Editing Objectivist movement (section)

===The Collective===
[[File:Ayn Rand (1957 Phyllis Cerf portrait).jpg|thumb|right|upright|alt=Photo of Rand|Ayn Rand in 1957]]
"The Collective" was Rand's private, humorous name<ref>{{harvnb|Branden|1986|p=254}} for the group. In public she referred to them as "the class of '43", after the year ''The Fountainhead'' was published. ''cf''. {{harvnb|Baker|1987|p=18}} and {{harvnb|Gladstein|1999|p=15}}.</ref> for a group of close confidants, students, and proponents of Rand and Objectivism during the 1950s and 1960s. The founding members of the group were [[Nathaniel Branden]], [[Barbara Branden]], [[Leonard Peikoff]], [[Alan Greenspan]], [[Joan Kennedy Taylor]], Allan Blumenthal, Harry Kalberman, Elayne Kalberman, Joan Mitchell, and Mary Ann Sures (formerly Rukavina).<ref>{{harvnb|Britting|2004|p=88}}; {{harvnb|Branden|1986|p=254}}.</ref> This group became the nucleus of a growing movement of Rand admirers whose name was chosen by Rand as a joke based on Objectivism's staunch commitment to [[individualism]] and strong objection to all forms of [[Collectivism and individualism|Collectivism]].

The Collective originally started out as an informal gathering of friends (many of them related to one another) who met with Rand on weekends at her apartment on East 36th Street in [[New York City]] to discuss philosophy.<ref>{{harvnb|Paxton|1998|p=156}}; {{harvnb|Greenspan|2007|p= 40}}</ref> Barbara Branden said the group met "because of a common interest in ideas".<ref>{{harvnb|Branden|1986|p= 254}}.</ref> Greenspan recalled being drawn to Rand because of a shared belief in "the importance of mathematics and intellectual rigor".<ref>{{harvnb|Greenspan|2007|p=51}}</ref> The group met at Rand's apartment at least once a week, and would often discuss and debate into the early morning hours.<ref>{{harvnb|Greenspan|2007|p=40}}; {{harvnb|Paxton|1998|p= 156}}.</ref> About these discussions, Greenspan said, "Talking to Ayn Rand was like starting a game of chess thinking I was good, and suddenly finding myself in checkmate."<ref>{{harvnb|Greenspan|2007|pp=40–41}}.</ref> Eventually, Rand also allowed them to begin reading the manuscript of ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'' (1957) as she completed it.<ref>{{harvnb|Branden|1986|pp=254–255}}; {{harvnb|Paxton|1998|p=156}}.</ref> The Collective began to play a larger, more formal role, promoting Rand's philosophy through the [[Nathaniel Branden Institute]] (NBI). Some Collective members gave lectures at the NBI in cities across the United States and wrote articles for its newsletters, ''[[The Objectivist Newsletter]]'' (1962–1965) and ''[[The Objectivist]]'' (1966–1971).<ref>{{harvnb|Britting|2004|p=95}}; {{harvnb|Baker|1987|p=18}}; {{harvnb|Branden|1999|p=255}}; {{harvnb|Branden|1986|pp=307, 312–313}}.</ref>