Committee For Free Choice, Records, 1969-1982 (C3707)

3.2 linear feet, 2 oversize volumes

INTRODUCTION

The Committee For Free Choice (CFFC) Records consist of policy statements, correspondence, program plans, political lobbying information, and newsletters. CFFC is an affiliate of the National Abortion rights Action League (NARAL). Much of the collection is information from NARAL and affiliates and related organizations.

DONOR INFORMATION

The CFFC Records were donated to the University of Missouri by the committee on 19 May 1982 (Accession No. 4432). Additions to the records were made by John F. Higdon on 3 March, 24 March, and 11 April 1983 (Accession No. 4493).

ORGANIZATION HISTORY

The Committee For Free Choice (CFFC) was founded in 1969 in St. Louis, Missouri, to advocate the legalization of abortions. Initially organized as the Legal Abortion Committee, CFFC has also been known as the Committee for Legal Abortion in Missouri and Abortion Rights Alliance. While the group does not specifically encourage abortion, it does believe that all women should have the option to obtain a safe, legal abortion. Toward this end CFFC lobbied state and federal legislators and officials and worked to educate the general public concerning the religious, philosophical, mental, physical, and economic aspects of abortion.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

These records are arranged in chronological order within topical sections, which reflect the areas of CFFC emphasis. Few papers from 1969 to 1974 are in the collection. Board and financial records are not included.

Correspondence is divided between general, political, and special events. Form letters and mailings are arranged under the name of the generating organization or the political level, i.e. state or federal. Papers are arranged chronologically within the divisions.

The NARAL clipping service provided CFFC with news articles from a wide variety of publications. These are arranged in rough chronological order as one clipping sheet may contain articles from several months.

The organizational name for CFFC most frequently used within the collection is Abortion Rights Alliance (ARA). The initials CFFC are also used, in the collection, to designate Catholics For Free Choice.

FOLDER LIST

Administrative Files, 1969-1980

These papers are limited in number and scope but document the initial organization and indicate name changes and policy.

f. 1Organizational papers. These include the 1976 bylaws and a 28 June 1979 letter from Gloria Hicks describing initial organization.
f. 2Information for board meetings.
f. 3Position statements.
f. 4Membership information.
f. 5Tax status information.
f. 6Orders and receipts.

Correspondence, 1971-1982

f. 7-25Correspondence not directly related to a special project or event or from elected officials. Includes student information requests and personal memos from NARAL, 1971-1981.
f. 26-28Mailers. In-house information sheets written in a form letter or memo style, 1970-1982.
f. 29-29aNewsletters of the Legal Abortion Committee; Committee For Legal Abortion in Missouri; Abortion Rights Alliance; Committee For Free Choice. See also folders 140-243, Reproductive Freedom League, done by the Committee For Free Choice for the Missourians For Freedom to Choose Abortion.

Public Relations and Education, 1969-1982

f. 30-69Special projects, such as speakers, workshops, media interviews, and editorials, organized by CFFC. Also included is similar material for programs from the National Abortion Rights Action League and other agencies related to the abortion issue. For educational purposes, surveys and statistics were assembled dealing with mortality, age, education, income, and marital status for women who became pregnant whether they elected to have an abortion, legal or illegal, or carried to term.
f. 31Editorials and articles written by staff members and used for newsletters, speeches, and general mailers.
f. 35-37Speakers Bureau. Speakers from AFA/CFFC requested by schools and groups in the St. Louis area. Files indicate the group requesting a speaker, the occasion, person giving the speech, and the reaction and participation of the group.
f. 62Information booth, 20-23 September, contains remarks by people occupying the CFFC booth and indicates crowd reaction.
f. 63Insurance and abortion coverage.
f. 64Abortion and birth statistics.
f. 65National Abortion Rights Action League vs. National Right to Life, information on the complaints filed by NARAL concerning National Right to Life lobbying practices and tax status.
f. 66Opinion poll information results.
f. 67-68Studies on the effects of abortion.
f. 69Publicity guidelines.

Political Files, 1973-1980

f. 70-112Candidate surveys, mailers to and from politicians, correspondence with state and federal officials, and information on abortion related legislation. Also included is the testimony of CFFC staff members and other pro-choice advocates before congressional committees and federal agencies.
f. 70-80Political questionnaires, rosters, summaries, and brochures.
f. 81Ellen McCormack presidential campaign. McCormack ran on a pro-life platform.
f. 82-84Political mailings from CFFC and NARAL.
f. 85-90Correspondence with state officials, 1974-1979.
f. 92-102Correspondence with federal officials, 1973-1980.
f. 104-109Testimony at congressional hearings.
f. 110-112Hyde Amendment information and mailers.

National Abortion Rights Action League Files, 1970-1982

f. 113-158NARAL provided information, guidance, and support for CFFC and coordinated the activities of the nation-wide affiliates. This section contains memos, form letters, general and specialized mailers, newsletters, and press releases generated by the national organization.
f. 113-122Memos to state coordinators, 1975-1979.
f. 123ActionAlert notices, 1973-1978.
f. 124-132Form letters and mailings, 1970, 1974-1979.
f. 133-140Newsletters, 1976-1982
f. 141-146News releases, 1975-1979.
f. 147-152Legislative updates, 1978-1979.
f. 153-156Legislative information sheets, 1974-1976, 1978-1979.
f. 157-158Booklets and pamphlets.

NARAL Affiliate Files, 1970-1982

f. 159-179CFFC is an affiliate of the National Abortion Rights Action League; other cities and states nation-wide developed similar organizations. Newsletters and mailers from various affiliates of NARAL. Files are arranged alphabetically by state.

Abortion Related Agencies and Organizations, 1969-1982

f. 180-251Newsletters, pamphlets, and mailers from groups concerned with abortion rights, health care, and women's rights. The majority of groups represent a pro-abortion and/or pro-choice orientation, but some information from pro-life, anti-abortion groups is included.
f. 180-181Organizational policy statements, 1975-1976.
f. 182Clergy. Sermons and support statements.
f. 183-251Abortion related agencies and organizations in alphabetical order by name of group. Additional material from Planned Parenthood is located in f. 267-291.

Clipping Files, 1974-1979

f. 252-266CFFC subscribed to the NARAL clipping service and also collected abortion related clippings from area papers. Articles cover all sides of the abortion issue, case studies, court cases, statistics on population and abortion worldwide, and political issues and legislation at both state and federal levels. Xeroxed sheets of articles. Files are divided by month; however, one sheet may contain articles from several months.
v. 1Scrapbook, November 1974-December 1975, for St. Louis area papers.
v. 2Scrapbook, December 1975-August 1977, with miscellaneous items to 1978.

Planned Parenthood Association, 1975-1982

f. 267-291Newsletters and magazines from Planned Parenthood Association dating from 1975 to 1982, and which are not found elsewhere in the collection.

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.

  • Abortion and the Media
  • Abortion Support Organizations
  • Abortion--Actions and defenses
  • Abortion--Attitudes toward
  • Abortion--Education
  • Abortion--Law and legislation
  • Abortion--Lobbying and lobbyists
  • Abortion--Moral and religious aspects
  • Abortion--Psychological aspects
  • Abortion--Statistics
  • American Civil Liberties Union
  • American Civil Liberties Union, Campaign for Choice
  • American Women's Petition
  • Associations
  • Benton, William C.
  • Birth control
  • Catholic Church
  • Catholics For A Free Choice
  • Church--Government policy
  • Committee For Free Choice
  • Constitutional Convention Movement, Missouri, 1970s
  • Constitutional Defense Project
  • Deutch, Mrs. Max
  • Dewald, Eleanor
  • Dewald, Paul A.
  • Edelin, Kenneth
  • Equal Rights Alliance
  • Gavett, Pat
  • Gender, Jinny
  • Hahn, Bevra H.
  • Hall, Julian
  • Hall, Mrs. Julian
  • Hancock, William
  • Health Systems Agency
  • Hicks, Gloria
  • Higdon, John F.
  • Hyde Amendment
  • International Women's Day
  • International Women's Year, 1975
  • KMOX Radio, St. Louis, MO
  • KMOX-TV, St. Louis, MO
  • KPLR-TV, St. Louis, MO
  • KSD Radio Sta tion, St. Louis, MO
  • Landy, Uta
  • League of Women Voters
  • Literature--Stories, plots, etc.
  • McCarthy, Maureen
  • McCormack, Ellen
  • Medicaid
  • Missouri Citizens for Life, Jefferson City, MO
  • Missouri Doctors for Life
  • Missouri Family Planning Health Council
  • Missouri, St. Louis County, Department of Community Health & Medical Care, Advisory Committee
  • Missouri. Division of Family Services
  • Missourians For Freedom to Choose Abortion
  • Mondale, Lester
  • Moral, Inc.
  • Mulhauser, Karen
  • National Abortion Federation
  • National Abortion Rights Action League
  • National Organization for Women
  • National Right to Life Committee
  • O'Rourke, Joseph R.
  • Packwood, Robert
  • Palla, Maria Antonia
  • Pantera, Jan
  • Petition For Choice, 1977
  • Planned Parenthood, Inc.
  • Pregnancy, Statistics
  • Propaganda
  • Public opinion polls
  • Public Relations
  • Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights
  • Reproductive Freedom League
  • Reproductive Health Services
  • Roudebush, Dorothy C. (Mrs. George S.)
  • Smith, Elizabeth M.
  • Social work
  • Spainhower, James I.
  • St. Louis Women's Center
  • St. Louis Women's Fair, 1975
  • Susman, Howard
  • Tabscott, Robert W.
  • Task Force for Responsible Education
  • U.S. Civil Rights Commission
  • U.S. Congress, 93rd, Senate, Judiciary Committee
  • U.S. Department of Health, Education & Welfare
  • United Way
  • University of Missouri-St. Louis, Women's Center
  • Vaucher, Gail
  • Weddington, Sarah
  • West, Elaine
  • Women--Civil rights
  • Women--Political activity, 1970s
  • Zero Population Growth