Cox Commission records, 1957-1971

Summary Information

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in three series: Series I: Exhibits; Series II: Printed Materials; and Series III: Testimony before the Fact Finding Commission.

• Series I: Exhibits
• Series II: Printed Materials
• Series III: Testimony before the Fact Finding Commission

Description

Summary

This collection consists of the work conducted by the Fact Finding Commission appointed to investigate the disturbances at Columbia in April and May 1968. The materials include the audio-tapes, unorganized and uncorrected transcripts, and the final transcripts of the testimony from the hearings held from May 7 to July 25, 1968. There are also the general exhibits used in the hearings and a collection of printed materials (newspapers and magazines) covering the events of 1968.

• Series I: Exhibits

  This series contains the general exhibits used in the hearings and/or the materials gathered by the Cox Commission as part of their research before the hearings. This series includes correspondence, handwritten notes, clipplings, and publications.

• Series II: Printed Materials

  This series contains a collection of printed materials (newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, flyers, etc.) covering the events of 1968. The publications are both local and national.

• Series III: Testimony before the Fact Finding Commission

  This series contains the audio-tapes, unorganized and uncorrected transcripts, and the final, bound transcripts of the testimony from the hearings held from May 7 to July 25, 1968, including an index to the testimony books. There is also a selection of bound reports and transcripts related to the events.

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

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 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.

The RBML cannot provide access to original time-based media material which has not been first been reformatted for preservation. Researchers are welcome to examine archival time-based media items and decide whether they wish to place an order for Audio/Video reformatting. If copyright and/or condition restrictions apply, it may not be possible to digitize a requested item. Please note that A/V reformatting is handled by an outside vendor and typically takes 6-8 weeks.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Cox Commission records (Box and Folder numbers), University Archives, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University Libraries.

Related Materials

For related materials, please consult the 1968 Crisis research guide.

Accruals

No additions are expected.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The records were transferred from the Cox Commission in October 1968 and from Office of the Secretary in 1987.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Collection-level record describing unprocessed material made public in November 2018 as part of the Hidden Collections initiative. Collection was processed and finding aid was written by Joanna Rios in June 2022.

Revision Description

2022-06-03 Full finding aid published (JR)

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Subject

History / Biographical Note

Historical Note

Organized at the request of the Executive Committee of the Faculty, the Fact Finding Commission was composed of five members and chaired by Harvard law professor Archibald Cox. The Cox Commission was given the mandate to establish a chronology of events leading up to and including the Columbia crisis, and to inquire into the underlying causes of those events. The Commission held twenty-one days of hearings starting in May 1968, heard testimony from seventy-nine witnesses, and compiled 3,790 pages of transcript. The report, published in a paperback edition on September 26, 1968, stressed the lack of effective channels of communication between administration, faculty, and students, and endorsed implicitly the Executive Committee's idea for a representative University Senate.