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SANE, Inc. Greater Philadelphia Council (Pa.) Records
Notifications
Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
SANE, A Citizens' Organization for a Sane World, was formed in 1957 as the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy. Headed initially by Saturday Review editor Norman Cousins, SANE launched a series of advertisements in the New York Times. Local groups then spontaneously formed around the country to buy space in other newspapers for SANE ads. In 1959, SANE staged its first demonstrations, leading to a rally of 20, 000 in New York City the following year.
By 1962, with chapters in various sections of Philadelphia and in most of the surrounding areas, the Greater Philadelphia Council (renamed the Greater Philadelphia Council Executive Board in 1967) was formed to coordinate regional activities. With the conclusion of the Vietnam War, the Philadelphia staff increasingly devoted its efforts to the production of mass media material, such as radio programs. When the Greater Philadelphia Council disbanded in 1976, much of its staff continued as the SANE Educational Fund, which operated as a national organization based in Philadelphia.
This collection covers the life span of the Philadelphia SANE council, as well as some local chapter activities from as early as 1960 and the emergence of the Educational Fund in 1977 and 1978. Materials included are administrative records; correspondence; financial records; membership and fundraising lists; press releases; publications; and video recordings.
The collection is arranged into 6 series as follows:
- Series 1: Administration, 1960-1978, undated
- Subseries 1.1: Executive Bodies, 1962-1978
- Subseries 1.2: Organizational Documents, Staff Papers, 1967-1977, undated
- Subseries 1.3: Chapter and Branch Organization, 1960-1974, undated
- Subseries 1.4: Membership, Fundraising, and Finances, 1964-1978, undated
- Subseries 1.5: Lists, 1966-1973, undated
- Series 2: Activities, 1960-1977, undated
- Subseries 2.1: General, 1960-1974, undated
- Subseries 2.2: Educational, 1971-1977, undated
- Subseries 2.3: Weapons of Mass Destruction, 1968-1975
- Subseries 2.4: Indochina War, 1963-1974, undated
- Subseries 2.5: Draft, 1967-1973
- Subseries 2.6: Civil Liberties, 1962-1972, undated
- Subseries 2.7: Other Foreign, 1969-1974
- Subseries 2.8: Other Domestic, 1967-1974, undated
- Subseries 2.9: Electoral and Legislative, 1962-1970, undated
- Subseries 2.10: Honorary Events, 1967-1977
- Series 3: Media Relations, 1962-1977, undated
- Subseries 3.1: General, 1962-1974
- Subseries 3.2: Editorial, 1967-1973
- Subseries 3.3: News Clippings, 1971-1977
- Subseries 3.4: Films, Slides, Tapes, 1968-1977, undated
- Series 4: Other Organizations, 1961-1982, undated
- Series 5: National SANE, 1960-1974, undated
- Subseries 5.1: Meetings and Events, 1962-1973
- Subseries 5.2: Publications, 1960-1974, undated
- Subseries 5.3: Policy Statements, 1960-1974
- Series 6: Reference Files, 1960-1976, undated
Donated by Mike Sletson in November 1974.
Original audiovisual materials, as well as preservation and duplicating masters, may not be played. Researchers must consult use copies, or if none exist must pay for a use copy. Certain digital files may also be inaccessible. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
Finding aid revised according to contemporary archival standards in June 2015.
- Publisher
- Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan, Sky Global Services India (P) Ltd.
- Finding Aid Date
- May 2024
- Access Restrictions
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Collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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The SANE, Inc. Greater Philadelphia Council (Pa.) Records are the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
Series 1 is organized in 5 subseries: Executive Bodies; Organizational Documents, Staff Papers; Chapter and Branch Organization; Membership, Fundraising, and Finances; and Lists.
Subseries 1.1 contains Philadelphia Council, 1962-1976, and Educational Fund, 1976-1978, chronologically arranged agendas, minutes, etc.
Subseries 1.2 includes correspondence and papers of council officers and staff. Topics range from personal matters to global affairs.
Subseries 1.3 describes local groups throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Subseries 1.4 contains membership and fundraising lists, financial records, and other materials.
Subseries 1.5 includes contacts, media lists, and miscellaneous lists.
Series 2 documents local SANE activities including demonstrations, letter writing campaigns, meetings. Folders are arranged chronologically within each of ten subseries. General; Educational; Weapons of Mass Destruction; Indochina War; Draft; Civil Liberties; Other Foreign; Other Domestic; Electoral and Legislative; and Honorary Events.
Series 3 documents on SANE's impact on local news media. Arranged in four subseries: General; Editorial; News Clippings; and Films, Slides, Tapes.
Series 4 contains literature from groups other than SANE, arranged alphabetically by organization name. Includes sampling of late 1960s and early 1970s radical groups, including most anti-war coalitions.
Series 5 is arranged chronologically within three subseries:
Subseries 5.1: Meetings and Events; Publications; and Policy Statements.
Series 6 includes information on a wide range of topics, arranged alphabetically by subject.