| Predecessor | National Council on Soviet Relations |
|---|---|
| Successor | International Council for Friendship and Solidarity with Soviet People (ICFSSP) |
| Formation | 1944 |
| Founder | Corliss Lamont |
| Merger of | 1991 |
| Legal status | Inactive |
| Purpose | American–Soviet relations |
Official language | English, Russian |
TheNational Council of American–Soviet Friendship (NCASF) was the successor organisation to theNational Council on Soviet Relations (NCSR).
The 1930s witnessed the birth of theAmerican–Soviet friendship movement which revolved around theFriends of the Soviet Union, founded in 1929. One of the major goals of the movement was for the United States and the Soviet Union to form ananti-fascist alliance. This eventually led to the foundation of the NCSR, which became the NCASF in 1941. The Council's membership was largely made up of professionals sympathetic tosocialism andcommunism.
The council was formed of several different branches and offices.[1]
Corliss Lamont was one of the founders and the first chairman of the council. ProfessorRalph Barton Perry ofHarvard University was vice-chairman of the council. Edwin Smith was the executive director of the council.
| Name | Years in service |
|---|---|
| Corliss Lamont | 1943–1947 |
| William Howard Melish | 1947–1951 |
| John Kingsbury | 1949–1956 |
| Rockwell Kent | 1957–1971 |
| William Howard Melish | 1971–1978 |
| Ewart Guinier | 1979–1984 |
| John Cherveny | 1985–1987 |
| John Randolph | 1988–1991 |
| Name | Years in service |
|---|---|
| Edwin Smith | 1944–1945 |
| Richard Morford | 1946–1981 |
| Alan Thomson | 1981–1991 |
| Roy Kaufman | 1991 |
In April 1944 at the founding of the council,Charlie Chaplin was one of the sponsors. On 16 November 1944, when an "American – Soviet Friendship Rally" was held inMadison Square Garden, a number of Hollywood movie stars — including Chaplin,John Garfield,Rita Hayworth,Orson Welles,James Cagney,Katharine Hepburn,Gene Kelly, andEdward G. Robinson — signed a message in a gesture of support. The statement said that the artists added their voices in favor of the bond that existed between "our great country and our great Allies." The message added: "In this friendship lies not only the hope but the future of the world."[3]
In 1946 theHouse Un-American Activities Committee initiated a formal inquiry into the NCASF. In 1947, charges were brought against the Council for failing to register with theSubversive Activities Control Board.
In May 1948, theNew York Times that the new movieThe Iron Curtain "has been under attack since January by various groups including the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship."[4]
ComposerAaron Copland was later questioned by Senator McCarthy regarding his membership on the Music Committee.[1]
In 1991, the council ceased operations.[1]
NCASF's successor organization, based in Canada, is called theInternational Council for Friendship and Solidarity with Soviet People (ICFSSP). The magazine of the International Council is calledNorthstar Compass. The affiliate to the International Council in the United States is theU.S. Friends of the Soviet People (USFSP). The current officers of USFSP are Dr. Angelo D'Angelo (Chair), George Gruenthal (Vice Chair), Fiona Fairchild (Secretary), and Joseph F. Hancock (Bulletin Editor).
The moving image collection of the National Council of American–Soviet Friendship is held at theAcademy Film Archive. The collection consists of over 1,000 16mm prints, representing about 700 titles.[5]
During its years of operation the NCASF released numerous publications focusing upon daily life in theSoviet Union and information regarding the state of American–Soviet relations.[1]
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