Several topics are covered in these 20th-century collections, in particular Philadelphia political history. Others include national politics and international relations as well as political advocacy and reform movements.

Please note that this is not a comprehensive guide to HSP's manuscript collections relating to 20th-century political history. It is meant to serve as a starting point to help users locate collections that may be of interest to them.

See the 20th-Century Collections Guide main page. 

HSP staff is regularly adding finding aids to the website. Users should click on a collection's title to see whether a full online finding aid is available.

Philadelphia Politics and Government

National and International Politics

Activism, Advocacy, and Reform

Philadelphia Politics and Government

Blankenburg, Rudolph, 1843-1918
Rudolph Blankenburg papers, 1881-1913 (Collection 1613) 1 box (0.33 linear ft.)
Philadelphia reform leader and mayor, 1911-1915. Correspondence concerning Philadelphia politics, including statements concerning graft in the City Treasurer's Office, 1881, as well as material on high speed transit and the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company, the sending of the Liberty Bell to San Diego,1915, and other items showing interest in good government for the city.  Correspondents include: Wayne MacVeagh, Edward T. Stotesbury, and Morris L. Cooke.  Some miscellaneous pamphlets and clippings.

Carson, Hampton L. (Hampton Lawrence), 1852-1929
Hampton L. Carson papers, 1715-1941 (Collection 0117) 62 boxes (31.5 linear ft.)
Autograph letters and portraits, 1690-1921, of lawyers, judges, and others involved in the administration of law and justice in the courts of Pennsylvania, and of other states, from the early colonial period to the present. Among the letters are those of governors of Pennsylvania, 1789-1920; attorneys general of Pennsylvania, 1791-1920; members of the colonial bar, 1690-1775; members of the High Court of Error, 1761-1815; lawyers of the Revolutionary period, 1776-1801; justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1712-1921; and others.  There are also seven boxes containing approximately 400 caricatures of political leaders, members of the bar, and other prominent people, ca. 1880-1929.  Other items are pamphlets, speeches, newspaper clippings, on public questions; correspondence of Hampton L. Carson about his legal practice, and his presidency of the American Bar Association and of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; correspondence and papers on Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker of Pennsylvania.

Civic Club of Philadelphia
Civic Club of Philadelphia records, 1893- 1957 (Collection 1813) 1 box 61 volumes (8 linear ft.)
The Civic Club of Philadelphia, organized in 1894, consisted of prominent Philadelphia women who sought to promote "by education and active cooperation a higher public spirit and better public order."  Initially the club was organized into four departments, Municipal Government, Education, Social Service, and Art, each of which operated somewhat autonomously and created its own committees or task forces.  The Education Department had committees on public schools, free libraries, and free kindergartens and the Municipal Government Department included committees on sanitation, civil service reform, and police patrons.  Despite its interest in social and political reform, the club refused on several occasions to take part as "disfranchised citizens" in meetings of the Anti-Spoils League and the National Civil Service Reform Convention.  By the 1920's, after the passage on the suffrage amendment, the club structure changed, the Departments were abandoned, and the committees reduced in number and given new, more limited charges.  In 1959, the membership voted the Club out of existence and transferred its assets to other civic organizations.

Included in the records are: director's minutes, 1899-1959; minutes of the general meetings, 1893-1948, 1959, primarily recording addresses to the membership; and minutes of the Art Department, 1894-1903, reflecting interest in free art exhibitions at Philadelphia museums, summer and community concerts, as well as parks and playgrounds.  There are also published annual reports, 1894-1935, including the constitution, by-laws, lists of officers and members, and financial summaries.  Published bulletins and calendars, 1907-1959, give summaries, often monthly, of club activities.  Also included are pamphlets and publications, 1894-1948; clippings, 1894-1903; a fiftieth anniversary volume, including lists of officers, 1944; and a volume containing four memorial addresses for distinguished members: Alice Lippincott, Anna Hallowell, Mary Channing Wister (Mrs. Owen Wister), and Sarah Yorke Stevenson (Mrs. Cornelius Stevenson).

Clark, Joseph S.
Joseph Sill Clark papers , 1904-1990 (Collection 1958) 319 boxes (224 linear ft.)
Joseph Sill Clark was a Democratic reform politician from Philadelphia. Early in his career he served as campaign manager for Richardson Dilworth's mayoral campaign, 1947, and as Philadelphia city controller, 1950-1951.  He served as mayor of Philadelphia, 1951-1956, and from 1957 to 1968 he was a United States senator from Pennsylvania. This is a partial record of the career of Joseph Sill Clark.  It consists primarily of material gathered by staff, reports, memoranda, clippings, news releases, articles, with some correspondence, all on issues and events with which Clark was involved. A small portion of the papers are concerned with Clark's early activities as campaign manager for Richardson Dilworth's mayoral campaign, 1947, and as Philadelphia city controller, 1950-1951, for which there are campaign and office files.  Clark's records as mayor of Philadelphia, 1951-1956, include campaign papers, some general office files, and transcripts of speeches.

The bulk of material covers Clark's years as United States senator from Pennsylvania, 1957-1968.  There are papers for his three senatorial campaigns, 1956, 1962, and especially 1968.  His Washington office general file reflects his interest in disarmament, the United Nations, Vietnam, and other matters before and after his appointment to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1965. Although correspondence is scattered throughout the papers, there is a correspondence series, 1966-1968, and form letters used to answer constituents. Additional congressional files include press releases, speeches, newspaper clippings; bills sponsored and co-sponsored by Clark; Clark's voting record; television scripts and tapes, 1959-1967, principally of a program done with Pennsylvania Senator Hugh Scott; clippings from the Congressional Record referring to Clark. Extra-senatorial activities for which there is material are the 1964 primary campaign of Genevieve Blatt (D.) for Senate, whom Clark supported, and the Pennsylvania State Planning Board, 1967-1968, of which Clark was a member.

Dallas, Constance H. 1902-
Constance H. Dallas papers, 1951-1956 (Collection 1984) 35 boxes 6 volumes (19 linear ft.)
Constance H. Dallas was the first woman to be elected to the Philadelphia City Council where she represented the 8th district (21st and 22nd Wards) composed of Germantown, West Oak Lane and Chestnut Hill. The papers include incoming and outgoing correspondence, reports, and other printed matter, published materials, clippings, and miscellanea and consist of six series: general files, having to do with council activities as well as papers on the Menniger Foundation, the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women, and the World Affairs Council; committees of Council, largest of the series, consisting of material prepared for or used by the councilmanic committees, especially the committees of Public Welfare and of Public Health on which Dallas serves, together with papers on the Public Health Code of 1955 drafted by the Public Health Committee; administration, relating to various government departments including: City Planning, Police, Public Welfare, and Streets; political papers, files generated during Dallas's first successful campaign for City Council and its aftermath, 1951-1952, the election files for 1953, and for the Pennsylvania gubernatorial election of 1954; constituency affairs, includes material relating to the 8th district.; reports of various city departments.

Dilworth, Richardson, 1898-1974
Richardson Dilworth papers, 1881-2000 (Collection 3112) 251 boxes 19 volumes (101.2 linear ft.)
Richardson Dilworth (1898-1974) was a major figure in the political reforms of the 1950s, serving first as district attorney during the Clark administration from 1952-1955 and later as mayor from 1956-1962.  He also served as president of the Philadelphia Board of Education from 1965-1971 and remained active in civic affairs for the rest of his life. The papers primarily document Dilworth career before and after his time as mayor and include correspondence, reports, political campaign materials, brochures, pamphlets, scrapbooks, and Dilworth’s office files related to his law work, Board of Education activities, city planning, housing, civic organizations and projects, the Reading Railroad receivership, and the Pennsylvania Governor’s Committee on Transportation. There is a sizeable amount of Dilworth’s personal correspondence, as well as clippings he collected on various politicians, campaigns, and political, cultural, and social issues related to Philadelphia. Other material includes photographs, check stubs, typescripts of speeches, and papers related to the naming and dedication of the Richardson Dilworth International Terminal at Philadelphia International Airport. The collection also features personal documents from Dilworth's numerous trips abroad, including files related to his trip on the ill-fated SS Andrea Doria.

Earle, George Howard, 1890-1974
George Howard Earle papers, 1941-1960 (Collection 3260) 1 box (0.33 linear ft.)
George H. Earle III was a governor of Pennsylvania (1935-1939), Minister to Austria (1933-1934), Minister to Bulgaria (1940-1942), and was in the Navy during World War II (1942-1945) where he served as Assistant Naval Attaché to Turkey (1943-1945).  He finished his public and military service as Assistant Governor to Samoa (1945) before retiring to private life.  On 28 March 1947, Earle testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) that while he served as Attaché to Turkey, he was also serving at President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s request as an undercover representative of the president and reported directly to President Roosevelt on Balkan matters.  The collection is comprised of seven letters including three wartime letters to Earle from Franklin Roosevelt, copies of Earle’s testimony before three different House committees, a transcribed interview of Earle, and an article that Earle authored in 1960.  Most of the materials describe Earle’s opinion during World War II that Russia posed a larger threat to the United States than did Germany, and they describe his post-war view that Russian Communism continued to threaten the United States.  The materials also provide some insight into the conflict between Earle and Roosevelt that emerged as a result of Earle’s position on Russia during the war.

Greenfield, Albert M., 1887-1967
Albert M. Greenfield papers, 1921-1966 (Collection 1959) 456 boxes (547 linear ft.)
Albert M. Greenfield was a real estate broker, banker, and philanthropist of Philadelphia.  He had many business interests among which were: Albert M. Greenfield & Co. (real estate), Bankers Securities Corporation, City Stores Co. (a chain of department stores), Bankers Bond & Mortgage Co., the Philadelphia Transportation Co., and its predecessor, the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company. Politically, Greenfield provided financial and other support to candidates for public office, including Edwin S. Vare of Philadelphia, Republican candidate for the United States Senate, 1926, and Lyndon B. Johnson, Democratic candidate for the presidency, 1960 and 1964; he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention, 1928; a delegate-at-large to the Democratic National Conventions, 1948-1964; and a presidential elector, 1960. The large array of organizations in which Greenfield held prominent positions includes: Sesqui-Centennial Exposition of 1926; the Pennsylvania Constitutional Commemoration Commission, 1938; Pennsylvania Commission of Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence; World Affairs Council; Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; Pennsylvania Water Resources Committee, 1951; Philadelphia National Shrines Park Commission, 1946-1956; and Fairmount Park Commission. He contributed to many institutions and organizations, including cultural and educational institutions such as Philadelphia Orchestra, Philadelphia Museum of Art, LaSalle College, and Lincoln University.  In addition he founded the Albert M. Greenfield Foundation, a philanthropic institution created during his later years. Greenfield also supported a variety of Jewish institutions and organizations such as Federation of Jewish Charities, National Conference of Christians and Jews, Development Fund for American Judaism, American Jewish Tercentenary, 1954-1955, and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

These papers constitute the selected office files of Albert M. Greenfield.  Incoming and outgoing correspondence make up the bulk of the collection, but there is also a great quantity of other material, including appointment books, photographs, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, periodicals, and reports.  The papers for 1921-1966 cover several categories: personal, business, political, civic, philanthropic, Jewish affairs, and miscellaneous. The personal papers include mainly family, social, and private correspondence.  They are interspersed throughout and constitute a small but important part of the collection. The collection contains, in addition, papers of Greenfield's two confidential secretaries, Donald Jenks, 1951-1954, and John O'Shea, 1954-1964, including correspondence, drafts of speeches, appointment books, and miscellaneous materials; and a few personal papers, 1922-1930, of Greenfield's first wife Edna Kraus Greenfield, including personal and social correspondence, financial records, and record book of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Jewish Hospital-Emergency Fund, Philadelphia, 1922.

League of Women Voters of Philadelphia
League of Women Voters of Philadelphia records, 1920-1961 (Collection 1940) 27 boxes (38 linear ft.)
In addition to educating the public during election campaigns, the League took stands on local issues concerning child care, city management, housing, public education, public health; national issues of the legal status of women and taxation of oleo margarine; and foreign policy questions including the United Nations and the Marshall Plan.  The Philadelphia chapter communicated with the national and state League organizations, politicians, civic leaders, and organizations. Correspondence, board minutes, budget and other committee reports, memoranda, circulars of League of Women Voters of Philadelphia.  Most of the material is for the years 1941-1959, but the files are neither complete nor consistent.

Moore, J. Hampton (Joseph Hampton), 1864-1950
J. Hampton Moore scrapbooks, 1883-1931 (Collection DJHMS) 85 volumes (17 linear ft.)
This collection comprises scrapbooks compiled on behalf of J. Hampton Moore. Most are newspaper clippings scrapbooks documenting Moore’s political career and related political and civic issues. Scrapbooks on some special topics (Republican Advisory Campaign Committee, 1906; 5 O’Clock Club, 1883-1907) also include ephemera and correspondence; at least one scrapbook is pieced-together transcripts presumably from the Congressional Record (indexed); there is a scrapbook on the 1889 Johnstown Flood. Because of the range of Moore's interests, this collection documents Philadelphia life and politics fairly comprehensively for the first third of the twentieth century from the perspective of multiple newspaper sources.

Moore, J. Hampton (Joseph Hampton), 1864-1950
J. Hampton Moore papers, 1786-1952 (Collection 1541) 363 boxes 73 volumes (162 linear ft.)
Joseph Hampton Moore was a congressional representative for seven terms from 1906 to 1920 and mayor of Philadelphia for two nonconsecutive terms in 1920 and 1932. While in these positions, Moore worked steadfastly to serve his party and constituents. His time serving the public was supplemented by his deep-rooted interest in waterways and shipping and he was president of the Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association for forty years. In addition, Moore was a founding member of the Five O’clock Club and member and officer of several other clubs and organizations. Much of the rest of his time was spent attending social functions. Moore’s forty years in local and national politics spanned the 1890s through the 1930s.

This collection is concentrated around correspondence that covers all aspects of Moore’s career and involvement in various clubs and organizations. Early papers relate to his first professional job as a reporter for the Philadelphia Public Ledger. Political papers provide insight into Moore’s terms as a representative and mayor, while various documents, leaflets, and volumes illustrate his activities within the Republican Party and affiliated clubs. Letters, reports, and other printed papers pertain to waterways and document Moore’s activities in the Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association. Various papers, pamphlets, and brochures document his travels to South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Egypt. Moore spent a considerable amount of time attending social functions, and invitations, programs, and souvenir menus provide some detail of his social life. Newspaper clippings provide context to many of the issues Moore confronted in office. They also provide information on various individuals, businesses, and institutions Moore had contact with throughout his career. Photographs round out the collection providing images of Moore and some of the people and places mentioned throughout the collection.

New Century Trust
New Century Trust records, circa 1854-2004 (Collection 3097) 103 boxes, 73 volumes, 3 flat files (49.7 linear ft.)
The New Century Trust was founded in 1893 as the incorporated body of the New Century Working Woman’s Guild. Eliza Sproat Turner (1826-1903), a progressive women’s activist, helped create both organizations. Over several decades, the trust oversaw and provided financial support for the guild’s activities for women in the workforce, such as evening classes and lectures. For many women, the guild provided a haven away from the stresses of work, a place where they could obtain low-cost meals, sleeping accommodations, and even emergency financial assistance. In 1887, the guild began publishing a newspaper written by and for members, the Journal of Women’s Work, which offered event calendars, advice columns, short stories, and poems. It also eventually formed its own library, gymnasium, and a variety of internal committees on which the members could serve. In 1895, the guild shortened its name to The New Century Guild and became a member of the Federation of Women’s Clubs of Pennsylvania.

The records of the New Century Trust include their own and mostly those of the New Century Guild and its predecessor, New Century Working Women’s Guild. Spanning from the mid 1800s to the early 2000s are board and committee meeting minutes, administrative files, membership materials including members’ information cards,financial records, photographs, artifacts, clippings, and ephemera

Philadelphia County (Pa). Board of Assistance
Philadelphia County Board of Assistance records on employees dismissed for alleged Communist affiliations, 1940-1942 (Collection 1361) 4 boxes (2 linear ft.)
Testimony before the Reviewing Board of the Philadelphia County Board of Assistance on the appeals of 50 employees discharged for alleged communist affiliation, 1941. Typewritten transcripts.

Philadelphia Federation of Women's Clubs and Allied Organizations, Inc.
Philadelphia Federation of Women's Clubs and Allied Organizations, Inc. (PFWC) records, 1943-1998 (Collection 3050) 6 boxes (2.2 linear ft.)
The Philadelphia Federation of Women’s Clubs and Allied Organizations, Inc., was organized in 1922 and was affiliated with the Pennsylvania Federation of Women’s Clubs, which had been in existence since 1895.  Its objectives, as stated in its Charter and By-Laws, were “to unite Women’s Clubs and other organized groups of women existing in Philadelphia and adjacent territory for purposes of mutual benefit and to promote their common interests in civic, educational and moral measures which make for individual and community welfare.” The clubs constituting the federation had varying objectives, but all aimed to serve some segment of the community. The federation made it possible for them to join together for shared agendas and for a stronger voice beyond their individual memberships. The presidents of the clubs formed the backbone of the federation’s operation under the guidance of its board and elected officers. The records of the organization are concentrated in banking and other financial activities associated with managing its affairs.  There is also substantial material on a public forum presented by the federation in the midst of World War II to consider planning for postwar U.S. world positioning.

Randall, Natalie Saxe (1923-1999)
Natalie Saxe Randall papers, 1923-1998 (Collection 3466) 45 boxes ( 19 linear ft.)
The collection includes the typed incoming and outgoing correspondence (originals and retained copies, respectively) and other papers, 1923-1998, documenting the life and executive political work of Natalie Saxe Randall, life-long Philadelphian, Democratic party organizer, director of Joseph Clark and Richardson Dilworth's reform Committee for Philadelphia 1947-1956, executive assistant to Richardson Dilworth during his terms as reform mayor of Philadelphia 1956-1962 and as president of the Philadelphia Board of Education 1965-1970, and thereafter as a brilliant Harrisburg lobbyist for Lincoln College and a consortium of Philadelphia cultural institutions.

National and International Politics

Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies
Balch Institute political ephemera collection, 1941-1972 (Collection 3472) 3 boxes (3 linear ft.)
The collection includes printed material and photographs relating to American politics. Most prevalent in the collection are materials related to President Richard Nixon and presidential candidate and Senator George McGovern.

Baltic Women's Council
Baltic Women's Council records, 1948-1987 (Collection 3199) 1 box (0.2 linear ft.)
The Baltic Women's Council was founded in 1947 in Germany and had clubs or representatives in several countries of western Europe, North America, and South America. The council included delegations of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian women. The collection includes minutes, reports, correspondence, statutes, and other items.

Behuncik, Edward J.
Edward J. Behuncik papers, 1918-1993 (Collection MSS170) 16 boxes (7.4 linear ft.)
Edward J. Behuncik was a lawyer, founder of the Slovak World Congress and participant in other organizations related to Slovakia and the Democratic Party.  The papers reflect Behuncik's civic, community, political and religious activities. The papers include minutes, speeches, correspondence, reports, printed materials, clippings, directories, photos, diplomas, posters, artifacts and other materials.

Biddle, Anthony Joseph Drexel, 1896-1961
Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle papers, circa 1912-1961 (Collection 3110) 93 boxes (31.6 linear ft.)
Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle, Jr. (1896-1961) was very active in Democratic politics, including serving as associate secretary of the Democratic National Convention in 1936.  His activity in the political arena led to several appointments as a diplomatic officer.  He served as minister to Norway, 1935-37, and ambassador to Poland, (1937-Sept. 9, 1939).  After the invasion of Poland by the Germans, Biddle accompanied the Polish government to France, where he served as interim ambassador to France and ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States to the governments of Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Greece, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Luxembourg.  He resigned from diplomatic service in 1944, and then served in various positions such as adjutant general (with rank of major general) to Pennsylvania. The collection includes correspondence, speeches, newspaper clippings, photographs, scrapbooks, awards, commendations, and other miscellaneous material.  The papers document Biddle's diplomatic career, particularly his time as U.S. ambassador to Poland (1937-1939), and his army career as a junior officer during World War I, a colonel of the cavalry during and after World War II, and a brigadier general (later major general) with the U.S. Army in Europe during the early cold war.

Hasselriis, Caspar
Caspar Hasselriis papers, 1906-1973 (Collection MSS173) 7 boxes (2.6 linear ft.)
Caspar Hasselriis was born in Skive, Denmark and immigrated to America in 1906, settling first in Chicago and later in Forest Hills, NY.  He was the author of several books and was active in Danish-American organizations.  He was founder and first director of the Danish Information Office and honorary president of the Danish-American Society.  The papers include correspondence, news clippings, articles, books, records of Ratin Laboratory, photographs, and miscellaneous materials relating to Danish literature and affairs.  In Danish and English

Hurban-Boor family
Hurban-Boor family papers and photographs, circa 1874-1993 (Collection MSS166) 9 boxes (4.8 linear ft.)
Flat file materials include a passport and other official documents, a photograph, printed materials, and genealogical notes.  The collections also contains eight photo albums and souvenir books relating to Vladimir Hurban's service as Czechoslovakian ambassador to Egypt in the 1920s.  Photographs depict various Egyptian landmarks and sites, and Vladimir and his wife Olga are shown in several photos. There is also a volume entitled "The Four Freedoms," which was given to Vladimir Hurban when he was the Czechoslovakian ambassador to the United States. Also included is one loose photo (reproduced from a daguerreotype) of Samuel Jurkovic. The photographs date from 1920 to 1943 and consist of one box.   Unprocessed additions to the collection are .2 linear feet and consist of images, a death notice, a paper on democracy in Czechoslovakia, and a book on Edvard Beneš’s 1943 visit to the United States and Canada.  The photographs depict Vladimir Hurban, Olga Boor Hurban, Jan Masaryk, Edvard Beneš, and George and Emilia Jurković.

For related material see the Vladimir Hurban papers (MSS034).

Kolankiewicz, Leon J.
Leon J. Kolankiewicz papers, 1888-1978 (Collection 3071) 6 boxes (2.9 linear ft.)
Leon J. Kolankiewicz (1892-1971) was a Pennsylvania state assemblyman, the first Polish-American councilman at large elected in Philadelphia, and a strong advocate for Polish wartime and peacetime relief.  A native Philadelphian, Kolankiewicz worked with various Polish-American associations to educate and inform citizens of efforts to help Poland and its people recover from recent wars.  As a councilman, he consistently worked with and among the Polish community to ensure their places in Philadelphia’s social, political, and economic schema.  He also worked with other civic leaders to ensure the observance of important Polish events and holidays within the city. Kolankiewicz’s papers are primarily related to his public personas as a city representative and as a Polish relief worker.  Included in this richly varied collection are incoming and outgoing correspondence from Kolankiewicz, Judge Robert and Anne von Moschzisker, and Ignace Jan and Helena Paderewski; assorted booklets and pamphlets on such subjects as Polish war relief, Poland-United States relations, and Polish tourism; and publicity photographs of Kolankiewicz.  A majority of the items in the collection are written or printed in Polish since Kolankiewicz often communicated with his Polish friends, colleagues, and constituents in their native tongue.

Polish National Alliance of the United States of North America. Group No. 2180, SS. Peter and Paul Lodge (Palmerton, Pa.)
Polish National Alliance of the United States of North America Group No. 2180 records, 1921-1955 (Collection MSS050) 4 boxes (2.1 linear ft.)
The alliance is a national fraternal benefit organization for men, women, and children of Polish, Lithuanian, Ruthenian, or Slovak descent or affiliation.  Founded in 1880, the society promotes and seeks to restore and preserve Polish independence.  It also conducts fraternal, educational, charitable and life insurance programs.  The society is headquartered in Chicago. The collection contains financial and membership records from the Palmerton branch.

There are also collections for several other Pennsylvania branches of this organization.

Activism, Advocacy, and Reform

Ethnic Millions Political Action Committee (EMPAC!)
Ethnic Millions Political Action Committee (EMPAC!) records, circa 1969-1981s (Collection 3094) 16 boxes 1 volume (5.7 linear ft.)
The organization was incorporated in 1974 in New York City by Michael Novak and others as a national civil rights committee representing white ethnics.  Its goals included the establishment of a white ethnic political caucus and fair representation of white ethnics in education and the media.  The committee also supported better relations between black and white ethnics.  Its newsletter, A New America (changed to EMPAC! in 1976), was published by Novak and was an influential forum for the new ethnicity during the mid 1970s.  The collection consists of correspondence and editorial files, reference and research materials, membership records, and a dues book.

Fels, Joseph, 1854-1914 and Mary Fels
Joseph and Mary Fels papers, 1840-1966 (Collection 1953) 11 boxes 5 volumes (5.4 linear ft.)
Joseph Fels, Philadelphia-London soap manufacturer, was a leader in the Single Tax movement.  After his death in 1914, the Single Tax was carried on by the Joseph Fels Fund Commission. Correspondence discussing economic and political reform in the United States, Europe, South American, and China, includes letters of Antonio Albenden, Earl Barnes, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, James Ludwig Hardie, Peter Kropotkin, William Hesketh Lever, Meyer Lissner, Wilhelm Ludwig Schrameier, and Samuel Fels, his brother and partner in Fels and Company, manufacturers of Fels-Naptha Soap. Copies of letters, 1899, 1906-1909, on the Fairhope Single Tax Colony in Alabama.  Correspondence, 1906-1914, with Israel Zangwill, and others, on the establishment of Jewish Agricultural Settlements by the Jewish Territorial Organization (I.T.O.).  Miscellaneous speeches and articles by and about Joseph Fels.  There is also correspondence, 1915-1918, of Daniel Kiefer, the Chairman of the Joseph Fels Fund Commission.

Papers, 1907-1952, of Fels' wife, Mary Fels include: discussions of women's politics, Zionism, business, financial, and personal matters.  Correspondents include: Rifka Aaronsohn, Newton Diehl Baker, Anna Barnes, Walter Coates, "Gypsy Bill" Cortez, and Frank Smith.  Letters, reviews, and clippings about her writings including a typescript with notes of The Life of Joseph Fels.  Scrapbooks with clippings about Joseph Fels, on his death, including In Memorium. Guest book, 1906-1908, of Fels' home in Bickley, Kent. Correspondence, 1953-1956, and notes, clippings, and printed material of Arthur Power Dudden, relating to his research for Joseph Fels and the single tax movement, 1971. In Memorium in Danish and Swedish with English translations.

Fryer, John, 1937-2003
John Fryer papers, 1883-2004, undated (Collection 3465) 217 boxes, 34 volumes, 9 flat files (75 linear ft.)
John Fryer was a ground-breaking gay psychiatrist best known for appearing in full disguise at the 1972 American Psychiatric Association (APA) convention.His speech at the convention is credited with convincing the APA to remove homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973. As a psychiatrist Fryer worked largely with gay men, lesbians, people who abused alcohol and drugs, and those who were coping with death and dying. He was also a professor at Temple University School of Medicine, and organist and choirmaster at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Germantown. The collection contains Dr. Fryer's personal and professional papers and includes correspondence, subject files, papers from his student years, diaries, appointment books, teaching materials, notebooks and manuscripts, church programs, sheet music, photographs, audiocassettes, and other items. Patient and student records are restricted.

Hoh, Yam Tong and Daisy Law
Yam Tong Hoh and Daisy Law papers, 1919-1977 (Collection 3020) 2 boxes (0.85 linear ft.)
The Papers of Rev. Yam Tong and Daisy Law Hoh span the years 1919 to 1977, and focus primarily on their lives while residing in the United States as emigrants from China. The collection reflects the work of Yam Tong as an educator and Reverend in both California and Philadelphia, as well as his untiring work for the True Light School of Hong Kong. The collection complements the Reverend Dr. Yam Tong Hoh Papers (MSS126),  located at The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, by providing biographical material on Yam Tong's first wife, Daisy Law Hoh, as well as Rev. Hoh.

Indian Rights Association
Indian Rights Association records, 1830-circa 1986 (Collection 1523) 327 boxes 63 volumes (183 linear ft.)
The Indian Rights Association (IRA) was founded in Philadelphia in 1882 to "bring about the complete civilization of the Indians and their admission to citizenship." For several decades it was one of the most important organizations influencing American Indian policy. From 1884 to 1939 it maintained a Washington office to act as a legislative lobby and liaison with the Board of Indian Commissioners and the Board of Indian Affairs. The IRA also maintained close contacts with Indian agents and with Indians themselves through correspondence and almost annual field trips to reservations and settlements. The records of the organization span from its origins to the 1980s and include correspondence, research papers, administrative files, photographs, publications, and papers of Herbert Welsh, one of its founders.

Latino Project (Philadelphia)
Latino Project records, 1962-1985 (Collection MSS117) 29 boxes (11.2 linear ft.)
The Latino Project, headed by attorney Luis P. Diaz, was a non-profit legal assistance and public advocacy organization that provided representation to Spanish-speaking groups and interests in Greater Philadelphia area.  Until its demise in 1984, The Latino Project was particularly concerned with protecting and developing employment opportunities in the public and private sectors under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which forbade job discrimination on the basis of national origin) and providing legal representation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (which forbade the exclusion of Latinos from participating in any federally assisted program and required such programs to affirmatively benefit Puerto Ricans and other Spanish-speaking people).  This collection consists of the files of the Latino Project from the mid-1970s through 1982.   Included are correspondence, memoranda, minutes, grant applications, clippings, newsletters, and other items pertaining to the work of the project and its executive director, advisory board, and staff.  Of special interest are legal case files and court proceedings documenting a number of discrimination cases involving the employment of Puerto Ricans and Latinos in Philadelphia.  The files also reflect the organization's interest in bilingual education, expanding educational and employment opportunities for Hispanics, and in improving the delivery of general health care and mental health services for Spanish-speaking clients.

Milgram, Morris, 1916-
Morris Milgram papers, 1923-1994 (Collection 2176) 480 boxes, 1 flat file (188 linear ft.)
Morris Milgram was a pioneer in the development of integrated housing.  His first community, Concord Park, consisted of 139 detached homes and opened in 1954 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  In 1968 he became the first recipient of the National Human Rights Award from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Milgram was instrumental in the formation of the Fund for an OPEN society.  OPEN is a non-profit organization that provides affordable mortgages for home purchases that increase diversity. The bulk of the collection consists of Milgram’s office files related to the funding and administration of his housing projects. Also included are records of his involvement with several political and activist groups, correspondence between Milgram and several family members, correspondence with his wives, and papers reflective of his relationship with poet, author, and civil rights advocate Pauli Murray.

New Century Trust
New Century Trust records, circa 1854-2004 (Collection 3097) 104 boxes 73 volumes (50.1 linear ft.)In 1893, Eliza Sproat Turner (1826-1903) a progressive women’s activist helped create the New Century Trust as the incorporated body of her own organization, the New Century Guild for Working Women, which she founded in 1882.  Over several decades, the trust oversaw and provided financial support for guild’s activities for women in the workforce, such as evening classes and lectures.  For many women, the guild provided a haven away from the stresses of work, a place where they could obtain low-cost meals, sleeping accommodations, and even emergency financial assistance.  In 1887, the guild began publishing a newspaper written by and for members, the Journal of Women’s Work; it offered event calendars, advice columns, short stories, and poems.  It also eventually formed its own library, gymnasium, and a variety of internal committees on which the members could serve.  In 1895, the guild shortened its moniker to The New Century Guild and also became a member of the Federation of Women’s Clubs of Pennsylvania.  The records of the New Century Trust include their own and mostly those of the New Century Guild, and its predecessor, New Century Working Women’s Guild.  Spanning from the late 1800s to the early 2000s are board and committee meeting minutes and minute books, administrative files, membership materials including members’ information cards, financial records, bills, receipts, invoices, photographs, artifacts, clippings, and miscellaneous ephemera.

Philadelphia Federation of Women's Clubs and Allied Organizations, Inc.
Philadelphia Federation of Women's Clubs and Allied Organizations, Inc. (PFWC) records, 1943-1998 (Collection 3050) 6 boxes (2.2 linear ft.)
The Philadelphia Federation of Women’s Clubs and Allied Organizations, Inc., was organized in 1922 and was affiliated with the Pennsylvania Federation of Women’s Clubs, which had been in existence since 1895.  Its objectives, as stated in its Charter and By-Laws, were “to unite Women’s Clubs and other organized groups of women existing in Philadelphia and adjacent territory for purposes of mutual benefit and to promote their common interests in civic, educational and moral measures which make for individual and community welfare.” The clubs constituting the federation had varying objectives, but all aimed to serve some segment of the community. The federation made it possible for them to join together for shared agendas and for a stronger voice beyond their individual memberships. The presidents of the clubs formed the backbone of the federation’s operation under the guidance of its board and elected officers. The records of the organization are concentrated in banking and other financial activities associated with managing its affairs.  There is also substantial material on a public forum presented by the federation in the midst of World War II to consider planning for postwar U.S. world positioning.

Philadelphia Friendship Fete
Philadelphia Friendship Fete records, 1929-1982 (Collection 3074) 2 boxes 5 volumes (1.7 linear ft.)
The Philadelphia Friendship Fete, a joint effort of various Philadelphia area women’s organizations, began in 1929.  Over seventy clubs attended the first Fete.  The purpose of the group was to promote friendship among Philadelphia area women’s clubs, to recognize and honor area women, nationally and internationally. This collection contains Advisory Council minutes, scrapbooks and the Golden Chain of Friendship.  Minute books begin in 1931 and end in 1982.  Scrapbooks contain programs, publicity and photographs relating to the forty-four Friendship Fete luncheons which were held over the period from 1929 to 1982.

Weiner, Max, 1912-1989
Max Weiner collection on Consumer Education and Protective Association, 1966-1990 (Collection 3427) 11 boxes (10.2 linear ft.)
Papers of Max Weiner, founder and executive director of the Consumer Education and Protective Association (CEPA), founded in 1966. This organization fought utility companies, public transportation companies, automotive companies, and other major parties in order to secure rights for consumers. Weiner and CEPA also spoke out about a number of socio-political issues, including political corruption and police brutality. Included in the collection are newspaper clippings, press releases, leaflets, pamphlets, and other printed materials regarding rallies and activities, newspapers and newsletters, correspondence, speeches, radio program scripts, reports, court documents, cartoons, transcripts of hearings, and information about the groups and companies that CEPA fought. There are also videotapes and audiotapes of Weiner's appearances on TV and radio programs. Weiner ran for office unsuccessfully a number of times on the Consumer Party ticket.

Welsh, Herbert, 1851-1941
Herbert Welsh collection, 1853-1934 (Collection 0702) 125 boxes (77 linear ft.)
The collection is arranged in the following categories: correspondence, 1875-1934; Philippines, 1892-1925; Indian rights, 1877-1934; international arbitration, 1896; National Civil Service Reform League, 1881-1929; Philadelphia and National Municipal League, 1893-1896; Friends of German Democracy, 1914-1919; Syrian affairs, educational, religious, foreign missionaries, 1907-1916; Armenian affairs, 1896-1924; Waldensian affairs, 1907-1923; Society for the Protection of Forests, 1890-1929; public education, 1890-1891; John Welsh correspondence on the Centennial Exhibition, 1858-1886; post office political discrimination in Philadelphia, 1898; ballot reform in Philadelphia; 1890-1891; Honest Government Party, Dr. S.C. Swallow campaign in Pennsylvania, 1898-1899; Lincoln Independent Republican Committee, Pattison for Governor, 1890; Anti-Combine Committee, Pattison for Mayor, Philadelphia, 1895, Independent Committee, W. Redwood Wright for Treasurer, Philadelphia, 1891.

The arrangement continues with pure water and sanitation, Railroad Safety Commission, 1893; personal interest cases, 1873-1933; Welsh family correspondence, 1891-1926; Welsh foreign correspondence, 1873-1935; Welsh personal correspondence, 1863-1935; Welsh essays and speeches, 1863-1934; Welsh journals, 1898-1919; shorthand notes, n.d.; cancelled checks and bills, 1886-1920; invitations, greeting cards, announcements; broadsides and miscellaneous printed material, 1880-1925; lists of names and addresses of members of various organizations, n.d.; diaries, 1883-1928; letter books, 1886-1931; account books, 1854-1899; photographs, views, clippings. The correspondence of Herbert Welsh, 1875-1934, with prominent men and women, including presidents of the United States, cabinet members, members of Congress, jurists, scientists, scholars, civic reformers, local and national political leaders.  It contains material on a variety of political, social and economic subjects:  Indian rights, anti-imperialism, international arbitration, League of Nations, Philippine annexation, scandals involving American soldiers, Turkish atrocities, Armenian massacres, Syrian relief and education, domestic and foreign missionaries, Waldensian Society and its evangelism in Italy, civil service reform, World War, establishment of the Friends of German Democracy, Centennial Exhibition, Society for the Protection of Forests, political corruption in Pennsylvania, reform movements in Philadelphia, education, sanitation, Audubon Society, Racial problems, arts, sciences, and local charities.