MINNESOTA NUCLEAR WEAPONS FREEZE CAMPAIGN:

People for Survival: Minnesota Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign was incorporated in 1982. The corporate name was later changed to Minnesota Nuclear Weapons Freeze (1990) and Minnesota SANE/FREEZE Campaign for Global Security (March 1991). The organization was a nonpartisan coalition of peace, church, and anti-nuclear groups that sought to raise public awareness about the arms race, gain public support for a congressional nuclear freeze resolution, and educate the public about the activities of the Minnesota congressional delegation on arms control and nuclear weapons legislation.

The major sources of funding and membership were found within the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, but the organization extended its activities into rural Minnesota as well. To facilitate its program a number of development and publicity tools were applied including telephone banks, paid fund raisers, organizers, canvassers, coordinators , and an office manager. To gain support in rural areas they worked with farm organizations, churches, schools, and colleges particularly in the second, sixth, and seventh congressional districts.

The organization ceased operating in 1992.

Return to top

Corporate records (boxes 1-3) include articles of incorporation and bylaws; minutes and related records of the steering committee (1982-1984), directors (1984-1990), and executive committee (1983-1990); records of annual meetings and conferences (1983-1991); committee records (1984-1990); staff-personnel-office records (1984-1990); calendars (1985-1988); correspondence (1984-1992); newsletter information (1984-1989); and news releases (1983-1987).

Political Files (1984-1989, box 3) detail the activities of the organization in DFL and Independent Republican precinct caucuses to pass Pro-Freeze resolutions. There is information on training sessions for caucus attendees and volunteers, and evaluations of the program; on telephone canvassers; scripts, lists of callers, notes, instructions, and other files relating to the "Legislative Alert" program; and questionnaires, correspondence, voting records, and other files with information on Minnesota's congressional delegation and on candidates and officeholders in Minnesota. The latter files reveal the group's intense efforts to lobby the delegation, particularly senators David Durengberger and Rudy Boschwitz, on arms control.

Fund raising (1983-1991) constituted a major activity of the organization. Box 4 and 5 contain statistical reports on door-to-door and telephone canvassing; direct mail campaigns; home meetings and house parties; and visits to Admiral Eugene Carrol and the Reverend William Sloane Coffin to assist in fund raising.

The organization also instituted annual freeze walks (1983-1989, box 5), which aroused public awareness of its campaign. Included in this section are correspondence, phone bank information, pledge lists, a brochure, files on media/publicity and prizes, registrations, surveys, and information on the inclusion of church and educational institutions. The 1989 freeze walk was held in conjunction with the Peace and Justice organization's annual Mothers' Day March.

Box 6 contains subject files, some of the more significant of which include campaigns to recruit college students for summer work with the freeze campaign (1985-1990); Hiroshima-Nagasaki Day Commemorations (1982-19987); The Gulf Peace Team (1990-1991); labor support (1983-1984); the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Minnesota Test Ban Coalition (1986-1991); a delegation of Soviet citizens' visit to Minnesota (1989); and the Veterans for Peace organization (1990), the latter relating to the Persian Gulf War.

Other materials (box 6) include newspaper clippings (1983-1991), printed materials (1983-1990), and three videocassettes (1986, 1990). Fourteen oversize items (undated and 1983-1989), including gubernatorial proclamations, a cartoon of Senator Rudy Boschwitz, and posters advertising the annual freeze walks, membership, and other activities, are filed separately (+208).

Return to top

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign. Organizational Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 14,851

Processing Information:

Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, April 1993.

Catalog ID number: 990017294150104294

Return to top

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Arms control -- Minnesota.

Disarmament.

Elections -- Minnesota.

Fund raising -- Minnesota.

Lobbying -- Minnesota.

Nuclear disarmament.

Peace movements -- Minnesota.

Political action committees -- Minnesota.

Politics, Practical -- Minnesota.

Persons:

Boschwitz, Rudy, 1930-

Dahl, Sonja.

Durenberger, David.

Perpich, Rudy, 1928-1995.

Organizations:

Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

Independent Republicans of Minnesota.

Minnesota Independent Republicans for a Freeze.

National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (U.S.)

Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign.

SANE/FREEZE: Campaign for Global Security.

United States. Congress.

Places:

Minneapolis Metropolitan Area (Minn.)

Saint Paul Metropolitan Area (Minn.)

Document Types:

Audiotapes.

Proclamations.

Video recordings.

Occupations:

Legislators -- Minnesota.

Political activists -- Minnesota.

Politicians -- Minnesota.

Return to top