COLLECTION FINDING AID



AMERICAN CITIZENS CONCERNED FOR LIFE, INC., RECORDS,

(1968) 1974-1982 (1986)



CONTENTS

Summary Description | Introduction | Series Descriptions | Container List

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Records documenting the formation and functions of American Citizens Concerned for Life, Inc. (ACCL). The ACCL was a national pro-life organization formed after the 1973 Supreme Court decisions legalizing abortion. In addition, papers regarding the National Right to Life Committee and the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life are housed within the collection. This finding aid describes those portions of the collection that have been fully arranged and described by the Ford Library. Approximately 25 linear feet remain unprocessed and unavailable to research.

QUANTITY
 50 linear feet (ca. 100,000 pages)

DONOR
 Joseph A. Lampe (accession number 87-35)

ACCESS
 Open. Some items are temporarily restricted under terms of the donor's deed of gift, a copy of which is available on request, or under National Archives and Records Administration general restrictions (36 CFR 1256).

COPYRIGHT
 Joseph A. Lampe donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain.

Prepared by Raymond Lennard, February 2001
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INTRODUCTION

American Citizens Concerned for Life, Inc. (ACCL) was formed and incorporated in 1973 as a national membership association engaged in educational, legislative, research and service activities that promoted respect for human life in contemporary society. Specific issues addressed by the ACCL’s programs included increased legal protection for life, maternal and child health programs, death and dying issues surrounding the elderly; as well as broad issues like health care for the poor, respect for the handicapped, and world hunger. The collection was donated by Joseph Lampe, who served in various roles within the ACCL (becoming president of the organization after the departure of Marjorie Mecklenburg).

Establishment
The ACCL was founded in the wake of the 1973 United States Supreme Court cases of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, both of which upheld a woman’s right to an abortion. The core founders of the ACCL lived mainly in Minnesota and were instrumental in raising over $50,000 for the establishment of a national pro-life group. This national group became known as the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC). Core ACCL founders, such as Marjory Mecklenburg, served in various capacities with the NRLC. The ACCL was legally incorporated before the NRLC, but the ACCL was held in abeyance until the NRLC’s policies and direction became more clear.

In its first year of existence, the NRLC attempted to take on all areas of pro-life lobby functions: education, policy, legal, medical, amendment, state organizations and development, intergroup liaison, political, and publishing. At the end of the first year, the funding for the NRLC’s programs proved to be insufficient. In 1974, the NRLC changed its focus to political actions that would result in a Constitutional Amendment banning abortion. It dropped all other programs.

The ACCL picked up several of the NRLC’s dropped initiatives. The main goals of the ACCL in 1974 were to foster the development of the pro-life movement, develop supportive services for women and children, and work towards pro-life issues that were broader than abortion.

Programs and Services
The ACCL developed a strategy of providing information services along with legislative services to the pro-life movement, staying away from direct services and direct political action. Within this “consultant” role, the ACCL focused their services on four main areas; advocacy, instigation of social change, formation of grass-root organizations to further the goals of the cause, and lastly, coordination with other like-minded groups.

Scope and Content of the ACCL Records (currently processed sections only)
While certain items are dated as late as 1986, the bulk of the ACCL records are from 1974-1982. The records cover the establishment of the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, and the growth of American Citizens Concerned for Life. Within the MCCL and ACCL records are the group’s mailings, educational materials and operating records. Also included within the collection is a significant body of materials related to the work of the National Right to Life Committee (1968-1977).

One segment within the collection focuses on Marjorie Mecklenburg’s appointment to the Office of Technology Assessment and the presidential elections of 1976 and 1980. In addition, the ACCL kept a clipping file on several of the key players in the abortion debate. The records are valuable sources about the political climate of abortion in the late 1970’s in America. Coordination with other pro-life groups is noted within the files and is a valuable source for understanding other anti-abortion groups.

Related Materials (February 2001)
The most significant Ford administration materials on abortion appear in White House Central Files category WE3: Family Planning, the Domestic Council Files of Sarah Massengale, and the Counsel’s Office Files of Philip Buchen and Bobbie Kilberg. Information on the abortion issue in the 1976 presidential campaign appears in the President Ford Committee Records.

The unprocessed papers of pro-life activist Judith Fink are not currently available for research.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

March of Dimes, 1974-1979.  (Boxes 1-2, 0.6 linear feet)
Publications and other materials produced by the March of Dimes for distribution of information about birth defects.

Arranged chronologically. Publications by the March of Dimes are included at the beginning of the file.

View container list for this series

Clippings and Miscellaneous Reference Materials, 1970-1975.  (Boxes 3-4, 0.5 linear feet)
Press releases, newspaper clippings, newsletters and unpublished articles concerning abortion and the right to life movement.

Arranged chronologically.

View container list for this series

National Right to Life Committee, 1968-1977.  (Boxes 4-11, 3.0 linear feet)
Correspondence, notes, memos, agendas, minutes, press releases, publications, and newspaper clippings. The materials concern abortion and the organization and operation of the NRLC.

Arranged chronologically.

View container list for this series

Minnesota Concerned Citizens for Life, 1970-1977.  (Boxes 11-13, 2.0 linear feet)
Publications, memoranda, agenda, minutes and reports related to the formation and functions of the state-wide pro-life group.

Arranged chronologically.

View container list for this series

American Citizens Concerned for Life Administrative File, 1973-1986.  (Boxes 14-42, 11.5 linear feet)
Correspondence, memoranda, agenda, minutes and publications relating to the functions of the ACCL and their pro-life activities.

The series is divided into sub-series of general correspondence, program, organizational planning, organizational development, office management, board of directors, people, fundraising, Kennedy Foundation proposal, development, special events, special projects, newsletters and publications, Office of Technology Assessment, and educational materials. Files within each sub-series are arranged alphabetically.

View container list for this series

American Citizens Concerned for Life Political File, 1975-1981. (Boxes 42-46, 2.0 linear feet)
Clippings, articles, correspondence and publications relating to the PAC’s and elections from 1976 to 1980. The ACCL and their president, Marjory Mecklenburg, supported and campaigned for Gerald R. Ford.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

CONTAINER LIST

Box 1 - March of Dimes

Box 2 - March of Dimes

Box 3 - Clippings and Miscellaneous Reference Materials

Box 4 - Clippings and Miscellaneous Reference Materials

Box 4 (Continued) - Early National Right to Life Committee

Box 5 - Early National Right to Life Committee

Box 6 - Early National Right to Life Committee

Box 7 - Early National Right to Life Committee

Box 8 - Early National Right to Life Committee

Box 9 - Early National Right to Life Committee

Box 10 - Early National Right to Life Committee

Box 11 - Early National Right to Life Committee

Box 11 (Continued) - Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life

Box 12 - Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life

Box 13 - Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life

Box 14 - ACCL Administrative File: General Correspondence

Box 15 - ACCL Administrative File: General Correspondence

Box 16 - ACCL Administrative File: General Correspondence

Box 17 - ACCL Administrative File: General Correspondence

Box 17 (Continued) - ACCL Administrative File: Program

Box 18 - ACCL Administrative File: Organizational Planning

Box 18 (Continued) - ACCL Administrative File: Organizational Development

Box 19 - ACCL Administrative File: Office Management

Box 20 - ACCL Administrative File: Office Management

Box 20 (Continued) - ACCL Administrative File: Board of Directors

Box 21 - ACCL Administrative File: Office Management

Box 22 - ACCL Administrative File: Board of Directors

Box 22 (Continued) - ACCL Administrative File: People—General

Box 23 - ACCL Administrative File: People—General

Box 24 - ACCL Administrative File: People—General

Box 25 - ACCL Administrative File: People—General

Box 26 - ACCL Administrative File: Fundraising/Mailings

Box 27 - ACCL Administrative File: Fundraising/Mailings

Box 28 - ACCL Administrative File: Fundraising/Mailings

Box 29 - ACCL Administrative File: Fundraising

Box 29 (Continued) - ACCL Administrative File: Kennedy Foundation Proposal

Box 30 - ACCL Administrative File: Kennedy Foundation Proposal

Box 30 (Continued) - ACCL Administrative File: Development

Box 31 - ACCL Administrative File: Development

Box 31 (Continued) - ACCL Administrative File: Special Events

Box 32 - ACCL Administrative File: Special Projects

Box 33 - ACCL Administrative File: Special Projects

Box 34 - ACCL Administrative File: Special Projects

Box 34 (Continued) - ACCL Administrative File: Newsletters/Booklets Produced by ACCL

Box 35 - ACCL Administrative File: Newsletters/Booklets Produced by ACCL

Box 35 (Continued) - ACCL Administrative File: Marjory Mecklenburg

Box 36 - ACCL Administrative File: Office of Technology Assessment

Box 37 - ACCL Administrative File: Office of Technology Assessment

Box 37 (Continued) - ACCL Administrative File: Newsletter

Box 38 - ACCL Administrative File: Newsletter

Box 38 (Continued) - ACCL Administrative File: Educational Materials

Box 39 - ACCL Administrative File: Educational Materials

Box 40 - ACCL Administrative File: Educational Materials

Box 41 - ACCL Administrative File: Educational Materials

Box 42 - ACCL Administrative File: Educational Materials

Box 42 (Continued) - ACCL Political File: PACs

Box 43 - ACCL Political File: Political

Box 44 - ACCL Political File: Political

Box 44 (Continued) - ACCL Political File: 1976 Presidential Campaign

Box 45 - ACCL Political File: 1976 Presidential Campaign

Box 46 - ACCL Political File: 1976 Presidential Campaign