1923-1975; bulk: 1961-1975
Guide to the Collection
Restrictions on Access
The Americans for Democratic Action, Massachusetts Chapter records are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@huakangbook.com.
Abstract
This collection consists of the records for the Massachusetts Chapter of Americans for Democratic Action. It includes correspondence of Massachusetts politicians, legislative reports, subject files, membership rolls, financial records, executive committee memos and meeting minutes, and printed material.
Historical Sketch
In June 1947, the Massachusetts Chapter of the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) was organized when it was voted to dissolve the Massachusetts Independent Voters Association, formed in 1924, and create a state chapter for the ADA. It was formed with the goal to produce candidates at the national, state, and local levels that were in line with the organization's liberal platforms regardless of the candidates endorsed by the major political parties. Its principles promoted the ideals of democracy, freedom, and equality; opposed totalitarianism; supported the rights, dignity, and privacy of the individual; belief in an open society in education, employment, and housing; free enterprise when consistent with public welfare; government as an entity to protect and safeguard living and working standards where private endeavor fails to do so; taxation on those who can best bear it; and support of free speech, free press, and free association.
Sources
"New Liberal Group Forms Chapter Here," Daily Boston Globe, 8 June 1947, p. D10.
Collection Description
The records of the Massachusetts Chapter of Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) consist of 10 record cartons pertaining to the daily operations, legislative action, political campaigning, and publicity of the organization. It includes correspondence; committee meeting agendas and minutes; executive committee memos; endorsements and denouncements of political figures and legislation; subject files on social, legislative, and political issues; membership rolls; financial records, including audits; records of local Massachusetts chapters; printed material, such as national and state ADA publications, newsletters, committee reports, the ADA World, and newspaper clippings; and slides. Correspondents include Massachusetts politicians William H. Bates, Silvio O. Conte, James Burke, Thomas P. (Tip) O'Neill, Edward W. Brooke, Edward M. Kennedy, and Leverett Saltonstall, among other local and national figures.
Arrangement Note
This collection is loosely arranged chronologically and alphabetically within each series.
Processing Information
This collection has been minimally processed and retains most of the original folders.
Acquisition Information
Gift of the Americans for Democratic Action, Massachusetts Chapter, July 1976.
Restrictions on Access
The Americans for Democratic Action, Massachusetts Chapter records are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@huakangbook.com.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Expand allI. Correspondence, 1961-1973
Loosely arranged chronologically and alphabetically.
This series consists of correspondence between the Massachusetts ADA and the national organization, politicians, and members.
1961-1971
Correspondence with national ADA, 1969-1970
Correspondence with state politicians, 1970
Correspondence with politicians, 1968
Congressional correspondence, 1973
Boston Globe, 1973
II. Committees, 1962-1974
Loosely arranged chronologically and alphabetically.
This series consists of meeting minutes and agendas, statements endorsing and denouncing politicians and legislation, and records of specific task forces.
Legislative committee, 1962-1968
Legislative committee, 1970-1971
Political committee, 1964-1974
National board, 1971-1974
Executive committee, 1965, 1968
National executive committee, 1971-1974
National legislative committee, 1971-1974
National political committee, 1972
National affairs committee, 1962-1965
Committee on discrimination in housing, 1962-1963
Neo-McCarthyism committee, 1962
Committee of 100, 1962
Education committee, 1962
Health, education, and community development task force, 1968-1974
Legislative task force, 1967-1968
Women's rights task force, 1972
Civil liberties and criminal justice task force, 1972-1973
ADA organizational conference task force, 1973
Consumerism task force, 1973
Economics and budget task force, 1973
Civil rights task force, 1973
Social and human services task force, 1974
Task force general notices, 1974
Political and governmental task force, 1973-1974
Housing task force, 1973-1974
Foreign policy task force, 1974
III. Legislation, 1963-1974
Loosely arranged chronologically and alphabetically.
This series contains material pertaining to the Massachusetts ADA's policies and platforms to enact liberal legislation reforms and advancements.
Truth in lending, 1963-1966
Bills of other organizations, undated
Massachusetts legislation, 1964
Civil rights and liberties, 1960s
Miscellaneous legislation, 1963-1973
Anti-usury, 1963
Tort law, 1963
Fair labor standards act, 1963
Sales tax, 1965-1967
Elections laws, 1966, 1968
Migrants, 1967-1968
Abolition of governor's council, 1963
Congressional reform, 1964-1965
Generic drugs, 1968-1970
Military spending (H. 2905), 1964
Urban renewal, BRA and WGBH, 1968
Model cities, 1968
Fair Housing Federation, 1968
Register bill, 1968
Non-proliferation, 1968
Graduated income tax, 1968
Fluoridation, 1968
CATV, 1968
Welfare, 1968-1969
Literacy requirement, 1969-1970
Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM), 1969
Tax program, 1969
Vietnam moratorium, 1969
Voting age, 1970
2/3 delegates at national conventions (H. 1914), 1970
Challenged voters (H. 2277), ca. 1970
Peace action, 1970-1972
Tax increment to cities and towns, 1970
Minimum wage, 1970
Drug law reform (H. 2499), 1971
Corporal punishment (H. 2388), 1971
Circuit district courts, 1971
Food stamps (H. 2405), 1971
Close of registration time (H. 2403), 1971
Election day registration (H. 2402), 1971
Absentee voting primaries (H. 2401), 1971
Recording-district courts, 1971
At-home registration, 1972
Absentee voter registration, 1972
Registration by mail, 1972
Election days holidays, 1972
Notify dropped voters twice, 1972
Food assistance, 1972
Blockbusting, 1972
Employers-criminal conviction, 1972
Corporal punishment, 1972
Information to defense in court (H. 2429), 1972
Filing political expenses, 1972
Presidential primary-district delegates, 1972
ADA national legislation, 1973
Self determination for Washington, D.C., 1973
Energy, 1974
Impeachment, 1974
IV. Administrative records, 1953-1975
Loosely arranged chronologically and alphabetically.
The administrative records of the Massachusetts ADA consist of membership material, financial records, material relating to the national organization, and information on other organizations.
Membership and dues, 1968, 1971
National membership and dues, 1972-1975
Financial statements, 1961-1969
ADA-Massachusetts chapter state platform, 1953-1971
National policy, 1968-1973
State and national democratic platform, 1972
Democratic party reform, 1973
Sanford Democratic charter commission, 1973
National constitution, 1974
Miscellaneous, 1955-1975
National affairs, 1963-1974
Other organizations—Colleges and universities, 1962, 1967
Other organizations—Human rights organizations, 1969
Other organizations—New campaign and information organizations, 1970
Other organizations—Congressional Action Fund, 1972
V. Local chapter records, 1948-1974
Loosely arranged chronologically and alphabetically.
This series contains material, mostly correspondence, pertaining to local Massachusetts chapters, as well as college and university student chapters. Also included is correspondence with local politicians, campaigning and endorsements by the Massachusetts ADA, convention material, local events, and resource material.
All chapters, 1967-1969
Arlington, 1967
At large, 1957-1969
Berkshire, 1958
Boston, 1948-1968
Brookline, 1965-1968
Cambridge, 1958-1969
Hampden, 1958, 1965
Hampshire, 1958-1965
Newton, 1967-1968
Out of state, 1965-1968
Colleges and universities—Amherst College, 1960-1961
Colleges and universities—Boston College, 1968
Colleges and universities—Boston University, 1959-1960
Colleges and universities—Harvard-Radcliffe, 1959-1966
Politicians—Bates, William H., 1964-1966
Politicians—Boland, Edward P., 1956-1968
Politicians—Brooke, Edward W., 1968-1969
Politicians—Burke, James A., 1962-1972
Politicians—Conte, Silvio O., 1966-1968
Politicians—Curtis, Laurence, 1956-1962
Politicians—Donohue, Harold D., 1956-1973
Politicians—Heckler, Margaret M., 1969
Politicians—Keith, Hastings, 1962-1966
Politicians—Kennedy, Edward M., 1968
Politicians—Lane, Thomas J., 1959-1962
Politicians—Lionett, David J., 1974
Politicians—Martin, Joseph W., 1956-1966
Politicians—MacDonald, Torbert H., 1956-1973
Politicians—McCormack, John W., 1958-1968
Politicians—Morse, F. Bradford, 1962-1969
Politicians—Muskie, William S., 1971
Politicians—O'Neil, Thomas P., 1968-1973
Politicians—Philbin, Philip J., 1962-1968
Politicians—Smith, Benjamin A., 1962
Politicians—Saltonstall, Leverett, 1953-1966
Politicians—Volpe, John A., 1965
Campaigns and endorsements—Roche, John P., 1964
Campaigns and endorsements—Coleman, James P., 1965
Campaigns and endorsements—Political campaign, 1966
Campaigns and endorsements—Political propaganda, 1966
Campaigns and endorsements—Humphrey, Hubert H., 1968
Campaigns and endorsements—Political propaganda, 1968
Campaigns and endorsements—Political endorsements, 1969-1970
Campaigns and endorsements—Political campaign, 1970
Campaigns and endorsements—Political affairs, 1970
Campaigns and endorsements—Questionnaires, 1970-1974
Campaigns and endorsements—McGovern, 1971-1972
Campaigns and endorsements—McGovern campaign slides, 1972
Campaigns and endorsements—Judge Troy, 1972
Campaigns and endorsements—Congress and Senate questionnaires, 1972
Campaigns and endorsements—Candidates, 1973
Campaigns and endorsements—Special Senate election, 1973
Campaigns and endorsements—Impeachment of Richard M. Nixon, 1973
Campaigns and endorsements—Ford, Gerald, 1973
Campaigns and endorsements—National ADA testimony, 1973
Campaigns and endorsements—Congress final election, 1974
Campaigns and endorsements—Governor and Lt. Governor questionnaires, 1974
Campaigns and endorsements—Secretary of State questionnaires, 1974
Campaigns and endorsements—Attorney General questionnaires, 1974
Campaigns and endorsements—Congress questionnaires, 1974
Campaigns and endorsements—Boston candidates, 1974
Campaigns and endorsements—Brookline candidates, 1974
Campaigns and endorsements—Newton candidates, 1974
News clippings, 1974
Democratic convention, 1974
National convention, 1969-1974
State convention, 1974
Garden party, 1963-1968
Roosevelt Day Dinner, 1954-1975
Resources, undated
Resources—Determinants of Interorganizational Cooperation by John R. Schermerhorn, 1976
Resources—The 5th Amendment Today: Three Speeches by Erwin J. Griswold (Harvard University Press), 1955
Resources—Voting Guide 1956: How to Make Your Vote Count published by Americans for Democratic Action, 1956
Resources—The Common Law by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (Little, Brown, and Company), 1923
VI. Printed material, 1947-1975
Loosely arranged chronologically and alphabetically.
Printed material includes editions of the Bay State Citizen, Massachusetts ADA's publications, and the national ADA's newsletters, F.Y.I., Legislative Newsletter, Targets, and ADA World.
Bay State Citizen, 1948-1974
Bay State Citizen drafts and notes, 1967-1975
F.Y.I. newsletter, 1971-1974
Legislative Newsletter, 1964-1974
Targets newsletter, 1969-1970
ADA World newsletter, 1947-1952
ADA World newsletter, 1953-1975
Press releases, 1968-1974
Miscellaneous ADA-Massachusetts chapter printed material, undated
Preferred Citation
Americans for Democratic Action, Massachusetts Chapter records, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.