Barbara Kuck Alternative Press Collection

Abstract

The archive of Chicago’s Nicholas Senn High School student Barbara Kuck contains 78 alternative publications from 1968 and 1971, including 22 issues, drafts and notes related to The Paper which she edited and published.

Biographical/Historical

Barbara Kuck, while a student at Chicago’s Nicholas Senn High School, founded an alternative publication called, The Paper, in 1968. The publication’s objective was to report on student activities and other local or national events that were not covered by the official high school newspaper. Because The Paper was often critical of the school administration, its educational practices and the school’s police detail, Senn High School administrators attempted to curtail its distribution by taking away student lockers and applying other punitive measures. Other topics covered in The Paper include the Chicago 8 conspiracy trial, draft registration, environmental conditions, musical performances, police violence, political activism, racism and the Vietnam War.

The Paper was a member of Chicago Area High School Independent Press Service (CHIPS) and Cooperative High School Press Service. The purpose of these organizations was to exchange publications and to connect student editors and writers across the city and United States. As part of this exchange, Kuck gathered representative issues from other Chicago-area and national student groups. Often articles from one paper would be reprinted by another.

This collection of materials was acquired though an antiquarian book and manuscript vendor and does not include any additional information about Barbara Kuck.

Scope and Contents

The archive of Chicago’s Nicholas Senn High School student Barbara Kuck contains 78 alternative publications from 1968 and 1971, including 22 issues, drafts and notes related to The Paper which she edited and published. The publications are a combination of mimeographed sheets and printed papers that were distributed locally and exchanged with other high school or student organizations across the Chicago area and the United States through the Chicago Area High School Independent Press Service (CHIPS) and Cooperative High School Press Service. The topics covered include conditions and educational practices at specific local high schools as well as national topics such as the Chicago 8 conspiracy trial, the draft, the environment, police violence, political activism, racism and the Vietnam War.

When possible, the high school, organization or publication location are noted to help facilitate the scope of the connections made through the student exchange networks. Notations in square brackets [ ] indicate that the archivist is fairly certain that the information is correct while notations in parentheses add known information.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by publication title or topic.

Subject Headings

• Black Panther Movement
• Chicago Area High School Independent Press Service (CHIPS)
• Cooperative High School Press Service
• Counterculture -- Chicago -- Illinois
• Dress codes -- High school -- Illinois -- Chicago
• High school students’ writings
• Race discrimination
• Senn High School (Chicago, Ill.)
• Student newspapers and periodicals
• Student newspaper and periodical editors -- Chicago -- Illinois
• Underground newspapers
• Underground press publications
• Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- protest movements -- United States
• Youth protest movements

Related Collections

• Chicago African American and Latino Newspapers Microfilm Collection
• Democratic National Convention Records
• Deppe, Rev. Martin Papers
• Lake View High School Collection
• Newspapers and Serials Collection
• Sisi Donald Mosby Papers
• South Shore Newspapers Collection

Collection Inventory