I am a "non-traditional" student (meaning I am 52 years old) writing a history undergraduate thesis on Welles and politics.I have read his newspaper columns and FBI files and heard the available "Almanac" shows and am planning a research trip to the Lilly Library and the University of Michigan in January. I am especially looking for material on Welles's participation in the 1944 Presidential election and the San Francisco Conference that formed the United Nations in 1945. I also wonder if anyone can tell me the best available source for FBI Files, or if there have been substantial revisions in the redactions recently. Wellesnet is a wonderful source of information and Jeff Wilson in particular has been of great help to me that, as I approach the writing of my thesis, I thought it would be a good time to ask the indulgence of posters here.
Thanks for any help.

If you're going to Lilly you should check out the research files (Boxes 22-26). They provide a wealth of information concerning Welles's political activities around that time. The last time I was there (maybe 10 years ago) I went through them for a couple of days and barely scratched the surface. Both Leaming and Callow II have good info and insights on that period of his career as well.

I apologize for not responding sooner. First of all, thanks for your help. This semester I am gathering material and starting the writing on the FBI files and the columns and, depending on my proposed trip, next semester I write the paper with the material at hand. I will find out about my trip in the next couple of weeks. I'm still in the dark about reading FBI files. I got a set from the Paperless Archives and wondered if I put in a FOIA request if there might be a difference in redactions--obviously, there are intriguing gaps in the files. Thanks again for all help. This is the place to go for an understanding ear about aka George Orson.

Steve: You have been given good advice here by "keats" and Alan Brody.

I think that we should all ask Moderator Larry French to create on the Wellesnet Resources Page an archive of Welles' political broadcasts, writings and activities. Given that even Welles' daughter, Christopher, informs us near the end of IN MY FATHER'S SHADOW that she had been largely unaware of the political causes and acts which may have helped cripple his career, such an archive would be a valuable addition to explanations of what really made Orson Welles tick.

Mr. French would have to weigh the remote danger that he risks, in the present retro-McCarthy-like climate, having Wellesnet branded an adjunct of ACORN and made an enemy of Andrew Breitbart's Big Hollywood apparatus.

Courage! A bright Wellsian light shown on their machinations might well help send them back to their pathetic dark corners.

Good luck on your research effort, Steve.

Glenn

Thanks to all for the encouragement. This has been a dream of mine for a long time and I hope to take it as far as the limits of my abilities and perseverence. Or until the money runs out.

I have Welles' FBI files on a pdf and made copies for a few folks here.
If there is interest, I'd be happy to send it over for posting on a resource page.

It has been my experience with FOIA requests (regarding military records, not FBI) that you have to appeal redactions. The Paperless Archives file I own was compiled in 1994 (I believe).
BTW, historian-author Jon Wiener fought a lengthy battle to gain more insight into John Lennon's FBI files. It is quite fascinating. You can read about it at http://www.lennonfbifiles.com

I have the Paperless Archives files as well. Don't know if any new FOIA requests were made after their request. Thanks to all for the help. Will keep you apprised.