Collections : [New York State Modern Political Archive]

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is the preeminent statewide organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of individual civil liberties and civil rights in New York State. Founded in 1951, the NYCLU's mission is to defend and uphold the basic rights and liberties articulated in the Bill of Rights and to advocate, litigate and educate for the protection of civil liberties. Through litigation, legal counsel, advocacy and legislative lobbying, the NYCLU has, among many issues, protected political freedom during the McCarthy era, argued against the constitutionality of the Vietnam War, created the first project focused on the rights of mentally disabled, and was the first civil liberties organization to advocate for reforming the foster care placement system. Over the last thirty years, the NYCLU has advocated for issues surrounding voting rights and censorship, fought to end gender discrimination and school segregation in New York State schools, and defended the separation of church and state. The collection consists of legal case files, administrative records and other archival materials. The collection is being processed and is currently closed, unless permission to access is granted in writing from the NYCLU Executive Director.

Press releases about his work and concerns as a New York State Senator, clippings about Senator Desmond and his wife, correspondence with Albert J. Abrams and reports and drafts on the Presidential primary system.

The Thomas E. Mulligan Papers document Mulligan's life from 1941 to 1973 including his two unsucessful political campaigns, one for Mayor of Albany and the other for assemblyman.

Theodore Roosevelt Kupferman was a Representative from New York. Kupferman was born in New York City on May 12, 1920. Kupferman was elected as a Republican to the Eighty-ninth Congress by special election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of U.S. Representative John V. Lindsay. Kupferman was reelected to the Ninetieth Congress (February 8, 1966-January 3, 1969), but was not a candidate for reelection to the Ninety-first Congress in 1968. Kupferman was also a justice of the New York State Supreme Court, 1969-1996. Kupferman died on September 23, 2003, in New York, NY. This collection contains materials related to Kupferman's political career.

The Thomas Nattell papers document the life of a mental health worker and political activist active during the 1980s and 1990s in Albany, New York. He created and participated in organizations like the Albany Peace and Energy Council (APEC) and the Three Guys From Albany poetry troupe. He also acted as promoter and event coordinator for movie showings, poetry open mics and an annual 24-hour poetry reading alongside a coinciding international postcard art event. Nattell used poetry and other arts to advance world peace, anti-nuclear power and proliferation, and environmental issues. This collection contains videos of events, photographs, scrapbooks full of art and poetry mailed from around the world to Nattell, subject files with research on topics related to his professional work as well as his activism, poetry, correspondence, and clippings.

Documents an association of labor unions in or near Troy, NY.

United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and PipeFitting Industry of the United States and Canada, Local 105 Records document the regular business of this chapterof the union, including meetings, financial reports, grievance reports, and membership.

Records of UAW Local 930 which represented the Ford Motors plant in Green Island, NY.

This collection documents the lifelong activism of Albany, N.Y. resident Vera Michelson, especially her work with the Capital District Coalition Against Apartheid and Racism.

The Versatile Club Records document the day-to-day operations of this community organization founded in 1910.