The Legion of Decency was an organization dedicated to determining the moral content (objectionable or acceptable) of motion pictures in the United States. Founded in 1933 as the Catholic Legion of Decency by several Roman Catholic priests and lay persons, the organization included members of many denominations but was primarily composed of Catholics and concerned with the view of the Roman Catholic Church. The Legion was later renamed to the National Legion of Decency, and created its own rating system for determining the moral content of movies, which differed from the ratings system of the Motion Picture Association of America. In the 1960's the organization became the National Catholic Office for Motion Pictures, which was then absorbed into the United States Catholic Conference. On June 1, 2001, the USCC merged with the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) to form the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops which created its own office for rating films.
The Legion of Decency of the Archdiocese of Newark records primarily consist of index cards, newsclippings, letters to government officials, records of the Legion's meetings and members, and other documents. The collection focuses on activities in Essex County, New Jersey. The index cards, which make up a large portion of the collection, include movie titles and ratings, and occasionally notes on the content of a particular film. These cards are arranged alphabetically by movie title.
All materials available in this collection (unless otherwise noted) are the property of the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center and Seton Hall University, which reserves the right to limit access to or reproduction of these materials. Reproduction of materials or content is subject to United States copyright restrictions and may be subject to federal or state privacy regulations. Permission to publish exact reproductions must be obtained from the Director of the Archives and Special Collections Center.
Materials were transferred to the Archives and Special Collections Center from the Archdiocese of Newark. Terms of accession unknown.
[Item], in the Legion of Decency of the Archdiocese of Newark records, ADN 0055, Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center, Seton Hall University.
This collection is not yet processed. Finding aid and basic collection description created in 2013 by Ben Clark and Tracy M. Jackson as part of the Overhaul Project collection survey.
Collection is currently being processed at the Msgr. William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center; some portions of the collection may be unavailable for research. Advance appointments are required for the use of archival materials.