Grassroots for Rockefeller Records, 1968-1982, bulk 1968-1970
Collection context
PDF Finding Aid
- Full Page PDF:
- Full Page
Summary
- Creator:
- Grassroots for Rockefeller (Albany, N.Y.)
- Abstract:
- This collection documents the formation and activities of the Grassroots for Rockefeller campaign, organized in Guilderland, New York.
- Extent:
- .2 cubic ft.
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
- Preferred citation for this material is as follows: Identification of specific item, box, folder, Grassroots for Rockefeller Records, 1968-1982. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York.
Background
- Scope and content:
- This collection consists of a deconstructed scrapbook of correspondence, news clippings, photographs, photographic negatives, and campaign material documenting the formation and activities of the organization Grassroots for Rockefeller. Specifically, the materials document the media outreach, letterwriting campaigns, and rallies led by Grassroots for Rockefeller in support of Nelson A. Rockefeller's 1968 presidential campaign and 1970 New York gubernatorial campaign. There is also a small amount of material related to the political involvement of founding members in the late 1970s and early 1980s after Grassroots for Rockefeller ceased to exist, including correspondence between Grassroots For Rockefeller chairperson Kaye Philips and Senator Bob Dole.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Grassroots for Rockefeller was an organization formed on March 22, 1968 in support of then-New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller running for president of the United States. In a press conference that day, Rockefeller announced that he would not run for president unless the Republican National Convention drafted him. Rockefeller had previously unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1960 and 1964. In response to Rockefeller's announcement, a group of four women from Guilderland, New York, named Kaye V. Philips, Georgette Thomas, Verneta G. Jones, and Providence Dell'Osso Billings, began a grassroots movement to garner support for a Rockefeller presidential bid. Philips served as chairperson of the organization. The organization quickly grew in size: by the summer of 1968, the group was led by a 20 person steering committee, and their highest attended rally hosted approximately 75 people. The group described themselves as a broad coalition of "individuals from many walks of life, both men and women and among them, office workers, business executives, salesmen, teachers, housewives, and students."
In addition to a local presence in the Capital Region, Grassroots for Rockefeller led a nationwide media outreach and letterwriting campaign. Members wrote letters to delegates of the Republican National Convention (RNC), Republican governors, and other public officials, and sent letters to the editor to be printed in newspapers across the country. This outreach garnered support for Grassroots for Rockefeller in many states; the collection includes correspondence sent to the organization from Ohio, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Hawaii, and California. Rockefeller announced his candidacy for president on April 30, 1968, thanking Philips for her work in a telegram sent on the same day. Ultimately, Richard Nixon became the party nominee at the RNC in August 1968. Following the unsuccessful 1968 Rockefeller presidential campaign, Grassroots for Rockefeller supported and campaigned for Rockefeller's reelection in the 1970 New York gubernatorial election, which he successfully won.
- Acquisition information:
- All items in this collection were donated to the University Libraries, M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives in 2026 by Lawrence Zeides, the son-in-law of co-founder and chairperson Kaye Philips.
- Processing information:
- This collection was processed in 2026 by Gabriella Baratier.
- Arrangement:
- The collection is arranged alphabetically. There are no series.
- Physical location:
- The materials are located onsite in the department.
Indexed terms
- Local Topics:
- Politics and Politicians
Public Servants
Social Activists and Public Advocates
Women
New York (State) -- Politics and government.
United States -- Politics and government. - Names:
- Philips, Kaye V., 1922-2003
Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich), 1908-1979 - Places:
- Guilderland (N.Y.)
Albany (N.Y.)
Using these materials
- Access:
- The archives are open to the public and anyone is welcome to visit and view the collections.
- Restrictions:
- Access to this record group is unrestricted.
- Rights and Permissions:
- The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
- Preferred citation:
- Preferred citation for this material is as follows: Identification of specific item, box, folder, Grassroots for Rockefeller Records, 1968-1982. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York.