Correspondence, 1987-1982

The bulk of the files generated for administration of the American Committee on Africa (ACOA) addendum date 1977-2000, with some earlier materials included, and contains extensive correspondence. The arrangement of the files is alphabetical starting with files for the work of the board of directors and ending with visitor correspondence.

The files for the board of directors meetings include agendas; special memoranda; minutes; financial and budget reports; individual reports by board members, as well as executive directors reports throughout. Early budgets encompassed ACOA and the African Aid and Legal Defense Fund. The executive director reports of George Houser can be found within this group of files and include reports to the annual meeting of the executive board with special reports on a variety of topics related to the situations in various countries in southern Africa. The correspondence within the board of directors files mainly consists of meeting notices. Of note is an undated memorandum by George Houser (circa 1960) titled, "Memorandum on a Campaign Against South Africa's Apartheid." Also of interest are two drafts for manifestos entitled, "Draft Manifesto of Americans for Freedom in Southern Africa," (1966) and "Draft Manifesto of Americans Against Apartheid," (1965). The final set of board of directors files document board membership in the form of correspondence with occasional resumes.

The bulk of early correspondence documenting the work of ACOA (1953-1980) can be found within the previously processed portion of the collection, while the addendum to the records contains correspondence mainly following Houser's retirement in 1981 and documenting the last 20 years of the organization with Jennifer Davis at the helm as executive director (1981-2000). The bulk of the administrative correspondence (1990-1999) consists of the "Chrono" files or outgoing correspondence by ACOA that was compiled monthly.

Of note are a small amount of files compiled to encompass correspondence to various members of the United States Congress (1980-1992), mainly covering the topics of apartheid in South Africa; Congressional actions; legislation regarding investment and bank loans to South Africa; political prisoners; testimony by ACOA's executive director, Jennifer Davis; United States and South African nuclear relations; and United States policy toward South Africa. The bulk of the correspondence is between Jennifer Davis of ACOA and members of the United States House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Africa and the United States Senate, Committee on Foreign Relations. Correspondence to and from members of Congress include: Mario Biaggi, Rudy Boschwitz, Alan Cranston, Mervyn M. Dymally, Thomas S. Foley, Bill Gray, Richard A. Gephardt, Lee Hamilton, Tom Harkin, John Heinz, Edward M. Kennedy, Joseph J. Kennedy IV, Richard G. Lugar, Lowell Weicker, Jr., Pete Wilson, Howard Wolpe, and many others. Also of note is correspondence between ACOA's administration and staff of the White House and Department of Defense.

Correspondence files pre-dating 1991 for individuals mainly discuss topics of divestment and apartheid in South Africa. Of interest are two reports by Martin Ennals about the Bakgatla Community Development at Mochudi, Bechuanaland (1963); and correspondence and reports of Marcy M. Murningham of the Mitchell Investment Management Company, Inc., which cover the topics of New Jersey municipal investment in South Africa. Of note is a summary of preliminary interviews with individuals within the Black South African Labor Movement (1988-1985). Also of significance within the individual files is correspondence between Senator Robert F. Kennedy and ACOA's executive director, George Houser and co-chairman of the board of directors, Donald S. Harrington dating from October 26, 1965 to July 27, 1966. This correspondence highlights the issues of the United States policy of non-interference in trade and investments and its growing economic ties to South Africa, as well as Kennedy’s visit to South Africa in 1966.

Other administrative files of note within this group include the Everything Out files (1990-1999), which consist of all printed items, publications, and mailings produced by ACOA. Also of interest are the files for Impact (1981-1998), which consist of collected information about the impact ACOA's campaigns and projects in the media and press. Conference files are of interest, often containing ACOA board member and staff conference papers. Files for staff also include reports, presentation papers, or testimony. Of note are files documenting trips to Africa (1989-1992) by Jennifer Davis, executive director and staff member Richard Knight, as well as accompanying testimony on conditions in Angola, Namibia, and South Africa. Lastly, staff files containing articles and essays written by ACOA's founder and first executive director, George Houser (1961-1976) can be found within this group.