Collections : [New York State Modern Political Archive]

The League of Women Voters of Rensselaer County Records documents the political and social activities of the chapter since its founding in 1939.

Series 3, Rensselaer County Government, provides a chronological record of the League's activities concerning the county government from 1952 to 1982. Some of the subject areas include apportionment, the charter, economic development, fair campaign practices and lobbying. The series contains materials on Know Your Rensselaer County, an effort by the LWVRC to bring awareness to Rensselaer County residents about the county government and electoral process within the county. The LWVRC has been involved in this effort since the 1940s, surveying and evaluating the status of the county government and its projects at any given time. The League was especially interested in public health (tuberculosis in particular), children's services, and the county's welfare administration in the 1940s. However, its interests also included jury selection, election participation, population, economy and local history. In the 1960s, the LWVRC began drafting Know Your Rensselaer County, which provided a portrait of the county's various departments, elected offices, and public projects. In 1972, county voters passed a charter-form of government. As a result, the League would become a sort of "watchdog" group for the implementation and execution of the goals of the charter, as will be seen in Series 6. By 1992, the LWVRC published the Rensselaer County Government Workbook as part of its review of the charter. It also expressed the League's position, supporting the County Charter. The purpose of the workbook was to "share information about the County Charter with students and teachers of High School Participation in Government classes as part of the Bicentennial Commission's Education Program."

Leonard Farbstein was a U.S. Representative from New York. Farbstein was born in New York City on October 12, 1902. He graduated from High School of Commerce, attended City College of New York, attended Hebrew Union Teachers College, and graduated from New York University Law School in 1924. During the World War I, Farbstein served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve and later as vice chairman of the East River Day Camp, a philanthropic organization. Farbstein was a lawyer in private practice. Farbstein served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1932 through 1956. He was elected as a Democrat to the 85th and the six succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1957-January 3, 1971) before being an unsuccessful candidate for renomination to the 92nd Congress in 1970. Farbstein died on November 9, 1993, in New York, NY and his interment is in Cedar Park Cemetery in Paramus, NJ.

This series has been arranged into four sub-series: Correspondence and Memoranda, Legislation, Foreign Affairs, and Departments and Committees. The bulk of the records present in the 87th Congress are correspondence and legislation.

This sub-series contains legislative materials such as bills, concurrent resolutions, and joint resolutions.

This collection details the social activism of Malcolm Willison in New York State's Capital Region. As an active board member of several local groups, his papers contain minutes, financial statements and budgets, programming ideas, brochures, planning notes, articles and reports, and clippings that detail the evolution of the various organizations contained in the collection. Organizational newsletters and event flyers, course and conference information planned by Willison in his capacity on executive boards, and vast amounts of correspondence about any number of events and issues are also part of the scope of the collection.

The Michelle Crone Papers document her experience as a feminist and lesbian activist from the early 1980s until the mid-1990s. The collection includes material from here position as National Civil Disobedience Coordinator for the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, and as a member of the Executive Committee for the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. Also present are records from Michelle Crone's management of a number of women's festivals from 1982 to 1996—most notably Rhythm Fest and the Cultural Festival at Gay Games IV—and records from her Capital District production company, Elword Productions. The collection also includes the records from her experience with the Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the National Lesbian Conference. Also included are her personal correspondence, records of her undergraduate studies with the theater and women's studies programs at the University at Albany, SUNY, and political literature from a number of progressive causes at the national and local levels.

The papers of Nancy Papish document her involvement with Clearwater, North River Friends of Clearwater (NRFC), and the campaign to stop Hydro-Quebec's development plan for James Bay. These papers document the environmental activism of Nancy Papish from the 1970s through the 1990s. Included are meeting minutes, notes, mailings, press releases, news clippings, magazine articles, programs, and publications. The Clearwater files contain near-complete runs of newsletters produced by both NRFC and the parent Clearwater organization. Evidence of NRFC's outreach activities is found in a slide show titled "This Is Clearwater" and numerous poster displays. Documentation of Clearwater's organization and administration, such as meeting minutes, internal reports, and committee files, are almost entirely absent. There is little information about the membership of Clearwater. The James Bay files contain materials from several organizations.

This series contains photographs, a slide show with accompanying Cassette, a videocassette, and an Cassette.

The New York State chapter of NOW aims to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society in order to exercise all privileges and responsibilities in an equal partnership with men. Working close with the Senate, political candidates,other women organizations, and community activists, NOW-NYS members work to defend women from inequality.

Chartered in 1934, as the Tri-City Newspaper Guild of Albany, Schenectady, and Troy, the Guild signed its first contract with the Albany Times Union in 1937. The collection includes correspondence, minutes, contracts, and organizing files. The majority of material in the collection is photocpied.

Records of non-profit citizens' organization committed to reducing hazardous chemical pesticides use through education and advocacy.

This series is divided up into eight subseries that document various prominent issues addressed by NYCAP in its work, particularly that used in its information clearinghouse and in programs it conducted. Subseries 4: Activist Organizations and Coalitions is a collection of materials from groups involved in promoting pesticide alternatives like NYCAP, or with other environmental issues generally. The series includes articles, correspondence, reports, pamphlets, and notes. The majority of the material was not produced by NYCAP, although it generally either part of a campaign they were working on, or information they distributed.

Documented in this subseries are the effects of pesticides and other chemicals on human health. Issues and groups featured prominently include Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and the Maternal Infant Network, as well as cancer, and women's and children's health.

The Norman Studer Papers document his career as both an educator and ardent Catskill folklorist. The collection includes significant material relating to his work as director of the Downtown Community School in New York City and Camp Woodland in the Catskills.

This series contains audio recordings of special events and everyday activities at the Downtown Community School and Camp Woodland. The Department digitized hundreds of reel-to-reel audio recordings to date.

The Downtown Community School audio recordings document guest speakers, student discussions and readings, school plays, intergroup conferences, lectures, staff meetings, musical performances, school trips, oral histories and other programs. Highlights of the subseries include recordings about race relations and the boycott that took place at the Lincoln School in Englewood, NJ in February 1963 and a visit to the school from Red Thunder Cloud, last Indigenous speaker of the Catawba language. Not all recordings are identified or dated.

The Ronald B. Stafford Papers document Stafford's service as a New York State Senator representing the 45th District.

This series contains a wide variety of items pertaining to Senator Ronald Stafford. There are numerous folders on Senatorial voting records, the New York State Education System, and constituent grant applications. This series also contains materials related to the New York State Budget, as well as thank you letters Senator Stafford received during his time in office. Some of the material found in this series is housed in oversized boxes.