Laird Wilcox

Wilcox was raised in a family with, as he describes, a high level of "political intensity" and discussion. His aunts, uncles, and grandparents were highly polarized politically, either conservative or very liberal. As a child he would listen to debate and discussion about political issues that grew very heated, often to the point of name-calling, and these experiences created an early desire to understand why political ideologies lead to such conflict, and at times grow to greater importance than relationships with friends and family.

Wilcox was raised in a family with, as he describes, a high level of "political intensity" and discussion. His aunts, uncles, and grandparents were highly polarized politically, either conservative or very liberal. As a child he would listen to debate and discussion about political issues that grew very heated, often to the point of name-calling, and these experiences created an early desire to understand why political ideologies lead to such conflict, and at times grow to greater importance than relationships with friends and family.

In his teens he began to collect literature and read about radical political movements across the spectrum, from communist groups to the John Birch Society. He continued to pursue this interest when he entered the University of Kansas at twenty years old and won an award for his collection of books on political movements. A few years later he had accumulated roughly four file drawers of material, and the University library reached out to him with a desire to acquire a portion of his collection. An agreement was reached in 1965, and the library paid Wilcox $1000 for the material that would go on to constitute the foundation of the Wilcox Collection as it is known today.

While living in Olathe, Kansas, he worked as carpenter, investigator and writer.

The Wilcox Collection of Contemporary Political Movements, in the Kansas Collection of Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas, includes coverage of "more than 10,000 individuals and organizations. The bulk of the collection covers 1960 to the present and comprises nearly 10,000 books, pamphlets and periodicals, 800 audio tapes, 73 feet (22 m) of manuscript materials and more than 100,000 pieces of ephemera including flyers, brochures, mailings, clippings and bumper stickers." Wilcox continues to make regular donations.

In his 1997 self-published book, The Watchdogs, Wilcox criticized an "industry" of such groups "whose identity and livelihood depend upon growth and expansion of their particular kind of victimization." He holds such groups use "links and ties" to imply connections between individuals and groups. And they collect millions of dollars by greatly exaggerating the size and danger of such groups, becoming "a massive extortion racket."

He names groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Anti-Defamation League, Political Research Associates, and the Center for Democratic Renewal. Mark Potok of Southern Poverty Law Center told a reporter that Wilcox "had an ax to grind for a great many years" and engaged in name calling against others doing anti-racist work. Chip Berlet of Political Research Associates told a reporter that "Laird Wilcox is not an accurate or ethical reporter… He simply can't tolerate people who are his competition in this field."

Discussing Wilcox's coverage of the relationship of the Anti-Defamation League to the FBI in particular, historian George Michael calls the effort "thoroughly examined" and notes, "My examination of Wilcox's archives on this subject confirms his assertion [regarding this relationship]".

In 1968, Wilcox signed the "Writers and Editors War Tax Protest" pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War.

He has been a member of the American Civil Liberties Union since 1961 and a member of Amnesty International since 1970.

In 1989, Wilcox received the "Kansas City Area Archivists Award of Excellence" for his role in founding and maintaining the Wilcox Collection. In 1993, he was awarded the Myers Center Award for the Study of Human Rights in the United States. In 1994, he was awarded the Freedom of Information Award of the Kansas Library Association/SIRS "For outstanding commitment to intellectual freedom."

In 1995, he received the Mencken Award of the Free Press Association "For outstanding journalism in defense of liberty." In 2005, the University of Kansas honored Wilcox, then 63, in the Spencer library's North Gallery for his role in founding the Wilcox Collection.

• Guide to the American Right (annual). Kansas City: Editorial Research Service, 1984-.