The Springfield World Federalist Association Records, 1948-73, consist of 3.85 cubic feet of minutes, correspondence, newsletters, annual reports, topical files, and collected publications. The collection documents the Federalist philosophy and goals, and the organizational structure, activities, and concerns of the local chapter, particularly fund-raising, membership, and educational efforts, and its relations with the national and regional Federalist organizations.

Collection contains minutes, correspondence, newsletters, programs, membership lists, reports, surveys, financial records, research files, publications, and announcements documenting the local chapter's activities, structure, goals, and affiliation with the national and regional organizations.

The collection has been divided into seven series: the Springfield Association Records, 1948-72; the Midwest Region File, 1950-72; the National Association File, 1950-72; the General Assembly File, 1948-72; the Topical File, 1950-70; Publications, 1948-72; and the Richard Kaige Donation 1980's-2001.

Series Descriptions

Series I: The SPRINGFIELD ASSOCIATION RECORDS, 1948-72 (Box 1-2), contain alphabetically arranged annual reports, minutes, photographs, placards, correspondence, news clippings, printed material, programs, financial records, and announcements generated by the Springfield chapter of the United World Federalists. The series documents the chapter's structure, membership, meetings, social events, and other activities, and its relations with related Springfield organizations. Correspondents include Eugene S. and Elizabeth Clark, Louise Clark, M.V. Horney, Glen A. Kniss, and Harry Stern. Of particular note is the planning file for the 1968 Springfield World Affairs Conference entitled, "The Crisis in Southeast Asia: A Primary Source of International Conflict and Cooperation," a jointly sponsored conference arranged by the University of Illinois Extension in International Affairs and the World Affairs Center of Springfield.

Series II: The MIDWEST REGION FILE, 1950-72 (Box 2), contains alphabetically arranged financial records, memoranda, brochures, membership lists, announcements, publications, and programs generated by the United World Federalists of Illinois, the Midwest Region of United World Federalists, Inc., and various Midwest chapters, and concerns membership, regional assemblies, by-laws, and UWF events occurring throughout the Midwest.

Series III: The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FILE, 1950-72 (Box 3-4), contain alphabetically arranged financial records, posters, bulletins, by-laws, correspondence, publications, reports, announcements, releases, surveys, memoranda, and ephemera, generated primarily by the United World Federalists, Inc., and concerns chapter organizing and fund-raising, world government, peace, nuclear weapons, the United Nations, students, and policy.

Series IV: The GENERAL ASSEMBLY FILE, 1948-71 (Box 5), contains chronologically arranged announcements, memoranda, news clippings, releases, printed material, programs, and minutes, regarding the annual assemblies of the United World Federalists.

Series V: The TOPICAL FILE, 1950-70 (Box 6-10), contains news clippings, articles, brochures, pamphlets, maps, charts, bibliographies, photographs, and other printed materials chiefly collected from such organizations and agencies as the United Nations, the United States Congress, the American Friends Service Committee, the House Un-American Activities Committee, Common Cause, the World Law Fund, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, War Resisters League, and the League of Women Voters. Topics include nuclear war, disarmament, atomic energy, civil defense, the United Nations, Viet Nam, world government, foreign policy, military policy, and peace. The series is arranged alphabetically by subject. Of particular note is the extensive collection of research material regarding Viet Nam, 1960-70, including a large file on the Buddhist uprisings of 1963; and the articles, newspapers, and publications collected on the extreme right.

Series VI: PUBLICATIONS, 1948-72 (Box 10-11), contains publications generated by such organizations and agencies as Common Cause, the World Health Organization, the United Nations, the American Legion, the League of Women Voters, World Government News, Inc., The Committee for World Development and World Disarmament, the U.S. Government Printing Office, and The Foreign Policy Association concerning world government, diarmament, foreign policy, world health, atomic energy, and Viet Nam. The series is arranged alphabetically. Some issues of "World Government News," contain a pullout section inserted by the United World Federalists, Inc., for their membership.

Series VII: RICHARD KAIGE COLLECTION, SPRINGFIELD CHAPTER, 1987-2001 (Box 12), contains the membership lists and telephone trees, minutes, correspondence and newsletters from the Springfield Chapter, minutes and correspondence from the WFA of Central Illinois, and the quarterly publication and correspondence of the World Federalists Association. The information was donated by Alice Kaige, and was collected by Richard Kaige, a member of the Springfield Chapter of the World Federalists.