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American Conservative Union

 Organization

Biography

The American Conservative Union, or ACU, founded in 1964, is an American lobbying organization that also serves as a form of representation for American political conservatives.

Historians believe that conservatism as a political movement really gained a new foothold in the 1960s, and with that came the founding of many conservative organizations, including the ACU in 1964. It claims to be the United States' oldest conservative grassroots organization. The ACU's first founders created only a 50-person board of directors, but by 1972 the organization had grown to 45,000 members. As the ACU gained more funding, it worked to oppose different policies with huge campaigns. For example, they used a mass mailing campaign in 1977 to try to oppose the Panama Canal treaties, which cost them $1.4 million. The organization also began hosting the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in 1974. The ACU advertises itself in the present more with CPAC. They claim that it "seeks to preserve and protect the values of life, liberty, and property for every American."

Citation:
Wikipedia, November 13, 2023 (The ACU is an organization started around the time conservatism grew popular in the USA. Its membership grew from seemingly 50 to 45k in 1972. It worked to oppose the Panama Canal treaties in 1977) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Conservative_Union

CPAC, via WWW, November 13, 2023 (The ACU runs an annual CPAC conference, it now brands itself as CPAC online instead of ACU, it "seeks to preserve and protect the values of life, liberty, and property for every American") https://www.digital.cpac.org/us/about

Found in 29 Collections and/or Records:

American Conservative Union: Advisory Assembly files, 1974-1979

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS 176 Series 2 Sub-Series 2
Scope and Contents note From the Collection:

Correspondence, notes, newsletters, memoranda, meeting minutes, charters, bylaws, resolutions, and miscellaneous items. The ACU has been active in raising funds, corresponding with conservative political leaders, supporting projects, helping candidates, providing advice, and addressing issues relating to conservative causes and political activities all over the United States.

Dates: Other: 1974-1979
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 176, American Conservative Union records / Part Two: Administration

American Conservative Union audio tape collection, 1965-1980

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS 176 Series 3 Sub-Series 10
Scope and Contents note From the Collection:

Correspondence, notes, newsletters, memoranda, meeting minutes, charters, bylaws, resolutions, and miscellaneous items. The ACU has been active in raising funds, corresponding with conservative political leaders, supporting projects, helping candidates, providing advice, and addressing issues relating to conservative causes and political activities all over the United States.

Dates: Other: 1965-1980
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 176, American Conservative Union records / Part Three: Staff Operations

American Conservative Union: Board of Directors files, 1964-1980

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS 176 Series 2 Sub-Series 1
Scope and Contents note From the Collection:

Correspondence, notes, newsletters, memoranda, meeting minutes, charters, bylaws, resolutions, and miscellaneous items. The ACU has been active in raising funds, corresponding with conservative political leaders, supporting projects, helping candidates, providing advice, and addressing issues relating to conservative causes and political activities all over the United States.

Dates: Other: 1964-1980
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 176, American Conservative Union records / Part Two: Administration

American Conservative Union: Coalition for the Preservation of Free Enterprise files, 1977-1980

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS 176 Series 1 Sub-Series 3 Sub-Series 2
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series:

The ACU sponsered "special projects" (i.e., conferences, seminars, forums, receptions, task forces, etc.) as a means to address contemorary issues and to Influence public opinion. This series documents the planning and proceedings of these projects.

Dates: Other: 1977-1980
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 176, American Conservative Union records / Part One: General Organization and Activities / American Conservative Union records on special projects

American Conservative Union: Committee on Conservative Alternatives (COCA) files, 1975

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS 176 Series 1 Sub-Series 3 Sub-Series 1
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series:

The ACU sponsered "special projects" (i.e., conferences, seminars, forums, receptions, task forces, etc.) as a means to address contemorary issues and to Influence public opinion. This series documents the planning and proceedings of these projects.

Dates: Other: 1975
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 176, American Conservative Union records / Part One: General Organization and Activities / American Conservative Union records on special projects

American Conservative Union: Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) files, 1974-1980

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS 176 Series 1 Sub-Series 3 Sub-Series 3
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series:

The ACU sponsered "special projects" (i.e., conferences, seminars, forums, receptions, task forces, etc.) as a means to address contemorary issues and to Influence public opinion. This series documents the planning and proceedings of these projects.

Dates: Other: 1974-1980
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 176, American Conservative Union records / Part One: General Organization and Activities / American Conservative Union records on special projects

American Conservative Union, conventions participated in, 1978-1980

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS 176 Series 1 Sub-Series 3 Sub-Series 4
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series:

The ACU sponsered "special projects" (i.e., conferences, seminars, forums, receptions, task forces, etc.) as a means to address contemorary issues and to Influence public opinion. This series documents the planning and proceedings of these projects.

Dates: Other: 1978-1980
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 176, American Conservative Union records / Part One: General Organization and Activities / American Conservative Union records on special projects

American Conservative Union, dinners participated in, 1973-1974

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS 176 Series 1 Sub-Series 3 Sub-Series 5
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series:

The ACU sponsered "special projects" (i.e., conferences, seminars, forums, receptions, task forces, etc.) as a means to address contemorary issues and to Influence public opinion. This series documents the planning and proceedings of these projects.

Dates: Other: 1973-1974
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 176, American Conservative Union records / Part One: General Organization and Activities / American Conservative Union records on special projects

American Conservative Union: Education and Research Institute (ERI) files, 1971-1980

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS 176 Series 1 Sub-Series 3 Sub-Series 6
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series:

The ACU sponsered "special projects" (i.e., conferences, seminars, forums, receptions, task forces, etc.) as a means to address contemorary issues and to Influence public opinion. This series documents the planning and proceedings of these projects.

Dates: Other: 1971-1980
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 176, American Conservative Union records / Part One: General Organization and Activities / American Conservative Union records on special projects

American Conservative Union: Executive Directors files, 1966-1979

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS 176 Series 2 Sub-Series 3
Scope and Contents note From the Collection:

Correspondence, notes, newsletters, memoranda, meeting minutes, charters, bylaws, resolutions, and miscellaneous items. The ACU has been active in raising funds, corresponding with conservative political leaders, supporting projects, helping candidates, providing advice, and addressing issues relating to conservative causes and political activities all over the United States.

Dates: Other: 1966-1979
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 176, American Conservative Union records / Part Two: Administration

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