MSS 869 Reverse the Arms Race Federation of Ohio / Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign

              MSS 869
Reverse t h e Arms Race F e d e r a t i o n
o f O h i o / N u c l e a r Weaoons Freeze Campaign
2- 1/ 2 c u b i c f e e t
-
S t a n d a r d i n v e n t o r y
C o l l e c t i o n S y n o p s i s
Provenance: The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y a c q u i r e d t h e Reverse t h e
Arms Race F e d e r a t i o n o f O h i o / N u c l e a r Weapons Freeze Campaign Records
as a g i f t o f t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n , t h r o u g h t h e a u s p i c e s o f t h e s e c r e t a r y ,
Tom G e n t r y , i n November 1984 and September 1985. R i c h a r d W. A r p i
processed t h e c o l l e c t i o n i n F e b r u a r y and September 1985.
P r o p e r t y r i g h t s : The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y owns t h e p r o p e r t y
r i g h t s t o t h i s c o l l e c t i o n .
C o p y r i g h t s : RARFO/ Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign has d e d i c a t e d
such c o p y r i g h t s as it possesses i n t h i s c o l l e c t i o n t o t h e p u b l i c .
C o n s i d e r a t i o n o f a l l o t h e r c o p y r i g h t s i s t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f t h e
a u t h o r and pub1 i s h e r .
Access: T h i s c o l l e c t i o n i s open under t h e r u l e s and r e g u l a t i o n s
o f t h e Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y .
C i t a t i o n : Researchers a r e r e q u e s t e d t o c i t e c o l l e c t i o n name,
c o l l e c t i o n number, and t h e Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y i n a l l f o o t -
n o t e and b i b l i o g r a p h i c r e f e r e n c e s .
T r a n s f e r : E i g h t
b u t t o n s t o t h e E d u c a t i o n D i v i s i o n i n t e b r u a r y 1985. N e w s l e t t e r s
from Ohio groups were t r a n s f e r r e d t o t h e L i b r a r y i n September 1985.
H i s t o r i c a l s k e t c h : Members o f n u c l e a r f r e e z e groups b e l i e v e t h e
f i r s t step i n ha1 t i n g t h e arms r a c e i s a m u t u a l , v e r i f i a b l e f r e e z e
on t h e f u r t h e r t e s t i n g , p r o d u c t i o n , and development o f n u c l e a r
weapons and t h e i r s u p p o r t and d e l i v e r y systems. W i t h t h i s goal
i n mind, t h e f i r s t n a t i o n a l n u c l e a r f r e e z e c o n f e r e n c e met i n
Washington, O. C., i n March 1981 w i t h a p p r o x i m a t e l y 300 people i n
a t t e n d a n c e . The c o n f e r e n c e a p p o i n t e d a n a t i o n a l c o m m i t t e e and
d e c i d e d t o p u b l i s h a n a t i o n a l n e w s l e t t e r . I n December 1981, t h e
n a t i o n a l committee d e c i d e d t o form an i n f o r m a t i o n c l e a r i n g house
t o handle t h e c a m p a i g n ' s 1 i t e r a t u r e .
F i v e p e o p l e f r o m O h i o a t t e n d e d t h i s f i r s t c o n f e r e n c e i n Washington
and t h e y saw a need f o r a c o o r d i n a t e d s t a t e e f f o r t t o promote t h e
f r e e z e . They d e c i d e d t h e Ohio n u c l e a r f r e e z e campaign would become
a committee o f an a l r e a d y e x i s t i n g s t a t e w i d e o r g a n i z a t i o n , t h e
Reverse t h e Arms F e d e r a t i o n o f Ohio ( RARFO). The f i r s t g o a l o f t h e
Ohio f r e e z e campaign was t o g e t t h e i s s u e on t h e s t a t e b a l l o t .
A f t e r l e a r n i n g t h a t on!.# i s s u e s germane t o t h e o p e r a t i o n o f t h e
s t a t e a r e p l a c e d on t h e b a l l o t , t h e campaign t u r n e d i t s a t t e n t i o n
and l o b b y i n g e f f o r t s t. 3 - the Ohio Z e g i s l a t u r e , where M i c h a e l
Schwartzwal der and e i g h t o t h e r s i n t r o d u c e d a r e s o l u t i on c a l l i n g
f o r a f r e e z e . The Ohio General Assembly debated t h i s r e s o l u t i o n
f o r two y e a r s b e f o r e Senate J o i n t R e s o l u t i o n 5 passed t h e Senate,
n i n e t e e n t o f o u r t e e n , i n May 1983,'. an'd theAHouse, s i x t y - f o u r t o
OBI0 HISTORICAL SOCIETY
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