This collection consists almost entirely of material surrounding the issue of academic freedom, which was initially brought to question as a result of a letter Mulford Sibley wrote to the Minnesota Daily, December 3, 1963. In the letter, he stated, "Personally, I should like to see on campus one or two Communist professors, a chapter of the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism, a society for the promotion of free love, a League for the Overthrow of Government by Jeffersonian Violence (LOGJV), an anti-automation league, and perhaps a nudist club".

As a result of the letter, St. Paul Public Works Commissioner, Milton Rosen demanded that the University fire Professor Sibley. A now famous debate was held between Rosen and Sibley on January 8, 1964 in Coffman Memorial Union on the issue of academic freedom. The papers contain numerous references to the Sibley-Rosen debate.

Sibley and Sociology Professor Arnold Rose also came under attack by members of a group called Christian Research Inc. One member of this group distributed a copy of a circular to the Anoka County Board of Commissioners asking them to stop an Anoka County Library lecture series on communism at which both Sibley and Rose were asked to speak. As a result, Arnold Rose brought a lawsuit against members of the Christian Research Inc. A letter from Professor Rose to President O. Meredith Wilson, dated December 23, 1963, describes the events leading up to the lawsuit. (Folder 10)

In response to criticism of the University by various groups such as the American Legion and individuals including Milton Rosen, on December 14, 1963 the Board of Regents issued a statement on academic freedom entitled "Freedom and the University". The statement was sent to members of the Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges and the Association of American Universities as well as to private citizens. Letters of response to the Statement are included in Folders 8-9.

The Senate Education Committee conducted an investigation as an outgrowth of the demands by Milton Rosen and various veterans groups to fire Mulford Sibley. Its purpose was to examine the hiring and firing practices of the University and the "lack of standards of conduct, responsibility and management at the University". (Folders 4-6)

Another debate on disarmament that became controversial, was one scheduled between Sibley and Peter Reiss, a member of the John Birch Society. Sponsored by the student organization Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), the debate was banned by Edmund G. Williamson, the Dean of Students, because it was scheduled on May 18, 1964, a day before the Senate Education Committee was to meet. Williamson felt that the debate might be interpreted by the Committee as an affront to its work. The Senate Committee on Student Affairs reviewed the decision and reversed Williamson's veto, upholding the University's speakers policy. President Wilson, however, upheld Williamson's decision by postponing the debate. Students held a rally on May 15th protesting the postponement, and the debate was held off campus on the scheduled date. (Folder 7)

As a result of these controversies, many individual citizens wrote letters to the Board of Regents and the University administration expressing their opinions about Sibley and his views. The University, being very sensitive to these issues, kept a tally of the letters and newspaper editorials, written around the state. This tally can be found in the collection, along with the letters and editorials. (Folders 11-14)

In addition to the material on academic freedom, there is one folder of Sibley's personal papers and correspondence. (Folder 1) Notes, which consisted of quotes from the newspaper articles and correspondence, were discarded.