HISTORIC COLLECTION OF WORKS BY WHISTLEBLOWER DANIEL ELLSBERG ACQUIRED BY UMASS

UMass announced, on September 24, the acquisition of the papers of Daniel Ellsberg, one of the nation’s foremost political activists and whistleblowers. Following a decade as a high-level government official, researcher, and consultant, Ellsberg leaked the top-secret Pentagon Papers in 1971, exposing decades of deceit by American policymakers during the Vietnam War.

The life work of Ellsberg, 88, as documented in an extraordinary collection of papers, annotated books, and photographs, will be managed and made available to scholars and the public by Special Collections and University Archives at the W.E.B. Du Bois Library. Ellsberg, who holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard and remains active as a lecturer and writer, will join the university community as a Distinguished Researcher at the Du Bois Library and as a Distinguished Research Fellow at the university’s Political Economy Research Institute (PERI).

A sampling of the collection can be viewed here.

UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy said, “Daniel Ellsberg stands among the most influential and courageous political activists of the past century. He is an exceptional scholar who has been a champion of democracy, truth and free speech. This collection will provide invaluable insight into his expertise in decision theory, his involvement in major chapters of American history – including the Vietnam War and Watergate – and his advocacy against war and nuclear weaponry. We are proud to welcome Dr. Ellsberg and his wife, Patricia Marx Ellsberg, herself a committed social activist, to the UMass community.”

Ellsberg said, “I am grateful that my papers will be going to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, an institution that is dedicated to the values of openness, equity, and social justice. This collection, which represents my life’s work, will now be available to scholars seeking understanding of some of the most consequential events of the past half century. In my years of service, both inside government and out, I have always firmly believed that truth-telling to the American public is an expression of the loyalty owed to the Constitution, the rule of law, and the sovereign public. It is a patriotic and effective way to serve our country. Sharing these papers with future generations through the archives at UMass Amherst is reflective of that deeply held philosophy.”

Ellsberg is the author of four books: “The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner” (2017); “Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers” (2002); “Risk, Ambiguity and Decision” (2001); and “Papers on the War” (1972). In 2006, he was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, in Stockholm, Sweden, “for putting peace and truth first, at considerable personal risk, and dedicating his life to inspiring others to follow his example.” In 2019, also in Stockholm, he received Sweden’s Olof Palme Prize “for his profound humanism and exceptional moral courage.” His activism has also been featured in films, including “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” (2009) and “The Post” (2017). He is a Senior Fellow of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

Simon Neame, the university’s Dean of Libraries, said, “The UMass Amherst Libraries are honored to welcome Daniel Ellsberg as Distinguished Researcher in Special Collections and University Archives. Throughout his storied career, Ellsberg has reflected the values of intellectual freedom and intellectual exploration that lie at the heart of the modern academic library. His decision to place his personal freedom at significant peril to expose what became known as the Pentagon Papers, his deep scholarship and extensive use of archives, and his steadfast support for whistleblowers and freedom of information are in the best tradition of our profession.”

The collection, being transported to Amherst from Ellsberg’s home in California, will total nearly 600 linear feet, or more than 500 boxes. The collection is so rich in material that it will take the equivalent of two years of a full-time archivist’s time to fully process and catalogue. 

 Ellsberg and his wife will be welcomed to the UMass community when they travel to Massachusetts in late October for a series of events in Amherst and Boston. Details will be forthcoming.

Source: UMass News and Media