Introduction

In 1999, Edward and Anita Metzen donated their collection of American Council on Consumer Interests (ACCI) affiliated documents to Kansas State University Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Special Collections at Hale Library as part of the Consumer Movement Archives. As an addition to the previously donated ACCI records described in a separate finding aid, these collected documents of two notable past Executive Directors of ACCI provide a window into the organization's scholarly contribution to the study of consumerism over the last half of the twentieth century, including the non-profit's published pamphlets, newsletters, and reports. The files also contain considerable research on a broad range of issues and research interests of the organization under their tenure, including consumer education, governmental business regulation, product testing, and the setting of weight and packaging standards on consumer goods.

The American Council on Consumer Interests addition is identified as University Archives accession number P1999.02. Processing of the papers was completed by Paul A. Thomsen in October 2009. Related collections in the Consumer Movement Archives include: Richard D. Morse Papers, the National Consumer Law Center Records, the Louis S. Meyer papers, and the Currin V. Shields Papers.

Paul A. Thomsen
Archives Assistant
October 21, 2009

Scope and Contents

The American Council on Consumer Interests addition documents Edward and Anita Metzen's organizational interests beginning in 1953 and through 2000. The records are contained in eleven boxes and are divided into the following series: (1) Publications, (2) Financial Board, (3) Conference Material, (4) Periodicals, (5) Subject Files, and (6) Edward Metzen Files.

The first series, Publications (1953-1996), contains in two boxes of a complete chronologically arranged collection of ACCI published newsletters, including The Council on Consumer Information (1953-1996), Student News (1983-1992), Happenings (1982-1987), and Forum (1970-1983). The series also includes three bound manuscript volumes of The American Council on Consumer Interests: An Oral History, 1954-1984 and two folders of pamphlets, canvassing the American Council on Consumer Interests different areas of study.

The second series, Financial Board (1980-1996), collects in two chronologically arranged boxes the organization's budgetary reports and tax forms as well as financial board meeting minutes and correspondence.

The third series, Conference Material (1993-1996), is chronologically arranged in one box, containing documents related to the planning and implementation of ACCI's 1993, 1994, and 1996 conferences. This includes pre-registration material, conference programs, schedules, hotel contracts, buddy lists, and awards documentation.

The fourth series, Periodicals (1953-1998), is arranged alphabetically in one box and contains an assortment of publications by other consumer groups and scholars, including the Consumer Federation of America News, the Consortium of Social Science Association Updates, Wilmoth Price's 1953 dissertation on college consumer education courses, and an assortment of pamphlets.

The fifth series, Subject Files (1949-2000), is arranged in alphabetical order across three boxes, collecting reports and correspondence relating to several different ACCI research interests, including automobile insurance, consumer education, consumer history, the involvement of local, state, and federal governance in consumer protection, low income consumers, Truth-in-Lending legislation, and position papers related to the standardization of weight, measures, and package labeling.

The sixth series, Edward Metzen Files (1954-1998), collects and arranges in two chronologically ordered boxes the business papers and research of Metzen. They include documents relating to the institute for consumer education, various state, national, and international consumer movement organization, correspondence and congressional documentation affiliated with the passage of Fair Packaging legislation, scholarly papers on product testing standards, and several articles and speeches given by various consumer movement activists, including Colston Warne and Nancy Hawkins.

Container List

Box    Folder

                 Publications (1953-1996)

01        01     Council on Consumer Information Newsletter Volume 1, 1953-1954
          02          Volume 2, 1954-1955,
          03          Volume 3, 1955-1956
          04          Volume 4, 1956-1957
          05          Volume 5, 1957-1958
          06          Volume 6, 1958-1959     
          07          Volume 7, 1956-1960
          08          Volume 8, 1960-1961
          09          Volume 9, 1961-1962
          10          Volume 10, 1962-1963
          11          Volume 11, 1963-1964
          12          Volume 12, 1964-1965
          13          Volume 13, 1965-1966
          14          Volume 14, 1966-1967
          15          Volume 15, 1967-1968
          16          Volume 16, 1968-1969
          17          Volume 17, 1969
          18          Volume 18, 1970
          19          Volume 19, 1971
          20          Volume 20, 1972
          21          Volume 21, 1973
          22          Volume 22, 1-9, 1974
          23          Volume 23, 1-9, 1975
          24          Volume 24, 1-9, 1976
          25          Volume 25, 1-9, 1977
          26          Volume 26, 1-9, 1978
          27          Volume 27, 1-9, 1979
          28          Inserts, Volume 28, 1980
          29          Volume 28, 1-9, 1980
          30          Inserts, 1981
          31          Volume 29, 1-9, 1981
          32          Volume 29, 8, 1981
          33          Inserts, Volume 30, 1-9, 1982
          34          [Volume 30, 1982-Missing]
          35          Inserts, 1983
          36          Volume 31, 1-9, 1983
          37          Inserts, Volume 32, 1984
          38          Volume 32, 1-9, 1984
          39          Inserts, Volume 33, 1985
          40          Volume 33, 1-9, 1985
          41          Inserts, Volume 34, 1986
          42          Volume 34, 1-9, 1986
          43          Volume 35, 1-9, 1987
          44          Inserts, Volume 36, 1988
          45          Volume 36, 1-9, 1988
          46          Inserts, Volume 37, 1989
          47          Volume 37, 1-9, 1989
          48          Inserts, 1990
          49          Volume 38, 1-9, 1990
          50          Inserts, 1991
          51          Volume 39, 1-9, 1991
          52          Volume 40, 1-5, 1992
          53          Inserts, 1992
          54          Volume 41, 1-9, 1993
          55          Inserts
          56          Inserts, Volume 42, 1994
          57          Volume 42, 1-6, 1994
          58          Inserts
          59          Volume 43, 1-6, 1995
          60          Volume 44, 1996
          61          Volume 44, 1-6/ "Consumer News and Reviews" First Issue

                 Publications (1970-1983)

02        01     Student News, 1983
          02          1984
          03          1985
          04          1986
          05          1987
          06          1988
          07          1989
          08          1990
          09          1991     
          10          1992
          11     Happenings, May, 1982
          12          May, 1983     
          13          September, 1983
          14          December, 1983
          15          March, 1984
          16          May, 1984
          17          September, 1984
          18          December, 1984
          19          March, 1985
          20          May, 1985
          21          September, 1985
          22          December, 1985
          23          March, 1986
          24          May, 1986
          25          October, 1986
          26          December, 1986
          27          March, 1987
          28          May, 1987
          29     Forum 
          30          Volume 1, Number 1, Winter, 1970
          31          Volume 1, Number 2, Spring, 1970
          32          Volume 1, Number 3, Fall, 1970
          33          Volume 2, Number 1, Winter, 1971
          34          Volume 2, Number 2, Spring, 1971
          35          Volume 2, Number 3, Fall, 1971
          36          Volume 3, Number 1, Winter, 1972
          37          Volume 3, Number 2, Spring, 1972
          38          Volume 3, Number 3, Fall, 1972
          39          Volume 4, Number 1, Winter, 1973
          40          Volume 4, Number 2, Spring, 1973
          41          Volume 4, Number 3, Fall, 1973
          42          Volume 5, Number 1, Winter, 1974
          43          Volume 5, Number 2, Spring, 1974
          44          Volume 5, Number 3, Fall, 1974
          45          Volume 6, Number 1, Winter, 1975
          46          Volume 6, Number 2, Spring, 1975
          47          Volume 6, Number 3, Fall, 1975
          48          Volume 7, Number  1, Winter , 1976
          49          Volume 7, Number 2, Spring, 1976
          50          Volume 7, Number 3, Fall, 1976
          51          Volume 8, Number 1, Winter, 1977
          52          Volume 8, Number 2, Spring, 1977
          53          Volume 8, Number 3, Fall, 1977
          54          Volume 9, Number1-2, Winter-Spring, 1978
          55          Volume 9, Number 3, Fall, 1978
          56          Volume 10, Number 1, Winter, 1979
          57          Volume 10, Number 2-3, Spring-Fall, 1979
          58          Volume 11, Number 1, Summer, 1980
          59          Volume 11, Number 2, Fall, 1980
          60          Volume 12, Number 1, Summer, 1981
          61          Volume 12, Number 2, Fall, 1981
          62          Volume 13, Number 1, Spring, 1983
          63     International 4, 1, 1991/ 8, 2, 1996
          64     Oral History Volume I
          65          Volume II
          66          Volume III
          67     Council on Consumer Information Pamphlets I
          68     Council on Consumer Information Pamphlets II

                 Financial Board (1980-1994)

03        01     Reports Received, 1980-1983
          02     Consumer News (Historical), 1990-1994
          03     W-2 Forms, 1099s
          04     Tax FED Quarterly Report (941)
          05     Tax Return, Form 990
          06     Auditors Report
          07     Investments, Matured 1989-1990
          08     Budget, Monthly Financial Reports
          09     Business Meeting
          10     Reports Received, October, 1989
          11     Reports Received, March, 1990
          12     Board Minutes
          13     Board Correspondence
          14     W-2 Forms, 1099s
          15     Tax FED Quarterly Report (941)
          16     Tax Return, Form 990
          17     Investments, Matured
          18     Budget-Financial Monthly Reports
          19     Auditors Report
          20     CDs/Bonds, Stifel-Nicolaus Statements of Account, 1989-1992
          21     W-2 Forms, 1099s
          22     Tax Return, Form 990
          23     Tax FED Quarterly Report (941)
          24     Budget-Financial Monthly Reports
          25     Auditors Report
          26     Business Meeting
          27     Reports Received, October, 1990
          28     Reports Received, 1991
          29     Board Minutes
          30     Board, Editors, Chairs, Representatives
          31     Board Correspondence
          32     Board Correspondence
          33     Board, Editors, Chairs, Representatives
          34     Board Minutes
          35     Reports Received, March 1992
          36     Reports Received, October, 1991
          37     Business Meeting
          38     CDs/Bonds, Stifel-Nicolaus Statements, September 1, 1992-August 27, 1993
          39     W-2 Forms, 1099s
          40     Tax FED Quarterly Report (941)
          41     Tax Return, Form 990
          42     Budget-Financial Monthly Reports
          43     Auditors Report
          44     Business Meeting
          45     Reports Received, October 1992
          46     Reports Received, March 1993
          47     Board of Directors Mid-Year Meeting, Hotel Information, 1992-1993
          48     Board Minutes
          49     Board Editors, Chairs, Representatives
          50     Board Correspondence
     
                 Financial Board (1993-1995)

04        01     Financial Budget Monthly Reports
          02     Stifel-Nicolaus CDs/Bonds Statements, September 1, 1993-August 26, 1994
          03     Tax Return Form 990
          04     Tax FED Quarterly Report (941)
          05     W-2 Forms, 1099s
          06     Annual Report, 1993-1994
          07     Board Correspondence 
          08     Boards, #Editors, Chairs, Representatives     
          09     Reports Received, October, 1993
          10     Reports Received, March, 1994
          11     Board Minutes
          12     Business Meeting
          13     W-2 Forms, 1099s
          14     Tax FED Quarterly Report (941)
          15     Tax Return, Form 990
          16     Stifel-Nicolaus CDs/Bonds Statements, September 2, 1994-August 18, 1995
          17     Financial Quarterly Reports, 1994-1995
          18     Budget-Financial Monthly Reports
          19     Auditors Report
          20     Business Meeting
          21     Reports Received, October
          22     Reports Received, March
          23     Board Minutes
          24     Boards, Editors, Chairs, Representatives
          25     Board Correspondence, 1994-1995
          26     Ballot Mailing, 1994
          27     W-2 Forms, 1099s
          28     FED Quarterly Reports, Form 941, 1995
          29     Tax Return, Form 990
          30     Stifel-Nicolaus CDs/Bonds Statements, September 1, 1995-August 31, 1996
          31     Financial Quarterly Reports, 1995-1996
          32     Auditors Reports
          33     Business Meeting
          34     Reports Received, October
          35     Reports Received, March
          36     Board Minutes
          37     Board, Editors, Chair, Representatives
          38     [Content Missing]
          39     Board Correspondence
          
                 Conference Material (1993-1996)

05        01     Special Event, 1993
          02     Registrants
          03     Conference Promotion/Mailing List
          04     Pre-Registrants
          05     Masters
          06     Local Arrangements
          07     Hotel Contract
          08     Exhibits
          09     Evaluations
          10     Correspondence
          11     Conference Programs, Packets
          12     Calls-Awards
          13     Budget-Finance
          14     Registrants
          15     Preliminary Program
          16     Pre-Registrants
          17     Local Arrangements
          18     Hotel Contract
          19     Exhibits
          20     Conference Promotion/Mailing Lists
          21     Conference Correspondence, 1996
          22     Conference Programs, Packets
          23     Conference Evaluations, 1996
          24     Masters
          25     Buddy System
          26     Budget-Finance
          27     Fortieth Annual Conference Summary, 1994
          28     Registrants
          29     Preliminary Program
          30     Pre-Registrants
          31     Local Arrangements
          32     Hotel Contract
          33     Exhibits
          34     Evaluations
          35     Correspondence
          36     Conference Promotion/Mailing List
          37     Conference Programs, Packets
          38     Calls-Awards
          39     Budget-Finance
          40     Buddy System
          41     Registrants
          42     Pre-Registrants
          43     Preliminary Program
          44     Masters
          45     Local Arrangements
          46     Hotel Contract
          47     Evaluations
          48     Correspondence 
          49     Conference Promotion/Mailing Lists
          50     Conference Programs, packets
          51     Calls-Awards
          52     Budget Finance
          53     Buddy System
     
                 Periodicals (1953-1998)

06        01     Consumer Federation of America News
          02     Consumer Product Safety Network Newsletters
          03     Consortium of Social Science Association Updates 1
          04     Consortium of Social Science Association Updates 2
          05     International Organization of Consumer Unions News
          06     National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators
          07     National Consumer League
          08     Pamphlets
          09     "The Status of Consumer Education Courses in Colleges and Universities," Wilmoth
                      Price Dissertation, Michigan, 1953

                 Subject Files (1965-1978)  
          
          10     Automobiles
          11     Business Law
               
                 Subject Files (1949-2000)

07        01     Consumer Education 1
          02     Consumer Education 2
          03     Consumer Education 3-Pamphlets
          04     Consumerism Research/Studies     
          05     Consumerism Research/Studies 2
          06     Consumerism Research/Studies 3

                 Subject Files (1955-1984)

08        01     Consumer Union
          02     Corporate Consumer Affairs
          03     Cooperatives
          04     Cost Benefit Analysis
          05     Credit 1
          06     Credit 2
          07     Electronic Funds
          08     Governance 1
          09     Governance 2
          10     Low Income
          11     Trading Stamps
          12     Truth-in-Lending
          13     Weight, Measures, and Labeling
       
                 Edward Metzen Files (1954-1998)

09        01     Automobile Insurance 
          02     Clippings     
          03     Consumer Education, History
          04     Consumer Education, Institute
          05     Consumer Federation of America
          06     Consumer Movement Organizations
          07     Fair Packaging
          08     Federal Consumer Protection
          09     Government Consumer Programs in Europe               
          10     International Organization of Consumer Unions
          11     Pamphlets
          12     "People are Funny" by Colston Warne
          13     SBC and Pacific Bell Case Study
          14     Prestel Case Study
          15     Product Testing
          16     "Public Financing of Consumer Work in the United States' by Gordon Bivens
          17     "The Relationship of Consumer Organizations to the United Nations and the 
                      Second Development Decade" by Nancy Hawkins
          18     Miscellaneous Clippings
          19     Miscellaneous Pamphlets 1
          20     Miscellaneous Pamphlets 2