This collection is stored off site. Please
allow 3-5 business days for retrieval.
Marian Weir, past president of the St. Louis Consumer Federation, donated the
papers of the Consumer Federation (SLCF) to the Western Historical Manuscript
Collection - University of Missouri-St. Louis in April 1978. (A-2020)
The collection contains the organization's subject files, bulletins, correspondence, minutes, constitution and bylaws.
SLCF was formed as one of over 200 Consumer Councils throughout the nation under NRA to act as communication links between consumers and the government. When NRA was abolished, it expanded into a federation to include representatives of churches, social services, labor and civic organizations. Over the years, SLCF has campaigned for such laws as the Standard Milk Ordinance, the Clean Restaurant Ordinance, Food Stamps, the Poultry Inspection Law and has favored strengthening the FDA. During World War II SLCF became an integral part of the Civil Defense Program as the Consumer Interest Division and collaborated closely with the Office of Price Administration. During the 1960's and early 1970's the SLCF was active in educational and legislative activities to protect consumer interests. By the late 1970s the SLCF membership had declined and the organization ceased to operate.
SERIES DESCRIPTION
The collection comprises one series which is arranged alphabetically by subject.
FOLDER LIST
BOX 1 (040666)
FOLDERS 1-19: Subject Files, A-C, 1935-1977
1. Advertising Club of St. Louis, 1940, correspondence.
2. Attorney General of Missouri, John Ashcroft, 1977, legal briefs.
3. Better Business Bureau, 1947-1970, correspondence, bulletins, and reports.
4. SLCF Bulletin, 1935-1961 (incomplete).
5. SLCF Bulletin, 1962-1974 (incomplete).
6. Canadian Association of Consumers, Bulletin 1958-1960, 3 issues.
7. Complaint Policies, big businesses, 1970.
8. Conference on Consumer Credit, 1955, correspondence, program and speech by Dr. Persia
Campbell, Consumer Counsel to New York Governor Averell Harriman.
9. Conference of Consumers, 1958, notes.
10. Conference, President's Committee on Consumer Interests and SLCF regional consumer
Conference 1964, program and speech by Paul Dixon, Chair of the FTC.
11. Conference on Consumer Protection, 1969, program.
12. Constitution, Bylaws and history of SLCF13. Consumers' Advisory Board of the
NRA, 1934 address of Mary Harriman Rumsey, Chairperson.
14. Consumer Advisory Council, 1963, First Report to the President.
15. Consumer Clearing House, 1944-1945, Minutes, information memoranda.
16. Consumer Complaints, 1961, 1970, correspondence.
17. Consumer Conference News, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1963, five issues.
18. Consumer Federation of America, 1968-1970, Action Memos.
19. Consumer Federation of America, 1970-1972, "News from CFA."
FOLDERS 20-33: Subject Files, Consumer-Council, 1937-1977
20. Consumer Federation of America, 1969-1972, reports, minutes, memoranda, and
statements.
21. Consumer Federation of America, 1969 meeting, resolutions and releases.
22. Consumer Federation of America, 1970 meetings, minutes, statements, and resolutions.
23. Consumer groups, various states, histories.
24. Consumer Protection League, 1970, literature.
25. Consumer Reports, 1969-1977 made by Wilma Halparin (SLCF) to Women's Chamber
of Commerce.
26. Consumers Emergency Council, 1937 History and Resolutions on NRA proposals and
on consumer representation. (replaced by Consumers National Federation.)
27. Consumers National Federation, 1937-1940, correspondence, by-laws, releases.
28. Consumers Union, 1941-1943, 1958-1960, correspondence, reports, memoranda, grant
application.
29. Co-operatives, 1940's, memoranda.
30. Correspondence, general, 1941-1973.
31. Council on Consumer Information, 1956-1963, correspondence, memoranda, minutes.
32. Council on Consumer Information, 1957, conference materials and correspondence.
33. Council on Consumer Information, 1958-1963, Newsletter.
FOLDERS 34-59: Subject Files, Council-Minutes, 1933-1972
34. Council of Organized Consumers, 1942-1944, correspondence, memos.
35. Courses, 1940-1952, including Food and Nutrition Course, Consumer Course.
36. Paul Douglas, 1933, address at Institute on Economic Control, Washington University.
37. Drugs Issues, 1959-1964, correspondence, announcements.
38. Farm Prices and Standards, 1933, 1942, reports, statistics.
39. Federal Trade Commission, 1972, letter, newsletter.
40. Food and Drug Administration, 1955, Citizens Advisory Committee Report.
41. Food Stamp Plan, 1939-1957, correspondence, releases, news clippings.
42. Gasoline bills, 1952, 1957, report and letter.
43. Home Economics Study Project, Social Planning Council, 1946-1948, correspondence,
minutes, reports.
44. Household Employment Institute (Social Planning Council), 1941, information.
45. Housing Issues, 1941-1947, correspondence, bills, newsclippings .
46. Inflation - Fight Inflation Committee, 1946, memoranda.
47. International Organization of Consumer Unions, 1966, meeting notes.
48. Laclede Gas Light Co., 1935-1941 , memoranda, newsclippings.
49. League of Women Shoppers, (national and St. Louis), 1940-1944, newsletters, memoranda.
50. League of Women Voters, 1939-1944, correspondence, flyers, reports.
51. Lists - individuals and organizations.
52. Manual for Program Planners (Washington University), 1951, SLCF suggestions.
53. Membership Drives, 1945-1960, promotion material.
54. Milk Dating, 1963, SLCF statement, newsclippings.
55. Milk Dating, 1970, SLCF statement, correspondence, newsletters - (Farm Marketing News).
56. Milk Labeling, 1955-1958, correspondence.
57. Milk Pricing, 1943-1971, correspondence, memoranda, newsclippings.
58. Milk Sanitation, 1960, Bill to amend milk sanitation ordinance.
59. Minutes, SLCF, 1944, 1969-1973.
BOX 2 (040669) FOLDERS 60-84: Subject Files, Nader-Truth in Lending, 1940-1970.
60. Ralph Nader, speech before Consumer Federation of America, 1970.
61. National Association of Consumers, 1948, 1954, 1956, 3 newsletters.
62. National Consumers Act, 1970, "First Final Draft."
63. National Consumers League, 1942-1943, correspondence, memorandum.
64. National Defense Advisory Commission, 1940, address "Government and Industrial
Mobilization." By Miss Caroline F. Ware.
65. National Nutrition Conference for Defense, 1941, correspondence, recommendations,
reports.
66. Nutrition, general, 1940-1943, correspondence, minutes, memoranda.
67. Nutrition, Missouri State Nutrition Committee, 1941-1942, correspondence, minutes,
memoranda.
68. Office of Civil Defense, 1942-1944, bulletin, memoranda, publicity.
69. Office of Civil Defense, Consumer Information Center, (St. Louis) 1942, press releases,
speech, suggestions.
70. Office of Civil Defense, Consumer Interest Committee, (St. Louis), 1944, report.
71. Office of Price Administration, Consumer Advisory Committee, 1944-1945, memoranda.
72. Office of Price Administration, Price Panel Assistants, 1943-1944, correspondence,
memoranda, reports.
73. Office of War Mobilization, Consumers' Council, 1944, press release.
74. Press Releases and publicity (SLCF), 1941-1961.
75. Poultry Inspection, 1952-1958, correspondence, pamphlets.
76. Radio Scripts (SLCF), 1940-1942.
77. Recommendations and positions (SLCF), 1944-1963.
78. Red Cross Community Nutrition Committee, 1948, minutes, letter.
79. St. Louis Committee on Elimination of Smoke, 1940, report.
80. Social Planning Council, 1942-1943, annual report.
81. Speeches (SLCF), 1951-1960.
82. Statements before Senate Committees, 1958, 1961, 1970.
83. Leonore Sullivan, 1958-1967, correspondence.
84. Truth in Lending Bill, 1955-1964, correspondence, memoranda.
INDEX
Advertising Club of St. Louis, f. 1
Ashcroft, John, f. 2
Civil Defense, f. 9-11
Better Business Bureau, f. 3
Clean Restaurant Ordinance, f.
Consumer Advisory Council, f. 14
Consumer Federation of America, f. 1-3, 18-19
Consumer Protection, f. 8-11, 15-16
Consumer Protection League, f. 5
Consumers' Emergency Council, f. 7
Consumers' National Federation, f. 7-8
Consumers' Union, f. 9
Cooperatives, f. 10
Council of Organized Consumers, f. 1
Council on Consumer Information, f. 12-14
Douglas, Paul , f. 3
Farm Price and Standard, f. 5
Food and Drug Administration, f. 7
Food Stamps, f. 8
Inflation, f. 13
Halparin, Wilma, f. 6
Housing, f. 12
Laclede Gas Light Company, f. 15
League of Women Shoppers, f. 16
League of Women Voters, f. 17
Milk Standards, f. 21-25
Nader, Ralph, f. 1
National Association of Consumers, f. 2
National Consumers Act, f. 3
National Recovery Administration - Consumer Advisory Board, f. 13
Nutrition, f. 6-8
Office of Price Administration, f. 12-13
Poultry Inspection Law, f. 16
Smoke Abatement, f. 20
Social Planning Council, f. 10-11, 21
Sullivan, Leonore, f. 24
Truth-in-Lending Bill, f. 25
Weir, Marian, f.
World War II, f. 4-14
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI RESEARCH CENTER-ST. LOUIS
222 THOMAS JEFFERSON LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
ONE UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD
ST. LOUIS, MO 63121
(314)516-5143
whmc@umsl.edu