Herbert Allen Kordan (1926-2021)

Dawn Kordan filed this request with the National Archives And Records Administration – Archival Or Special Access of the United States of America.

It is a clone of this request.

Tracking #

RD 88508

25-31725

Due March 28, 2025
Est. Completion None
Status
Awaiting Response

From: Dawn Kordan

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

A copy of all documents on, about or mentioning Herbert Allen Kordan, including ELSUR and cross-reference documents. Please search in particular for field notes, agent's notes, memoranda, correspondence, and reports of investigations, and for documents relating to the FBI Responsibilities Program, FBI Dissemination of Information Policy, FBI Counterintelligence Program ("COINTELPRO"), and FBI blacklisting of school teachers, college professors, and other public employees between 1950 and 1969.

Name of individual: Herbert Allen Kordan
Date of birth: April 10 1926
Place of birth: St. Louis, MO
Occupation: Botanist; College Lecturer
Institutions:
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles CA
- Gustavus Adolphus College, St Peter MN
Spouse: Julia Tisa Kordan (DOB January 23 1927)

Previous addresses, including but not limited to:
- 2728 Malabar St, Los Angeles, CA
- 11837 Darlington Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90049
- 8943 Hazeltine Ave, Los Angeles, CA 91402
- 417 N 7th St, St Peter, MN 56082

I am also providing the following documents to aid in identification:

- Certificate of Birth for Herbert Allen Kordan
- Certificate of Death for Herbert Allen Kordan

FBI reference: File number 100-HQ-440067 & 61-HQ-10149 Serial 4337.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Dawn Kordan

From:

This is an automated reply to inform you that the National Archives and Records Administration received your email.

We have received your request and you will receive a response within 20 working days. Please note that submitting duplicate requests will increase wait times.

If you have any questions, you can call our office at 301-837-3190. You can also visit our web page at www.archives.gov/research/foia.

Thank you.

From: National Archives And Records Administration – Archival Or Special Access

Dear Dawn Kordan,

This is in reply to your Freedom of Information Act request, dated February
26, 2025 for records relating to Herbert Allen Kordan. Your request was
received in this office on March 4, 2025 and assigned the case number
25-31725.

Your request has been referred to our Special Access and FOIA office for a
search of our FBI holdings, including for files 100-HQ-440067 and
61-HQ-10149 Serial 4337. They will provide a separate response.

We also conducted a search of our Department of Justice holdings. We
searched the Department of Justice

Criminal Division Internal Security Index, 1930 - 1979
<https://catalog.archives.gov/id/729763> (Entry A1 1011) in Record Group
60: General Records of the Department of Justice. We did not locate any
records responsive to your request.

We do not consider this a denial of your FOIA request. However, if you are
not satisfied with our action on this request, your options for appeal and
dispute resolution are outlined in the attachment. If you have any
questions, you may reach us at archives2reference@nara.gov.

This completes the processing of your request.

Sincerely,

David Castillo
Archivist | Research Services (R)
National Archives at College Park, MD

From: National Archives And Records Administration – Archival Or Special Access

Dear Dawn Kordan,

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request
of February 27, 2025 for records in the custody of the National Archives
and Records Administration. Your request was received in this office on
March 3, 2025 and assigned FOIA tracking number RD 88508.

You requested access to FBI file numbers

Records Requested

Total Pages

Date Range

100-HQ-440067 on Herbert Allen Kordan

32

January 1963-August 1963

61-HQ-10149 Civil Rights Congress

3000

April 1940- December 1942

The estimated total page count for your request is 3,032 pages. Requests
that exceed 3,000 pages are assigned to our third-tier processing queue.
You will receive a response in partial fulfillment of your request after we
have completed the first increment. We will provide you with an update on
the status of your request and an estimated completion date at that time.
To give you an indication of our existing third-tier backlog, we are
currently processing requests received in August 2013.

Once we notify you that processing is complete, you may either visit our
College Park, MD facility to view the file at no cost, or order a digital
or paper reproduction. Our current fee for reproductions is 80 cents per
page, so we estimate the total cost will be $2,425.60.

If you are willing to narrow your request for a potentially faster
processing time, please contact us to discuss narrowing options.

You must notify this office of changes to your contact information. If
communication is returned as undeliverable and no return address is
provided, your case will be administratively closed. To change your contact
information or to track the status of your request, please email
specialaccess_foia@nara.gov or call 301-837-3190. Please include your FOIA
tracking number in all communications concerning this request.

If you are not satisfied with our action on this request and would like the
opportunity to discuss our response, you may contact our FOIA Public
Liaison for assistance:

Accessioned Executive Branch Records – Washington, DC Area

FOIA Requester Service Center: 301-837-3190

FOIA Public Liaison: Rebecca Calcagno

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

dc.foia.liaison@nara.gov

301-837-3190

If you have other questions regarding your request, please contact me
directly.
--

Francesca McCorkle

Archives Specialist

Special Access and FOIA Program (RF)

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 3500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Francesca.McCorkle@nara.gov

(301) 837-3259

https://www.archives.gov/research/foia

From: Dawn Kordan

Dear Francesca McCorkle,

Thank you for your reply concerning FOIA tracking number RD 88508. I would like to narrow my request for a faster processing time.

I am only seeking the records concerning Herbert Allen Kordan. According to your reply, I understand that there are 32 documents in this category (File 100-HQ-440067, January 1963-August 1963). Please let me know if this is correct.

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Dawn Kordan

From: National Archives And Records Administration – Archival Or Special Access

Correct, there are 32 pages for this file
--

Francesca McCorkle

Archives Specialist

Special Access and FOIA Program (RF)

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 3500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Francesca.McCorkle@nara.gov

(301) 837-3259

https://www.archives.gov/research/foia

From: National Archives And Records Administration – Archival Or Special Access

Good Morning Dawn Kordan,

I am writing to provide an update to the letter previously sent on March
19, 2025 to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request of February 27,
2025 for records in the custody of the National Archives and Records
Administration. Your request was received in this office on March 3, 2025
and assigned FOIA tracking number RD 88508.

You requested access to FBI file numbers

Records Requested

Total Pages

Date Range

100-HQ-440067 on Herbert Allen Kordan

32

January 1963-August 1963

*The estimated total page count for your request is 32 pages. Would you
like me to complete a line-by-line review of the records you requested? *

Please be advised, we will consider any foreseeable harm standard when
reviewing records and applying FOIA exemptions for this request.

You requested access to case file number *61-HQ-10149 serial 4337*,
identified by the FBI as potentially responsive to your request for records
relating to Herbert Allen Kordan.

The file is on 61-HQ-10149 serial 4337 Civil Rights Congress, created
between April 1940 and December 1942. Based on my initial evaluation, this
file is deemed *unresponsive* to your request because Herbert Allen Kordan
is not the subject of the file. If we do not receive a response from you
within ninety (90) calendar days from the date of this letter to indicate
you believe the records are responsive, we will administratively close your
case.

If you are not satisfied with our action on this request, you have the
right to file an administrative appeal within ninety (90) calendar days
from the date of this letter. Appeals must be in writing and may be
delivered by regular U.S. mail or by email. By filing an appeal, you
preserve your rights under the Freedom of Information Act and present the
deciding agency with an opportunity to review your request and reconsider
its decision. If you submit your appeal by regular mail, it should be
addressed to the Deputy Archivist of the United States (ND), National
Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 4200, College
Park, Maryland 20740-6001. Both the letter and envelope should be clearly
marked “FOIA Appeal.” If you submit your appeal by email, please send it to
foia@nara.gov, addressed to the Deputy Archivist, with the words “FOIA
Appeal” in the subject line. Please be certain to explain why you believe
this response does not meet the requirements of the Freedom of Information
Act. All communications concerning this request should reference your FOIA
tracking number.

If you would like the opportunity to discuss our response and attempt to
resolve your dispute without initiating the appeals process, you may
contact our FOIA Public Liaison for assistance:

Accessioned Executive Branch Records – Washington, DC Area

FOIA Requester Service Center: 301-837-3190

FOIA Public Liaison: Rebecca Calcagno

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

dc.foia.liaison@nara.gov

301-837-3190

You may also contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS),
the Federal FOIA Ombudsman’s office, for assistance. OGIS offers mediation
services to help resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal
agencies. The contact information for OGIS is:

Office of Government Information Services

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road–OGIS

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Email: ogis@nara.gov

https://www.archives.gov/ogis

Phone: 202-741-5770 or 1-877-684-6448

This concludes the processing of your request. If you have additional
questions, please contact me directly.
--

Francesca McCorkle

Archives Specialist

Special Access and FOIA Program (RF)

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 3500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Francesca.McCorkle@nara.gov

(301) 837-3259

https://www.archives.gov/research/foia

From: Dawn Kordan

Dear Francesca McCorkle,

Thank you for your reply concerning FOIA tracking number RD 88508. Yes, I would be grateful for a line-by-line review of the 100-HQ-440067 files relating to Herbert Allen Kordan (32 pages) and their subsequent release.

Please let me know if you require any further information.

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Dawn Kordan

From: National Archives And Records Administration – Archival Or Special Access

Hello Dawn Kordan,

I completed processing the records you requested from the National Archives
and Records Administration under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) tracking
number RD 88508.

You requested access to 100-HQ-440067 on Herbert Allen Kordan.

I completed a line-by-line review of the records you requested. Please be
advised, I have considered the foreseeable harm standard when reviewing
records and applying FOIA exemptions for this request. Information was
released to the greatest extent possible. Below is a summary of my review:

Records Requested

Total Pages

Pages Released in Full

Pages Released in Part

100-HQ-440067 on Herbert Allen Kordan

34

32

2

I withheld information protected under section (b) of the FOIA (5 U.S.C.
552). The specific reasons for the denials are:

TYPE OF INFORMATION WITHHELD

FOIA EXEMPTION or STATUTE

identities of confidential sources

(b)(7)(D)

You or your designated representative may view the file(s) at the National
Archives at College Park, Maryland. We require at least one week advance
notice to prepare for your visit and ask that you email
specialaccess_foia@nara.gov with your FOIA tracking number (RD 88508) and
the date you plan to visit. Please monitor our web page
https://www.archives.gov/college-park for details and updates, as the
operating status for the facility could change, affecting opening hours for
the research rooms.

If you cannot visit our College Park facility, you may order a digital or
paper reproduction copy of the file(s) at the cost of 80 cents per page. To
place a reproduction order, please forward this response to our office
email at specialaccess_foia@nara.gov or call 301-837-3190. A
mailing/billing address is required to generate a price quote, so please
include that information with your reproduction request.

It is possible the fees to hire a researcher may be less than the
reproduction fees. If you are unable to visit and you wish to hire a
researcher to duplicate the file, information on how to hire a researcher
can be found at this link: https://www.archives.gov/research/hire-help. The
National Archives does not endorse anyone who appears on the list.

If you are not satisfied with my action on this request, you have the right
to file an administrative appeal within ninety (90) calendar days from the
date of this letter. Appeals must be in writing and may be delivered by
regular U.S. mail or by email. By filing an appeal, you preserve your
rights under the Freedom of Information Act and present the deciding agency
with an opportunity to review your request and reconsider its decision. If
you submit your appeal by regular mail, it should be addressed to the
Deputy Archivist of the United States (ND), National Archives and Records
Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 4200, College Park, Maryland
20740-6001. Both the letter and envelope should be clearly marked “FOIA
Appeal.” If you submit your appeal by email, please send it to foia@nara.gov,
addressed to the Deputy Archivist, with the words “FOIA Appeal” in the
subject line. If you exercise your right to appeal, please explain why you
believe this response does not meet the requirements of the Freedom of
Information Act. All communications concerning this request should
reference your FOIA tracking number.

If you would like the opportunity to discuss my response and attempt to
resolve your dispute without initiating the appeals process, you may
contact our FOIA Public Liaison for assistance:

Accessioned Executive Branch Records – Washington, DC Area

FOIA Requester Service Center: 301-837-3190

FOIA Public Liaison: Rebecca Calcagno

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

dc.foia.liaison@nara.gov

301-837-3190

You may also contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS),
the Federal FOIA Ombudsman’s office, for assistance. OGIS offers mediation
services to help resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal
agencies. The contact information for OGIS is:

Office of Government Information Services

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road–OGIS

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Email: ogis@nara.gov

https://www.archives.gov/ogis

Phone: 202-741-5770 or 1-877-684-6448

This concludes the processing of your request. If you have questions
concerning my review, please contact me directly.
--

Francesca McCorkle

Archives Specialist

Special Access and FOIA Program (RF)

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 3500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Francesca.McCorkle@nara.gov

(301) 837-3259

https://www.archives.gov/research/foia

From: Dawn Kordan

Dear Sir or Madam

I am writing to you to request a price quote for digital reproduction of files relating to my FOIA request, tracking number RD 88508. There should be 34 pages in total.

My billing address is as follows:

H Kordansky,
11 Lord Austin Drive,
Bromsgrove,
Worcestershire,
B60 1RB,
United Kingdom.

Kind regards,
Dawn Kordan

Please see below for the NARA (Francesca McCorkle) response which I have been asked to forward to you:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Dawn Kordan,

I completed processing the records you requested from the National Archives
and Records Administration under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) tracking
number RD 88508.

You requested access to 100-HQ-440067 on Herbert Allen Kordan.

I completed a line-by-line review of the records you requested. Please be
advised, I have considered the foreseeable harm standard when reviewing
records and applying FOIA exemptions for this request. Information was
released to the greatest extent possible. Below is a summary of my review:

Records Requested

Total Pages

Pages Released in Full

Pages Released in Part

100-HQ-440067 on Herbert Allen Kordan

34

32

2

I withheld information protected under section (b) of the FOIA (5 U.S.C.
552). The specific reasons for the denials are:

TYPE OF INFORMATION WITHHELD

FOIA EXEMPTION or STATUTE

identities of confidential sources

(b)(7)(D)

You or your designated representative may view the file(s) at the National
Archives at College Park, Maryland. We require at least one week advance
notice to prepare for your visit and ask that you email
specialaccess_foia@nara.gov with your FOIA tracking number (RD 88508) and
the date you plan to visit. Please monitor our web page
https://www.archives.gov/college-park for details and updates, as the
operating status for the facility could change, affecting opening hours for
the research rooms.

If you cannot visit our College Park facility, you may order a digital or
paper reproduction copy of the file(s) at the cost of 80 cents per page. To
place a reproduction order, please forward this response to our office
email at specialaccess_foia@nara.gov or call 301-837-3190. A
mailing/billing address is required to generate a price quote, so please
include that information with your reproduction request.

It is possible the fees to hire a researcher may be less than the
reproduction fees. If you are unable to visit and you wish to hire a
researcher to duplicate the file, information on how to hire a researcher
can be found at this link: https://www.archives.gov/research/hire-help. The
National Archives does not endorse anyone who appears on the list.

If you are not satisfied with my action on this request, you have the right
to file an administrative appeal within ninety (90) calendar days from the
date of this letter. Appeals must be in writing and may be delivered by
regular U.S. mail or by email. By filing an appeal, you preserve your
rights under the Freedom of Information Act and present the deciding agency
with an opportunity to review your request and reconsider its decision. If
you submit your appeal by regular mail, it should be addressed to the
Deputy Archivist of the United States (ND), National Archives and Records
Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 4200, College Park, Maryland
20740-6001. Both the letter and envelope should be clearly marked “FOIA
Appeal.” If you submit your appeal by email, please send it to foia@nara.gov,
addressed to the Deputy Archivist, with the words “FOIA Appeal” in the
subject line. If you exercise your right to appeal, please explain why you
believe this response does not meet the requirements of the Freedom of
Information Act. All communications concerning this request should
reference your FOIA tracking number.

If you would like the opportunity to discuss my response and attempt to
resolve your dispute without initiating the appeals process, you may
contact our FOIA Public Liaison for assistance:

Accessioned Executive Branch Records – Washington, DC Area

FOIA Requester Service Center: 301-837-3190

FOIA Public Liaison: Rebecca Calcagno

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

dc.foia.liaison@nara.gov

301-837-3190

You may also contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS),
the Federal FOIA Ombudsman’s office, for assistance. OGIS offers mediation
services to help resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal
agencies. The contact information for OGIS is:

Office of Government Information Services

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road–OGIS

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Email: ogis@nara.gov

https://www.archives.gov/ogis

Phone: 202-741-5770 or 1-877-684-6448

This concludes the processing of your request. If you have questions
concerning my review, please contact me directly.
--

Francesca McCorkle

Archives Specialist

Special Access and FOIA Program (RF)

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 3500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Francesca.McCorkle@nara.gov

(301) 837-3259

https://www.archives.gov/research/foia

From:

This is an automated reply to inform you that the National Archives and Records Administration received your email.

We have received your request and you will receive a response within 20 working days. Please note that submitting duplicate requests will increase wait times.

If you have any questions, you can call our office at 301-837-3190. You can also visit our web page at www.archives.gov/research/foia.

Thank you.

From: National Archives And Records Administration – Archival Or Special Access

Dear Dawn Kordan,

Attached you will find the reproduction quote, as well as instructions on
payment. This quote will be valid for 90 days. Please be sure to send all
payment information directly to the Trust Fund. Once our Trust Fund has
received confirmation of payment, we will begin processing your order. This
can take 4-6 weeks, however we attempt to get the records to you before
that time.

Sincerely,
Jacquelyn Beasley
Special Access and FOIA Program (RF)

From: Dawn Kordan


To Whom It May Concern:

Please find enclosed a check for $27.20 to satisfy the fee associated with the attached public records request.

Thank you.

From: Dawn Kordan


To Whom It May Concern:

Please know we have started processing a check for this request fee. A check will be sent out within the next couple of days to NARA Special Access, Form 72 Order, 8601 Adelphi Road, NA TrustFund Accts Receivable Form, College Park, MD 20740.

Thank you.

From:

This is an automated reply to inform you that the National Archives and Records Administration received your email.

We have received your request and you will receive a response within 20 working days. Please note that submitting duplicate requests will increase wait times.

If you have any questions, you can call our office at 301-837-3190. You can also visit our web page at www.archives.gov/research/foia.

Thank you.