This series contains materials related to the Institute for Democratic Socialism (IDS), which was founded in 1978 to help spread democratic socialist ideals through educational materials and activist training. In the mid-1990s, IDS changed its name to the Democratic Socialists of America Fund. Materials consist of conference proposals and programs, correspondence, fundraising materials, and some financial records. Materials also include audio recordings of speeches and panels from the "Eurosocialism and America" conference, a three-day conference in 1980, in which U.S. activists met with international leaders of social democratic and democratic socialist political movements to explore how democratic socialist policy alternatives could benefit the U.S. Notable individuals featured in the recordings include world leaders like Willy Brandt (Germany), Olof Palme (Sweden), Joop den Uyl (Netherlands), Francois Mitterand (France), as well as Michael Harrington, union leader William Winpisinger, Representative Ron Dellums, and Gloria Steinem.
