MSS 86-1
Inventory of the Papers of Park Elliott Dietz for the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography
Overview
Official and personal files related to the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography (Meese Commission) that studied the effects of pornography in the United States (1985-1986).
Dates |
1973-1986 [Bulk] |
|---|---|
Extents |
6.7 Linear Feet |
Scope & Contents
This collection of 16 boxes (6.7 linear feet), contains material dating as far back as 1973, and as recently as 1988, but most of it was produced during the AGCP's tenure in 1985-86, and includes commission memoranda, correspondence, transcripts of testimony, reports prepared for the commission, and various drafts of portions of the final report written by the commissioners themselves. Approximately three-quarters of these papers came to the library unfoldered.
In processing, a distinction has been made between official AGCP materials and Dietz's personal files, most of which related to the commission's work as well. This distinction was at times hard to maintain, but in general the papers in containers 1-10 are either material distributed to all commissioners as part of the AGCP's official business, or correspondence between the commissioners and with outsiders relating to the commission's work. The submissions and testimony from the various public hearings are particularly voluminous, as are the reports concerning the role played by organized crime in the distribution of pornography.
The first four folders in container 11 relate to the reaction generated by the report and the commission's deliberations, primarily from those opposed. The rest of container 11 and the remainder of the collection comprises material collected by Dietz, but not necessarily sent to all commissioners or even related to the commission's work. These include correspondence of Dietz and his wife Laura, particularly after the AGCP report had been released, and materials relating to the ongoing campaign against pornography in which Laura Dietz appears to have taken a special interest. The last two folders in container 15 and all of container 16 hold clippings, some specifically relating to the commission or its report, and some more generally related to pornography.
Collection Description
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Physical Description
16 boxes (6.7 linear feet)
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Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions.
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Conditions Governing Use
There are no restrictions.
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Preferred Citation
Inventory of the Papers of Park Elliott Dietz, MSS 86-1a, Box Number, Special Collections, University of Virginia Law Library.
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Biographical / Historical
Park Elliott Dietz (A.B. Cornell; M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. Johns Hopkins) joined the faculty of the University of Virginia School of Law in 1982, serving simultaneously as medical director of the University's Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy. In 1988, he moved to California to practice and teach psychiatry. In 1985, while at the University, he was appointed by then-Attorney General Edwin Meese to serve on the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography (AGCP). The commission conducted a year-long study of the effects of pornography in the United States, and made a number of recommendations in its report, published in July 1986. Most of this collection relates to Dietz's tenure on the commission. At the end of the commission's tenure, the Department of Justice gave Dietz a collection of pornographic literature which had been used in the commission's work. He deposited that collection with the Law Library in 1986, and, upon his 1988 departure from the University, donated it to the library, along with the materials comprising this particular collection. These research materials were removed from the collection in 1996.
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Immediate Source of Acquisition
Park Elliot Dietz donated these papers in September of 1988.
| seriesFiles of the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography | 1-11 |
| fileAttorney General’s Commission on Pornography [AGCP] – AGCP Memoranda to Commissioners [mainly from Alan Sears, Executive Director of the Commission; there are some draft recommendations], 1985-86 | MSS 86-1a, Box 1 |
| fileCorrespondence to Commission: letters from attorneys, organizations and interested individuals; includes some testimonies and petitions, 1985-86 | MSS 86-1a, Box 1 |
| file[Correspondence within Commission], 1985-86 | MSS 86-1a, Box 1 |
| file[Correspondence: Miscellaneous], 1985-86 | MSS 86-1a, Box 1 |
| file[Correspondence from Citizens], 1985-86 | MSS 86-1a, Box 1 |
| file[Member Lists, Expenses], 1985-86 | MSS 86-1a, Box 1 |
| filePre-Washington, D.C. [June 1985] Materials, 1985 | MSS 86-1a, Box 1 |
| file[Press Conferences], 1986 | MSS 86-1a, Box 1 |
| filePress Instructions,, 1985 | MSS 86-1a, Box 1 |
| file[Work Session Agendae], 1986 | MSS 86-1a, Box 1 |
| file[Washington, D.C. Hearing]: Statements and testimonies of Lois Haight Herrington, Assistant Attorney General; Barry W. Lynn, Legislative Council ACLU; Ingrid Horton; Richard W. Miller, Associate Commissioner of Customs; Isabelle Katz Pinzler, Director Wom | MSS 86-1, Box 2 |
| fileWashington, D.C. Meeting: agenda and notes, 1985-06 | MSS 86-1, Box 2 |
| fileChicago Meeting [Dietz absent]: Summary of Witness Testimonies, agenda, 1985, July 24-25 | MSS 86-1, Box 2 |
| fileHouston Hearings: Questions for consideration; summaries of hearings; notes; some correspondence; agenda; newspaper clippings. Testimonies, reports, statements of Dr. John H. Court, Spectrum Psychological & Counselling Centre, Adelaide, S. Australia; Mary | MSS 86-1, Box 2 |
| fileLos Angeles Hearings, 1985, October | MSS 86-1, Box 3 |
| fileMiami Hearings: Summaries of testimonies of Detective William Dworin, Los Angeles Police Department Sexually Exploited Child Unit and Lt. Tom Rodgers, Indianapolis Police Department; submitted written statements [summaries] of Joseph Burton and D. James K | MSS 86-1, Box 4 |
| fileNew York City Hearings: Statements, presentations, remarks of Andrea Dworkin: “Pornography is a Civil Rights Issue for Women”; Homer E. Young, retired FBI agent; Carl M. Shoffler and Ledra G. Brady, Metropolitan Police Department; Marilyn B. Sommers, Midd | MSS 86-1, Box 4 |
| file[Ancillary Materials for NYC Meeting: copies of letters from religious groups addressed to Alan Sears, Executive Director of the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography. Includes some pastoral statements], 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 5 |
| fileScottsdale Hearings: Transcript of Proceedings of Public Meeting of the Commissioners (27 February 1986) [seems that we are missing the first part], 1986, February | MSS 86-1, Box 5 |
| fileChild Pornography: recommendations by Deanne Tilton, California Consortium of Child Abuse Council (CCCC) president, and draft of chapter, 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 5 |
| file[Court Decisions]: copies of appeals and opinions, 1985-86 | MSS 86-1, Box 5 |
| file1986 Data Collected by Police and draft, 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 6 |
| fileDial-a-Porn: newspaper clippings and Klein, Lloyd: “Sexual encounters of the Fantasy Kind: Telephone Sex and Criminal Justice System”, 1985 | MSS 86-1, Box 6 |
| file[FBI Tape Transcript], 1979 | MSS 86-1, Box 6 |
| file[Miscellaneous Reports, Testimony]: Columbus Ohio The Mayor’s Commission on Pornography (May 1987); Background on the Fraser report of Canada and The Williams report of England. England’s Committee on Obscenity and Film Censorship; Testimony of Daryl F. G | MSS 86-1, Box 6 |
| file[Pornography Research Papers, Reports, some printed materials]: Report on “Pornographic Sales at Military Bases”; Judy Goldsmith, National Organization for Women (12 September 1984); Kenneth V. Lanning: “Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis for Law Enfo | MSS 86-1, Box 7 |
| file[Organized Crime]: reports, printed materials, copies of court documents and transcriptions of taped interviews, 1977-81, 1984-85, n.d. | MSS 86-1, Boxes 7, 8 |
| file[Prosecutions: Material from Marcella Cohen, Special Attorney in the Criminal Division of the US Department of Justice Organized Crime and Racketeering Section]: statement to the AGCP and court documents , 1984-86 | MSS 86-1, Box 8 |
| fileSocial Science Findings [includes correspondence, clippings] -.0 Copies of letters to AGCP Chairman from John Updike, John Irving, Susan Isaacs and other statements. Drafts, 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 8 |
| file[Reuben Sturman: Investigative Report and Indictment], 1985 | MSS 86-1, Box 9 |
| fileTelevision/Radio: includes: Committee on Communications Law: “Content Regulation of Cable television: “Indecent” Cable Programming and the First Amendment”, The Record of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Vol. 41, No. 1; Letter to Dietz | MSS 86-1, Box 9 |
| file["Victim's" Testimonials], 1985-86 | MSS 86-1, Box 9 |
| filePersonal Statement of Park Elliott Dietz for AGCP, 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 9 |
| filePersonal Statements of Deanne Tilton Durfee, Judith Becker, Ellen Levine (undated); Personal statement by Fr. Bruce Ritter (15 May 1986); “Pornography and Privacy” submitted by Father Bruce Ritter (15 May 1986); Henry Hudson, Chairman of the GACP; Commiss | MSS 86-1, Box 9 |
| file[Fred Schauer's Draft Report], 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 9 |
| fileSchauer Draft [Annotated], 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 9 |
| file[Various Drafts and briefings: Briefings re Civil Rights, Dial-A-Porn, Cable Television, Fair Trade Proposal (draft), Citizen Action Against Pornography, Comments of Diane D. Cusak on Class III Pornography, I.E. Explicit Sexual Activity, Real or Simulated | MSS 86-1, Box 10 |
| fileAGPC Distribution/Reaction [includes correspondence and Memorandum of Comment and Objection in re The Hearings of the US Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography from Penthouse; Covenant House Under 21; testimony of Philip Nobile and Eric Nadler (2 Ma | MSS 86-1, Box 11 |
| fileMedia Coalition [Critical of Report]: memoranda re Legislative Update; correspondence; Proposal for The Media Coalition on the Issue: The U.S. Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography (11 June 1986); Proposal Anti-censorship Communications Program for | MSS 86-1, Box 11 |
| fileAGPC: Opposition Campaign: W.H.I.S.P.E.R Women Hurt in Systems of Prostitution Engaged in Revolt, Statement by Norma Ramos, legal counselor (9 June 1986); ACLU News press release: “ACLU Calls on Americans to Reject Moralizing of Meese Pornography Commissi | MSS 86-1, Box 11 |
| file[Playboy, Penthouse Lawsuit] No. 86-1346 (Hon. John Garrett Penn), Playboy Enterprises, Inc, American Booksellers Association, Inc, Council for Periodical Distributors Associations, Inc. and International Periodical Distributors Association, Inc. v. Edwin | MSS 86-1, Box 11 |
| seriesDietz' Personal Files Relating Primarily to AGCP Work | 11-16 |
| fileAmerican Sunbathing Association: brochures and guide, 1985 | MSS 86-1, Box 11 |
| file[Ancillary Materials: Miscellaneous]: copies of letters addressed to Senator Strom Thurmond, James C. McKinney and Senator Alan Spector; DOJ Obscenity Statistics, 1985 | MSS 86-1, Box 11 |
| file[Anti-Pornography Groups]: printed materials. The Backlash Times, Feminists Fighting Pornography (Fall 1985); Denver National Conference on Pornography: “The Case of the PEOPLE vs. PORNOGRAPHY Can Be Won” program; Blueprint for Action to Win the Case of t | MSS 86-1, Box 11 |
| file[Article Manuscripts and report]: The Family, Preserving America’s Future, A Report of the Working Group on the Family (November 1986); Russell, Diana E. H : Pornography and Rape: A Casual Model (draft); Loken, Gregory: Use of Performers in Commercial Por | MSS 86-1, Box 11 |
| fileBible Advocate, January 1985; December 1985, 1985 | MSS 86-1, Box 11 |
| file[Bradshaw to Dobson: Letters] , 1985 | MSS 86-1, Box 11 |
| file[Child Pornography: Memorandum from DOJ re Obscenity and Child Pornography Conference; Cr. No. 88-35-E Memorandum of Law], 1988 | MSS 86-1, Box 12 |
| fileChild Pornography: Case of Glen Foster: newspaper article, 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 12 |
| fileChild Pornography and Pedophilia Investigation Report: U.S. Senate, 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 12 |
| fileCitizens For Decency Through Law: Submission of Bruce A. Taylor to AGCP (22 January 1986); some correspondence, printed materials , 1986-88 | MSS 86-1, Box 12 |
| fileClinical Psychology News Interview, 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 12 |
| file[Correspondence: to Park Dietz June 1986 and newspaper clippings], 1985-86 | MSS 86-1, Box 12 |
| file[Correspondence: to Park Dietz after June 1986 re the AGCP report], 1986-87 | MSS 86-1, Box 12 |
| file[Correspondence: to Laura Dietz re the AGCP], 1986-87 | MSS 86-1, Box 12 |
| file[Correspondence with Diana Russell], 1987 | MSS 86-1, Box 12 |
| fileCorrespondence with Dr. Linnea W. Smith; newspaper clippings, printed materials, 1987 | MSS 86-1, Box 12 |
| file[Civil Rights Approach Against Pornography: printed materials, 1983-85 | MSS 86-1, Box 12 |
| file[Criminal Justice Information: printed materials], 1985 | MSS 86-1, Box 13 |
| fileDietz: Non-Pornography Work], 1973, 1987-88 | MSS 86-1, Box 13 |
| fileLaura Dietz: Junior League of Richmond: correspondence re consulting, 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 13 |
| fileFeminists Against Pornography: printed materials, 1985-86 | MSS 86-1, Box 13 |
| fileFirst Amendment: Fulmer, Ann D: “Pornography as Discrimination: a First Amendment Issue” Akron Law Review (submitted 28 January 1984); DOJ memorandum re Obscenity (10 December 1984), 1984 | MSS 86-1, Box 13 |
| file[Freedom of Expression Issues: remarks by Mark S. Fowler before the First Amendment Congress, Leesburg, VA (20 May 1982); “Free the Broadcasting 10 000” address by Mark S. Fowler, Chairman, FCC before the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters (25 Oct | MSS 86-1, Box 13 |
| file[Justice Department on Missing Children: America’s Missing & Exploit Children, Their Safety and Their Future], 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 13 |
| fileKoskoff, Harriet: Film: "The Porning of America": correspondence, 1985-86 | MSS 86-1, Box 13 |
| file[Magazines: Assorted (3)], 1982, 1984 | MSS 86-1, Box 13 |
| file[Magazines: Bondage], 1978, 1982, 1984, n.d. | MSS 86-1, Box 13 |
| file[Magazines: Playboy],, 1978, 1979, 1983 | MSS 86-1, Box 14 |
| file[Mail Solicitations], 1985-88 | MSS 86-1, Box 14 |
| file[Michael McManus: newspaper clippings], 1985-87 | MSS 86-1, Box 14 |
| file[Dottie Meyer in Penthouse: copies of articles], 1977-78 | MSS 86-1, Box 14 |
| file[Miscellaneous Notes, etc], n.d. | MSS 86-1, Box 14 |
| fileNational Christian Association: brochures and printed materials, 1984-86 | MSS 86-1, Box 14 |
| file[National Coalition Against Pornography, Inc: correspondence, press releases, fact sheets; Summary of the Final Report of the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography prepared by Richard E. McLawhorn (July 1986)], 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 14 |
| fileNational Conference of State Legislators, New Orleans [May, 1986: materials for the conference. Includes Dietz, Park Elliott: “Pornography, Health, and Human Rights: Legislative Recommendations from the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography], 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 14 |
| file[Ongoing Campaign Against Pornography: handwritten notes], n.d. | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| file[Playboy Cartoon Studies: Burgess, Ann W: The Playboy cartoon information delivery system and client sexual exploitation by health professionals (25 March 1985)], 1985 | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| filePresentencing, Mann Act: Institute for Youth Advocacy: “Proposed Revision of Mann Act to make it gender neutral” (October 1985); Recommendations regarding the Mann Act. Tentative Proposed Findings of Fact; Recommendations Regarding Rock Music Lyrics; Diet | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| file[Press Releases], 1985-86, 1988 | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| fileReligious Alliance Against Pornography: handwritten notes; letter to the President; Recommendations for Changes in Federal Law, memoranda; statement published in USA Today (26 September 1986), 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| fileRutledge Hill Press, 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| file[Schauer, Frederick Articles], 1979 | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| file[Sex Education]: Anchell, Melvin, M.D: “A Psychoanalytic Look at Today’s Sex Education: A Guide for the Perplexed” (1985); Marshall, Robert G: Exposed: Guttmacher Institute Sex Study Flawed, report prepared for American Life Lobby in cooperation with The | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| fileSpeech: Dietz Lecture delivered before the National Conference of State Legislatures August 5, 1986 in New Orleans on “Pornography, Health, and Human Rights: Legislative Recommendations from the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography”; also Dietz: P | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| fileTV Media: notes, 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| file[Violence and Sex: newspaper clippings and National Coalition on Television Violence newsletters], 1986-88 | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| file[Zewe Case: U.S. Brief]: USDC Pennsylvania Nos. 85-2081, 85-2087, 86-510, 1986-87 | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| file[Assorted Clippings], 1978-(1986-87)-1988 | MSS 86-1, Box 15 |
| fileNewspaper Clippings/Popular Literature, 1977-85 | MSS 86-1, Box 16 |
| file[Media Reaction to Report: newspaper clippings], 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 16 |
| fileAttorney General’s Commission on Pornography Final Report, July 1986 | MSS 86-1, Box 17 |