Consumer Reports Archives

Engineer, leading consumer advocate, and co-founder of Consumers Union. The Consumer Reports Arthur Kallet papers include clippings, tear sheets, correspondence, pamphlets, meeting minutes, book chapter manuscripts, reports, and other printed materials that document Kallet's career in consumer advocacy groups including Consumers' Research and Consumers Union.

Economist and consumer advocate who served as the first President of Consumers Union from its formation in 1936 until his retirement in 1980. The Consumer Reports Colston E. Warne papers include correspondence, clippings, photographs, scrapbooks, manuscripts and texts of articles and speeches, reports, and other printed materials.

Author, consumer advocate, instructor of home economics and consumer education, and co-founder of Consumers Union. The Frances Warne papers include clippings correspondence book manuscripts, course notes and other printed material. A bulk of the collection pertains to "Wise Buymanship," a home economics and consumer education manual produced for the YMCA.

Labor lawyer, counsel of the ACLU during the 1930s, and one of the original members of the Board of Directors of Consumers Union. The collection includes correspondence, clippings, court briefs and depositions, photographs, and other material relating to his work in civil rights and labor law. Topics include labor union activities, civil liberties, communist influence investigations into Un-American activities, deportation and disbarment of lawyers.

Economist, author, consumer interests advisor, and a member of the Consumers Union Board of Directors. Collection includes clippings, conference proceedings, correspondence and memoranda, legislative materials, speeches, and print material. Topics include consumer credit, the environment, fraud and misrepresentation, health care, poverty, and price and economic stability during the Depression and World War II. A number of organizations and institutions are also represented in the collection.

Consumer advocate who served as Assistant Director of Consumers Union from 1963-1971. The collection largely spans his tenure as Director, along with files inherited from his predecessors. Includes correspondence, meeting minutes, grant applications and other records; materials relating to state and regional consumer organizations, records of educational and social outreach programs, and other printed materials.

Consumer advocate and broadcasting executive who served as Associate Director at Consumers Union from 1971-1980. Collection includes budget reports; correspondence and memoranda; direct marketing materials; grant applications and related materials; mailing lists; statistics; and other printed material that document Braren's career at Consumers Union. Topics include advertising to children; broadcasting; cable/pay television and deregulation; fundraising; and telephone service providers.

Lawyer and consumer advocate who served as Director of Consumers Union from 1974 until her retirement in 2001. Topics include the Bhopal gas disaster; communism and the anti-communist movement during the Cold War; consumer protection; drug export controls; economic and human rights; environmental justice and policy protections; history of Consumers Union; sustainable consumption; tobacco use and passive health hazards; and transnationalism and international businesses.

Educator and consumer advocate who served as Board Member (1943-1973), Vice President (1958-1961) and Treasurer (1961- 1973) of Consumers Union. Collection consists of correspondence bibliographies, reports and teaching guides relating to his service with the New York City Board of Education's consumer education program.