Freedom Information
Service Library
est. 1965
In June 1965, civil rights veteran Jan Hillegas began this archive by rescuing records left behind following the dissolution of the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO), a distinctive civil rights coalition in Mississippi. Hillegas was among the leaders of Freedom Information Service (FIS), a communications center established the next month that produced newsletters, political handbooks, and other publications to support organizing efforts in the state. Through her work, the collection became part of the FIS Library.
John Dittmer, Local People, 1994
“For more than two decades she [Jan Hillegas] preserved, at considerable expense, thousands of valuable documents that otherwise would have been lost, adding to the collection as new materials became available.”
Doug McAdam, Freedom Summer, 1988
“What she [Jan Hillegas] has created is a unique collection that proved invaluable to me in my research. If it is to survive, however, it will require support beyond what Jan can provide herself.”
FIS Library 