Reference Center for Marxist Studies

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The Reference Center for Marxist Studies was the library for the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA). Holdings include nearly every pamphlet published by the CPUSA as well as those published by European and Latin American parties. Within the collection's broad scope are such subjects as Communist Party activities in the 1910s and 1920s, the Spanish Civil War, labor, peace, civil rights movements, and the struggle against McCarthyism.

The Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA) was founded in 1919 by members of the left wing of the Socialist Party USA. The CPUSA played an important role in the labor movement, particularly in the building of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, in struggles for civil rights for African Americans, while its cultural initiatives attracted a number of prominent artists and intellectuals, and its struggles to attain and maintain its legality were an important chapter in the history of U.S. civil liberties.

From the description of Reference Center for Marxist Studies pamphlet collection, ca. 1900-2004 (bulk 1940-1975). (New York University). WorldCat record id: 590499487

The Reference Center for Marxist Studies (RCMS) was a radical library closely affiliated with the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA). Formed during the 1970s or early 1980s, it was located at the CPUSA headquarters in New York City. The RCMS library contained thousands of books, pamphlets, and serials devoted to the study of communism, the history of the CPUSA, socialism, the working class, African-Americans, women's issues, and national liberation struggles. Included were writings from a Marxist perspective on nearly every topic of historical and current interest. The RCMS was dedicated to serving the interests of students, scholars, political activists, community organizers, and trade unionists. The Center also sponsored cultural and educational programs, lectures, forums, and discussions.

The RCMS collection was formed through donations by American Marxists, labor leaders, and activists, as well as from the libraries of the Party-associated Jefferson School of Social Science and the Ruthenberg Library of its predecessor, the Workers' School, and from the CPUSA. One of the features of the library was its vast collection of pamphlets, categorized by over 800 subjects. Topics included: the activities of the CPUSA, including its early years, anti-communist movements, civil rights, the labor movement and individual labor unions, the peace movement, various Communist countries, and anti-colonial and national liberation movements. From the RCMS brochure about their collection of pamphlets, “the pamphlet collection is invaluable. It ranges from out-of-print 'penny pamphlets' of bygone activist days which have come out of closets onto our shelves to current issues relating to working class struggles.”

The Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), founded in 1919 by members of the left wing of the Socialist Party USA, played an important role in the labor movement, particularly in the building of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, in struggles for civil rights for African Americans, while its cultural initiatives attracted a number of prominent artists and intellectuals, and its struggles to attain and maintain its legality were an important chapter in the history of U.S. civil liberties.

In 2006, the RCMS Pamphlet Collection was donated to the Tamiment Library along with the Communist Party of the United States of America Records.

From the guide to the Reference Center for Marxist Studies Pamphlet Collection, Bulk, 1940-1975, 1900-2004, (Tamiment Library / Wagner Archives)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Guide to the Reference Center for Marxist Studies Pamphlet Collection, 1900-2004 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
creatorOf Guide to the Reference Center for Marxist Studies Pamphlet Collection, 1900-2004 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
referencedIn Guide to the Communist Party of the United States of America Records, 1892-2009 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith AFL-CIO. corporateBody
associatedWith Allen, James S. person
associatedWith American Federation of Labor. corporateBody
associatedWith Aptheker, Herbert, 1915-2003 person
associatedWith Bridges, Harry, 1901- person
associatedWith Browder, Earl, 1891-1973 person
associatedWith Cacchione, Peter V., 1897-1947 person
associatedWith Communist Party of Great Britain. corporateBody
associatedWith Communist Party of the United States of America. corporateBody
associatedWith Congress of Industrial Organizations (U.S.). corporateBody
associatedWith Davis, Angela Y. (Angela Yvonne), 1944- person
associatedWith Davis, Benjamin J. (Benjamin Jefferson), 1903-1964 person
associatedWith Dimitrov, Georgi, 1882-1949 person
associatedWith Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963 person
associatedWith Flynn, Elizabeth Gurley person
associatedWith Ford, James W., 1893-1957 person
associatedWith Foster, William Z., 1881-1961 person
associatedWith Gerson, Simon W. person
associatedWith Hall, Gus person
associatedWith Herndon, Angelo, 1913-1997 person
associatedWith International Fur and Leather Workers Union of the United States and Canada. corporateBody
associatedWith International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. corporateBody
associatedWith International Publishers. corporateBody
associatedWith International Union, United Automobile Workers of America (CIO). corporateBody
associatedWith International Workers Order. corporateBody
associatedWith Jackson, James E., 1914-2007 person
associatedWith Jefferson School of Social Science (New York, N.Y.). corporateBody
associatedWith Jones, Claudia, 1915-1964 person
associatedWith Kommunisticheskaia partiia Sovetskogo Soiuza. corporateBody
associatedWith Kropotkin, Petr Alekseevich, kn_i_az_, 1842-1921 person
associatedWith League for Industrial Democracy. corporateBody
associatedWith Lenin, Vladimir Il'ich, 1870-1924 person
associatedWith Lumer, Hyman person
associatedWith Mao, Zedong, 1893-1976 person
associatedWith Marcantonio, Vito, 1902-1954 person
associatedWith Marzani & Munsell, Publishers (New York, N.Y.). corporateBody
associatedWith Minor, Robert, 1884-1952 person
associatedWith Morris, George, 1903- person
associatedWith National Maritime Union of America. corporateBody
associatedWith Perry, Pettis. person
associatedWith Robeson, Paul, 1898-1976 person
associatedWith Sobell, Morton person
associatedWith Stalin, Joseph, 1879-1953 person
associatedWith Starobin, Joseph R. (Joseph Robert), 1913-1976 person
associatedWith Trachtenberg, Alexander, 1884-1966 person
associatedWith United States. Internal Security Act of 1950. corporateBody
associatedWith Winston, Henry, 1911-1986 person
associatedWith Workers Library Publishers. corporateBody
associatedWith World Federation of Trade Unions. corporateBody
associatedWith Young Workers Liberation League. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Soviet Union.
Soviet Union
Chile |x History |y 1970-1973.
Spain |x History |y Civil War, 1936-1939.
Germany (East)
Russia |x History |y 20th century.
Communist countries.
Korea (North)
Soviet Union |x History.
Subject
Academic freedom
African American communists
African American communists
African Americans
Anti-communist movements
Civil rights
Cold War
Communism
Communism
Communism
Communism
Communism
Communism
Communism
Communism
Communism
Communism and culture
Communist parties
Communists
Communist trials
Communist trials
Fascism
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Housing
Informers
Unemployment insurance
Jews, Soviet
Labor
Labor movement
Labor unions
Labor unions
Labor unions and communism
May Day
Rosenberg, Ethel, 1915-1953
Rosenberg, Julius, 1918-1953
Sacco
Scottsboro Trial, Scottsboro, Ala., 1931
Socialism
Socialism and youth
Social security
Trotskyism
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Working class
World War, 1939-1945
World War, 1939-1945
Zionism
Occupation
Activity

Corporate Body

Active 1900

Active 2004

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