Russell G. Benedict Polemical Literature (Collection)

The Benedict Collection was originally called University of Nevada’s Contemporary Issues Collection and it was founded and curated by Russell G. Benedict. He collected periodicals, clippings, pamphlets, brochures and books focusing on the Civil Rights Movement, organized labor activities anti-Communist groups and extremist groups on either side of the political spectrum who targeted particular racial or religious groups or activities in hate literature and/or violent actions. His goal was to broaden the education of the university's students about the essential nature and broad implications of freedom of speech, freedom of association, and political activism. He wrote letters to extremist groups such as the Wide Awake Anti-Communist Crusade to the Cossack Combatants Association requesting literature for students; that he was a “dissatisfied old man, aiding students to be more accurately informed, more vigilant, and more worthily out-spoken”.

The Russell G. Benedict Polemical Literature Collection (1920–1980) documents Benedict's work in collecting and distributing materials on controversial topics, including civil rights, labor movements, and extremist political groups. The collection includes research notes, speeches, a hand printing press used for military newsletters, and an article on Benedict's contributions to the Contemporary Issues Collection at the University of Nevada, Reno.