When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Original Reed Harris archive relating to the famous 1932 Columbia University academic freedom controversy and the American Civil Liberties Union's defense of Harris following his expulsion as editor of the Columbia Daily Spectator.
This archive comes directly from Reed Harris' personal papers and documents the evolution of the case through correspondence, ACLU publications, and Harris' retained file copies.
Included are:
• Two editions of the ACLU pamphlet The Case of Reed Harris at Columbia University.
~ May 1932 edition (2 copies, including one superior example and one reference copy).
~ September 1932 substantially revised edition (2 copies, including one superior example and one reference copy).
• Correspondence from ACLU:
~ Roger Baldwin (June 29, 1932): discusses revising Harris's statement before publication and invites him into the ACLU. This is the editorial stage.
~ Roger Baldwin (July 15, 1932): explains that Corliss Lamont is paying half the printing costs. This is the financing stage.
~ Roger Baldwin (July 30, 1932): tells Harris not to contribute money because others have covered the expense. More publication logistics.
~ Ida Epstein (August 29, 1932): requests Harris's correspondence with Dean Hawkes for inclusion or use. This is documentary gathering.
*Harris typed a copy of his September 7, 1932 reply on the reverse of the Epstein letter, noting at the bottom "COPY OF REPLY ON REVERSE OF THIS SHEET".
~ Roger Baldwin (November 1, 1932): transmits the newly printed pamphlet for distribution to Columbia faculty. This is the dissemination stage.
* Harris's handwritten note at top states: "Form letter with pamphlet 'The Case of Reed Harris' dated Sept 1932 (Half paid by Corliss Lamont)".
**This is not a signed letter, it's one of many sent to the faculty. All of the others are signed.
Condition: Good.
~ Moderate overall toning, scattered foxing, staining, original folds, rust marks and staple holes from removed fasteners, light edge wear, corner wear, and handling creases. Noticeable storage-related discoloration to one sheet. No major tears, repairs, or missing portions.
These documents remained together in Harris' files and illustrate how the ACLU expanded its published treatment of the case between May and September 1932.
The September edition is not merely a reprint but a substantially enlarged revision containing extensive additional documentary material, commentary, and analysis of Columbia University's changing justification for Harris' expulsion.
The duplicate pamphlets are included as found with the archive and provide an opportunity to compare production and preservation between surviving copies.
A remarkable surviving archive documenting one of the earliest nationally significant university free speech controversies in American history.
