Group Research Inc. records, 1955-1996

Summary Information

At a Glance

Bib ID:
5010936 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Group Research, Inc
Repository:
Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Physical Description:
215 linear feet (512 document boxes; 1 map case; 1 flat box)
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.

This collection has no restrictions.

The following boxes are located off-site: 1-512. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

Several items in this collection contain language that can be considered offensive or harmful, including expressions of antisemitism, racism, and other bigoted sentiments. These materials were compiled and made available by Group Research, Inc. as a political research tool for opponents of right-wing extremism during the 1960s-1980s.

Unique time-based media items have been reformatted and are available onsite via links in the container list. Commercial materials are not routinely digitized.

Description

Scope and Contents

Wesley McCune founded Group Research Inc. in 1962 after a successful career as a journalist for such magazines as "Newsweek", "Time", "Life", and "Changing Times. Group Research Inc. was based in Washington DC until ceasing operations in the mid-1990s. The organization collected materials that focus on the right-wing and span four decades. The archive includes information about and by right-wing organizations and activists in the form of publications, correspondence, pamphlets, reports, the newspaper "Congressional Record," and magazine clippings and other ephemera. McCune and his small staff also published an initially bi-monthly but in later years monthly newsletter Group Research Report which kept its subscribers abreast of the latest views and actions of right-wingers.

McCune and his staff catalogued the collection to operate as a fully accessible library, and their organization, including their folder labels, has been maintained as much as possible. Most of the materials are arranged alphabetically by topic (rather than, for example, chronologically) and have been divided into three separate series. Four other series contain volumes of Group Research Report, larger printed works, audio-visual materials, and the Group Research Directory.

The collection is thoroughly cross-referenced and also contains the Group Research Directory which, dating mostly from the 1960s, provides brief histories of prominent people organizations and publications associated with the right wing. The Group Research Directory can be found in Series VII.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into 15 series.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on 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.

This collection has no restrictions.

The following boxes are located off-site: 1-512. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

Several items in this collection contain language that can be considered offensive or harmful, including expressions of antisemitism, racism, and other bigoted sentiments. These materials were compiled and made available by Group Research, Inc. as a political research tool for opponents of right-wing extremism during the 1960s-1980s.

Unique time-based media items have been reformatted and are available onsite via links in the container list. Commercial materials are not routinely digitized.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Curator of Manuscripts, Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML). The RBML approves permission to publish that which it physically owns; the responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Group Research Records; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Online exhibit

Choosing Sides: Right-Wing Icons in the Group Research Records. Columbia University Libraries.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Existence and Location of Copies

The Card File is on microfilm.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--[source of acquisition]. Method of acquisition--Purchase; Date of acquisition--1996.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Processed by Patrick Lawlor as GA assistants; addition processed by Alyssa Nicole Meyers 2005.

Revision Description

2010-01-29 Legacy finding aid created from Pro Cite.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

2020-01-20 Combined AV series

2020-11-23 Revised collection description to include additional collection information that was previously only in the Biographical History. Added list of special reports to Series VII.

2021-02-04 Added links to batch 2 of digitized AV materials. kws

Biographical / Historical

Wesley McCune founded Group Research Inc. in 1962 after a successful career as a journalist for such magazines as "Newsweek", "Time", "Life", and "Changing Times". In addition, McCune worked as well as a staff member of several government agencies and government-related organizations. Based in Washington DC until ceasing operations in the mid-1990s Group Research Inc. collected materials that focus on the right-wing and span four decades. The resulting Group Research archive includes information about and by right-wing organizations and activists in the form of publications correspondence pamphlets reports newspaper "Congressional Record" and magazine clippings and other ephemera. The collection is thoroughly cross-referenced and contains the Group Research Directory which, dating mostly from the 1960s, provides brief histories of prominent people organizations and publications associated with the right wing. McCune and his small staff also published an initially bi-monthly but in later years monthly newsletter Group Research Report which kept its subscribers abreast of the latest views and actions of right-wingers.

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.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form
Sound recordings CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Name
Group Research, Inc CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Hargis, Billy James, 1925- CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
John Birch Society CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Welch, Robert, 1899-1985 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Subject
Christian conservatism CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Conservatism -- United States CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Political culture CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Political movements -- United States CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Political parties CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Pressure groups CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Radicalism -- United States CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Religious right CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Republicanism CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Right and left (Political science) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Right-wing extremists -- United States CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID