Irving Adler Papers
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Abstract
Irving Adler (1913-2012) was an educator, mathematician, science writer and progressive activist born in New York City. He taught mathematics in the New York City secondary schools, was an activist in the progressive Teachers' Union, and the National Director of the National Council of the Arts, Sciences and Professions. Adler wrote numerous books, articles, and reviews on politics, education, mathematics and science (many for children). He was also a founding board member of the American Institute for Marxist Studies (AIMS). The collection includes his writings, clippings, correspondence and ephemera.
Biographical Note
Irving Adler (1913-2012) was an educator, mathematician, science writer and progressive activist. He was born in New York City, attended City College (B.S., 1931) and received graduate degrees in mathematics from Columbia University (M.A., 1938; Ph.D., 1961). From 1932-1952 he taught mathematics in the New York City secondary schools and was an activist in the progressive Teachers' Union. In 1953 he was the National Director of the National Council of the Arts, Sciences and Professions. In 1954 he was suspended for refusing to cooperate with government investigations into teachers' political beliefs and associations. Reinstated in 1976, he then retired. In the 1950s Adler began a career as the author (frequently with his first wife Ruth Adler) of numerous books on mathematics and science (many for children), and also wrote What We Want of Our Schools: Plain Talk on Education, from Theory to Budgets(1957). Adler also published several scholarly papers on mathematics, book reviews, and articles on the philosophy of science and on dialectical materialism. Adler was a founding board member of the American Institute for Marxist Studies (AIMS) and a regular contributor to Science & Society(a Marxist quarterly). Moving to Vermont in the early 1960s, he continued his progressive activism locally. Through his philanthropic efforts helped to establish the City College Volunteers in Spain Memorial Scholarship and, at Dartmouth College, the Joseph Dallet Jr. 1927 Memorial Prize, each in honor of alumni who fought in the Spanish Civil War. Adler passed away in 2012 at the age of 99.
Arrangement
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject or creator.
Scope and Content Note
The Irving Adler Papers (dates 1929-2009) contain published and unpublished writings by Adler on mathematics, the philosophy of science, dialectical materialism, and on educational issues. There is correspondence related the publication and reception of these writings (notably Freeman Dyson), and a thick file of correspondence with AIMS Director Herbert Aptheker. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents and correspondence comprise one folder each re: Adler's CIA and FBI files. Two City College files contain Adler's student writings and activist ephemera. Several files related to Adler's teaching career contain typescripts on the teaching of mathematics, Teachers Union ephemera and publications, and testimony and other documents from the administrative proceedings leading to his suspension. The collection also contains a copy of Irving Adler's autobiography, which chronicles his experience of banned from teaching because of his affiliation with the Communist Party. Another file documents the similar case of Joyce Sparer, later Adler's second wife. Several files containing clippings and letters to newspaper editors on topical matters document Adler's activism following his move to Vermont. There are also files on the Spanish Civil War-related scholarships Adler established, files on several on miscellaneous events or topics, and a thick biographical file which includes an oral history transcript.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open for research with restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by Irving Adler were transferred to New York University in 2002 by Irving Adler. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Irving Adler Papers; TAM 273; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Irving Adler in 2002; additional materials were added by Irving Adler in 2010 and by Marjorie Heins in 2016. The accession numbers associated with these gifts is 2001.205 and 2016.032.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Decisions concerning the arrangement, description, and rehousing of this collection prior to 2016 have not yet been recorded. In 2016, a copy of Irving Adler's autobiograph Kicked Upstairs was added to the collection following the existing arrangement.
