The New American Movement (NAM) was a movement for democratic socialism in the United States and was established in 1972. Two years later (1973), the Pittsburgh Chapter of NAM was organized. In 1982 the New American Movement and the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee merged to form the Democratic Socialists of America.
The bulk of the collection is comprised of internal reports and publications. The internal reports address planning, organizing, and coordinating for NAM programs and activities. The initiatives of the Pittsburgh chapter are represented by reports, correspondence, strategy papers, minutes, and notes. The publications primarily are national in scope and contain a number of pamphlet, monographic, and serial titles.
The collection appears in two sections and contains a broad sampling of items from the various years covered. The first section contains items related to the programs and activities of the Pittsburgh Chapter. The initiatives of the Pittsburgh Chapter primarily centered upon energy, labor, health care, social services, gay liberation, and political education. A significant component of the collection, the files of the People's Power Project, highlight the chapter's work in the area of energy. Materials in this first section cover the period February 1973 to August 1982. The second section contains material related to the national body of NAM and covers the period January 1972 to May 1981.
No restrictions.
The records were deposited in the Archives by Ed Meek in 1989.
New American Movement, Pittsburgh Chapter Records, 1973-1982, AIS.1989.18, Archives Services Center, University of Pittsburgh
New American Movement, Pittsburgh Chapter Records, 1973-1982, AIS.1989.18, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh
This collection was processed by Roland C. Barksdale-Hall in June 1991.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Clay Redding in April 1999. Information about the collection title and the controlled access terms was extracted from the MARC Record in the University of Pittsburgh catalog, Notis ID number AKF8585.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Contains an overview of the Chapter's projects and activities from 1971-1974. Three items in one folder.
This series contains twelve folder consisting minutes and notes. Minutes contains meeting agendas, election results, summaries of national mailings received by Pittsburgh chapter, and various reports regarding the activities of chapter committees and the Expanded National Interim Committee (ENIC). Lacks minutes from January 1974-November 1975.
Notes contains committee reports, financial reports, NIC (National Interim Committee) reports, and reports on chapter activity. Lacks notes from December 1974-April 1976; June 1976-February 1977; and October 1977-July 1978.
Contains meeting agendas, election results, summaries of national mailings received by Pittsburgh chapter, and various reports regarding the activities of chapter committees and the Expanded National Interim Committee (ENIC). Lacks minutes from January 1974-November 1975.
Contains committee reports, financial reports, NIC (National Interim Committee) reports, and reports on chapter activity. Lacks notes from December 1974-April 1976; June 1976-February 1977; and October 1977-July 1978.
The Steering Committee maintained communication with the Expanded National Interim Committee and national NAM, coordinated the joint work of the branches and organizing committees, oversaw chapter committees, prepared agendas for chapter business meetings. Contains minutes of meetings. Notes missing from October 1977-April 1978.
The Community Organizing Committee worked with NAM and existing local groups and helped form coalitions between the groups. Contains miscellaneous notes and a statement of purpose.
The Cultural Affairs Committee developed the work of the Chapter in the arts and coordinated fundraising efforts. Contains notes, correspondence, and miscellaneous material concerning the International Women's Day Celebration.
The Gay Liberation Committee supported legislation that protected against discrimination based on sexual preference.
The Labor Committee coordinated workplace organizing, produced educational materials, and supported other labor-related programs of the Chapter. Contains correspondence, reports, notes, and miscellaneous materials related to the Labor Theater.
The Office Committee handled the day-to-day activities of the Chapter through the Chapter office and reports to the Steering Committee. Contains telephone trees, membership lists, and monthly meeting schedules.
The People's Power Project developed the chapter's work in the area of energy. The committees worked with several local groups, which included South Oakland Citizens Council, Pennsylvania Alliance for Jobs and Energy (PAJE), and Pittsburgh Coalition for Non-Nuclear World. The bulk of the material contains references to Duquesne Light Company. It includes hearings and testimony, brochures, notes, strategy papers, photographs, miscellaneous reports, and reference files.
The Political Education (PE) Committee had two tasks: 1) to provide education for the members and committees of the chapter and orientation sessions for new members, and 2) to provide socialist education against agitational work in the larger community. Contains correspondence and questionnaires.
The Public Presence and Outreach Committee (PP O) was responsible for planning and executing the chapter's public events. It also worked with other committees in the chapter, when they planned to hold public events. Contains correspondence, strategy papers, flyers describing audiovisual programs, notes, and materials related to the Chapter's programs for women.
The Social Services Committee focuses on social services within city and federal government. Contains correspondence, notes, and materials related to the call for former President Nixon's impeachment.
The Women's Committee developed a unified approach to socialist feminism within the chapter. Contains a survey questionnaire.
Contains committee reports, reports related to chapter activities, report on collaboration and evaluations of the chapter. Reports missing from 1978 and 1979.
Contains notes and papers.
In 1972 Ed Meek wrote one of the first proposals outlining the responsibilities of the traveler. As a traveler, Ed Meek subsequently visited chapters across the country, evaluated their activities, and offered suggestions for improvement. While Ed Meek was a member of the Pittsburgh Chapter, he also held a position as a national traveler. Contains proposal from Ed Meek to National (July 22), subsequent travel correspondence, lists of contacts made during trips, and reports to the National. Lacks correspondence from October 1973-June 1976.
Lacks February 1973-May 1973; July 1973-October 1973; December 1973-February 1974; April 1974; May 1975-August 1975; November 1975; February 1976-June 1976 (Volume 4, Numbers 2-3); February 1979 (Volume 7, Number 2); July 1979-September 1979 (Volume 7, Number 5); January 1981-February 1981 (Volume 9, Number 1); and May 1981-June 1981 (Volume 9, Number 3).
Lacks March 1981, May 1981, August 1981.
Contains quarterly reports from November 1974 to January 1976, membership lists, and ledger sheets.
Contains materials related to the Pennsylvania Alliance for Jobs and Energy, Pittsburgh Coalitia for a Non-Nuclear World, and Pittsburgh Neighborhood Alliance.
The revised constitution adopted in 1975 provided that a "regional organization was to be set up in each region." The National Interim Committee (NIC) established the boundaries of the region. The Industrial Heartland Regional Council...Each chapter from the Industrial Heartland Region elected one person for their steering committee, who served on the Industrial Heartland Regional Council. The Industrial Heartland Regional Council was comprised of chapters from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, New York, and Maryland. Contains meeting agendas, chapter reports, National Interim Committee (NIC) reports, mailing lists, and discussions of programs and activities.
Reports included from local chapters in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, and New York. Contains material related to membership recruitment, political education, and programs and activities.
Between meetings of the National Convention and the Expanded National Interim Committee (ENIC), the National Interim Committee (NIC) was the highest political and administrative body of the National New American Movement. The NIC was composed of 11 members of whom at least half were women. Among the NIC membership the National office (also known as the Political Committee) had three representatives. The NIC met not less than five times a year and its responsibilities included organizing program task forces and other subcommittees on the national level, convening the Expanded National Interim Committee and the national convention, and chartering chapters.
Contains progress reports, task force reports, financial statements, minutes of National Interim Committee meetings, chapter reports, proposals, mailing lists, convention reports, and position papers.
Contains materials related to the War and Imperialism Task Force, Cultural Commissions, Health Task Force, Economic Task Force, and Utilities Task Force. Includes proposals, chapter reports, flyers, and correspondence. Records missing from January 1974-December 1974.
The Expanded National Interim Committee (ENIC), the highest decision-making body after the national convention, met at least twice a year to review the organization's work and program. The ENIC was comprised of the National Interim Committee (NIC) plus representatives elected from each region. Contains agendas, minutes, position papers, office reports, evaluations of programs and activities. Lacks materials from June 1977-February 1979.
Issues addressed at national conferences included health, media, AT T, economics and labor, repression, war and imperialsim, anti-corporate organizing, occupational health and safety, co-ops, social services and housing, and youth and education.
Conference focused on the capitalist economic system.
At the meeting in Davenport, Iowa, some 300 political activists from around the country met to form a new nation-wide socialist organization. The Davenport Conference laid the foundation for the New American Movement. Seven months later, at NAM's Founding Convention in Minneapolis, these ideas were codified in NAM's Political Perspective.
Political activists from Philadelphia attended the organizational meeting of NAM in Davenport, Iowa. Ed Meek, who attended the Davenport Conference from Philadelphia, was one of the organizers of the Philadelphia Chapter. Contains chapter history, minutes, meeting agendas, project proposals, membership lists, and workshop programs.
Includes material concerning Minneapolis, Long Island, Cleveland, San Diego County, Snake Ranch, Purham, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Berkeley, Dayton, and Baltimore chapters. Contains flyers, position papers, correspondence, reports, and miscellaneous newspapers.
Contains Women Organizing Bulletin,theCultural Gazette, Health Activists Digest,theStruggle Against Racism,and theReproductive Rights Newsletter.