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Title: David A. Marcus Letters, 1972-1985

ID: MSS Marcus

Primary Creator: Marcus, David A.

Extent: 0.07 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The David A. Marcus Letters are arranged into one series: I. Correspondence, 1972-1985.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

The David A. Marcus Letters are comprised of correspondence between Marcus and politicians, peace activists, religious leaders, scientists, and intellectuals between 1972 and 1983. Topics include the potential for nuclear conflict, the need for a global peace organization, and the future of humankind.

The David A. Marcus Letters are comprised of correspondence to Marcus from politicians, peace activists, religious leaders, scientists, and intellectuals addressing issues of nuclear war, longterm survivability of the human race, and anti-war strategies. The correspondence is a result of several letter-writing campaigns conducted by Marcus in 1972-1973 and 1982-1983 in which he requested commentary on global issues (primarily nuclear war) from experts in an array of fields. Correspondents include Norman Cousins, Glenn T. Seaborg, William A. Higinbotham, and Hans A. Bethe, among others. The collection also includes two letters written by Marcus, a draft of his short story "Angel of Death," two reprints, and an autographed photo of Willard Libby.

David A. Marcus, a practicing dentist and resident of Laguna Hills, California, was a peace advocate active in California during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1969, he wrote an article titled "The Age of Insanity" in which he explored the dangers of nuclear arms through the lens of a perceived global ethical decline. In 1971 he began a letter-writing campaign encouraging political leaders to adopt anti-nuclear policies. Marcus' belief in the need for a more robust international peace movement led him to propose development of a global peace organization under the leadership of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. He contacted the Nobel Institute, prize winners, and leaders of numerous peace organizations but ultimately failed to gain support. In addition to his activism, Marcus also collected memorabilia--chiefly correspondence and autographed photos--from politicians, celebrities, and intellectuals.

More Extent Information: 1 photograph; 1 box

Statement on Access: The collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: The David A. Marcus Letters were purchased by the Oregon State University Special Collections in 1990 as part of the History of Atomic Energy Collection. The materials were separated from the larger collection in 2015 and are now held by the OSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives Research Center.

Related Materials:

The Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Papers (MSS Pauling) include a letter from Marcus to Linus Pauling in which Marcus expresses his condolences regarding the death of Ava Helen Pauling and asks Pauling's support for a global peace initiative. Enclosed are copies of correspondence with the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, George Karman (Princeton University), and E. I. Chazov (National Cardiology Research Institute). The collection also includes a reply from Pauling indicating agreement with Marcus' anti-militarization beliefs. The text of a 1975 letter from Marcus to Richard Feynman appears in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track: The Letters of Richard P. Feynman held in the Oregon State University History of Science Rare Book Collection (RB HistSci).

Other collections with materials relating to nuclear warfare, international relations, and the antinuclear movement include the Charter Heslep Papers (MSS Heslep), the Theodore Rockwell Papers (MSS Rockwell), the Barton C. Hacker Papers (MSS HackerB), the Chih H. Wang Papers (MSS Wang), and the History of Atomic Energy Rare Book Collection (RB Energy).

Preferred Citation: David A. Marcus Letters (MSS Marcus), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Marcus, David A.

Antinuclear movement.
History of Science
Marcus, David A.
Nuclear warfare.
Pacifists--California.
Peace movements.

Photographic prints.