Skip to main content

Peoples Temple Collection; Box 19, Virtual Item 33, Q688- Interviews with youths

 Digital Record
Identifier: ms-0183_19.33

Dates

  • Digitized: Fall 1977

Creator

Summary Note

This tape consists of two lengthy interviews with unidentified members of Peoples Temple. The interviewer seems to be the same person in both segments, and is probably Eugene Chaikin, an attorney within the Temple. The first interview is with one woman, although the soft, indecipherable voice of a third person drifts through periodically. The second interview is with several young adult members of the Temple. There is no specific date given, although the first includes a reference to "here in Guyana," so it presumably was made following the mass migrations to the agricultural project in Fall 1977. The second interview was probably made about the same time. The common thread of the interviews is the Temple's attempt to pull together evidence in the form of affidavits against defectors. The targets of the first are David Parker Wise and Tim Stoen. In the second, Chaikin asks about the activities of the Eight Revolutionaries (also known as the Gang of Eight, although neither label is used in the tape). The eight were members in lower leadership positions who left the Temple in a dramatic defection in 1973 and whose criticisms of Jim Jones were widely publicized. Full summary of the recording available at Alternative Considerations of Jonestown website, along with the tape transcript.

Rights Statement Note

The copyright interests in these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections is such that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine.  Requests for permission to publish must be submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.

Physical Description Note

Original audiocassette tape recording digitized and made available as .mp3 audio file.

Publisher Note

Publisher: The Jonestown Institute

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections & University Archives Repository

Contact:
5500 Campanile Dr. MC 8050
San Diego CA 92182-8050 US
619-594-6791