HARLAN M. SMITH:

Harlan Smith was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1914 and spent the majority of his childhood in the nearby suburb of Westmont. During his sophomore year in high school Smith won second place in a peace essay contest sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution. In the essay, entitled "Heroes of Peace," Smith reached the conclusion that a world government would be desirable to bring peace to the world. He entered Pennsylvania State in 1932 and at the beginning of his junior year transferred to the University of Chicago where he majored in sociology. While attending the University Smith joined the Fellowship of Reconciliation, a religious pacifist group formed initially by pastors from both sides during World War I. At this time Smith also took the Oxford Oath not to participate in war.

Smith completed a masters degree in the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago and after a year of work and independent reading and study he began a doctoral program in economics. After Pearl Harbor Smith secured a position with the Bureau of Labor Statistics Postwar Division in order to finance an anticipated stay in a conscientious objector camp during the war. He worked for a brief period in Washington, D.C. and later at Harvard University where he was able to secure a teaching position in economics during the 1942-1943 academic year.

Smith obtained conscientious objector status in the Summer of 1943 and in the Fall entered a conscientious objector camp run by the American Friends Service Committee in Big Flats, New York. During his time at the camp Smith joined a world federalist organization and began a lifetime commitment to the promotion of limited world federalism. Smith was released from camp in the Summer of 1946 and returned to Harvard, but due to his pacifist stance during the war was unable to secure a teaching position. He began work on his doctoral thesis and language exams and in 1947 took a teaching position at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He completed his doctorate in three years and accepted a position at the University of Minnesota in the Fall of 1950. During his last semester at Brown, Smith met Margaret Guthrie and the couple was married in December 1950.

Shortly after coming to Minnesota Smith contacted local peace groups and proposed the establishment of a Consultative Peace Council to reconsider strategies of the various peace groups. He joined the Minnesota Fellowship of Reconciliation and during the early 1960s was a founder and board member of the Minnesota Turn Towards Peace movement. Smith delivered numerous speeches opposing the Vietnam war. He served as a board member and chairman of the Minneapolis and Roseville World Federalist groups, the Minnesota World Federalist Association, and the United Nations Association. He was a member of the international affairs committees of the Minneapolis Council of Churches and the Minnesota Council of Churches. He was also a delegate to the National Council of Churches' 6th World Order Study Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Smith was active with several other peace organizations including the national SANE, the Nuclear Freeze movement, the War Resisters League, the National Interreligious Service Board for Religious Objectors, and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

Biographical data was taken from the collection

Return to top

The records in the collection consist of correspondence, minutes, newsletters, pamphlets, brochures, flyers, bibliographies, speeches, essays, newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous printed matter which primarily document the activities of numerous national and local peace organizations and Harlan Smith's role in them over a forty year period. There is also a smaller group of material related to Smith's activities during the late 1960s and early 1970s as an active member of the New Democratic Coalition and the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party.

Return to top

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Harlan Smith Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 15,269

Processing Information:

Processed by: Frank P. Hennessy

Catalog ID number: 990017348290104294

Return to top

The records of the Minnesota Chapter of the World Federalist Association are in the Minnesota Historical Society manuscript collections.

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:

Elections -- Minnesota.

International cooperation.

Nuclear disarmament -- United States.

Peace -- Societies, etc.

Peace Movements -- Minnesota.

Peace Movements -- United States.

Proportional representation -- Minnesota.

World politics, 1945-

Organizations:

Consultative Peace Council (U.S.).

Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party -- Rules and practice.

Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. 4th District (Ramsey County, Minn.) -- Rules and practice.

Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. Committee on Christian Concern in International Affairs.

Middle East Peace Now (Minneapolis, Minn.).

Minnesota Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Minnesota Ground Zero (Project).

Minnesota New Democratic Coalition.

Minnesota Turn Toward Peace.

Turn Toward Peace (U.S.).

Twin Cities Consultative Peace Council.

United Nations Association of Minnesota.

Return to top