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TABLE OF CONTENTS


Descriptive Summary

Historical Note

Arrangement

Restrictions

Index Terms

Related Material

Administrative Information

Description of Series

Socialist Workers Party

Houston Public Library, Houston Metropolitan Research Center

Fred and Laura Brode Collection:

An Inventory of Records at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library



Descriptive Summary

CreatorBrode, Fred, d. 1982Brode, Laura
TitleFred and Laura Brode Collection
Inclusive Date1930's-1982
IdentificationMSS 225
Extent10 boxes
LanguageMaterials are in English.
RepositoryHouston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library

Historical Note

The Fred and Laura Brode dedicated their lives to politics from an early age. Fred Brode left Germany, his birthplace, as an economic refugee in 1929 to find work in the United States. He arrived in New York City juse in time to witness the collapse of the Stock Market. For the next decade, like millions of thers, he was unable to find a steady job. He did, however, find a Canadian-born wife, and both became members of a new, anti-Stalinist communist organization, the Socialist Workers Party (SWP).

In 1939, still searching for secure employment, the Brodes moved to Houston. Fred subsequently was hired by the Southern Pacific Rainroad, a job he held until his retirement in the mid-1970's.

The Brodes were politically active throughout their years in Houston as members of the SWP and later the Revolutionary marxist Organizing Committee and the Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party. Their politics naturally led them to become involved in the struggle for equal rights for ethnic minorities and women in Houston, as well as to correspond and maintain links with people and organizations elsewhere in the United States and abroad. In addition, Fred served as chairperson of the Houston Committee to Enth the War in Vietman, the Houston May Day committee, and the Labor Solidarity Committee. He was a founder of the Houston Marxist collective and Study Group and the owner-operator of Connumard Publishers, which specialized in re-printing Marxist classics. Fred Brode died in 1982 shortly after his 75th birthday.

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Arrangement

The material in this colelction is organized topically; each category of material is arranged chronologically, as per the following container list.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

None.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish or reproduce materials from the Fred and Laura Brode Collection must be obtained from the Houston Metropolitan Research Center or the appropriate copyright holder.

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Index Terms

Subjects (Persons)
Brode, Fred, d. 1982
Brode, Laura
Subjects (Organizations)
Socialist Workers Party
Revolutionary Marxist Organizing Committee
Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party
Communard Publishers
Subjects
Vietnam War, 1961 1975--Protest Movements--United States
Communism--United States--Texas

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Related Material

RG E-43: Radical Leftist Political Literature Collection

OH 291: Taped Interviews with Fred Brode, 1980-1981

OH B58: Tape Recording of Fred Brode's Memorial Service, 1982

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Fred and Laura Brode Collection. Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Laura and Robert Brode.

Processing Information

Processed by Howard Beeth, 1983.

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Detailed Description

 

Socialist Workers Party

BoxFolder
11Socialist Workers Party, International & Internal Discussion Bulletins, 1951-1953
2Socialist Workers Party, International & Internal Discussion Bulletins, 1967, 1970, 1973
3Socialist Workers Party, International & Internal Discussion Bulletins, 1974, 1976-1977
BoxFolder
21Socialist Workers Party, Internationalist Tendency Conflict, 1973-1974
2Socialist Workers Party, Internationalist Tendency Conflict, 1975
3Socialist Workers Party, Internationalist Tendency Conflict, 1976-1977
4Socialist Workers Party, Internationalist Tendency Conflict, undated
5Speches and Position Papers by Fred Brode to the Houston chapter of the Socialist Workers Party, mid-1970's
6Socialist Workers Party, Houston chapter, 1969-1971
7Socialist Workers Party, Houston chapter, 1972, 1977
8Socialist Workers Party, National Activities, 1945-1971, 1973
BoxFolder
31Revolutionary Marxist Organizing Committee, 1975
2Revolutionary Marxist Organizing Committee, January-May 1976
3Revolutionary Marxist Organizing Committee, June 1976-May 1977
4Revolutionary Marxist Organizing Committee, Book orders and advertizing, 1975-1977
5Revolutionary Marxist Organizing Committee, undated
6Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party, 1977
7Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party, March-September 1978
8Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party, October-December 1978
9Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party, 1979
10Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party, undated
BoxFolder
41Communard publishers, Houston: Publications, 1970's
2Communard publishers, Houston: Sales, 1978
3Alexander Defense committee (re: Azania/South Africa), 1964-1965
4Alexander Defense committee (re: Azania/South Africa), 1966
5Alexander Defense committee (re: Azania/South Africa), 1967
6Alexander Defense committee (re: Azania/South Africa), undated
7Texas Southern University Police Riot, 1967
8Student Non-violent Coordinating committee (SNCC), 1967-1969
9Lee Otis Johnson Case, 1969
10Houston Congress of African People, 1975
11Omowale Luthuli (aka Dwight Allen), documents re: USA-Azania/South Africa, 1979
12Houston Haitian Refugee Committee, 1980
BoxFolder
51Houston Citizens for Action on Vietnam, 1965-1966
2The Austin War Review, September 1966
3Bring-the-Troops-Home Newslwtter correspondence, 1966-1967
4National Anti-War Movement, 1966-1967
5Houston Committee to End the War in Vietnam, 1967
6Houston Committee to End the War in Vietnam, 1968-1969
7Houston Committee to End the War in Vietnam, 1970-1973
8Anti-War Speeches by Fred Brode, 1975-1976
BoxFolder
61Interfaith Refugee Resettlement Committee, Houston Metropolitan Ministries, 1980
2El Salvadore Solidarity Committee, 1980-1981
3United Farm Workers Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO, 1971
4Harris County AFL-CIO Council, 1974
5Houston May Day Committee, 1975
6Workin' People Talk (worker's newspaper), 1980
7Labor Solidarity Committee, 1980-1981
8Houston Coalition for Better Government, 1971
9Houston Reagan Protest Coalition, 1981
10Mockingbird Alliance and Anti-Nuclear Material, 1979
11U.S. Committee for a Democratic Spain; Portugese Solidarity Committee, 1975
12Native Americans, 1978-1979
13Women's Rights, 1967-May 1970
14Women's Rights, June 1970-1971, 1978
15Harris County Women's Political Caucus, 1972
16Houston Marxist Collective, 1978-1980
17New York Marxist School, 1979
18International Press Correspondents, 1976, 1978, 1980
BoxFolder
71Communist Cadre publications, 1976-1979
2Spartacist League publications, 1964-1966
3Spartacist League publications, 1967-1968, 1977-1979, 1982
4Socialist Union publications and correspondence, 1975-1977
5Socialist Voice, 1977, 1980
6Workers Power Discussion Bulletin, 1981
7Correspondence, general, 1968-1982
8Correspondence, Shachtman-Stamm-Brode, 1930's-1980
9Correspondence, Rainer Liebs to Brode (in German), 1974-1975
10Correspondence, Upali Cooray-Brode, 1975-1981
11Correspondence, Dr. Franz J.T. Lee-Brode, 1966 1976-1977
12Position Papers, Steve Zeluck and Fred Brode, 1981
13Bartee Haile-Workers World Party Correspondence, 1975-1976
BoxFolder
81Miscellaneous Material, 1966-1975
2Miscellaneous Material, 1976-1982
3Miscellaneous Material, roughly dated and undated
4Birthday Greetings to Fred Brode on 75th birthday, June 1982
5Fred Brode, Obituaries, 1982
BoxFolder
91-50Photographs
51-118Photographs

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