Papers of a 1930s student radical and Communist Party member. The collection covers her activities from her undergraduate debating career through her resignation from the party in 1958.

Celeste Strack Kaplan was born in 1915 in Chicago; the Strack family moved to San Diego during her childhood. After graduating from high school (1932), she earned a full scholarship to the University of Southern California (USC) where she was the only member of the freshman class to achieve an A average. She was a member of the championship women's debate team. Raised in a Republican household, Kaplan became involved in radical student politics at USC and was expelled in 1934 for her political activities. During the summer, Kaplan returned to San Diego and worked with the National Student League (NSL) and the American League Against War and Fascism, organizing in the local high schools before enrolling in UCLA. She also covered the 1934 San Francisco General Strike for the NSL's newspaper.

3 boxes, 1 half-box, 1 oversize box

3 linear feet

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