Tulsa Archives Updated
- Jon Nelson
- Jan 22
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 25
Following my request for a review of the materials, the University of Tulsa’s McFarlin Special Collections has updated its archival record:
A word about this. The photograph of the Holocaust denial letter in the Antisemitism section was not reproduced from the University of Tulsa Special Collections, but comes from another source. Lafferty’s carbon of the letter is archived at Tulsa. Should you want to request a copy of the carbon, see the second link.
The letter is included on the blog solely for purposes of scholarly analysis, criticism, and historical context. The discussion forms part of a broader examination of Lafferty scholarship, specifically addressing how the limited circulation and obscurity of this document and the Lafferty archive have affected prior academic interpretations.
The letter is reproduced in full to ensure accuracy and transparency, and to avoid selective quotation that could introduce bias or misrepresent the structure, rhetoric, or argumentative methods employed. Full reproduction allows readers to evaluate the document in its entirety. The McFarlin update chose not to quote the Holocaust denial itself or to quote Lafferty denying the Jewish Holocaust, instead grouping the letter under a broader category labeled “Holocaust Denial.” I believe the archive should make a clear distinction between Lafferty’s ownership of Holocaust-denial materials and Lafferty himself denying the Holocaust, and that distinction should be explicit in the record. That is one reason I include the entire letter. It is why I pursued having the archive relabeled. Without the letter on this site, Lafferty scholars would be uninformed about an important context for understanding his view of 20th-century history.
It should be clear that the use of Lafferty’s letter is intended to be transformative, incorporating critical commentary and contextual analysis rather than reproducing the work for its original purpose. Hence, the arguments about how it has affected—and continues to affect—thinking about Lafferty, including in recent publications. As far as I know, no one I asked in my antisemitism article six months ago joined me in this, but I am glad it is documented. I continue to think that academic integrity is a major problem in the Lafferty community.
