Harold Robins Papers
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Abstract
Harold Robins (1908-1987) was a socialist and Trotskyist who served as a guard in Leon Trotsky's household from 1939-1940. He was present when Trotsky was assassinated in August 1940 and spent the rest of his life researching and writing about Trotsky's political philosophy and his assassination. The Harold Robins Papers (1931-1988) include research files, correspondence, press clippings, and writings related to Robins's allegation that members of the Socialist Workers Party, including Joseph Hansen, had been recruited by American or Soviet intelligence and helped facilitate Trotsky's assassination.
Biographical Note
Harold Robins (1908-1987) was a lifelong socialist and follower of Leon Trotsky. In 1939 and 1940 he served as the head guard in Trotsky's Mexico City household and was present when Trotsky was assassinated in August 1940. He spent the rest of his life researching and writing about Trotsky's political philosophy and assassination.
Robins joined the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) when it was founded in 1938 and remained a member until 1960. He left the party because he believed that prominent members, specifically Joseph Hansen and Al Glotzer, had been recruited by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Soviet Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), or the State Political Directorate (GPU) and helped facilitate Trotsky's assassination. In the 1970s, Robins joined the Worker's League (WL), an American offshoot of the U.K. Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP). Through the WL, he developed a relationship with Gerry Healy, the founder of the WRP, and worked with him on the International Committee of the Fourth International to produce Security and the Fourth International: An Inquiry into the Assassination of Leon Trotsky, published in 1975. In the early 1980s, Robins was involved in expelled SWP member Alan Gelfand's lawsuit (Gelfand v. Smith) to force the U.S. Government to give Gelfand access to FBI files related to SWP members.
Robins spent his retirement in Woodville, New Hampshire, where he drafted a book about his life in the Trotskyist movement.
Arrangement
The materials in this collection have been grouped by topic and arranged in chronological order.
Scope and Content Note
The Harold Robins Papers (1931-1988) are made up of research files, writings, and correspondence related to the 1940 assassination of Leon Trotsky; specifically, Robins's belief that the assassination was enabled by the infiltration of Soviet and American intelligence agencies into Trotsky's inner circle. Robins believed that intelligence agencies had recruited Socialist Worker's Party (SWP) member Joseph Hansen, and most of the collection relates to Robins's work researching and defending this allegation.
The collection contains drafts of an unfinished, untitled book Robins was writing about Trotsky's assassination, his contributions to Security and the Fourth International: An Inquiry into the Assassination of Leon Trotsky, and other writings. It documents his relationships with the SWP and Joseph Hansen in party meeting minutes, correspondence, press clippings, ephemera, and writings, including a written statement accusing Joseph Hansen of being an FBI-GPU agent. Robins's membership in the Worker's League (WL) is demonstrated by writings, correspondence, records of how the WL marked the centennary of Trotsky's birth, and issues of the party newspaper Bulletin. Robins's relationship with Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) founder Gerry Healy is closely tied to Robins's WL membership and is documented in correspondence and writings.
Robins's involvement in the Gelfand v. Smith lawsuit is documented with his notes for and transcript of his deposition and research about and suggestions for questions for SWP members. The collection also includes copies of classified FBI records on American socialists that were obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Other documents in the collection, including Robins's correspondence, letters to the editor, other writing drafts, and copies of socialist publications, and a transcript of Robins's interview with an interviewer identified only by the initials W.L, are not closely related to a specific project or political party, but all of them illustrate Robins's lifelong dedication to Leon Trotsky's legacy. Robins's early life is documented by US Census and military records, and the collection also includes a biographical sketch written by a friend following his death.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use materials in the collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Harold Robins Papers; WAG 175; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Existence and Location of Originals
Originals of Leon Trotsky's correspondence are in the Leon Trotsky Exile Papers (MS Russ 13.1), held by Harvard University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Maurice Isserman circa 1988. The accession number associated with this gift is 1988.020.
About this Guide
Processing Information
In 2024, materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. File titles were retained if present, or were assigned by an archivist. Related files were grouped by topic and brought together physically where possible. Several newspapers were flattened and one folder of brittle, acidified paper was housed by Conservation staff.
