Maurice Isserman Research Files
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Abstract
Maurice Isserman is an historian and author of The Other American: The Life of Michael Harrington (2000), and several other books relating to the history of the American left. The bulk of the collection contains interview transcripts, topical files, newspaper clippings and FBI files related to Isserman's research on Michael Harrington. Prominent interviewees include: William F. Buckley, Lewis Coser, Norman Dorsen, Hal Draper, Harry Fleischman, John K. Galbraith, Herbert Gans, Michael Harrington (there are also two interviews of Harrington conducted by others), his wife Stephanie Harrington, Irving Howe, Irving Kristol, David McReynolds, Jack Newfield, Victor Reuther, Eugene Rostow, Andre Schiffrin, Stanley Sheinbaum, and Diana Trilling. The collection also contains several files related to Isserman's research on American Communism between 1977 and 1980.
Historical/Biographical Note
Maurice Isserman is an historian and author of The Other American: The Life of Michael Harrington (2000), and of Which Side Are You On?: The American Communist Party during the Second World War, and If I Had a Hammer: The Death of the Old Left and the Birth of the New Left (1993). Isserman is also a professor of history at Hamilton College (New York).
Michael Harrington (1928-1989), is best known as the author of The Other America: Poverty in the United States (1962), and as the founder and leader of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee, which later became the Democratic Socialists of America (U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International). He also taught political science at Queens College, part of the City University of New York, and continued to write, lecture and travel widely until his death from cancer in 1989. Among his many books were two autobiographical works, Taking Sides: The Education of a Militant Mind(1985) and The Long-Distance Runner : An Autobiography(1987), The New American Poverty(1984), The Politics at God's Funeral: The Spiritual Crisis of Western Civilization(1985), and Socialism : Past and Future(1989).
Arrangement
The collection is organized into two series by reserach subject. Series I has been divided into four subseries by record type, which are arranged as follows: Subseries IA: Interview transcripts (arranged alphabetically); Subseries IB: Topical files (arranged alphabetically); Subseries IC: Newspaper clippings (arranged chronologically); Subseries ID: FOIA files (arranged by file number). Research files in Series II are arranged in alphabetical order by topic.
Scope and Contents
The bulk of this collection contains oral history interviews, newspaper clippings, FBI files, and subject files compiled by Maurice Isserman for his book The Other American: The Life of Michael Harrington. Oral history interviews feature prominent individuals including: William F. Buckley, Lewis Coser, Norman Dorsen, Hal Draper, Harry Fleischman, John K. Galbraith, Herbert Gans, Michael Harrington, Stephanie Harrington, Irving Howe, Irving Kristol, David McReynolds, Jack Newfield, Victor Reuther, Eugene Rostow, Andre Schiffrin, Stanley Sheinbaum, and Diana Trilling. The topical files contain background material on people, organizations, and issues. The newspaper clippings consist of articles by and about Michael Harrington. The four FOIA files were obtained by Isserman.
One folder of correspondence added to the collection in 2016 consists of photocopies of letters written by Harrington to his friends and family between 1948 and 1953. The bulk of these letters are addressed to Harrington's parents and his sister Margaret. The folder also includes several of Isserman's handwritten notes.
The collection contains several files related to Isserman's research on American Communism during World War II. These files date from 1977 to 1980 and include photocopies of Communist Party meetings between 1935 and 1940 and records related to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Communist Party. They also contain correspondence with Joe Clark, letters related to Isserman's research on Earl Browder, and transcript of an oral history interview with Steve Nelson.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright (and related rights to publicity and privacy) to materials in this collection created by Maurice Isserman was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Maurice Isserman Research Files; TAM 239; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Materials were donated by Maurice Isserman in 2000 and 2016. The accession numbers related to these gifts are 2000.024 and 2016.060.
Custodial History
Maurice Isserman sent a gift of research files, videocassettes, and audiocassettes related to Michael Harrington in December 2000. In 2016, Isserman sent a research file related to Michael Harrington's family correspondence.
Separated Materials
Separated from the collection were: (a) 14 videocassettes of public programs featuring or about Michael Harrington, which were transferred to the Library's NonPrint collection, and: (b) 116 audiocassettes, apparently the oral history interviews whose transcripts comprise series I, which were transferred to the Library's Sound collection.
About this Guide
Processing Information
There is no documentation regarding arrangement and description decisions made before 2016. In 2016 previously undescribed materials related to Isserman's research on American Communism were described in the collection as Series II: Early Research Files. At this time all previously described materials in the collection were moved into Series I: Research Files for The Other American: The Life of Michael Harrington, but the arrangement of materials within the series was not changed. The collection title was also updated from the Maurice Isserman Research Files for The Other American: The Life of Michael Harrington to the Maurice Isserman Research Files to reflect the inclusion of these new materials.
Additionally 1 folder of Michael Harrington's personal correspondence was added to the collection in 2016 and incorporated into Subseries IIB: Topical Files as Harrington, Michael - Personal Correspondence.