Communism

AFL-CIO Metropolitan Detroit Records

drice — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:27:18 -0500

The American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Metropolitan Detroit is the central organization for all Michigan AFL-CIO unions that have locals in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties. Their records pertain to activities specifically in Wayne County, prior to the merger of the three county councils in 1986, including those of its former presidents Frank Martel (1948-1956), Al Barbour (1958-1967) and its former vice-president Alex Fuller (1959-1967). The records reflect the important role played in offering financial assistance to organizing drives, ending factional and jurisdictional disputes, and supporting political candidates

AFT Inventory Part II Records

dgolodner — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:06:07 -0400

Contains Series VIII-XIII. read more »

Series VIII State publications, 1950s-1963
Series IX, miscellaneous materials 1935-1964
Series X communications to locals, 1934-1963
Series XI memos and mimeographed materials, 1921-1964
Series XII Locals, 1914-1960s 4W-B-5 (1-3) 4W-B-4(5-9)
Series XIII AFT conventions, 1916-1967

Charles Ashleigh Papers

abarker — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:53:21 -0400

Transcripts of interviews with Charles Ashleigh conducted by the Sussex Society for the Study of Labor History in 1973 and 1975. Mr. Ashleigh describes his personal experiences with the Industrial Workers of the World and other radical groups in the years prior to and during World War I and the early 1920's.

J. Edward Bailey III Papers

abarker — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:17:38 -0400

The work of Detroit African-American photojournalist, J. Edward Bailey III, appeared in over thirty major publications and was exhibited widely in projects such as "The City Within," about Detroit's 1967 riot, and representation in a portfolio of 200 prominent African Americans commissioned for the nation's Bicentennial. The collection consists primarily of clippings and memorabilia chronicling his career.

Wilbur and Mary Alice Baldinger Papers

abarker — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:54:25 -0400

Mary Alice Baldinger served as executive director of the National Civil Liberties Clearing House from 1949 to 1971. Wilbur Baldinger worked as a reporter, as editor of The Guild Reporter from 1941 to 1944, and as director of publications for the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 1961 to1971.

The papers of Wilbur & Mary Alice Baldinger document their careers and reflect their efforts to promote civil liberties and human rights.

Don Binkowski Papers

drice — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:34:13 -0400

Don Binkowski spent his career serving the people of Michigan as a Warren councilman, delegate of the Michigan Constitutional Convention, and judge in the 37th District Court. Privately, Binkowski, a passionate historian, copiously researched and wrote extensively on Polish and Polish-American history and interests, and on North Detroit. This collection is mainly comprised of Binkowski’s research collected in the pursuit of publication, specifically his three books: Col. P.W. Norris – Yellowstone’s Greatest, Poles Together: Leo Krzycki and Polish Americans in the American Labor Movement, and Leo Krzycki and the Detroit Left. Papers that document Binkowski’s career in public service are also included.

Irwin L. Deshetler Papers

drice — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 09:49:43 -0400

Material collected by Mr. DeShetler as secretary-treasurer of the AFL Flat Glass Workers Union (1935-37), president of the CIO Federation of Glass, Ceramic and Sand Workers (1939-42), CIO regional director of southern California (1946-52), CIO assistant regional director of Region 13 (1952-55), AFL-CIO assistant regional director of Region 22 (1955-68) and National AFL-CIO coordinator for Farm Workers (1968-71). Various activities of the Glass Workers Union, such as Executive Board meetings (1935-39), factional disputes and organizing, political campaigns in California (1953-68), jurisdictional raiding, AFL-CIO merger, the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee, and welfare programs in Los Angeles (1947-56) are covered.

Sam Dolgoff Papers

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:49:13 -0500

Sam Dolgoff was involved in radical movements since the age of 15. Using the pen name Sam Weiner, Dolgoff wrote widely in radical and anarchist periodicals, including a couple of important critiques of American labor. The papers of Sam Dolgoff which consist of pamphlets on anarchism, socialism and communism reflect his interest in and involvement with radical unionism and politics.

John Dwyer Papers

abarker — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:14:01 -0400

John Dwyer was active in the labor movement as an organizer for numerous labor unions, including the International Ladies Garment Workers, Amalgamated Clothing Workers, and the Retail Clerks union. Mr. Dwyer worked as the New York State Organizer for the Socialist Party and served as State Secretary of the Massachusetts State Council of Industrial Organizations (CIO).

As a Trotskyist, Mr. Dwyer was expelled from the Socialist Party, after which he joined the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), where he adopted the theory of State-Capitalism and later wrote for the Marxist-Humanist journal, News & Letters under the name of Peter Mallory.
Mr. Dwyer’s papers reflect his work with the CIO, the Socialist Party and the SWP, relating the events of the Spanish Civil War and the Trotskyist movements, and the affairs of the Socialist Party in the 1930’s and the SWP in the 1940’s and 1950’s.

Included in the collection are the papers of Martin Abern. Mr. Abern’s papers relate the American Communist and Trotskyist Movements from the periods of the Russian Revolution through the outbreak of World War II.

Arthur Elder Papers

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:23:45 -0500

Correspondence, reports, and a scrapbook relating to the AFL and education (1941–49); correspondence, reports, resolutions, studies, hearings, and clippings pertaining to the American Federation of Teachers (1934–50), the Michigan Federation of Teachers (1937–49), and the Detroit Federation of Teachers (1921–51); correspondence relating to the organizing efforts of the MFT (1939–53), and to the dismissal of teachers in the Flint area (1937–49); correspondence, clippings, and documents pertain- ing to the Workers Education Service (1936–48); and miscellaneous off ice files. The materials were collected by Mr. Elder, who served as vice-president of the AFT, president and secretary of the Michigan and Detroit federations, and director of the University of Michigan Workers Education Service. Subjects include AFT and the communist issue, history of the AFT, federal aid to education, New York City teachers' dispute, tenure for teachers, and the termination of the U of M Workers Education Service. Among the correspondents are Frank Martel, Frank Murphy, Mark Starr, Norman Thomas, and Arthur Vandenberg.

Al Fishman Papers

abarker — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:16:12 -0400

Alvin Fishman was born in Los Angeles, Nov. 28, 1927, but he was raised in New York and graduated from Stuyvesant High School. He was drafted and served in Italy during World War II. After the war, he moved to Ann Arbor, MI to attend the University of Michigan and study architecture. During this time he became involved in politics. Fishman left the university prior to graduation to move to Detroit and work as a tool and die machinist in an auto plant for the next thirteen years. He married Margaret Radulavich in 1951; they had two children, Marcia and Daniel. As an adult, he returned to college to complete his education in mathematics at Wayne State University. He also pursued a Master of Public Adminstration from Wayne State in the 1970s. He made a living programming computer systems for the Detroit Police Department.

Al Fishman and his wife, Margaret, were activists for peace and justice. Al was a long time leader of Peace Action of Michigan, serving as co-chair and representative on the national board of directors. He joined in the 1980s when the group was called the SANE/Freeze, working on the Nuclear Freeze Campaign. He was also involved with the New Jewish Agenda, Detroit Area Peace with Justice Network, Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, and Democratic Socialists of America.

Part 1 of Mr. Fishman’s papers reflect his activities as state chairperson for the New Democratic Coalition of Michigan (NDCM) and his involvement in various Detroit-area political organizations and the anti-Vietnam War movement.

Part 2 of the collection documents the Fishman’s activism in the city of Detroit and their participation in various peace, justice and human rights groups, such as New Jewish Agenda, Peace Action of Michigan and Detroit Area Peace with Justice Network groups. Materials from Margaret Fishman’s involvement in the group Women’s Conference of Concerns are included. The collection also contains some materials from Al Fishman’s work with the Detroit Police Department, the City Charter Revision Commission, and his unsuccessful bids for city office.

Nat Ganley Pamphlets

drice — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:32:06 -0400

Nat Ganley was a lifelong Communist and labor activist. His pamphlet collections reflects his personal and professional interests.

Nat Ganley Papers

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:43:29 -0500

Mr. Ganley was active in the early days of the UAW and served in several capacities with Local 155, the tool and die local for the east side of Detroit. He was also active in the Communist Party of Michigan, serving for a time as editor of the Michigan Worker. In 1954 he was convicted of violation of the Smith Act, but his conviction was later overruled by higher courts. Transcripts, clippings, briefs, notes, and other items cover these phases of Mr. Ganley's life. Other topics include the no strike pledge, postwar reconversion, political action, civil rights, automation, and the guaranteed annual wage. The collection also has about 60 books and over 600 pamphlets on socialism and communism.

Ernest Goodman Papers

drice — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:49:05 -0400

A founding member of the Detroit Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Ernest Goodman served as NLG President, and formed the nation’s first (known) interracial law firm: Goodman, Crockett, Eden and Robb. He was deeply involved with the labor movement and some of its most bitter union organizing struggles and remained committed throughout his career to serving the common man, with clients ranging from Communists, Black Panthers, prison inmates, and African-Americans during the civil rights movement.

Part I of Mr. Goodman’s papers reflect his involvement in civil rights, constitutional law and labor issues, focusing on the Michigan Smith Act trial, the Sherrill School desegregation case, and the Black Panther trial for the murder of a Detroit Police officer.

Part II reflects his activities as counsel in controversial cases, particularly first amendment and civil rights cases, courts martial, deportation and denaturalization, and the 1971 Attica prison uprising. These papers further focus on the events, places, and people who influenced both his personal life and a career spent in service to social justice for the common man.

Part III (Two storage boxes) focuses on various cases, mainly from the 1980s-1990s, Goodman's writings, his work with Wayne State University Law School, and Estonian family correspondence.

Government Military Investigations - Auto Industry Records

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:10:49 -0500

Government files on suspected Communists

Helen Bowers Papers

dgolodner — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:56:31 -0400

Helen Marie Newman Bowers was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin on May 16, 1908. After graduating from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, she began teaching art in Detroit, Michigan in 1933 and quickly got involved with the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT), Local 231. She left the teaching profession in 1958 to become the executive secretary of the DFT. Together with DFT President Mary Ellen Riordan, Detroit teachers won collective bargaining in 1964. Helen Bowers won duty-free lunch hours for elementary teachers, and conceived of “demonstration picketing” before schools opened in the morning to raise awareness to the community about why teachers were demanding collective bargaining. Ms. Bowers served on the Executive Board and became editor of the DFT newspaper, The Detroit Teacher.

The papers of Helen Bowers reflect her work with the DFT and education reform initiatives. This involves pre-collective bargaining rights in dealing with academic freedom, civil liberties as well as a living wage for teachers. Communism files contain a thorough documentation of the Maki Case trial from clippings from the three Detroit newspapers. The collection also contains very useful information about how the union gained power after collective bargaining was won. Their influence in education issues is seen in issues about accountability, decentralization and student rights.

Raymond Koch and Charlotte Moskowitz Papers

abarker — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:00:33 -0400

Raymond Koch attended Commonwealth College as a student and served as an employee of Commonwealth in various positions of management and as an instructor. Charlotte Moskowitz Koch earned a degree from Commonwealth College and later served as the college’s executive secretary and treasurer. Following their tenure at Commonwealth Mr. and Ms. Koch continued to work as advocates of cooperative and labor education. Their papers document the history of Commonwealth College and relate Mr. and Ms. Koch’s work in the labor movement.

Henry Kraus Papers

drice — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:36:01 -0400

Mr. Kraus was the first editor of the UAW's newspaper The United Auto Worker (later changed to Solidarity). He was active in the early attempts by the UAW (first under the AFL and later under the CIO) to organize the auto industry. Files for the late 1920s and early 1930s cover the attempts by groups, including the Auto Workers Union of the Trade Union Unity League, to organize auto workers, and discuss such events as the Murray Body Strike (1929); the Ford Hunger March (1932); and the Briggs Strike (1933). There are many items pertaining to the AFL's work in the auto industry, such as material on the threatened auto strike of March 1934, the Toledo Auto-Lite and Chevrolet strikes of 1934 and 1935, and conferences and conventions of the UAW-AFL. The collection also has many files of the AFL's Detroit office for the early 1930s. Particularly well covered are the activities of the UAW-CIO from 1936 to 1940, including the South Bend Convention, the sit-downs, early attempts to organize Ford, and the Homer Martin controversy (resulting in the split of 1939). The Flint Sit-Down Strike and factionalism in the UAW are particularly well documented. Correspondents include nearly every major AFL, CIO, and UAW leader of the period. Among them are John Brophy, F. J. Dillon, Adolph Germer, William Green, John L. Lewis, Homer Martin, Rose Pesotta, Walter Reuther, and R. J. Thomas. Public figures include Charles Coughlin and Frank Murphy. Nine reels of microfilm complement content in Part I and are described in a separate guide.

Part 3 contains manuscripts, notes and research materials from Kraus’s three major books, as well as materials from his other books and writings including those on medieval art. Also included are transcripts of oral histories from a variety of individuals involved in the labor movement, especially those from the 1937 Flint Sit-Down Strike.

Maynard Krueger Papers

drice — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:26:24 -0500

Maynard Krueger was an economics professor who was an active member of the Socialist Party, serving as its chairman in 1934. His papers consist of correspondence between Socialist Party members and supporters in the UAW, relating to the struggle for ascendancy among the Socialist, Communist, and Martin factions in the union.

James Lindahl Papers

drice — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:22:50 -0400

James Lindahl served as Recording Secretary for the United Auto Workers-Congress of Industrial Organizations (UAW-CIO) Local 190 (Packard Motor Car Plant). Mr. Lindahl’s papers document his work for Local 190 and also include publications reflecting his interest in union membership and organizing, U.S. politics, the American worker, dissident groups, civil rights, and socio-economics, among other related subjects.

Henry Richardson Linville Papers

drice — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:22:43 -0500

Mr. Linville was elected president of the Teachers Union of New York City, and served as president and executive director until 1935. From 1931-34, he served as president of the American Federation of Teachers. The following year he was elected president of the New York Teachers Guild. Mr. Linville was also editor of the American Teacher. Correspondence, radio addresses, speeches, clippings, and printed material pertaining to the AFT, the Teachers Union of New York City, and the period of 1921-41 are covered. The collection also contains drafts of chapters for his book, Communists at Work.

George Lutzai Papers

drice — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:34:29 -0500

An early member of the IWW and of UAW Local 314 in Detroit, Mr. Lutzai has long been interested in various radical movements. This collection contains materials on communism and anti-religious movements, as well as humanist, rationalist, and free-thought pamphlets from the 1950's and 1960's. Other periodicals and newspapers have items on the American Civil Liberties Union, Father Charles Coughlin's Social Justice Movement, and problems of senior citizens.

Frances D. and G. Lyman Paine Papers

drice — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:16:50 -0500

Frances D. and G. Lyman Paine enjoyed a forty-four year political and personal partnership. Their papers reflect their radical political interests and activities and include material related to the newspaper "Correspondence. "

Ronald Aronson Papers

kschmeling — Thu, 26 May 2016 12:11:30 -0400

Professor Ronald Aronson taught at Wayne State University from 1968 to 2013 in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, during which time he was actively involved in the Center for Democratic Values, the writing of a number of books, and the creation of two feature-length documentaries, "Professional Revolutionary: The Life of Saul Wellman (2004)," and "1st Amendment on Trial: The Case of the Detroit Six (2005)."

This collection consists of material from throughout Ronald Aronson’s professional career,
including articles by and about him and his work; materials generated by the Center for Democratic Values; and research materials generated during the production of his two documentaries.

George James Saul Manuscript

drice — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 14:13:03 -0400

George James Saul (1897-1967) was born in Nebraska, but eventually settled in the Detroit Area with his family, becoming an active member in radical politics. After serving during World War I, Saul pursued higher education at the University of Denver, graduating in 1925. After graduation, he was committed to “working for Civil Rights, Unionization, Radical Politics, and in general working toward the betterment of society and for the working man in particular.” Saul was also heavily involved in Civil Rights activism in the South during the 1920’s. Increasing responsibilities in his personal life drew him away from activism, though he remained active until World War II and interested in politics until the end of his life. During his inactive periods, Saul was persuaded to write a book detailing his involvement in radical politics by friends and acquaintances. Due to declining health, he was unable to complete the manuscript. As such, the manuscript focuses on his early life, growing up on the Great Plains. Saul’s son included an introduction penned by his father and information on the Saul family in appendices at the back of the manuscript. Obituaries from various socialist papers and one local paper give details of Saul’s involvement in the communist party, the Gastonia textile strike of 1929, and his participation in the founding of the UAW.

This collection contains one manuscript. It is an unfinished autobiography, copyrighted with a forward by Saul’s son, William Edward Saul in 1969.

Mark Sharwood Papers

drice — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:43:51 -0400

Mark Sharwood was as a full time volunteer for the United Farm Workers from 1976 until 1982. He worked towards passing Proposition 14, for which he traveled through California, Texas, Mid-west states and New York, assisting with various boycotts and campaigns. Beginning in 1978, Sharwood handled the propaganda for the Imperial Valley election. He created graphic fliers in order to communicate ideas that did not translate into words.

Sharwood’s records consist of leaflets, pamphlets and flyers used in organizing campaigns from 1977 through 1979. The material pertains largely to organizing efforts from Lamont-Delano, Coachella Valley, Imperial Valley, Oxnard, Santa Maria, and Salinas-Watsonville UFW field offices. Additional materials regarding the 1978-1978 Lettuce/Vegetable strike and the Texas, Rio Grande Valley are included. The collection also includes Anti-UFW leaflets from the same areas in California.

Nemmy Sparks Papers

drice — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:40:21 -0400

Nemmy Sparks was a Communist Party member and leader. His papers reflect the internal struggles of the Party in the latter half of the 1950s and late 1960s and include several of his unpublished manuscripts on the subject of Communism.

Sam Sweet Papers

drice — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:19:26 -0400

An activist in the early labor movement, Sam Sweet aided in the organization of the Flint General Motors workers and the Briggs workers in Detroit, and served as Education Director for United Auto Workers (UAW) Locals 155, 51, and 742. Granted citizenship in 1946, Mr. Sweet faced repeated government attempts to revoke his citizenship due to alleged Communist affiliation.

Part I of Mr. Sweet’s papers primarily relate to his activities as Education Director of various UAW locals and as co-editor of Local newspapers. Materials from the 1940s in Part II of the Sam Sweet Papers supplement those in Part I, with additional documents from the 1950s to 1980s representing his involvement with union retiree committees and other senior citizens’ issues, such as housing and substance abuse.

UAW Local 600 Records

drice — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:56:09 -0500

Chartered August 9, 1938, UAW Local 600 did not gain much worker support until the Rouge plant-wide strike of April 1, 1941. The first UAW contract with Ford Motor Company was signed June 20, and ratified by the Local July 22, 1941. With 50,000 to 80,000 members in various periods, many from the massive River Rouge Complex, Local 600 has been both the largest and the most controversial local in the UAW. Local 600 is also known for its progressive streak, having hosted civil rights icons such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks while supporting social causes around Metro Detroit. The Local was organized into separate plant units, with as many as nineteen during the period between 1941-1950. Each unit sent delegates to a General Council which determined the policies of the Local, and occasional mass meetings were held. The collection covers various aspects of the union's operations. The majority of the collection consists of personal papers of union leaders, meeting minutes of the General Council and Executive Board, along with photographs of union events and from Local 600's Ford Facts publication.

UAW President's Office: R.J. Thomas Papers

drice — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:17:49 -0500

Minutes of the UAW Executive Board (1940-47). correspondence, clippings, reports, and memorabilia collected by Mr. Thomas during his tenure as president of the UAW (1939-46). and vice-president (1937-39 and 1946-47). He was assistant to Philip Murray from 1947 to 1956, and to George Meany from 1956 to 1964. Subjects of interest in the collection are UAW factionalism, General Motors Strike (1945-46). Allis Chalmers Strike (1947), the UAW war effort, and the organization of the West Coast aircraft industry. Correspondents include George Addes, John Brophy, Richard Frankensteen, Homer Martin, George Meany, Wyndham Mortimer, Frank Murphy, Victor Reuther, Walter Reuther, August Scholle, Maurice Sugar. An oral history interview with Mr. Thomas is available.

UAW Public Relations Department: Clippings

drice — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:12:36 -0500

Subjects include: Chrysler and General Motors; Ford organizing; Local 600; FEW; strikes; Michigan politics; Communism; housing; Walter Reuther; steel industry; Taft-Hartley; Michigan labor; Detroit urban affairs; UMWA; HUAC; unemployment; Harry Truman

UAW Region 2A Records

drice — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:36:10 -0500

Subjects include: Allis-Chalmers strike (1955-57); automobile industry and workers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and W. Virginia; GM Ternstedt Div. strikes (1955, 1958); plant shutdowns; health and safety issues; unemployment; PACs; African-American autoworkers; Communism

Nat Ganley and Saul Wellman Papers

drice — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:48:48 -0400

Nat Ganley and Saul Wellman were both active in the Communist Party, particularly in Michigan, and were both tried under the Smith Act. Their papers, consist of clippings, reports, speeches, lecture notes, and election materials, relating primarily to Communist Party conventions, committee meetings, anti-left legislation, the House Un-American Activities Committee, the Taft-Hartley Act, and the relationships between African Americans and labor and communism and labor.

Claude Williams Papers

abarker — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:48:52 -0400

Claude Williams served as a minister in various congregations and was active in the labor and civil rights movements. Mr. Williams worked closely with the Southern Tenant Farmers Union (SFTU), founded the New Era Training School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the People’s Institute for Applied Religion (PIAR), served as the national vice president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and as director of Commonwealth College.
Mr. Williams’ papers reflect his career as a minister and as a civil rights and labor advocate. Particularly well documented in the collection are the charges of communism and heresy brought against Mr. Williams, the activities of the PIAR, civil rights and segregation in the southern United States, and Mr. William's activities with the STFU.

James H. Williams Papers

abarker — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:41:06 -0400

A founder of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Louisville branch, Students for Social Action, James Williams was active in various radical, student and labor organizations, such as the Southern Student Organizing Committee, the young People’s Socialist League, and Operation Freedom. Mr. Williams held positions on the staff of the IUE News, the West Virginia Federation of Labor, the American Newspaper Guild, and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Workers Education Local 189, the National Education Association (NEA), and Labor Today.
Mr. Williams’ papers reflect his involvement in various student and radical organizations, and to a lesser degree, his participation in the NEA Staff Organization (NEASO). The Committee for Miners, selective service, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and SDS are among important subjects in the collection.

Box 3 is unavailable.

William Gernaey Papers

kschmeling — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 13:13:34 -0400

William Gernaey served as an investigator for Chrysler Corporation and Ford Motor Company. He also worked in the same capacity with the, FBI, the State of Michigan and City of Detroit police departments, as well as Army and Navy intelligence.

His records include correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, undercover field notes, background subject files, an autobiography and personal records.

Discovering Unexpected Newspapers at the Reuther Library

mcourtney — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 14:45:45 -0400

As part of my NextGen program participation, I was asked to help the Reuther Library create some teaching materials that would help students engage with primary sources. Being a PhD Student at Wayne’s History Department, I took on the task with enthusiasm. What I found ended up being far more significant for the field of labor history than I anticipated. read more »

Harnessing Engineering Womanpower in the Cold War

teller — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:56:55 -0400

In 1955, in the midst of the Cold War, the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau hosted a Conference on the Effective Use of Womanpower. The Department of Labor was worried that the United States was producing too few engineers and scientists as compared to the number produced in the U.S.S.R., and found that the recruitment and training of women in science and engineering fields could help to alleviate the disparity. read more »

Hidden Gem: A.G. and Marie Mezerik Papers

aergas — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 14:09:24 -0400

It’s hard to explain to people just how extensive (over 2,500 collections) and varied the archival holdings of the Reuther Library are. When someone asks, we first respond with the “Big Ones, ” such as the UAW, the American Federation of Teachers, the Wayne State University Archives. There are important medium-sized collections too, among them Focus Hope, the United Farm Workers and the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW). Then there are the very small collections that are sometimes overlooked, hidden like small pebbles in a jar filled with big stones. These often contain fascinating materials that complement the Reuther’s more prominent collections.

One of these is the A.G. and Marie Mezerik Papers. read more »

One Giant Leap For Womankind

teller — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:00:00 -0400

When Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon 42 years ago this month on July 20, 1969, he proclaimed that it was “one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” Behind the scenes, the lunar landing reflected a giant leap for womankind, as well.

In 1957, Russia grabbed world headlines by successfully launching its first Sputnik satellite. The achievement shocked citizens, scientists, and politicians of the United States, who worried that the Soviets were gaining the upper hand read more »

Solidarność Exhibit — 2010

kchinery — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:31:41 -0400

Thirty years ago, Poland captured the world’s attention when the workers of the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk went on strike and launched a national rebellion. Solidarność, the free trade union born during the strike, developed into a social movement that established a democratic government in Poland and eventually led to the end of the Cold War in Eastern Europe. The Reuther Library’s latest exhibit, "Solidarność: Poland’s Struggle for Freedom, 1980-1990," provides an historical account of Solidarność from the events leading up to the first strike in 1980 through the 1989 election in Poland. read more »

Trial of the Michigan Six

kchinery — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:30:00 -0400

On October 14, 1949, 11 members of the National Board of the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) were convicted of violating the Smith Act of 1940 by advocating the overthrow of the government of the United States with force and violence. The ten-month trial, which took place in New York City, captured the country’s attention with its sensational events both inside and outside of the courtroom. More importantly, it established a precedent for prosecuting other communists across the country. read more »

(9153) Street Scene, Warsaw, Poland, 1987

eclemens — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:51:33 -0400

A street scene in Warsaw, Poland. Men and women line up outside the bar uniwesainy to order food.

(9154) Children, Warsaw, Poland, 1987

eclemens — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:31:47 -0400

Two women wash the windows of building as a group of school children and their two teachers pass by, Warsaw, Poland. Part of a series.

(9155) Red Square, Moscow, U.S.S.R., 1982

eclemens — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:11:01 -0400

A view of Red Square that shows a long line of people alongside the Kremlin wall, waiting to visit Lenin’s tomb, Moscow, U.S.S.R. (Russia).

Photographer’s Note: read more »

(30531) Communists, Smith Act, 1950s

eclemens — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:10:57 -0400

A holiday card, sent to the President of the United States, asks for amnesty for those arrested and/or incarcerated under the Smith Act.

Courtesy of the Civil Rights Congress of Michigan Collection.

(30350) Communists, "Michigan Six," Pamplets, 1950s

eclemens — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:06:51 -0400

Pamphlet covers pertaining to the Smith Act and the trial of the “Michigan Six," circa 1950s.

Courtesy of the Civil Rights Congress of Michigan Collection.

(30532) Communists, "Michigan Six," Smith Act, Trial, 1953

eclemens — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:17:51 -0400

Group portrait of Communist party leaders in Detroit, Michigan, identified as Saul Wellman, Thomas Dennis, Philip Schatz, Nat Ganley, Helen M. Winter and William Allen. The group, known as the "Michigan Six" were convicted of violating the Smith Act.

(79693) Ethnic Communities, Chinese, Language, 1958

eclemens — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:43:21 -0500

Lee Shing, a groceryman at 1033 Third Avenue in Detroit's Chinatown writes the Chinese words for "good health" and "good luck" as they appear in Chinese ideographs. Beside them he writes "fat toy" and "ho toy" the same sounds and ideas as they appear written in the phonetic English alphabet.

Note: The photo accompanies an article on the efforts of the Communist government of China to standardize language and do away with pictographic writing.

(DN_77643_1) Ford Hunger March, Funeral Procession, 1932

eclemens — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:58:38 -0400

The demonstration / funeral procession for four of the men killed during the Ford Hunger March makes its way across the Fort Street Bridge.