Guide to the Joffre Stewart Papers, 1983-2012 SPEC.RARE.0364 Finding aid prepared by Sierra McGee Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections
1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH, 43210
2025 December This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2026-01-06T09:14-0500 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard Joffre Stewart Papers SPEC.RARE.0364 Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections 0.25 Cubic feet 1983-2012 Joffre Stewart (1925-2019) was an American poet, anarchist, and pacifist based in Chicago, Illinois. The Joffre Stewart Papers, dated 1983-2012, are 121 leaflets, broadsides and forms created and distributed by Joffre Stewart. The papers feature topics such as Zionism, apartheid in South Africa, the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks, the Iraq War, and the War on Terror. (1) 2.5" legal document box English Stewart, Joffre, 1925- Arrangement of Materials

This collection is arranged in chronological order.

 Acquisitions Information

Accession No. RARE.2025.0178: Purchased, 2020 February

 Preferred Citation

[identification of item], Joffre Stewart Papers, SPEC.RARE.0364, Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University

 Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Thompson Library Special Collections reading room only.

 Use of Materials

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.

 Processing Information

Processed by: Sierra McGee, 2025 December; Finding aid written by: Sierra McGee, 2025 December

 Biographical Note

Joffre Stewart (1925-2019) was an American poet, anarchist, and pacifist based in Chicago, Illinois. After serving in the military during World War II, Stewart dedicated himself to nonviolent resistance to war and social injustice. He was an early participant in the Beat movement, and he was referred to in Allen Ginsberg’s 1955 poem, "Howl."

Stewart was involved in several North American anarchist organizations, such as the Industrial Workers of the World, the War Resisters Support Group, and the Social Revolutionary Anarchist Federation. On April 29, 1994, Stewart was arrested while trying to attend a poetry reading at a bookstore in Evanston, Illinois, after he was mistaken for being a vagrant. He spent 11 days in jail.

 Scope and Contents

The Joffre Stewart Papers, dated 1983-2012, are 121 leaflets, broadsides and forms created and distributed by Joffre Stewart. The papers feature topics such as Zionism, apartheid in South Africa, the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks, the Iraq War, and the War on Terror. Stewart’s poems, which were sometimes written on the back of his leaflets, focus on topics such as criticism of Israel and Zionism, his military service in World War II, the Vietnam War, and African American Civil Rights leaders. Stewart also used Chicago Social Forum forms and Democratic National Convention forms to express his views on local politics in Chicago and to criticize the United States government.

 Stewart, Joffre, 1925- Activism--Illinois--Chicago--20th century Activism--Illinois--Chicago--21st century African American civil rights workers--United States--Poetry----20th century African American pacifists--Illinois--Chicago--20th century African American pacifists--Illinois--Chicago--21st century African American poets--Illinois--Chicago--20th century African American poets--Illinois--Chicago--21st century Anarchism--Illinois--Chicago--20th century Anarchism--Illinois--Chicago--21st century Anti-Zionism--Illinois--Chicago--20th century Anti-Zionism--Illinois--Chicago--21st century Anti-Zionism--United States--Poetry--20th century Anti-Zionism--United States--Poetry--21st century Apartheid—South Africa Broadsides (notices) Poems Self-publishing--Illinois--Chicago--20th century Self-publishing--Illinois--Chicago--21st century September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001--United States--Poetry Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Protest movements--United States--Poetry War on Terrorism, 2001-2009--United States--Poetry World War, 1939-1945--United States--Poetry South Africa apartheid and anti-Zionism leaflets and broadsides 1 1 1983-2000 September 11 Terrorist Attacks and War on Terrorism leaflets and broadsides 1 2 2001-2007 Anti-government and anti-war leaflets, broadsides and forms 1 3 2007-2012