New World Resource Center (Chicago, Ill.) records
Descriptive Summary
- Repository
-
Chicago History Museum
Research Center1601 North Clark StreetChicago, IL 60614-6038
- Creator
- New World Resource Center
- Bib number
- 00066595
- Title
- New World Resource Center (Chicago, Ill.) records
- Dates
- 1965-1980
- Predominant Dates
- 1971-1976
- Quantity
- 6 linear feet (14 boxes)
- Call number
- MSS Lot N
- Language
- English French Spanish
Restriction(s)
This collection is open for research use.
Terms governing use
Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.
Provenance statement
Materials were a gift of the New World Resource Center (accession #: M1983.0062, 2010.0050).
Please cite this collection as
New World Resource Center records (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.
Collection Summary
Correspondence, financial records, mailing lists, newspaper clippings, newsletter, pamphlets, book lists for prisoners, and other administrative records of the New World Resource Center, a non-profit, left-wing bookstore and meeting space in Chicago. The majority of the collection consists of bulletins, newspapers, newsletters, journals, reports, fliers, and other printed material collected by the NWRC from organizations promoting minority and women’s rights, nuclear disarmament, anti-war sentiment, anti-Vietnam War movement, human rights in Latin America, and other humanitarian, social, racial, and political causes.
Biographical/historical note
The New World Resource Center (NWRC) was established in 1972 as a non-profit organization to promote the collaboration and exchange of ideas among left-wing, labor, and progressive individuals and groups. NWRC was not associated with any single political party or ideology. NWRC operated a volunteer-run bookstore and meeting space, located originally at 2546 North Halsted Street and then at various locations in Chicago, and disseminated progressive information through publications and by hosting events such as lectures and performances. The Prisoner Support Group, affiliated with NWRC, distributed literature to prisoners. NWRC closed in 2008.
Other Finding Aids
Finding aid also submitted to the Explore Chicago Collections portal.
Indexed Terms
- New World Resource Center (Chicago, Ill.)--Archives
- Anti-imperialist movements--Illinois--Chicago
- Bookstores--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
- New Left
- New Left--United States--20th century
- Political participation
- Prisoners--Education
- Radicalism--United States
- Radicalism--United States--20th century
- Social action
- Social movements--20th century
- Social movements--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
- Underground press publications
- 2546 North Halstead Street (Chicago, Ill.)
- Chicago (Ill.)--Politics and governments--1951
- Chicago (Ill.)--Social conditions--20th century
- Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.: Community Area)
- Announcements
- Bulletins
- Correspondence
- Financial records
- French language items
- Lists
- Newsletters
- Newspaper clippings
- Pamphlets
- Periodicals
- Reports
- Spanish language items
Organization and Arrangement of Collection
The collection is arranged physically into four series by subject
Series 1. Research material, 1965-1980 (box 1-8)
Series 1 consists of bulletins, newspapers, newsletters, journals, press releases, reports, working papers, and other printed material collected by the NWRC. Materials were likely used for research and available for free to the public in the NWRC library. Materials were published by organizations located across the United States and internationally, and pertain to topics such as women's rights, racial equality, the Vietnam War, and humanitarian and political issues in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Includes publications in Spanish and French.
Series 2. Chicago publications, 1970-1978 (box 8-11)
Series 2 consists of bulletins, newspapers, newsletters, and other publications collected by the NWRC and produced by organizations located primarily in Chicago. Includes numerous issues of "The Call" (1977-1978), published by the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist).
Series 3. Correspondence with prisoners, 1971-1974 (box 11-13)
Series 3 contains correspondence from prisoners requesting literature from the NWRC; the Prisoner Support Group affiliated with NWRC; and the Africa Research Group in Cambridge (Mass.). NWRC advocated for prisoners' right to education and sent literature to correctional institutions free of charge. Folders are arranged alphabetically by city and state; includes also correspondence from Germany.
Series 4. Administrative records, ca. 1975 (box 13-14)
Series 4 contains correspondence, fundraising and financial reports, conference material, mailing lists, newspaper clippings, book lists for prisoners, pamphlets, newsletters, drafts, and other administrative records of the NWRC. Also present is correspondence with prisoner aid organizations and material produced by other left-wing organizations and related to topics such as racism and repression.
Detailed list of contents of the collection
- Title
- Research material
- Dates
- 1965-1980
- Title
- Research material and Chicago publications
- Dates
- 1965-1980
- Title
- Research material and Chicago publications
- Dates
- 1965-1980
- Title
- Chicago publications
- Dates
- 1970-1978
- Title
- Chicago publications and Correspondence with prisoners
- Dates
- 1970-1978
- Title
- Chicago publications and Correspondence with prisoners
- Dates
- 1970-1978
- Title
- Correspondence with prisoners
- Dates
- 1971-1974
- Title
- Correspondence with prisoners and Administrative records
- Dates
- 1971-1975
- Title
- Correspondence with prisoners and Administrative records
- Dates
- 1971-1975
- Title
- Administrative records
- Dates
- 1975