I. General Papers

The 4.5 cubic feet of documents comprising the papers of Archibald S. Alexander, attorney and government official, span the years 1939 to 1979, although the bulk of the material dates from 1969 to 1979. For the most part, the papers document Alexander's activities after his retirement from government service. During this period, Alexander was actively involved in a number of organizations and educational institutions.

While spanning a considerable time period, Alexander's papers do not deal with his years as a practicing attorney in New York City. They also do not extensively cover his years at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. Instead, the collection's research value lies in the light it sheds on Alexander's activities in public service organizations and the activities of the organizations themselves, especially those dealing with arms control.

Included in the papers are letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, speeches, working papers and reports, agendas and minutes, transcripts of meetings, drafts of articles, and several photographs. Various printed materials can also be found, including government documents, press clippings, journals, brochures, press releases, pamphlets, and journal articles.

General Papers, the first subgroup in Alexander's papers, consists of two series. Alexander's GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE (1954-1955 and 1963-1979) is composed largely of personal correspondence with persons he knew at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency for the period from 1963 to 1969. After his retirement from the Agency, the correspondence also deals largely with personal matters: letters to and from family and friends, invitations to social events and letters pertaining to financial concerns. The material in Alexander's GENERAL FILE (1939, 1948, 1953 and 1961-1979) largely relates to his involvement in public service organizations and educational institutions. Alexander was associated with the Citizens' Research Foundation until his death in 1979. Founded in 1958, this organization works to further research in the areas of political finance and election reform. The documents also deal with Alexander's involvement in organizations such as the American Assembly, an educational association which sponsors regional, state and municipal meetings on public issues, the World Federalists Association, an organization devoted to curbing the arms race, the American Bar Association's Arms Control and Disarmament Committee, and the Task Force for the Nuclear Test Ban. Papers dealing with Alexander's association with Princeton and Drew Universities and with Princeton Theological Seminary are also found in this series.

Papers and organizational records documenting Alexander's activities with the Arms Control Association, which comprise the second subgroup, date from 1970 until his death. Dedicated to promoting public understanding of effective arms control policies, the Association pursues its objectives through publications, public education and research. This subgroup contains three series: MINUTES (1971-1978), CORRESPONDENCE (1973-1979) and a GENERAL FILE (1970-1978).

Alexander was involved with the establishment of the Gateway National Recreation Area from 1969 until 1978, but the documents in the third subgroup, for the Gateway National Recreation Area Advisory Commission, pertain only to the years 1975 to 1978. The TRANSCRIPTS OF MEETINGS for the Advisory Commission date from 1975 to 1977, but are not complete within those dates. The Advisory Commission and the Gateway Citizens Committee both produced reports, memoranda and other documents. Along with correspondence, these materials are included in the series WORKING PAPERS AND CORRESPONDENCE. (Government documents pertaining to New Jersey have been removed from this series and placed in the Sinclair New Jersey Collection.)

Although Alexander's involvement with Rutgers University, the focus of the last subgroup, dates from 1954, the only relevant documents in his papers date from 1970 to 1979. The material in the series CORRESPONDENCE (1972-1977) primarily relates to social events and programs connected with the University. Alexander's Rutgers University GENERAL FILE (1970-1979) contains documents relating to his involvement with the Board of Governors and Board of Trustees, the Rutgers University Foundation, the Friends of the Rutgers University Libraries and other groups. (Copies of minutes of meetings of the Board of Governors, Board of Trustees and Board of Overseers of the Foundation have been removed from this series and placed in the University Archives.) The GENERAL FILE also contains correspondence and University documents, 1970-1972, relating to the question of whether or not to grant college credit for Reserve Officers' Training Corps courses.