Cal Robertson Papers
Activist Movements Related to Cal Roberston Papers
Researchers with an interest in the materials related to anti-war protesting will find the majority of documents and correspondences related to nuclear disarmament. Predominately, those nuclear disarmament correspondences are connected to the “Plowshares” and “Plowshares/Kairos” groups. The collection contains personal correspondences with the following individuals involved directly in the nuclear disarmament protests related to or by the “Plowshares” group: Daniel Berrigan, Philip Berrigan, George Boertje Kathy Boylan, Susan Crane, Carol Gilbert, Carl Kabat, Paul Kabat, Todd Kaplan, Anne Montgomery, Michele Naar-Obed, George Ostensen, Frank Panopaulos, Ardeth Platte, George Veasey, Helen Woodson.
The following list of the “Plowshares” and the “Plowshares/Kairos” protests are of particular interest to the collection, but are by no means an exhaustive list:
The Plowshares Eight -1980: Daniel Berrigan, Philip Berrigan, Carl Kabat, Anne Montgomery
Trident ‘Nein’ -1982: Anne Montgomery, George Veasey
Plowshares Number Seven -1983: Carl Kabat
Pershing Plowshares -1984: Todd Kaplan, Anne Montgomery
Trident II Plowshares -1984: Frank Panopaulos
Silo Pruning Hooks -1984: Carl Kabat, Paul Kabat, Helen Woodson
Harmonic Disarmament for Life -1987: George Ostensen, Helen Woodson
Nuclear Navy Plowshares -1988: Philip Berrigan, George Boertje
Resistance in Captivity -1988: Helen Woodson
Thames River Plowshares -1989: Anne Montgomery
AEGIS Plowshares -1991: Philip Berrigan, Kathy Boylan
Good Friday Missile Silo Witness -1992: Carl Kabat
Pax-Christi –Spirit of Life Plowshares -1993: Philip Berrigan
Good Friday –April Fools Plowshares -1994: Carl Kabat
Jubilee Plowshares East -1995: Michele Naar-Obed
Jubilee Plowshares West -1996: Susan Crane
The collection contains extensive correspondences between Cal Robertson and the Dominican Sisters Carol Gilbert and Ardeth Platte. Gilbert, Platte, and a third Dominican sister Jackie Hudson are known specifically for their ‘pouring of blood’ protests in Peterson Airforce Base (2000) and breaking into a Minute Man III missile silo in Colorado (2002). They were affiliated with the “Plowshares” group, but the notoriety of their arrests in 2000 and 2002 warrants specific mention in relation to this collection.
In addition to the “Plowshares” and “Plowshares/Kairos” movements for nuclear disarmament the collection also includes flyers, newsletters and correspondences related to the following groups/topics:
Filed in Newsletters and Pamphlets, Organized By Folder Date Range:
Veterans Fast for Life -1978-1992
School of America Action -1978-1992
Vietnam Friendship Village Project -1978-1992
Anti-Trident Network -1978-1992
CASA: Central American Solidarity Association -1993 (1)
United Farm Workers for American AIL-CIO -1993 (1)
Southeastern Connecticut Coalition for Peace and Justice -1993 (2)
School of Americas -1993 (2)
Catholic Worker -1993 (2)
Southern California War Tax Resistance -1993 (2)
Plowshares Disarmament -1993 (2)
School of Americas -1994-1997
Kairos/Plowshares -1994-1997
Connecticut Quaker Witness -1994-1997
Nukewatch -1994-1997
The Justice and Peace Commission -1994-1997
Southeastern Connecticut Coalition for Peace and Justice -1994-1997
Vietnam Veterans against the War -1994-1997
Hartford Catholic Worker -1998-2004
Education for Peace in Iraq Center -1998-2004
Quaker House -1998-2004
The Nuclear Resister -1998-2004
Veterans Vietnam Restoration Project -1998-2004
Sacred Earth and Space -1998-2004
Dates
- undated, 1965-2014
Creator
- Cal Robertson (Calvin Joseph Robertson) (Creator, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open and available for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from the owner(s) of the copyright.
Biographical / Historical
Cal Robertson was born in Norwich, Connecticut in December 6, 1945. He grew up with his mother in Poquetannuck and Mystic, Connecticut until moving to Groton Long Point with his mother whom he eventually lived with for the majority of his life. Cal attended the University of Connecticut briefly in 1963 before enlisting in the Navy for medical service duty as a corpsman in January of 1964. Cal remained on active duty for two years and did two tours of Vietnam, being stationed in Denang. Cal returned from service and was enlisted until 1970. The affects of the war were difficult for Cal and he began traveling as a migrant laborer and was heavily medicating. After his recovery, Cal dedicated his energy to actively demonstrating or "bearing witness" against war and the weapons manufacturing industries throughout the country. He has been arrested countless times for civil disobediance and activism at the Groton sub base and other facilities throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Cal's peace inspiration came from another Vietnam war vet, George Mizo who suffered from agent orange exposure. Cal remained a close ally to others imprisoned for political beliefs as is demonstrated in the prison correspondance in his collection. Cal has remained an active member of the interfaith peace community in Connecticut and regularly held vigils on what is known as Cal's Corner on West Main Street in Mystic. He was struck by a car in New London in 1990, leading many members of this community to hold the vigil for him until he recovered. Cal continues to advocate and organize for peace in his community in New London.
Extent
3 Linear Feet (Collection contains personal correspondance, scrap books, t-shirts, political fliers and newsletters relating to anti-war and peace activism. )
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Collection of materials created and collected by Vietnam War veteran and peace activist, Cal Robertson.
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of the collection have been digitized and are available in the Archives & Special Collections digital repository.
- Central America (general region) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Peace Subject Source: Fast
- Peace movements Subject Source: Fast
- Persian Gulf War (1991) Subject Source: Fast
- Political activists Subject Source: Fast
- Political prisoners Subject Source: Fast
- Veterans Subject Source: Fast
- Vietnam War (1961-1975) Subject Source: Fast
- Title
- Cal Robertson Papers
- Status
- Published
- Author
- Archives & Special Collections staff
- Date
- 2016 November
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Archives and Special Collections, University of Connecticut Library Repository
University of Connecticut Library
405 Babbidge Road Unit 1205
Storrs Connecticut 06269-1205 USA US
860-486-2524
archives@uconn.edu