JAFFE, PHILIP J. (PHILIP JACOB), 1895-1980.
Philip J. Jaffe papers > The Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA)

Scope and Content Note

The materials contained in this series come from two sources: Jaffe himself and Earl Browder. Browder was clearly responsible for giving Jaffe the great majority of the items filed here. Although few of the materials are originals, there are notable exceptions. This series includes Browder's own corrected copies of the stenograms of CPUSA plenums and national board meetings (boxes 35 and 36; also available on microfilm), and a complete run of Browder's short-lived journal, the "Distributors' Guide," which he published from January to April 1946 (Box 41).

The series also contains other Browder-related material (Boxes 37-41) including correspondence with various individuals; copies of some of Browder's attempted autobiographical writings; copies of a wide variety of unpublished works which were written by Browder between the late 1940's and mid-1960's; and materials from several court cases involving Browder. Included here as well are many typed excerpts of Browder's writings which were probably prepared by Gary Ulmen for Jaffe.

Correspondence between Browder and Theodore Draper (box 38, folder 1) concerns Draper's questions about and Browder's recollections of the political situation in Chicago in 1923-1924, and Browder's comments on the first volume of Draper's History of American Communism. Also included is a Browder commentary on Draper's second volume. Other Browder correspondents represented in this file are Jack Murphy (a British labor leader) and Elizabeth Brown (a writer). Correspondence between Jaffe and Browder may be found in Series 1, Personal Papers: Correspondence.

Also in this series are manuscripts of position papers, articles and speeches written by Browder, many of them perhaps prepared for a discussion group that gathered around Browder after his expulsion from the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) in 1946 (boxes 38-39). This group, consisting of approximately twenty loyal friends and supporters, offered Browder support and apparently originally served as a political base from which Browder could challenge the new leadership of the CPUSA. Agnes and Philip Jaffe were among this group, known as the "Koffee Klatsch." Starting in the late 1940's and continuing through the 1970's (even after Browder's death in 1973), the group met to discuss political issues, often basing their discussion on a position paper written by Browder. Manuscripts filed here and not designated for publication in a particular place or for a specific lecture were probably "discussion papers" written for this purpose. Almost all items are typed carbons; originals are noted.

Book reviews by Browder (box 39) were nearly all written by Jaffe (in the 1960's) and by Jaffe and Ulmen (after 1970). Browder read the final drafts and made few, if any, corrections before signing his name. Drafts of Browder's autobiography, never completed, are included here (box 40) apparently because Jaffe hoped to write a book on Browder and was given much of this material by Browder after his own attempts at autobiography failed. Jaffe apparently interviewed Browder frequently at Browder's home. The bulk of Earl Browder's personal papers is at Syracuse University. A large number of relevant pamphlets are filed in Series 12, Pamphlets and Journals, under CPUSA, Earl Browder, and Anti-CPUSA publications.

Additional Physical Form

Portions of this series (Box 35: folder 4 - Box 36: folder 4) are available on microfilm.