Amnesty International of the USA Inc. Barbara Sproul Papers, 1970-1984, bulk 1975-1981
Summary Information
Abstract
At a Glance
- Call No.:
- HR#0001.20
- Bib ID:
- 10324576 View CLIO record
- Creator(s):
- Sproul, Barbara C.
- Repository:
- Rare Book and Manuscript Library
- Physical Description:
- 10 linear feet (8 record cartons)
- Language(s):
- English .
- Access:
- You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.
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This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
This collection has restrictions. Restrictions for boxes and folders are noted in the series descriptions and may also be found within the contents list.
Description
Summary
Much of the collection concerns the organization and functioning of AIUSA, including the work of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors, the International Council Meeting (ICM), AI bylaws, fundraising, finances, and long-term planning. There is also material concerning the death penalty, prisoner cases taken on by the Riverside local group, and co-group information, especially the Eastern European (CSSR) Co-group. Materials consist of publications, reports, prisoner files, meeting minutes, financial records, planning documents, correspondence, and conference materials.
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Series I: AIUSA Executive Committee, 1974-1981
The series contains meeting minutes and other documents of the Executive Committee that discuss policy decisions, AGM, budget information, and other operating details of AIUSA.
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This series contains information on ICM including reports, schedules, and planning materials, among others.
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Series III: General, 1972-1984
This series contains materials on a variety of subjects, especially performances and events, correspondence, publications, clippings, and committees.
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Series IV: Riverside Local Group, 1970-1984
This series concerns the Riverside Group, which was chaired by Ivan Morris at this time. Most of the series deals with individual cases that the group worked on.
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Series V: Board of Directors, 1973-1982
This series contains Board of Directors Minutes as well as additional Executive Committee Minutes.
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Series VI: General Secretary, 1978-1980
This small series contains general information on the Secretary General, the head of AI at the international level.
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Series VII: AI Bylaws, 1974-1976
This series contains several folders relating to amendments to the AIUSA bylaws and is comprised mainly of correspondence and notes by Sproul and others, suggestions for change and clarification in many areas of the bylaws from many people.
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Series VIII: AI Search Committee, 1974-1978
This series primarily documents the work of the nominating committee for the board of Directors National Coordinator. It contains resumes, job descriptions, letters of recommendation, discussion and discussion of candidates, etc. This series is restricted.
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Series IX: Co-Groups, 1979-1983
This series contains information about AIUSA Coordination Groups. It includes information on managing the co-group system in general, such as reports to the board, budgets, lists of co-group addresses, surveys and evaluations of groups, and training information. It also includes files on specific co-groups; these contain newsletters, clippings, and correspondence, usually between Sproul and the contact person at the co-group about cases and issues that the groups are working on. The series contains monthly mailings from Sproul to co-group leaders.
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Series X: Death Penalty, 1978-1984
This series contains a wide variety of information about AIUSA's efforts to abolish the end death penalty. Most relate to the United States, but there is some material on other countries. It includes meeting notes and plans of action, suggestions for writing to state officials on the death penalty, research material such as clippings and lists of past executions, and reports on the use of the death penalty in the US and other countries, among many others. There is much information from conferences and meetings, as well as mailings encouraging local groups to select a death penalty coordinator and take up the cause.
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Series XI: Fundraising, 1974-1982
This series contains information on the 1981/1982 and 1982/1983 budgets for AIUSA; lists of major donors and their contributions; fundraising reports; a file on the International Promotion Project containing proposed fundraising plans, and information on the Art for Amnesty program, which raised funds through the sale of donated artwork and posters and prints.
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Series XII: Finances, 1974-1981
This series contains a small amount of general financial information.
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Series XIII: Planning, 1975-1979
This series documents planning and goals for the work of AIUSA in the 1970s and 1980s.
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Series: XIV: AI Publications, 1974-1982
This series contains a proposal for the movie "The Secret Policeman's Ball," correspondence and reports regarding publication and distribution of AIUSA materials and problems faced by the organization, and a copy of "Resource List of Previewed Films" which reviews human rights related films. There are also issues of Matchbox and AI Actions.
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This series concerns the Eastern European Co-group and cases in Czechoslovakia (CSSR). Most files relate to POC cases and the adoption groups that worked with those cases, and contain correspondence and updates about the prisoners. It also contains group mailings from Sproul to adoption groups providing updates, prisoner information, suggestions, and responses to questions.
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Series XVI: Ivan Morris Fund, 1976-1983
This series contains information on the Ivan Morris Fund, which provided relief directly to prisoners of conscience and their families. The fund could be used for health care, legal fees, basic living expenses, and education
Arrangement
This collection has been arranged into 16 series.
- Series I: AIUSA Executive Committee, 1974-1981
- Series II: ICM, 1977-1981
- Series III: General, 1972-1984
- Series IV: Riverside Local Group, 1970-1984
- Series V: Board of Directors, 1973-1982
- Series VI: General Secretary, 1978-1980
- Series VII: AI Bylaws, 1974-1976
- Series VIII: AI Search Committee, 1974-1978
- Series IX: Co-Groups, 1979-1983
- Series X: Death Penalty, 1978-1984
- Series XI: Fundraising, 1974-1982
- Series XII: Finances, 1974-1981
- Series XIII: Planning, 1975-1979
- Series: XIV: AI Publications, 1974-1982
- Series XV: CSSR, 1978-1984
- Series XVI: Ivan Morris Fund, 1976-1983
Using the Collection
Restrictions on Access
Rbml Advance Appointment
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
This collection has restrictions. Restrictions for boxes and folders are noted in the series descriptions and may also be found within the contents list.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
Reproductions may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from Amnesty International of the USA, Inc.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Amnesty International of the USA, Inc. Barbara Sproul Papers, 1970-1984; Box and Folder; Center for Human Rights Documentation and Research, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Related Materials
See Center for Human Rights Documentation and Research (CHRDR) page for more information about all AIUSA collections: https://library.columbia.edu/libraries/chrdr/archive_collections/aiusa.html
Accruals
Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
Ownership and Custodial History
The papers were originally donated by Barbara Sproul to the University of Colorado Boulder as part of the AIUSA collection. In 2006 the AIUSA collection was transferred to RBML. Additional material donated by Barbara Sproul in June 2007.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source of acquisition--Barbara Sproul. Method of acquisition--Deposit at University of Colorado Boulder.
Source of acquisition--AIUSA. Method of acquisition--Deposit; Date of acquisition--2006.
About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Processing Information
Preliminary inventory by Harvey N. Gardiner at the University of Colorado, Boulder, August 16, 1994. Additional processing by Catherine Carson Ricciardi in 2007 and by Carolyn Smith in April 2017. Finding aid written by Carolyn Smith in June 2018.
Revision Description
2021-04-14 EAD document created by CCR.
Biographical / Historical
Barbara Sproul became a member of Amnesty International in 1968 and has been active with the organization for many years. She was a founding member of Amnesty's Riverside Group on the Upper East Side of New York City and served as a member of the AIUSA Board of Directors (1972-1983), as well as its General Secretary (1978-1980). Sproul was also involved in the formation of the country coordination (co-group) program and led the Eastern European Co-group. Sproul is currently a Professor of religion at Hunter College, City University of New York.
Subject Headings
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
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