Eichel Family Collection

Papers, 1916-

Document Group: DG 131

Provenance: Donated by Julius Eichel &Seymour Eichel, 1944 (acc. 44-80), 1977, 1981, 1982, 1989, 2000

 

Size: 3.25 linear feet

Restrictions: None

Microfilm: None

Finding Aids: Checklist prepared by Martha P. Shane (March 1982), updated by Wendy E.

Chmielewski (June 1999); revised and updated by Anne Yoder (May 2001)

This checklist is the property of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection

Historical Introduction

 

The Eichel Family papers provide a unique glimpse into the lives of conscientious objectors from one family over two generations. Brothers Julius, David and Albert were all absolutists who went to prison for their convictions; Julius' son did the same. Other family members provided emotional support and lobbied for the rights of the COs. Daily letters passed back and forth between the COs and their family and friends, many of which have been preserved in this collection. Diaries show what details of life as a CO were important enough to be recorded.

Raised in the Jewish faith, but grounding their convictions in Socialism, David & Julius spent time alone and together in U.S. Disciplinary Barracks during WWI. Their Socialist outlook contributed to their unwillingness to remain silent about the treatment of conscientious objectors during that time. Many COs, including the Eichel brothers, were mistreated by army personnel, enduring beatings, soaking by water hoses, shackling to prison doors, lack of mattresses or blankets, lack of exercise, or solitary confinement on bread and water. David and Julius were instrumental in making sure that the public found out about the abuses being visited upon COs in army prisons.

Little is known about David Eichel. He was probably born in 1894 in Austria, son of Isaac and Kate Eichel, and emigrated to the United States with his family in 1899. He refused to comply with the Conscription Act in 1917, and was sentenced to 30 years of hard labor for this stance. He served time at Camp Upton, Camp Funston, Ft. Riley, Ft. Leavenworth and Ft. Douglas, from 1917 to May 1920 when he was parolled. He died in 1956, leaving behind a widow and two sons in their 20s.

The bulk of this collection is about Julius Eichel who was born in 1896 in Austria. Like his brother David, he too refused to comply with the Conscription Act, was arrested in 1917, and sentenced to 20 years of hard labor. Julius Eichel spent the next 18 months in the Tombs in New York City and in internment camps and disciplinary barracks in Ft, Jay, Camp Upton, Governor's Island, Ft. Leavenworth, and Ft. Douglas. During these years he refused to cooperate with any compulsory actions other than those required to fulfill his own personal needs. Eichel was sometimes sentenced to solitary confinement and bread and water rations. He was "a conscientious objector not only to war, but to the extension of the Government's control over the convictions of the individual." He opposed the "crushing of individual conscience by majority rule or legal interpretation" and believed that "conscience without individuals sacrificing for it simply cannot exist."

In 1928, Julius Eichel married Esther _____. The Eichels ran a small chemists business in New York City (after 28 years at 188 Oakland Street in Brooklyn, the business had to be moved -- because of a street widening project -- to 58 Clymer Street in Brooklyn. In 1969, that area was to be taken over by a housing development, so the business was sold to a competitor rather than find another new location for it). In 1942, Julius Eichel again refused to register for the draft, was tried in a civilian court, and sent to prison for two weeks. During World War II, Julius Eichel started the Absolutist War Objectors Association. This organization was founded on the principle of total opposition to war, conscription and regimentation. Eichel edited its newspaper The Absolutist whose motto read "The health of the nation is periled if one man be oppressed." Together Julius and Esther founded Friends and Families of Imprisoned Conscientious Objectors. Both of these organizations repeatedly urged immediate and unconditional release of all imprisoned objectors and attempted to help and encourage CO's in prison.

Julius Eichel was also very active in and wrote for the War Resisters League (DG 40) and other peace-related organizations. He continued to champion the rights of the individual from government oppression both in the United States and abroad by writing to officials, writing editorials, speaking, and taking part in peace marches.

In 1947, both Julius and Esther Eichel were honored by the Friends and Families of Imprisoned Conscientious Objectors. In 1976, Julius Eichel was given the War Resisters League Sixteenth Annual Peace Award. Julius died in 1989.

Albert Eichel was a younger brother of David and Julius, probably a schoolboy when they were in prison in WWI. Albert went to prison in WWII as a CO. Nothing more is known about him.

Seymour Eichel, son of Julius and Esther, was born on June 14, 1930 in Brooklyn (NY). He received a BA from the New School for Social Research in 1953, and a Master of Arts from Columbia University in 1954. He later earned a PhD and taught at New Jersey State College. In June 1956, he was arrested by the FBI, indicted by a grand jury in July for non-registration for the draft, and sentenced on Dec. 27, 1956 to a year and a day in prison. He was sent first to the West Street House of Detention, where he undertook a hunger strike that lasted nearly a month, and then to the Federal Correctional Institution Danbury (CT). He was released after serving nine months and eighteen days of his sentence. He and his parents wrote letters nearly every day; some of the letters written by Seymour have been transcribed for easier reading. Seymour was still living as of 2001.

Photograph Exhibit

Contents of the Collection

Box 1
Albert Eichel

Biographical information
Letter to Julius, 06/29/1944; letter from U.S. Justice Dept., 07/30/1956

David Eichel

Biographical information
Items from time as CO in WWI: misc.
Items from time as CO in WWI: diary kept while at Camp Upton as CO, 10/06/1917 - 05/31/1918
Items from time as CO in WWI: correspondence, 1916, 1918-1920
Items from time as CO in WWI: letters to parents while in prison, 1918-1920
Items from time as CO in WWI: letters to/from brother Julius [see below under Julius]
Items from time as CO in WWI: co-authorship of "Report of Treatment of Conscientious Objectors at the Camp Funston Guard House," Dec. 1918
Items from time as CO in WWI: misc. notes [diary notes?]

Esther (Mrs. Julius) Eichel

Correspondence

Isaac Eichel [& other family members: Kate (mother); Rose (sister), Philip, William]
Julius Eichel

Biographical information: misc.
Biographical information: MS "Personal History of a Conscientious Objector," Aug. 1942
Biographical information: CO gathering at Eichel home, 03/06/1941
Biographical information: CO gathering at Eichel home, March 1942
Biographical information: dinner in honor of Julius & Esther, New York (NY), 03/28/1947
Biographical information: WRL dinner in honor of Julius & awarding of 16th Annual WRL peace award, 1976
Biographical information: 80th birthday celebration, 1976
Items from time as CO in WWI: misc.
Items from time as CO in WWI: diary, 06/16/1918 - 08/02/1918; 07/30/1919 - 09/30/1919
Items from time as CO in WWI: letters to parents while in prison, 1918-1919
Items from time as CO in WWI: letters to/from brother David, 1918, 1920
Items from time as CO in WWI: report on meal conditions at Ft. Leavenworth(?), 1918
Items from time as CO in WWI: Ft. Leavenworth mutiny
Items from time as CO in WWI: speech for send-off of three COs from Ft. Douglas, 08/17/1919
Notes re: books [done in prison ca. 1919? some by David?]

Box 2
Julius Eichel (cont.)

WWII era: letters to/from wife Esther, Oct. 17-18, 1945
WWII era: diary?, 1942
WWII era: diary, 12/07/1941 - 03/01/1942
WWII era: statements etc. re: arrest (1942) & hearing, 1940s
WWII era: letters to son Seymour, 1943-1946, 1948
General correspondence

1918-1919
1920-1929
1937-1939
With Roderick Seidenberg, 1940-1943
1940
1941
1942 [2 folders]
1943 [2 folders]
1944

 

Box 3
Julius Eichel (cont.)

General correspondence (cont.)

1945 [2 folders]
Controversy with Julien Cornell over ACLU actions re: COs, 1945
1946 [2 folders]
1947
1948
1949
1950s [2 folders]
1960s

 

Box 4
Julius Eichel (cont.)

General correspondence (cont.)

1970s [2 folders]
With Michael Young (history student), 1974-1975 [includes Young's MS article "Facing a Test of Faith: Jewish Pacifists During the Second World War"]
1980s
Undated [ca. 1940- ]

Letters to government officials / letters to the Editor / statements
Published writings
Published writings: book The Judge Said "20 Years", 1981
Unpublished writings / notes / speeches?
Unpublished writings (cont.)
Dated notes/writings re: observations on current events, 1941-1943 [removed from 1942 diary]
Corbett Bishop fund
Absolutist War Objectors Association
Mailing list for The Absolutist
Attendance at / co-sponsorship / speaking at events
Miscellaneous

 

Box 5
Julius Eichel (cont.)

Involvement / collaboration with William J. Sidis

Correspondence with Sidis, 1933-1942
Correspondence with Sidis, 1943-1944
Correspondence re: Sidis, 1945-1946
Reference material re: Sidis: biographical material
Reference material re: Sidis: CO experiences in WWI
Reference material re: Sidis: writings; perpetual calendar developed [facsimile only available]
Reference material re: Sidis: American Independence Society; Liberty War Objectors' Association; Privacy Defense Committee
Reference material re: Sidis: Geprodis Association
Reference material re: Sidis: Successors of Shays; editing of Continuity News, 1938-1939
Reference material re: Sidis: VUSP (Volunteer Urban Self-Supporting Projects), ca. 1943-1944
Reference material re: Sidis: editing of The Orach, 1939-1943
Reference material re: Sidis: editing of Penacook Courier, 1936-1938
Reference material re: Sidis: misc.

 

Box 6
Julius Eichel (cont.)

Reference / Reading Material

Removal forms
Re: capitol punishment
Re: Zionism
Pamphlet "Two Agitators: Peter Maurin -- Ammon Hennacy"
Re: conscientious objection in WWI
Letter from 19 COs at Camp Upton to The Bureau of Legal Aid, 06/24/1918
Re: conscientious objection in WWII [2 folders]
General, 1915-1939
MS by the American Independence Society "America's Search for Liberty in Song and Poem, 1935"
General, 1940s
Committee for Amnesty, 1946-1947
General, 1950s

 

Box 7 (1/2 box)
Julius Eichel (cont.)

Reference / Reading Material

Appeal by James Peck & 18 others re: arrest for not entering air raid shelter during drill, 1958
General, 1960s
General, 1970s-1980s
General, n.d.

 

Box 8
Seymour Eichel

Biographical information
Letters to parents from prison, 12/29/1956 - 04/30/1957 [transcription included]
Letters to parents from prison, 05/01/1957 - 10/12/1957
Letters from father Julius, 1957
Letters from mother Esther, 1957
Picketing of White House by Esther on behalf of Seymour, 1957, etc.
Letters sent & received by Julius & Esther re: Seymour, 1957
Letters / actions / visits of support while in prison
Letters to government officials re: case
Court case
Prison
Publicity / statements
Media coverage
WRL reception in honor of Seymour, 10/29/1957

Box 9 (1/2 box)
Seymour Eichel

General correspondence: incoming
General correspondence: outgoing
Letters & statements re: loyalty oath in schools, 1960
Misc. notes, etc.

 

 

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To find other SCPC collections that include Eichel material, use the PICO search engine. For other resources, see the college's online library catalog (Tripod). For more information, contact Wendy Chmielewski, Curator, at wchmiel1@ swarthmore.edu or call 610-328-8557.

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This page was last updated on February 10, 2006.