People for the American Way

Organizational History

People for the American Way (PFAW) was founded in 1981 by Norman Lear, Barbara Jordan, Father Theodore Hesburgh, and Andrew Heiskell. PFAW is dedicated to promoting equality, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. Their operational mission includes promoting progressive policies, electing progressive candidates, and holding public officials accountable. Josh Glasstetter from PFAW read in the New York Times about the newly formed Center for the Comparative Study of Right-wing Movements at UC Berkeley. He then contacted the Center’s Executive Director, Dr. Lawrence Rosenthal, to inquire about the possibility of the Center providing a home for the PFAW archive of materials pertaining to American right-wing groups and individuals. Dr. Christine Trost, Program Director for the Center, contacted the Bancroft Library to see if they might be interested in processing and housing the collection.

From the guide to the People for the American Way collection of conservative political ephemera, 1980-2004, (The Bancroft Library)