South Pasadena Americanism Center records, 1948-1990, bulk 1961-1973

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Summary

Creators:
South Pasadena Americanism Center
Abstract:
The South Pasadena Americanism Center was founded by Jane Crosby in 1961 as community center where politically conservative Republicans could find support among others with similar beliefs. These records span from 1948 to 1990 and contain correspondence, journal entries, political pamphlets, brochures, meeting minutes, and press and newspaper clippings.
Extent:
1.2 Linear Feet (3 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], South Pasadena Americanism Center records (Collection 1844). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

The records span from 1948 to 1990 and contain materials of and relating to the South Pasadena Americanism Center, including political pamphlets, brochures, press and newspaper clippings, Americanism Center promotional material, founding and instructional documents, publications, editorials, reports (with a focus on American patriotism, Constitutional conservatism, and anticommunism), meeting minutes, resolutions, speeches, and photographs. It also includes material related to Citizens for Constructive Action, a group led by Walter Knott that worked to organize and promote Republican political candidates and the Americanism Center. The daily diaries of the South Pasadena Americanism Center's founder, Jane Crosby, are also included, and provide unique insight into the day-to-day workings of the organization.

Biographical / historical:

The South Pasadena Americanism Center was founded by Jane Crosby in 1961 as a community center where politically conservative Republicans could find support among others with similar beliefs. The Center was run by a group of housewives in the 1960s and provided conservative and anti-communist books which people could read in a safe space. Some of the books included Barry Goldwater's The Conscience of a Conservative, J. Edgar Hoover's Masters of Deceit, and Verna M. Hall's Christian History of the Constitution. Visitors could also register to vote, sign petitions, find out about upcoming lectures, luncheons, workshops and meetings, and sign up to make phone calls and stuff envelopes for Republican candidates. As the perceived threat of communism diminished, the Center shut down in the 1970s.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Jane A. Crosby, 2006.
Processing information:

Processed by Kuhelika Ghosh and Rebecca Townsend in 2017 under the supervision of Courtney Dean in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT).

Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.

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Arrangement:

Collection is arranged in original order.

Physical location:
Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], South Pasadena Americanism Center records (Collection 1844). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
Website