June, 1945 ouster of Earl Browder as head of the Communist Party, Franklin was one of those who felt the Party had not gone far enough in repudiating Browder's policies, actively campaigned for a change in the Party's policy, and was expelled from the Communist Party on October 10, 1949. Franklin devoted the next thrity-five years to study and writing on the history of philosophy and dialectical materialism, to which he gave the working title "The place of dialectical materialism in the history of human thought as a whole and its role in the general history of humanity." Throughout this period, he was supported and assisted by his wife Anna May Franklin, who typed his manuscripts. Franklin died in 1994.
Arrangement
The collection contains the unpublished writings of Francis Franklin, twenty-eight portfolios organized into three series: I. Philosophical Writings; II. Communist Party Writings; III. Personal writings.
Folders are generally arranged chronologically within each series.
Scope and Content Note
The collection contains the unpublished writings of Francis Franklin, twenty-eight portfolios organized into three series: I. Philosophical Writings; II. Communist Party Writings; III. Personal Writings. Portfolios 1-15 contain his philosophical writings, to which he gave the working title "The place of dialectical materialism in the history of human thought as a whole and its role in the general history of humanity." Portfolios 16-25 contain works written during Franklin's activity in the Communist Party, 1932-1949. Portfolios 26-28 contain autobiographical sketches, fiction, poetry, student essays, etc., written during Franklin's youth and early adulthood, 1920-1933. A brief (2 pp.) box contents listing of the portfolio titles and contents follows. Also available, in the Tamiment Archivist's files on the Franklin papers are: (1) a more extended (19 pp.) description of each of the three sections, written by Franklin, and (2) detailed descriptions of the contents of each of the portfolios, totalling some 125+ pages. In box 6, following portfolio 28, are several envelopes containing unpublished and published writings of Franklin. These are likely to be duplicates of items in the portfolios. Separated from the collection, for addition to the Library's serials holdings, is a complete set of Towards Socialism, a serial written by Franklin during the period leading up to his expulsion from the CPUSA on October 10, 1949, on behalf of the Bill Haywood Club, the name taken by a group of several expelles from Franklin's Greenwich Village, New York City, Communist Party club.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by Anna May Franklin, widow of Francis Franklin, were transferred to New York University upon her death in 1999. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Francis Franklin Papers; TAM 182; box number; folder number;
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Anna May Franklin in 1996; additional materials were donated in 2009. The accession number associated with this gift is 1996.006.
Separated Material
Separated from the collection, for addition to the Library's serials holdings, is a complete set of Towards Socialism, a serial written by Franklin from 1949.
