The collection is arranged by series GENERAL FILE, ORGANIZATIONS, IRWIN EDELMAN-FYKE FARMER, MORTON SOBELL and the COMMITTEE TO RE-OPEN THE ROSENBERG CASE. It may be presumed that a majority of the collection is material from the Los Angeles Committee to Secure Justice in the Rosenberg Case and its counterpart in the defense of Martin Sobell. The FOIA, Inc. and the Committee to Re-open the Rosenberg Case are form fundraising letters and other material received in the mail and donated to SCL by concerned individuals. The papers are arranged in chronological order.

In the early 1950's, the fate of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, convicted and sentenced to death on charges of having given information on the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union, became an international cause. Viewed by many supporters as victims of Cold War hysteria and anti-communism, the Rosenbergs were the focus of an intensive effort by a number of organizations which attempted to save their lives through mass protests, petitions, and publication. Convicted in March 1951, they were initially given an execution date of April 5 of the same year. Through a number of legal and political manuevers, their execution was delayed for another two years.

Copyright has not been assigned to the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research. Researchers may make single copies of any portion of the collection, but publication from the collection will be allowed only with the express written permission of the Library's director. It is not necessary to obtain written permission to quote from a collection. When the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research gives permission for publication, it is as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

The collection is available for research only at the Library's facility in Los Angeles.  The Library is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Researchers are encouraged to call or email the Library indicating the nature of their research query prior to making a visit.