Guide to the John Birch Society records, 1928-1990

(bulk 1965-1989)

John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Published in 2025

Collection Overview

Title:	John Birch Society records
Date range:	1928-1990, (1965-1989)
Creator:	Welch, Robert
Extent:	46 Linear Feet 33 records center boxes, 1 one-size box, 2 document boxes, 31 reels of film in 12 film containers and one records center box
Abstract:	The John Birch Society records include audio-visual material such as audiocassettes, films, filmstrips, phonograph records, reel-to-reel tapes, slides and videocassettes; business records, correspondence, manuscripts, membership lists, office files, publications and subject files. The records also include a great deal of material regarding the Society's campaign against the ratification of the Panama Canal Treaties during the 1970s. The records are dated from 1928 to 1990. Most of the material is dated from 1965 to 1990.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Collection number:	Ms.2013.003

Scope & content

The John Birch Society records include audio-visual material such as audiocassettes, films, filmstrips, phonograph records, reel-to-reel tapes, slides and videocassettes; business records, correspondence, manuscripts, membership lists, office files, publications and subject files. In addition, the records include a variety of materials, chiefly correspondence and newspaper clippings, related to the Society's 1970s campaign against ratification of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, referred to in these records as the Panama Canal Treaty. The records are dated from 1928 to 1990, but most of the material is dated from 1965 to 1990.

With very few exceptions, the material found foldered in the records has been labeled as the Society labeled it. Folder contents were left in the folder where they were originally filed, with one exception. Because of its importance, the letter from Robert Welch to his employees that was in a folder labeled "Misc." in Series 2. Business records, Subseries G. Sales and purchasing records, was moved to a separate folder in the same series and subseries (see description in Series 2 below). Material found unfoldered was assigned to an appropriate series. Folders labeled with a person's name were all labeled "last name, first name". In Series 9. Subject files, all the folders related to the "Scandal '74" were relabeled to begin with "Scandal".

The records have been organized into the following series:

Series 1. Correspondence

This series has been organized into two subseries. Because materials were left in the folders where they were filed by the Society, additional correspondence may be found in all other series. The correspondence in this series is dated from 1960 to 1989. Correspondence related to the Society's campaign against ratification of the Panama Canal Treaty is in Series 7. Panama Canal Treaty campaign, Subseries A. Correspondence. A small number of letters related to the Society's films, filmstrips and reel-to-reel tapes may be found in Series 10. Media, Subseries D. Reel-to-reel tapes and in Series 10. Media, Subseries H. Correspondence, pamphlets and other related material.

Series 1. Subseries A. General

This subseries contains correspondence from particular persons to the Society as well as correspondence the Society described as "interesting letters", "letters from supporters", and "members' letters sent to Welch". Correspondence that was found unfoldered in the records has been arranged by date. This subseries is dated from 1960 to 1989.

Series 1. Subseries B. Correspondence between the Society and members

The first part of this subseries is arranged, as it was by the Society, by the first letter of the member's last name. Most of the correspondence in this section is about contributions from members or orders for books published by the Society. A copy of the Society's reply is attached to the member's original letter. The second part of this subseries is arranged by date. Most of the correspondence in this section is on a form called "Members Monthly Message", which the Society provided to members so that they could express their opinions on issues of interest to them. A copy of the Society's reply is attached to the member's original letter. Most of the letters from the Society to members are responses to questions about various political issues or thank you notes for contributions.

This subseries also contains some newspaper clippings, pamphlets and copies of some of the Society's publications such as The Birch Log. It is dated from 1960 to 1989.

Series 2. Business records

This series contains material related to the business and publishing activities of the Society, which were all part of the General Birch Services Corporation (GBSC). The GBSC included the American Opinion Book Division, the American Opinion Speakers Bureau, and John Birch Society Features. American Opinion, The Review of the News, and Western Islands Publishing were listed as affiliates on the corporation's stationery. This series includes material related to subscriptions to various publications such as The New American and The Review of the News, sales and purchasing records for the American Opinion Bookstores, personnel records, including job evaluations and statistics; and records of contributions to the Continuing Support Clubs. The material in this series is dated from 1963 to 1990. It has been organized into the following subseries:

Series 2. Subseries A. New American subscriptions

The beginning of this subseries consists of folders for individual subscribers, arranged alphabetically from A to L. Folders for subscribers with names beginning from M to Z were not found in these records. The folders contain correspondence regarding subscriptions to The New American, requests for gift subscriptions and often a copy of the subscriber's renewal certificate. The last part of this subseries contains yellow cards labeled "Renewal Certificate", each with the address label of the subscriber on the card. These certificates are not in alphabetical or numerical order. This subseries is dated from 1986 to 1990, but most of the material is dated 1988.

Series 2. Subseries B. American Opinion bookstores

The American Opinion bookstores were operated by the American Opinion Book Division of the GBSC. They sold books, pamphlets, magazines and other materials approved by the Society. This subseries contains a variety of material related to operating the bookstores, including lists of distributors, applications for a franchise to operate a bookstore, and a manual describing how the bookstore should be organized and managed. This subseries is dated from 1963 to 1987.

Series 2. Subseries C. Continuing Support Clubs

Members were invited to make a monthly contribution to the Society and so join the Continuing Support Club. This subseries contains contribution cards from members, a ledger listing the amount and date of contributions, and a small amount of additional material related to the Clubs such as an order form, receipt, and some empty envelopes. The material in this subseries is dated from March 1986 to June 1989. Other material regarding the Continuing Support Clubs may be found in Series 1. Correspondence, especially in Subseries B. Correspondence between the Society and members, and in Series 6. Office files.

Series 2. Subseries D. Personnel records: Evaluations and statistics

This subseries contains personnel records for employees in the Members Monthly Message Department. Almost all of the material concerns job evaluations and statistics regarding the number of monthly messages each employee processed per week. The folders are arranged alphabetically by the employee's last name. The original first folder in this subseries had a note written on the front that said "All following names are employees - Inside evaluations, bills, etc." Some other material is included in the folders, such as notes on when an employee left the Society's employment, time sheets, and the guidelines used in their evaluations. This subseries is dated from 1964 to 1975.

Series 2. Subseries E. Personnel records: In house salary, wages, time sheets

The Society arranged this material by date, labeling each folder with the month and year. A note was written on the first original folder ("Sept 1965") that said "In house - salary, wages and time sheets". The folders contain sheets that appear to have been taken from an accounting ledger. They record which employees were present on each day of the month, the weekly total of what were probably the number of Members Monthly Messages that each employee processed, the number of envelopes they received, and the amount of cash received each day under various categories such as "AO" (American Opinion) and "JBS" (John Birch Society). The folder labeled "Misc." contains only a list of names. This subseries is dated from 1965 to 1979.

Series 2. Subseries F. Members Monthly Message statistics

This subseries contains records of the number of Members Monthly Messages processed by each employee of the Members Monthly Message Department. Some of the statistics are recorded on ledger sheets like those used in Subseries E. Personnel records: In house salary, wages, time sheets. This material is dated from 1968 to January 1979.

Series 2. Subseries G. Sales and purchasing records

This subseries consists mostly of sales receipts and invoices for various Society publications. The folders labeled "AO" contain lists of subscribers to American Opinion and records of the number of copies of each issue sold. The letter from Robert Welch to his employees, originally in the folder labeled "Misc.", is an explanation of the reorganization and relocation of various departments of the John Birch Society, especially the publishing and other business operations known as Robert Welch, Inc. The miscellaneous papers include invoices to and from the GBSC, receiving memos, records of United Parcel Service (UPS) shipments, and correspondence with Western Islands Publishing regarding book shipments and returns. The purchase orders are from the GBSC to various vendors, including publishers, book distributors, and office equipment suppliers. The receiving memos are slips recording the receipt of shipments from various vendors to the John Birch Society. The folder labeled "Receiving record slips" contains a notebook with copies of receipts from vendors to the Society. The Southwestern Company's bank statements are from the American Bank of Commerce in Odessa, Texas. The folders labeled "TROTN" (The Review of the News), contain statistics on how many of each issue were shipped, "pre-run worksheets", bindery and mail room reports from the printing company Krueger, and other materials related to the printing and mailing of each issue. The weekly sales reports were submitted by the field sales staff. The forms they used recorded the name and address of each person who purchased a Society publication, made a donation, became a member or bought advertising. The GBSC invoices, order forms and publication orders are copies of the invoices sent to persons and organizations who purchased various Society publications. The folder labeled "United Parcel Service shipments" contains log sheets listing the invoice number, weight and the charge for each package shipped. The material in the folder labeled "Subscription requests..." was found unfoldered in the records and assigned to this subseries.

This subseries also includes some internal memos and correspondence. It is dated from 1966 to 1989.

Additional material regarding the Society's business activities may be found in Series 6. Office files.

Series 3. L-files

This series is named for the letter and number the Society used to label the original folders. The folders have been arranged in numerical order, beginning with the folder numbered L-85. The names and numbers on the original folders were underlined in pink. Not all numbers between L-85 and L-398 were found in the records. The contents of the last three folders in this series, labeled L-385, L-387, and L-398, are missing. These folders contain information which purports to show the communist or socialist sympathies of the person named. Some correspondence is included, such as letters to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accusing various people of having communist affiliations. This series is dated from 1958 to 1974, but most of the material is from 1961.

Series 4. Manuscripts

This series contains manuscripts of books written by Gary Allen, Medford Evans, G. Edward Griffin and Robert Welch. It includes a biography of Robert Welch and two works regarding William F. Buckley, Jr., an American author and conservative political commentator who was critical of the Society. The manuscript of The Great Panama Canal Swindle, by C. Russell Evans, as well as several manuscripts of articles by Harold Lord Varney are in Series 7. Panama Canal Treaty campaign, Subseries C. Subject files. The manuscripts that are dated were written from 1971 to 1974.

Series 5. Membership lists and applications for membership

This series, dated from 1964 to 1987, contains correspondence related to the denial of requests for membership in the Society and the termination of memberships, as well as printed lists of members. It has been organized into the following subseries:

Series 5. Subseries A. Memberships terminated or applications rejected

This subseries, dated from 1964 to 1986, contains folders arranged alphabetically by name. Additional folders in this subseries are arranged by topic, for example, memberships revoked due to "other associations" such as membership in the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Each application includes a reason for rejecting or terminating the membership.

Series 5. Subseries B. Membership lists

This subseries contains computer printouts with the names and addresses of members, most of which are arranged alphabetically, as well as two shoeboxes of 3x5 index cards arranged alphabetically. Each card includes a name and address. Some include notes with a date and a dollar amount. The last section of the card file includes the categories "Drops", "Other", "Trans.", and two unlabeled sections. The cards in the "Drops" category include notes explaining why a membership was dropped. The meaning of the "Other" category and the two unlabeled sections is not known. The cards in the "Trans." section are arranged by the names of companies such as American Airlines. Some of the cards include notes about the amount and price of a company's stocks.

This subseries is dated from 1967 to 1987.

Other materials regarding membership may be found in Series 6. Office files.

Series 6. Office files

This series contains materials that are more directly related to the daily work of the Society's office staff, rather than materials concerning persons or issues of interest to the Society. It is arranged alphabetically. It includes information on membership applications, internal memos, disbanded Society chapters, instructions for chapter leaders, guides to letter writing, the Society's policy on coffee breaks, parking and working hours, and information about ordering office supplies. The folders include a variety of materials such as correspondence, pamphlets, copies of Society publications such asThe Birch Log, newspaper clippings, posters, bumper stickers, and some photographs. The folder labeled "Ephemera" contains materials found unfoldered in the records. It includes a doctor's business card and a return address sticker. The folder labeled "Miscellaneous material found loose in original boxes" includes a poem, an invoice from GBSC, a change of address, and part of a telegram. The folder labeled "Pending - comp" contains codes used to describe the status of various memberships or applications, such as "active military", "dormant", and so forth.

This series is dated from 1961 to 1989.

Series 7. Panama Canal Treaty campaign

The Torrijos-Carter Treaties were signed in 1977 by the United States and the Republic of Panama. The first treaty is officially known as The Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal, also known as the Neutrality Treaty. Under this treaty the United States retained the permanent right to defend the canal from any threat to its continued neutral service to ships of all nations. The second treaty is titled The Panama Canal Treaty. This treaty provided that as of December 31, 1999, Panama would assume full control of canal operations and become primarily responsible for its defense. These two treaties are referred to as The Panama Canal Treaty in the Society's records.

This series contains materials related to the Society's efforts to prevent the ratification of the treaties above. It includes correspondence between the Society and its members on this issue as well as correspondence between Society members and various members of Congress, the United States Department of State, and the Society's Committee on Pan American Policy. The Committee was founded by Harold Lord Varney in 1963 and became a part of the John Birch Society in 1976.

This series also includes a great many newspaper clippings as well as publications by the Society and others regarding the Panama Canal. It is dated from 1970 to 1982. It has been organized into the following subseries:

Series 7. Subseries A. Correspondence

This first part of this subseries contains correspondence to John Birch Society members from the Society regarding their participation as correspondents for the Committee on Pan American Policy. Correspondence from various Senators in response to letters received from the Society's members is also included in this subseries. The letters are arranged alphabetically, alternating folders with correspondence to members from the Society with correspondence from members of the Senate to members of the Society. There is no folder labeled "To S, "From I", "From O", or "From X-Z".

The second part of this subseries consists of letters from members of the House of Representatives to members of the Society. Often a copy of the letter sent to the House member is attached to the House member's reply.

The third part of this subseries consists of letters to the Society's Committee on Pan American Policy. Often a copy of the reply from the Committee, usually from Richard B. McKinney, the Executive Secretary, or Harold Lord Varney, the founder of the Committee, is attached to the letter the Committee received.

The fourth part of this subseries consists of correspondence regarding the Panama Canal Treaty which the Society had labeled "Miscellaneous" and "Panama letters". The miscellaneous letters are chiefly to and from various members of the Department of State, explaining their position on the Panama Canal Treaties. Most are addressed to "Dear Concerned American". The Panama letters were sent to the Society regarding the Panama Canal Treaty. Some include copies of letters the correspondent sent to various members of Congress, as well as newspaper clippings and other materials regarding the Panama Canal.

The last part of this subseries consists of letters the Society labeled "Proof of correspondence by Birchers to their Senators concerning Panama Canal Treaty in '77". These folders contain letters to and from the Committee to various Society members and letters from various members of Congress.

This subseries is dated from 1974 to 1982.

Series 7. Subseries B. Publications and newspaper clippings

This subseries consists chiefly of newspaper clippings, circa 1975, and other published materials regarding Panama and the Panama Canal Treaties.

The folders labeled "Pan American Headlines" contain material used in compiling this publication, such as drafts of articles with editor's comments. One folder contains several published issues.

Most of the "Panama clippings" are from the New York Times and the Boston Globe, although some other newspapers are represented. These folders also include pamphlets regarding the Panama Canal, copies of various magazines such as U.S. News and World Report and the Panama Canal Information Digest, newsletters from organizations such as the Hoover Institution, newsletters from various members of Congress, and several Society publications such as the Alan Stang Report, American Opinion, the Birch Log, and the TRIM Bulletin.

The folders labeled "Panama Committee reprints" include copies of pages from the Congressional Record regarding the Panama Canal, reports from organizations such as the Mott Research Group and the Canal Zone Non-profit Information Corporation, and copies of Panama Update, which was published by the Mission of Panama to the United Nations.

This subseries is dated from 1970 to 1982.

Series 7. Subseries C. Subject files

This subseries includes a number of articles and pamphlets by Harold Lord Varney, records of contributions to the Committee, blank petitions opposing ratification of the Panama Canal Treaty, form letters from the Committee to Society members, and some ephemera such as bumper stickers. The folders labeled "Manuscript file" contain manuscripts of articles by Harold Lord Varney.

This subseries is dated from 1975 to 1979.

Series 8. Publications

This series consists of copies of John Birch Society magazines, newsletters and pamphlets as well as transcripts of radio programs produced by the Society's Public Relations Department such as "Are You Listening Uncle Sam?", "The Alan Stang Report" and "The John Birch Society Report." The Birch Log was a weekly newspaper column syndicated by the Society.

The pamphlets are arranged alphabetically by title. Many of the pamphlets are reprints of articles published in American Opinion, The Review of the News or The Birch Log. A diagram of the organization of the Society may be found in the pamphlet entitled The Heartbeat of the Americanist Cause, by Robert Welch.

Copies of the Society's Pan American Headlines are in Series 7. Panama Canal Treaty campaign. Copies of various other Society publications may also be found in Series 1. Correspondence, Series 2. Business records, Series 6. Office files and Series 9. Subject files. Pamphlets related to films and filmstrips are in Series 10. Media, Subseries H. Correspondence, pamphlets and other related material.

This series is dated from 1928 to 1989.

Series 9. Subject files

This series contains material more directly related to particular topics or persons. The folders have been labeled as the Society labeled them with the exception of folders concerning the "Scandal '74", which were all relabeled to begin with "Scandal." The folders labeled "Miscellaneous" contain a great variety of material, including newsletters from various organizations or persons such as George Wallace and Strom Thurmond, newspaper clippings, correspondence, book catalogs, and copies of pages from the Congressional Record. The folder labeled "Recruitment" contains a pamphlet with a biography of Robert Welch and a history of the Society, as well as a manual for TACT (Truth about Civil Turmoil) and SYLP (Support Your Local Police). The Spanish material includes newspaper clippings and copies of the newspaper El Mundo, published in Puerto Rico, and the newspaper Documentos Sobre el Communismo, published in Mexico. Almost all of the material in folders labeled with the name of a country contain newspaper clippings. Most of the countries represented in the subject files are in the Caribbean or in Central or South America.

This series is dated from 1935 to 1990.

Series 10. Media

This series contains a variety of audio and visual material as well as some correspondence and pamphlets describing various films and filmstrips. The material that is dated was produced from 1953 to circa 1983. The series has been organized into the following subseries:

Series 10. Subseries A. Audiocassettes

The audiocassettes have been numbered and arranged alphabetically by title. Some of the tapes concern a variety of political and social issues such as the Panama Canal Treaty. Some are recordings of annual dinners or luncheons given by the Society. Several of Dr. Peter Beter's monthly audio letters are included in this subseries. Dr. Beter was an American attorney and financier who was an admirer of Governor George Wallace of Alabama and a conspiracy theorist who believed that world events were controlled by the Rockefeller family, the Kremlin and a "Bolshevik-Zionist axis." The audiocassettes are dated from 1974 to 1979.

Series 10. Subseries B. Films

All of the films are 16 mm. Some, such as "An Introduction to the John Birch Society", were produced by the Society. Others, such as "1984 Revisited", were purchased. All of the films on 7" reels were presented by Dan Smoot, a former agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and a conservative political activist. The films were produced from 1959 to circa 1983.

Series 10. Subseries C. Filmstrips

The filmstrips, dated from 1965 to 1981, are 35 mm. Some are undated. They concern political and social issues such as the Civil Rights Movement, sex education in schools, the use of marijuana, and the United Nations. The audio portion for 13 of these filmstrips may be found in Series 10. Subseries E. Reel-to-reel tapes. The 13 were converted to digital format in 2016 and are available upon request.

Series 10. Subseries D. Phonograph records

The 7" phonograph records are 33 1/3 rpm. Most are recordings of Robert Welch's bi-monthly and monthly oral messages. "Are You Listening, Uncle Sam?" is a sampler of excerpts from the radio series of the same name. The 12" phonograph records are 33 1/3 rpm and are recordings of Robert Welch as well, but their specific contents are not known. They are labeled as they were on the record sleeve. These recordings are dated from 1965 to 1970.

Series 10. Subseries E. Reel-to-reel audiotapes

Thirteen of the reel-to-reel audiotapes are the audio portion of filmstrips included in Series 10. Media. Subseries C. Filmstrips and were migrated to digital format in 2016 and are available upon request. To access the audio recordings click on this link John Birch Society (Ms.2013.003) Audio Files and request access. The other reel-to-reel tapes are recordings of the Society's anniversary dinners or "Members Monthly Messages." Many concern issues such as the Liberty Amendment or communism, or are recordings of speeches or public appearances by persons such as Governor George Wallace and Senator Joseph McCarthy. The tapes also include a series of recordings entitled "Know Your Enemy", "Miscellaneous Current Events" and "Red Empire."

Some of the tape boxes include an index card or notes describing the contents. Some of the tapes are undated and four are untitled. The tapes that are dated were produced from 1953 to 1977.

Series 10. Subseries F. Slides

The slides in this subseries were originally in envelopes or in plastic boxes. None are dated. The Society had labeled them "O54", "General Birch" and "Utah Anti-Abortion League presentation". Slides with the first two labels include images of people such as Walter Cronkite and Ralph Nader, objects such as a horse drawn carriage, editorial cartoons and magazine covers. It is not know what "054" means. The "Utah Anti-Abortion League" slides consist primarily of graphic photographs of fetuses.

Series 10. Subseries G. Videotapes

This subseries contains two copies of a videotape entitled "Keeping Faith with America: A Reverent Review of the Wonders of the U.S. Constitution, and a Hard Look at the Plans of Those Who Would Subvert It During the Celebration of Its Bicentennial". The tape was produced by the John Birch Society and is undated.

Series 10. Subseries H. Correspondence, pamphlets and other related material

The pamphlets in this subseries describe filmstrips. Some of these filmstrips are available in the records and others were available from Publius Films or the public relations department of the Society. Some correspondence and invoices are included in this subseries, primarily from Publius films or from persons who supplied a filmstrip to the Society. This subseries is dated from 1968 to 1978.

Access Points

Subject Names

• Buckley, William F., Jr., 1925-2008

Subject Topics

• Anti-communist movements -- United States -- History -- 20th century
• Conservatism -- United States -- History -- 20th century
• Panama -- History -- 20th century
• Panama Canal (Panama)
• Publications

Geographical Names

• United States -- Foreign relations -- Panama

Document Types

• Leaflets (printed works)
• Pamphlets
• Motion pictures (visual work)
• Manuscripts for publication
• Photographs
• Phonograph records
• Filmstrips
• Audiotapes
• Audiocassettes
• slides (photographs)
• Business records
• Posters
• Bumper stickers
• Office files
• Clippings (information artifacts)

Arrangement

This collection has been arranged into the following series:

• Series 1. Correspondence
• Series 2. Business records
• Series 3. L-files
• Series 4. Manuscripts
• Series 5. Membership lists and applications for membership
• Series 6. Office files
• Series 7. Panama Canal Treaty campaign
• Series 8. Publications
• Series 9. Subject files
• Series 10. Media

Biographical note

Robert Henry Winborne Welch, Jr., was born on December 1, 1899, in Chowan County, North Carolina. He finished high school at the age of twelve and graduated from the University of North Carolina at the age of seventeen. After spending two years at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and two years at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Welch left the academic life and in 1921 founded the Oxford Candy Company in Brooklyn, New York. In 1932 he joined the staff of E.J. Branch and Sons, which was at the time the largest candy manufacturer in the United States. Two years later he became the sales manager for the James O. Welch Company, which was owned by his brother James. While at the Welch Company he developed several well known candies, including Sugar Daddies, Sugar Babies, and Junior Mints. He retired from the candy business in 1956.

Welch ran for political office once, when he campaigned unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1950. In 1958, he and eleven other men founded the John Birch Society, which was dedicated to the goals of less government, more individual responsibility, and a better world. He served as the head of the Society from its founding until 1983, when he retired because of ill health. He passed away on January 6, 1985. At the time of his death he was survived by his wife Marian Probert Welch, whom he married in 1922; two sons, Hillard Walmer Welch and Robert Welch, III, and six grandchildren.

Harold Lord Varney (1893-1984) was an American author and magazine editor. Although he had been a member of the International Workers of the World (I.W.W.) as a young man, he later defended Benito Mussolini and was an associate editor of the fascist magazineThe Awakener. He was an editor and contributor toThe American Mercury when it was known, especially during the 1950s, for publishing articles that espoused anti-Semitism and racism. Varney founded the Committee on Pan American Policy, which later became part of the John Birch Society.

Historical note

The John Birch Society was founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, on December 9, 1958. Robert Welch, Jr. (1899–1985), a retired candy manufacturer, led the organization from its founding until his retirement in 1983. The original twelve founding members included Fred Koch (1900-1967), founder of Koch Industries, and Robert Waring Stoddard (1906-1984), president of Wyman-Gordon, a manufacturer of complex metal components. The Society's purpose was to combat communism and promote various ultraconservative causes. It was named in honor of John Birch, an American Baptist missionary and United States Army intelligence officer who was killed by Chinese communists on August 25, 1945, making him, in the Society's view, the first casualty of the Cold War. Although it does not release membership numbers, the Society was estimated to have between 60,000 and 100,000 members at the height of its activities during the 1960s. By 1985 the membership was estimated to be about 50,000.

The Society has local chapters in all fifty states. It uses grassroots lobbying, educational meetings, petition drives and letter-writing campaigns to gain members and influence public policy. Because of its belief in limited government and its belief in an international conspiracy whose goal is to replace Western nations with a one-world socialist government, the Society has opposed any trade or diplomatic relations with communist countries as well as American membership in the United Nations. In addition, the Society has opposed the federal income tax and the Federal Reserve system, Social Security, the Medicare program, the creation of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), the transfer of control of the Panama Canal from the United States to the Republic of Panama, the Civil Rights Movement, sex education in public schools, and efforts to add fluoride to water supplies. While it supports the American military, it has opposed American military intervention overseas. The Society has operated Summer Youth Camps across the United States and has produced radio programs, newspapers columns, and films.

Among the many national campaigns that the Society has organized or supported are the campaign to impeach Chief Justice Earl Warren in the 1960s, The Movement to Restore Decency (MOTOCREDE), Promote Our Wonderful Energy Resources (POWER), the Support Your Local Police and Keep Them Independent! (SYLP) campaign, whose purpose was to oppose any state or federal control of local police departments, especially with regard to enforcing civil rights laws; Truth about Civil Turmoil (TACT), To Restore American Independence Now (TRAIN), Tax Reform Immediately (TRIM), and the National Right to Work Committee, which opposes compulsory union membership as a condition of employment.

The business activities of the Society are part of the General Birch Services Corporation. They include the American Opinion Speakers Bureau, the American Opinion Book Division, John Birch Society Features, and Western Islands publishing. The Blue Book of the John Birch Society, a transcript of Welch's presentation at the organization's founding meeting in 1958, is published by Western Islands. The Society has also published several periodicals. American Opinion andThe Review of the News merged in 1985 to becomeThe New American. The Birch Log was a syndicated weekly column for newspapers. The Society'sBulletin is a monthly newsletter for members. The Alan Stang report is a transcript of a daily five-minute radio commentary written and narrated by Alan Stang and produced by John Birch Society Features. TheFamily Heritage series is produced by MOTOCREDE. In addition, the Society produced a syndicated fifteen-minute radio program called "Are you listening, Uncle Sam?"

The Society was involved in two notable controversies. In the first, Robert Welch implied, first in a letter and then in his bookThe Politician, that Dwight D. Eisenhower was a tool of the "Communist Conspiracy." This caused him to lose the support of many notable conservatives such as William F. Buckley, Jr., and Barry Goldwater, a Republican Senator from Arizona who was his party's presidential candidate in 1964.

In 1974, the Society lost an important free speech case in the Supreme Court (Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.). The case was brought by Elmer Gertz, a lawyer who had sued the Society for libel. Gertz had been hired by the family of Ronald Nelson to represent them in a civil action against a police officer, Richard Nuccio, who shot and killed Nelson. The Society accused Gertz of orchestrating Nuccio's criminal conviction for second-degree murder and of belonging to various communist front organizations. The Court held that a state may allow a private figure such as Gertz to recover actual damages from a media defendant without proving malice.

In 1989, the Society closed its West Coast office in San Marino, California, and moved its headquarters from Belmont, Massachusetts, to Appleton, Wisconsin. Its new chief executive officer at the time, G. Allen Bubolz, owned several businesses in Appleton, which is also the home town of the late Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy, known for his anti-communist crusade in the 1950's.

In 2010 the Society co-sponsored the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), an annual round table of prominent conservatives and figures from the Republican Party.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed to hay@brown.edu. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	All researchers seeking to publish materials from the collections of the John Hay Library are requested to complete a Notice of Intent to Publish, prior to reproducing, quoting, or otherwise publishing any portion or extract from this collection. Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	John Birch Society records, Ms. 2013.003, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148 Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	These materials were abandoned by the John Birch Society and retrieved from a dumpster in Belmont, Massachusetts, after the John Birch Society moved its headquarters to Appleton, Wisconsin in 1989. The John Birch Society records were given to the Brown University Library in June 1993 by Political Research Associates, an independent, non-profit research center located in Somerville, Massachusetts.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Mary A. Harrison.
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-03-27.
Descriptive rules:	Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Additional Information

Related material:

Related Materials Related archival materials include:The Gordon Hall and Grace Hoag Collection of Dissenting and Extremist Printed Progaganda

Inventory

---