Between the Covers

Unbound. An archive of press releases and photo-mechanically produced transcripts pertaining to Senator Joe McCarthy collected by M.B. Rovner, a politically engaged teacher from Buffalo, New York, including various McCarthy speeches, statements, and letters from McCarthy’s office, including one directly refuting the teacher’s criticisms. Contained are more than 30 groups of stapled photo-mechanically reproduced quarto and folio sheets ranging from 2-20 pages, along with several typed letters, together totaling 391pages, several with their original mailing envelopes. Some light age-toning to a few sheets, scattered light creases from being mailed, and Rovner’s scattered notations, else fine.

A collection of documents dating from 1943 to 1956 of various speeches and statements for and against anti-Communist ideas championed by McCarthy during the height of his power, until his latter days following his censure by the Senate. The material covers McCarthy's concerns over foreign aid, insufficient funding of American troops in Korea, attacks against liberal politicians and their appointments, and of course fear of Communists in the government and society purposely steering the national agenda. Half the collection relates to official statements made on the Senate floor or in subcommittees, while the remainder consists of McCarthy’s comments during speaking engagements to various organizations, news agencies, and radio broadcasts.

Amongst the notable material is a letter sent to Rovner, a teacher at McKinlsey High School in Buffalo, New York, by McCarthy’s office that states: “To read your editorial, one would almost think that McCarthy enjoyed this task of digging out the unexposed Communists and as a result becoming the prime object of every known smear technique of the communist and camp following elements of the press.” Accompanying the letter is “proof” that McCarthy is correct in his assumptions about Communists, in the form of half-a-dozen excerpts from a “secret report” prepared by a State Department security officer for the head of the security division.

The collection also features a small group of documents sent to Rovner from Connecticut Senator William Benton, who in 1951 introduced a resolution to expel Joseph McCarthy from the Senate. In the letter Benton relates his pleasure at getting Rovner’s support: “Thank you very much for taking the time to write me in connection with my proposed resolution … Your support in this issue means a great deal to me.” Accompanying the letter is Benton’s 59-page testimony before the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections, which includes his 10-point indictment of McCarthy.

Efforts to locate the various documents in *OCLC* have proved difficult due to many of their unconventional titles and nonstandard reproduction methods. An interesting contemporary collection of material relating to McCarthy's Red Scarce demagoguery.

Item #426056