Guide to the Papers of Sam Cohen, 1918-2000
Collection context
Summary
- Collection number:
- MS 9846
- Extent:
- 0.84 metres and (6 boxes + 2 folio boxes)
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
- Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Sam Cohen, National Library of Australia, MS 9846, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
- Availability:
- Available
- Access conditions:
- Available for reference. Not for loan.
Background
- Biographical Note:
-
Samuel Herbert Cohen was born on 26 October 1918 at Bankstown, Sydney, the son of Russian-born parents. His father was a tailor's cutter. He began his education in Griffith, New South Wales, but completed it in Melbourne at Elwood Primary and Central schools, Wesley College and the University of Melbourne.
He was a successful debater at school and university, led the intervarsity debating team, and became involved in the Student Representative Council, holding the posts of Treasurer and President. He graduated with a Master of Laws in 1942 and was articled the same year, but released to undertake military service and was seconded to the Universities Commission.
He resumed his articles in 1945, was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1946, practised in common law and became a specialist in industrial law. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1961. In 1953 he married Judith Jacqueline Selig, a solicitor.
Cohen's formal involvement in politics commenced with his membership of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1946, although he had been a founder member in 1942 of the Jewish Council to Combat Fascism and Anti-Semitism, later serving as President.
A collision of these two spheres of activity - Jewish community advocacy and conventional politics - and an attempt to discredit Cohen came about when he stood for pre-selection in 1960 for the Senate. It culminated in public accusations that he was a Communist fellow-traveller and that the Jewish Council to Combat Fascism and Anti-Semitism was a Communist front organisation.
He was nonetheless elected to the Senate in 1962, where he became ALP spokesman on education, legal issues and matters relating to science, radio, television and culture. He later became Shadow Minister for Education, Science, Communications and the Arts and in 1967 became Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, acting at times as Leader. He was a member of the Central Executive of the Victorian ALP. He was a member of the Australian National University Council from 1968, and, shortly before his death, was co-opted to the Executive of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
Cohen died of heart failure in Adelaide on 7 October 1969, following an address to an election meeting. He was survived by his wife and their two daughters.
- Immediate Source of Acquisition:
-
The papers were donated by Judith Cohen, Sam Cohen's widow, in several instalments between March 2001 and February 2005.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection has largely been left in the original order as arranged by Judith Cohen. Where papers were grouped together and labelled or annotated by Sam Cohen, they have been placed into Files maintaining the original order. Correspondence and newspaper cuttings have been placed in chronological order.
The majority of papers are those collected by Cohen himself and date from 1918 to his death in 1969. The few items dated later than 1969 are: letters of condolence following Cohen's death, material related to the Samuel Cohen Memorial Foundation and three articles added by Judith Cohen.
Access and use
- Conditions Governing Access:
- Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2344299).
- Conditions Governing Use:
- Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
- Preferred citation:
- Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Sam Cohen, National Library of Australia, MS 9846, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
- Location of this collection:
-
Parkes PlaceCanberra ACT 2600, Australia
- Contact: