FBI: Coe College's Committee on National and International Affairs

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

This request is for any and all records related to a civil rights group called the "Committee on National and International Affairs" or "COINA" that was formed on the campus of Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on October 26th of 1962.

A November 15th, 1962, article in the Coe Cosmos campus newspaper describes the creation of this group and described an upcoming meeting on November 16th. What follows is a copy of an article describing the group an their activities in 1962:

"On October 26 a group of students interested in civil rights and peace got together and organized the Committee on National and International Affairs (COINA). The purpose of this group is to discuss ways to peace and disarmament and promote action on civil rights. A temporary planning committee consisting of Barbara Steidemann, Chairman; Jim Ruffins, Lucien Cerwin, Charles Vosseler, Jon Duerr, and Carolyn Bunte was appointed to map out future programs from the group. At the first meeting Mr. William Higgs of Mississippi, who was James Meredith's lawyer, was the resource speaker. He emphasized the need to have student groups actively concerned with the problem of race relations and also the need for fundraising campaigns to support national groups such as SNCC and CORE. This Friday CONIA will present a program dealing with the other side of its purpose, peace and disarmament. Mr. Larry Martin from the American Friends Service Committee will show a film "Which Way the Wind." This is a play written by the AFSC which dramatically presents the issue of peace in a nuclear age. All students are urged to attend this meeting which will be held Friday, November 16, at 7:30 in the TUB conference room."

Here is a link to a cached version of the article from Newspapers.com: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Jwr4oH0fE2kJ:https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/32705676/&hl=en&gl=ge&strip=1&vwsrc=0

One of the participants in this group was CHARLES MARTIN VOSSELER who is currently a criminal wanted by the FBI. Vosseler's participation in this meeting does not appear to be common knowledge, and information about this 1960s-era civil rights group is virtually non existent on the internet. Vosseler's participation in the group appears to go against his later activities when he lived in close proximity to a white supremacist community in Oklahoma.

Please include all potentially responsive materials, including but not limited to all communications, reports, inquiries, investigations, photographs, audio files, video files, memos, directives, etc. Please include all materials found in other subject files and all materials associated with any potentially-related names and any other known aliases, nicknames, code names, or any other identifying pseudonyms or references utilized by this agency. Please consult the Central Records System and records, the Electronic Surveillance (ELSUR) Data Management System and records, Microphone Surveillance (MISUR) records, Physical Surveillance (FISUR) records, Technical Surveillance (TESUR) records, and all available cross-reference indices, databases, and records, in addition to any other locations containing potentially-responsive materials related to the Committee on National and International Affairs, or the acronym of COINA.

According to a blog post I just read, it is important that I state the following: "As you know, your agency is required to search the records stored at NARA’s Washington Records Center in Suitland, MD, but still technically under your agency’s control. For more information see 36 CFR 1250.8" Please also conduct a search of records at NARA's Washington Records Center in Suitland, for records related to the Committee on National and International Affairs that was started on the campus of Coe College.

Key search terms: Committee on National and International Affairs, COINA, Coe College

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Robert Delaware