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Henry Spira papers, 1906-2002

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BOX 48-80 Correspondence, 1950-1998
Primarily copies of letters sent by Spira, organized into two categories: chronological file and subject file. The chronological file comprises Spira’s outgoing correspondence relating to various animal welfare campaigns in which he was involved, and it is often interspersed with related planning information, notes, and writings. Correspondents include members of Congress involved in animal welfare related legislation; representatives from other animal welfare organizations; companies and institutions who were targets of Spira’s campaigns; and a variety of television, radio, and print media outlets. Notable individuals include Pegeen Fitzgerald, Leonard Rack, Andrew Rowan, Peter Singer, and Frankie Trull. While most of the correspondence focuses on animal welfare activism and activities, early handwritten drafts of personal letters to family and friends from the 1950s detail his personal life and work as a merchant seaman. Some of these letters are addressed to Myra Tanner Weiss, a fellow Trotskyite and three-time United States Vice-Presidential candidate of the Socialist Workers Party, with whom Spira had a personal relationship. The subject file consists of copies of outgoing letters written by Spira to media outlets, thank you letters, condolences, and a “trouble” file detailing incidents and issues of concern to Spira. Researchers should note that most of the incoming correspondence is found throughout the collection in other series within the various topical, subject, and alphabetical files relating to campaigns, issues, and individuals.
Correspondence and related attachements.
Arranged chronologically by year in the chronological file and alphabetically by topic in the subject file.
BOX 48 Chronological file
BOX 48 1950-1957
(2 folders)
BOX 49 1953-1976
(10 folders)
BOX 50 1977-1978
(7 folders)
BOX 51 1978-1979
(6 folders)
BOX 52 1979-1980
(7 folders)
BOX 53 1980-1981
(7 folders)
BOX 54 1982-1983
(7 folders)
BOX 55 1983-1984
(6 folders)
BOX 56 1985-1986
(7 folders)
BOX 57 1986
(6 folders)
BOX 58 1987
(7 folders)
BOX 59 1987-1988
(6 folders)
BOX 60 1988
(6 folders)
BOX 61 1989
(6 folders)
BOX 62 1989
(6 folders)
BOX 63 1990
(7 folders)
BOX 64 1990-1991
(7 folders)
BOX 65 1991
(7 folders)
BOX 66 1991-1992
(8 folders)
BOX 67 1992-1993
(7 folders)
BOX 68 1993
(6 folders)
BOX 69 1994
(8 folders)
BOX 70 1994-1995
(7 folders)
BOX 71 1995
(6 folders)
BOX 72 1996
(7 folders)
BOX 73 1996-1997
(7 folders)
BOX 74 1997-1998
(7 folders)
BOX 75 undated
(1 folder)
BOX 75 Subject file See also Digital Files, Same title
BOX 75 Activists in the animal rights movement, 1980-1995
BOX 75 Animal Rights International mailing list requests, 1989-1990
BOX 75 Brown Packaging Co., 1991-1996
BOX 75 Condolences, 1988-1998
BOX 75 Damage control, 1982-1997
BOX 75 Financial contributions to Animal Rights International, 1986-1998 See also Digital Files, Same title
BOX 75 Foundations for donations, 1991-1995
BOX 75 Gregory, Jane, 1979-1980
BOX 75 Holiday greeting cards
BOX 75 1977-1979
(2 folders)
BOX 76 1980-1985
(6 folders)
BOX 77 1985-1993
(8 folders)
BOX 78 1993-1997, undated
(6 folders)
BOX 78 Holiday greetings from Spira, 1986-1997
BOX 79 Horeseheads High School, Horseheads, N.Y., 1989-1990
BOX 79 Invitations, 1981-1995
BOX 79 Iowa State University Archives, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 1990-1996
BOX 79 Letters to Animal Rights International coalitions, 1985-1989
BOX 79 Mailers from non-animal rights organizations, 1980-1988, undated
(4 folders)
BOX 79 Media, 1974-1990
(2 folders)
BOX 79 Postcards, Spira to Susan Spear (sister), 1956-1962, 1968-1972
BOX 80 Thank you letters, outgoing, 1982-1998
BOX 80 Trouble, 1976-1998
(6 folders)
BOX 81-91 Political File, 1906-1998
Material documenting Spira's political activism, particularly his support of Leon Trotsky's political philosophy and the ideals of the Socialist Workers Party. Spira’s involvement in the National Maritime Union of America, especially as editor of The Call for Union Democracy, a newspaper which took aim at the alleged corruption of NMU president Joseph Curran and his administration, forms another significant portion of this series. Also included are articles Spira wrote for the Socialist Workers Party newspaper the Militant, including files relating to African-American issues, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. These files sometimes include ephemera such as flyers and handbills Spira collected while on assignment. Reference and research materials include clippings, pamphlets, political tracts, and song books. Many of the publications were published by Pioneer Publishers for the Socialist Workers Party.
Writings, newspaper clippings, printed matter, and ephemera.
Arranged alphabetically by topic.
BOX 81 African-American issues
BOX 81 American Civilization on Trial: the Negro as Touchstone of History, a statement by the National Editorial Board of News & Letters, 1963
BOX 81 Civil rights in Mississippi, 1963
BOX 81 Correspondence, 1963
BOX 81 How a Minority Can Change Society by George Breitman, 1971
BOX 81 Negroes March on Washington by Albert Parker, circa 1940s
BOX 81 Negroes on the March: A Frenchman's Report on the American Negro Struggle by Daniel Guérin, 1956
BOX 81 Negroes in the Post-War World by Albert Parker, 1944 See also Restricted, Original copy
BOX 81 A Practical Program to Kill Jim Crow by Charles Jackson, 1945
BOX 81 Assembly line, 1956
BOX 81 Biological and chemical warfare, 1959-1972
BOX 81 Central Intelligence Agency, 1961-1965
BOX 81 Counter insurgency, 1961-1966
BOX 81 Cuba See also Container 311, Photographs
BOX 81 Fair Play for Cuba Committee, 1960-1962
(3 folders)
BOX 81 General, 1959-1963, 1975
BOX 82 Manuscripts, 1960-1961
(3 folders)
BOX 82 Trip, 1959-1961
BOX 82 Election campaigns, circa 1956, 1972-1975
BOX 82 Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1969-1981
(4 folders)
BOX 83 (2 folders)
BOX 83 Government spending, 1976-1978
BOX 83 Humor and quotations, 1957-1961
BOX 83 Industrial Workers of the World, 1955, 1965, 1975, 1984
BOX 83 Korea, 1951-1952, 1960
BOX 83 Labor, 1945-1977, undated
(2 folders)
BOX 83 Labor leaders, 1955-1961, 1973
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