American Fund for Public Service records

1922-1941

The American Fund for Public Service, also known as the Garland Fund, was created in 1922 by Charles Garland to support radical social and economic causes. The board of directors included prominent leaders of the labor movement, the Socialist and Communist parties, and civil rights and minority groups. From 1922 to 1941 the Fund gave nearly two million dollars to a variety of left-wing organizations and enterprises, such as labor unions, cooperatives, schools for workers, radical publications, bail and legal defense funds, and civil liberties, penal reform, and minority rights groups. Records of the American Fund include internal and external correspondence of members of the board of directors, treasurer, and legal counsel, 1922-1941; board of directors meeting minutes, 1922-1941; several committee reports and surveys, 1923-1939; memoranda and reports on policy, 1922-1932; auditor's reports, 1922-1941; lists of appropriations and loans, 1922-1941; and application files for each individual or organization requesting assistance. Grant and loan application files account for 70% of the collection and contain the correspondence of the applicant with the Fund and often a variety of supporting materials such as reports, memoranda, publications, financial records, leaflets, as well as comments by Fund officials regarding the application. Files are divided into two series: Applications Accepted and Applications Refused.