The Ruth K. Graves papers document Graves' objection to military taxation during the 1970s. The collection primarily contains reports and meeting minutes of the National Council for the World Peace Tax Fund, as well as newspaper clippings and journal articles about Ruth and her husband Bruce, Graves' involvement with the organization. Also included is personal correspondence, most notably between the Graves and Michigan Senators Carl Levin and Donald Riegle, discussing a World Peace Tax Fund. Organizational records of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Ann Arbor Friends, and other local organizations can be found within the collection.
A substantial portion of the collection includes video and audio programs from the public access series, Peace InSight, amongst other television programs covering social issues.
Ruth K. Graves is a Quaker and high school chemistry teacher from Ypsilanti, Michigan. During the 1960s, Graves and her husband Bruce became involved with the National Council for the World Peace Tax Fund and began withholding taxes that contributed to the military.
In 1975 the IRS served the Graves a notice of deficiency over their 1973 tax return. The Graves appealed the dispute, eventually bringing the case to the Supreme Court of Michigan. While the court ultimately dismissed the Graves' case, it drew local and statewide attention to the World Peace Tax Fund efforts.
In addition to her work with the National Council for World Peace Tax Fund, Ruth Graves has also been active in other local organizations such as the Ann Arbor Friends, the Gray Panthers of Huron Valley, and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.
