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Committee for Amnesty For All Objectors To War and Conscription Collected Records, 1945-1948
Collection: CDG-A
Contact Information
Swarthmore College Peace Collection
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399
U.S.A.
Telephone: (610) 328-8557 (Curator)
Fax: (610) 328-8544
Email: wchmiel1@swarthmore.edu (Curator)
URL: http://www.swarthmore.edu/Library/peace/
Descriptive Summary
Repository
The Swarthmore College Peace Collection is not the official repository for this collection of records.
Creator
Committee for Amnesty for All Objectors to War and Conscription
Title
Committee for Amnesty for All Objectors to War and Conscription Collected Records
Inclusive Dates
1945-1948
Call Number
CDG-A
Language of Materials
Materials in English
Extent
10 linear inches [papers only]
Abstract
On January 12, 1946, the Committee for Amnesty for All Objectors to War and Conscription was established to seek an amnesty for "all objectors to war and conscription," which included men under army court-martial for their stance against war. The Committee's most widely publicized work was the sponsorship of picketing demonstrations at the White House in May and December 1946 calling for amnesty, but the organization also promoted its objectives through lobbying of Congressional and other government leaders, creating press releases and published literature, garnering support with signatures to petitions from around the country, and working as a liaison to other groups interested in the amnesty question. It is unknown exactly when the Committee disbanded, but the last meeting minutes are dated June 30, 1948.
Administrative Information
Restrictions to Access
None
Usage Restrictions
None
Alternate Form of Material
None
Acquisitions Information
Gift of War Resisters League
Processing Information
Processed by SCPC staff. Checklist created by Anne Yoder, October 2002. Finding aid revised by Andrew Ciampa, June 23, 2010.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Committee for Amnesty for All Objectors to War and Conscription Collected Records (CDG-A), Swarthmore College Peace Collection
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendents, as stipulated by United States copyright law
Online Catalog Headings
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online library/archival catalogs.
See tripod record
Historical Background
On December 1, 1945, representatives from numerous peace organizations (including the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the War Resisters League, and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom), met in New York City to discuss establishing a committee that could work proactively on the question of amnesty for conscientious objectors. It was agreed to form the Committee for Amnesty for War Objectors and Selective Service Violators, with A.J. Muste as Chair. On January 12, 1946, the name of the group was changed to Committee for Amnesty for All Objectors to War and Conscription. The Committee's purpose was to seek an amnesty for "all objectors to war and conscription," which included men under army court-martial for their stance against war. The Committee's main office was at 5 Beekman Street in New York City, but a Washington, D.C.office (dissolved by June 1946), and a Chicago office were formed as well. Stanley Murphy was Organizing Secretary until March 1946, whereupon Albon Man took over the position. Vivien Roodenko was employed as secretary in the Washington, D.C. office, and later in the New York City office. Among the Committee's proponents were Emily Greene Balch, Pearl Buck, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Harold Ickes, A.J. Muste, Robin Myers and Igal Roodenko. The Committee's most widely publicized work was the sponsorship of picketing demonstrations at the White House in May and December 1946 calling for amnesty, but the organization also promoted its objectives through lobbying of Congressional and other government leaders, creating press releases and published literature, garnering support with signatures to petitions from around the country, and working as a liaison to other groups interested in the amnesty question.
It is unknown exactly when the Committee disbanded, but the last meeting minutes are dated June 30, 1948.
It is unlikely that this collection contains everything issued by the Committee during its existence. The War Resisters League donatated the files in this collection to the Swarthmore College Peace Collection at the instigation of Albon Man.
Collection Overview