Scope and Content Note
The papers of William Wolf Weinstone (1897-1985) span the years 1898-1985, with the bulk of the material covering the period 1937-1985. The collection focuses on Weinstone's life as a founding member of the Communist Party of the United States of America and as an educator specializing in communist ideology. The Weinstone Papers were originally held by Fairleigh Dickinson University where they received preliminary processing along with cataloging of a portion of the documents. The collection has been further organized in five series: Correspondence , Subject File , Speeches and Writings , Notes and Notebooks , and Oversize .
The Correspondence series contains family and general correspondence consisting of letters received and draft copies of letters sent. Most of the family correspondence comprises letters between Weinstone and his wife Monette and their daughter, Laurie, as well as his first wife Gertrude Haessler and their daughter, Peggy Weinstone Rose. Some of the letters focus on Weinstone's residence in sanitariums in the Soviet Union in 1959 and 1967. Letters between Weinstone and his family during his imprisonment in the United States for violation of the Smith Act are filed in the Subject File under the name of the act. The general correspondence contains letters from friends, fellow party members, and students of labor history and the history of the Communist Party. Prominent correspondents include Cedric Belfrage, Emanuel (Manny) Blum, Helen Gurly Flynn, and Andrew Rothstein. Correspondence with Communist Party leaders is filed under Communist Party of the United States of America in the Subject File .
The Subject File , the largest series, features Weinstone's work in the Communist Party, his interest in communism and the writings of Vladimir Il'ich Lenin and Karl Marx, and protests and radical movements of the period. Files on the Communist Party of the United States span party activities from the 1940s to the 1980s, both at the national level and in New York. Also included is correspondence with party leaders such as Gus Hall and Henry Winston and Weinstone's draft memoranda to them on various issues. The party's educational activities are well documented, and files relating to Marxist education include course outlines and lecture notes. Another focus is Communist Party history. As a long-time member of the party, Weinstone headed its History Committee in the 1970s.
The Subject File also contains material on Communist Party members and scholars. In many cases these files include correspondence and notes relating to Weinstone's comments on their draft writings. He functioned both as a critic and an historical resource as a founder of American communism and a leader of the Communist Party's trade union activities. Files on the Smith Act include material relating to Weinstone's arrest and conviction, along with twelve other Communist Party leaders, of conspiracy to advocate the violent overthrow of the United States government. Weinstone served two years in prison and was fined four thousand dollars. Family letters during his imprisonment relate the impact of his conviction on the lives of his family as well as his own thoughts and activities.
The Speeches and Writings series contains copies of Weinstone's published articles and drafts of writings on political policy, party history, and Marxist theory and practice. Other material includes speeches delivered at international conferences and talks and lectures at seminars and small meetings.
The main portion of the Notes and Notebooks series is a group of numbered, loose-leaf binders containing notes, draft speeches, class outlines, and clippings that appear to have served as source material for Weinstone's writings and other activities. Topics include party history, strategy and tactics, individuals, events, and ideology.