Robert LeFevre (1911-1986) was a conservative and later radical libertarian
journalist, writer and teacher. The collection includes correspondence, literary manuscripts, speeches, organizational
files, and other materials that reflect his career.
Repository:
University of Oregon Libraries
Special Collections & University Archives
Funding for encoding this finding
aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Biographical Note
Robert LeFevre was born in Gooding, Idaho in 1911. His family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota when
LeFevre was quite young. It was there that LeFevre developed an interest in the theatre. He attended
Hamline University in St. Paul from 1931 to 1932 where he studied English and drama. After leaving the
university, LeFevre worked at a variety of jobs, including acting and radio announcing. Upon the advent
of World War II, LeFevre enlisted in the Army and eventually became an officer in the education and
orientation division of the Army Air Corps. He spent a year in Europe and was discharged from the Army
in 1945 after being injured in a jeep accident in France.
After leaving the Army, LeFevre worked in real estate in San Francisco. In 1949 he became part owner
of Falcon's Lair, an estate formerly owned by the silent film actor Rudolph Valentino, and became
embroiled in a controversy over turning the estate into a shrine dedicated to Valentino. During this
time LeFevre became involved with the San Francisco Group, an organization formed to impart the religious
and educational views of its members to the general public. He also represented the Falcon Lair
Foundation, which was dedicated to world peace. LeFevre eventually declared bankruptcy because of
problems encountered in his real estate business, some of which he blamed on government interference.
Following an unsuccessful run for Congress in Los Angeles' 14th Congressional District in 1950 as
a Republican, LeFevre moved to Florida where he worked in radio and television as a newscaster. It
was during these years, from the late 1940's to early 1950's, that LeFevre became more involved in
right-wing anti-union and anti-communist political organizations. He was a member of the Wage Earners
Committee, an organization formed in 1949 to counter unionism, and he eventually founded the Miami
Breakfast Club which was associated with Merwin K. Hart's conservative Freedom Club organization.
LeFevre served as the Executive Director of the Congress of Freedom and the United States Day Committee,
both of which advocated conservative agendas including the demand that the United States should withdraw
from the United Nations.
In an article published in Human Events in 1954, LeFevre charged that the Girl Scout Handbook
contained "socialist" and "one world government" propaganda. The article attracted nationwide attention
from the public and the news media and eventually forced the scouting organization to make changes in the
Handbook.
LeFevre moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado late in 1954 to become an editorial writer for R. C.
Holies' newspaper, the Gazette Telegraph. While still working at the newspaper where he would eventually
become editor, LeFevre started the Freedom School, a small private school dedicated to teaching free
market and anti-government principles.
By this time LeFevre's politics had moved from more traditionally conservative positions to more
radical libertarian ones. He thought that the ideal state would have no government or political
entities and the functions that government would normally be expected to handle--education, policing,
and so forth--would be handled by the private sector. He rejected all political action and would
eventually even reject the Libertarian Party that formed in the early 1970's.
The Freedom School began with teaching short sessions during the summer months and
was not, nor would it ever be, accredited by any educational organization. The school
did, however, draw a number of prominent libertarian and free-market thinkers. Ludwig
von Mises, Frank Chodorov, Milton Friedman and Rose Wilder Lane all visited the Freedom
School at one time or another, some to teach or lecture. In the late 1960's, LeFevre and
the school's operations moved to Santa Ana, California. He changed the name of the school
to Rampart College and shifted its emphasis from small classroom sessions to lectures, home
study courses, and seminars directed mainly at business executives.
LeFevre left the school in 1973 and continued to lecture, write, and publish material
on libertarian subjects. He had been a charismatic orator throughout most of his life and
he remained a popular speaker on the libertarian lecture circuit until his death in 1986.
During his lifetime LeFevre also published a number of books, newsletters, and pamphlets
dealing with politics, government, economics, and his libertarian philosophy. In addition
to his libertarian writings, LeFevre wrote fiction works late in his life but was apparently
unsuccessful in getting them published.
Content Description
The Robert LeFevre Papers consist of correspondence and a variety of other collected
materials dealing with the individuals and organizations with whom LeFevre associated
throughout his life. These individuals and organizations are, for the most part, extremely
conservative or libertarian in their outlook and the collection contains a wealth of
material that reflects these points of view. Additionally, manuscripts, speeches, radio and
television scripts, published material, subject files, personal material, photographs, and
books are part of the papers.
Regarding the arrangement of this collection, an attempt was made to preserve LeFevre's
system of organization which is based on subject matter and relatively distinct periods of
LeFevre's life. For this reason correspondence and material that may appear related can be
found deposited in different places throughout the collection.
The first series, general correspondence, is arranged alphabetically and includes
correspondence LeFevre had with individuals and organizations that dealt with his politics,
philosophy and teachings, or his business interests relating to these areas. Some of the
more important conservative political organizations included here are the Congress of
Freedom, the National Economic Council, Operation America, and the United States Day
Committee. The National Economic Council correspondence was authored primarily by Merwin
K. Hart. A few of the most notable correspondents include Richard M. Nixon, who exchanged
letters with LeFevre during his campaign for the Vice Presidency in 1952 and Robert
Heinlein, the prominent science fiction writer.
The Miami Breakfast Club series contains LeFevre's correspondence from the early 1950's
with the conservative Freedom Club organization, club members, speakers, and several
politicians, including Nevada Senator Pat McCarran.
Documentation of the Girl Scout Handbook controversy consists primarily of correspondence
that LeFevre had with individuals who were concerned about the alleged socialist influences
that he had uncovered. Human Events editors Frank Chodorov and Frank Hanighen and Girl
Scout officials are included among the correspondents. Other material contained in the
series consists of articles, clippings, and other items collected by LeFevre that relate
to the controversy.
LeFevre's newspaper career is the main focus of the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph
series. Included are correspondence, personnel records, editorials, and other material from
the period when LeFevre was an employee of the Gazette Telegraph. Most of the correspondence
deals with editorial subject matter and the day-to-day operations of the newspaper.
Freedom School/Rampart College files include a large volume of material LeFevre generated
while teaching and administering the school. The first subseries includes an exhaustive collection
of financial records from the period that LeFevre was at the school. A variety of material
documenting the school's administration and operation follows. Included are the school's
annuals, enrollment and fund raising reports, staff memoranda, and workshop and seminar
materials. The last three subseries contain materials published by the school, promotional
literature, and publicity items regarding the school. The Pine Tree Features/Press series
that follows contains a number of newspaper column manuscripts authored by LeFevre and several
other Freedom School employees during 1967 and 1968. The columns reflect the anti-government
and pro-free enterprise ideals of their authors.
Manuscripts are comprised of LeFevre's writings from the late 1940's to early 1980's.
Article length manuscripts deal primarily with LeFevre's political philosophy and many were
printed in libertarian publications. Short story length manuscripts are all fiction pieces
LeFevre wrote late in life and none appear to have been published. Book length manuscripts
include drafts of several of LeFevre's published works regarding government and politics as
well as a number of his unpublished fiction works. Also appearing among these manuscripts
is LeFevre's unpublished, untitled, 2000+ page autobiography. Within each subseries, all
manuscripts are arranged alphabetically by title.
A small series of speeches is arranged chronologically. Most of these were presentations
to various business and civic groups and reflect LeFevre's political views. Radio program
material consists of program scripts from the early 1950's that LeFevre used in his radio
shows, and are arranged chronologically under each program name. The subject matter of the
scripts reflects LeFevre's conservative outlook at the time. There are also several folders
of television material consisting of program reports and layouts. The published material is
comprised of articles, pamphlets, reprints, and other miscellaneous items of LeFevre's work
that were published in magazines, newspapers, and other media from the 1950's through the
mid-1970's.
Collected material concerning a number of individuals, organizations, and other topics
of interest to LeFevre can be found within the subject files series. A wealth of literature
and records regarding organizations with a conservative bent, such as the Congress of
Freedom, Operation America, United States Day Committee, and the Wage Earners Committee is
included in this series. Many of the files contain correspondence, manuscripts, and an
assortment of printed matter and publications. Of interest is the Audio-Forum Cassettes
file which contains catalogs listing tape-recorded lectures by LeFevre on his libertarian
philosophy.
The personal material series contains correspondence, legal materials, financial papers,
publicity items, and files for other family members. Legal documents and correspondence
with LeFevre's attorney, Aaron Sargent, can be found in the Retail Credit Company lawsuit
subseries. The unsuccessful lawsuit was initiated in 1955 when LeFevre became aware of an
unfavorable credit report being circulated about him that included statements he considered
to be libelous. Publicity consists of newspaper clippings and other items LeFevre collected
about himself.
Artifacts include microfiche copies of a number of LeFevre's works. Photographs in the
collection are mainly of the Freedom School campus and its faculty and students. Finally,
the collection includes several books. The most interesting of these is a volume entitled
The Power of Congress (As Congress Sees It), a compilation of sometimes heated correspondence
between LeFevre and dozens of Congressmen on the failings of representative government.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
Collection is open to the public.
Collection must be used in Special Collections & University Archives Reading Room.
Restrictions on Use :
Property rights reside with Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries.
Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the
Manuscripts Librarian in Special Collections & University Archives. The
reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation :
[Identification of item], Robert LeFevre Papers, Coll. 202, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.
Administrative Information
Arrangement :
Collection is organized into the following series:
Series: General Correspondence
Series: San Francisco Group
Series: Miami Breakfast Club
Series: Girl Scout Handbook Controversy
Series: Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph
Series: Freedom School/Rampart College
Series: Literary Manuscripts
Series: Speeches
Series: Radio Program Materials
Series: Television Material
Series: Published Materials (authored by LeFevre)
Series: Subject Files
Series: Personal Materials
Series: Original Drawings
Acquisition Information :
Gift of Robert LeFevre in 1980.
Processing Note :
Collection processed by Peter Backes, Manuscripts Processor.
Separated Materials :
Photographs in this collection are stored separately under call number PH179.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Series: General Correspondence
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box
Folder
1
1
A
1
2
Anderson, Marion T.
1
3
April House
1
4
Arno Press Inc. (See also Kephart Comm. 6/3, Libertarian Review 6/8, and Audio Forum 49/1)
1
5
B
1
6-7
Beardslee, Hermona
1
8
Belnap, Paul A.
1
9
Bosley, David
1
10
Brightwell, George and Barbara
1
11
C
1
12
Callahan, John
1
13
Chapman, Gene (see also 49/2)
1
14
Congress of Freedom (see also subject files 49/3-5)--Thomas, George J.
May 1955-March 1956
1
15
Congress of Freedom (see also subject files 49/3-5)--Miscellaneous
December 1953-May 1955
1
16
Congress of Freedom (see also subject files 49/3-5)--Miscellaneous
June 1955-March 1956
1
17
Cooper, David L.
1
18
Council for a Competitive Economy (Richard Wilke)
2
1
D
2
2-11
Dazey, Ruth (Secretary to LeFevre)
2
12
DeFlon, Dewey
3
1-3
Dial, David W.
3
4
Dirschel, John
3
5
Eisenhower, Dwight D.
3
6-8
England, Delmar
3
9-10
Estes, Charles and Mary
3
11
F
3
12-13
Famous Writers School
3
14
Ferguson, Tim (The Register)
3
15
Fifield, James W.
3
16
Furgerson, Ann (secretary to LeFevre)
4
1-5
Forum for Contemporary History
4
6
Free Press Association
4
7
G
4
8
Goodman, Robert
4
9
Grant, Richard W.
4
10
Gregg, Ken Jr. (see also 50/2)
4
11
Grove, Cecil
5
1
H
5
2-6
Hansen, Vern
5
7
Harvey, John William
5
8
Heinlein, Robert A.
5
9
Hildebrandt, Henry F.
5
10
Hillsdale College
5
11
Holmes, Rollie W.
5
12
Houston Tribune, The
5
13
I
5
14
Institute for Humane Studies
5
15
Integrated Data Corp.
5
16
Jeffrey Norton Publishers (see also 49/1)
5
17
Johnson, Charles W.
6
1
Johnson, Floy
6
2
Jury, Jack
6
3
Kephart Communications
6
4-6
Kroy, Moshe
6
7
Leenerts, Cynthia A.
6
7
Leon, Seymour and Riqui (see 27/1-2)
6
8
Libertarian Review
6
9
Liberty Bookstore
6
10-11
Liberty Fund, Inc. (Correspondence with David Franke)
6
12
Library College Association, Inc.
6
13
Licher, Lloyd
7
1-4
Llewellin, Marjorie
7
5
M
7
6-7
Marketing Associates
7
8
Millikan and Co.
7
9
Mohn, Paul "Stormy"
7
10-12
Mollison, Susan F.
7
13
Moorman, Fabiola C.
8
1-2
National Economic Council, Inc. (Merwin K. Hart) (see also 50/12)
8
3
New World Action
8
4
Nixon, Richard M. (and staff)
8
5
Oakley R. Bramble Publisher
8
6-7
Operation America (see also 51/2)
8
8
P
8
9
Page, Reid A.
8
10-11
Parks, Mercer H.
8
12-13
Paton, William A.
8
14
Peterson, Dyanne (Center for Libertarian Studies)
9
1
R
9
2-4
Reason Magazine
9
5
Register, The (Patricia Mundi)
9
6
Richardson, Robert D.
9
7
Rosborough, Robert, Doug, and Debby
9
8
Ryan, Walter R. Jr.
9
9-13
Sanders, Thomas W.
10
1
Sanders, Thomas W.
10
2
Sanders, Thomas W.
10
3
Schureman, John C
10
4
Seligmann and Collier Literary Agents
10
5
Shaffer, Butler
10
6-8
Shank, Edith
10
9-13
Slocum, Priscilla K. (P. K. Slocum Booksellers)
11
1-3
Smith, Denison E.
11
4
Society for Individual Liberty
11
5
T
11
6-8
Taylor-Radford, Richard
11
9
U.S. Day Committee (see also subject files 51/4-5)
Untitled. Breakfast Meeting of the Christian Business Men. (2 copies)
January 22, 1955
42
5
Statement of Robert LeFevre before the Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. {2 copies)
April 11, 1955
42
5
Untitled. El Paso County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting
November 7, 1959
42
5
"How Much Coercion?" Clovis Chamber of Commerce. {2 drafts)
November 16, 1959
42
6
"The Moral Issue of Advertising." Mountain Advertisers. (Note cards included)
October 2, 1960
42
7
"The Role of Private Property in a Free Society." Kiwanis Club of Chicago. (Pamphlet included)
February 28, 1963
42
7
"First Capitalist Revolution."
July 26, 1963
42
7
"Limited Government--Hope or Illusion?" Freedom Club of Los Angeles. {2 copies, pamphlet)
October 5, 1963
42
8
"Freedom--The American Adventure." Presented at the President's Forum
sponsored by The Employers'Association of Greater Chicago and the Associated Employers of Illinois. (2 copies, pamphlet)
January 17, 1964
42
8
"Cost Accounting in a Free Society." Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants.
February 17, 1965
43
1
"Money." Wichita Rotary. (2 copies, pamphlet and pamphlet galley)
April 5, 1965
43
2
"How to Neutralize the Conflict Between Socialism and Private Capitalism." Graduate Forum at Rampart College.
July 1967
43
2
"The Moral Imperative." Graduate Forum at Rampart College. {2 copies)
July 1967
43
3
"Prelude to Hell." Downtown Lions Club, Wichita, Kansas. (One complete and one partial copy)
November 1, 1967
43
3
"Entrepreneurship." Sales and Marketing Executives Association of Los Angeles.
December 7, 1967
43
4
"My Health is Private Property."
February 27, 1968
43
4
"The Future of Free Enterprise." Chief Executives Forum, Hilton Head Island,
South Carolina
September 24, 1969
43
5
"Liberating the Revolution." Festival of Liberation, University of
Southern California.
November 14, 1970
43
5
"Can Government Protect Society from Crime?" Culver-Stockton College. Canton,
Missouri. (Pamphlet included)
November 19, 1974
43
6
Undated. "Bureaucracy."
43
6
Fragments, speech notes, outlines, and miscellaneous
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Personal Names :
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969--Correspondence
Heinlein, Robert A. (Robert Anson), 1907-1988--Correspondence
LeFevre, Robert, 1911-
LeFevre, Robert, 1911---Correspondence
LeFevre, Robert, 1911---Correspondence
Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994--Correspondence
Corporate Names :
Congress of Freedom, Inc.
Freedom School (Colorado Springs, Colo.)--Records and correspondence.
