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Brookwood Labor College Records , , , ! THE BROOKWOOD LABOR COLLEGE COLLECTION Papers, 1921-1937 49 linear feet Accession number 567 The papers of the Brookwood Labor College were placed in the Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs in September, 1972, by Mark and Helen Starr. The Brookwood Labor College was a co-educational resident workers' institution situated at Katonah, New York, some forty-one miles from New York City. Founded in 1921, it was the outgrowth of a labor conference held on March 3l-April 1 of that year. Its policy called for a pro­ gressive, non-factional education for workers as it sought to play an increasing role in the task of building a militant, intelligent, powerful labor movement. Its curriculum focused on the study, analysis, and dis­ , cussion of the philosophy and policies of labor organizations in the United States and the world, including the American Federation of Labor. I Within a few years after it was established, Brookwood was officially ! I, endorsed or financially supported by thirteen national and international , unions including the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, the American Federa­ , I, tion of Teachers, and the United Textile Workers. In 1928 a rift , developed between the AFL and Brookwood which led to the withdrawal of support by the AFL-affiliated unions. In 1930 Brookwood set up an extension department in respona,e to an increasing demand for lectures and courses outside of Brookwood. Earlier, Brook- wood had started a program of summer institutes dealing with various labor problems. In 1933 Brookwood weathered a faculty conflict concerning its policy of non-factional labor education and continued on until 1937 when it closed its doors due to a lack of funds. Among the many students at Brookwood were Merlin Bishop, Len De Caux, E.J. (Jack) Lever, John Martindale, and Roy Reuther. The faculty included , I -2- Brookwood such leaders as Katherine Pollak Ellickson, J.C. Kennedy, A.J. Muste, David J. Saposs, Cara Cook, Tucker P. Smith, Mark and Helen' Starr, and Tom Tippett. Fannia M. Cohn, John Brophy, Abraham Lefkowitz, and James H. Maurer were some of the members of the board of directors. Important subjects covered in the collection are: American Federation of Labor Brookwood executive board Chautauqua program Conference for Progressive Labor Action (CPLA) Continental Congress of Workers and Farmers Curricula Extension school Faculty as listed Ideological factionalism Muste, 'Abraham Johannes Labor songs and plays Student activit~es Student files Student newspapers Union contributors Worker education Among the correspondents are: (an index'eto the location of these letters will be found on the last page of the guide.) ,, Oscar Ameringer John C. Kennedy Roger N. Baldwin Charles Kutz Mary C. Barker W. Jett Lauck Toscan Bennett Abraham Lefkowitz i. Merlin Bishop E.J. (Jack) Lever ,• Selma Borchardt Homer Martin John Brophy John Martindale Jay G. Brown James H. Maurer Fannia M. Cohn A.J. Muste Josephine Colby Harry Nilsson Car a Cook Jacob Potofsky • • Eugene V. Debs Roy Reuther ·' Len De Caux Victor Reuther , John Dewey • Lawrence Rogin • David Dubinsky Florence Rood r John Edelman David J. Saposs I Katherine P. Ellickson Rose Schneiderman • , John Fitzpatrick • Joel Seidman • Elizabeth G. Flynn Tucker Smith .. Paul Fuller Helen Norton Starr ,• • ,; j i, ,• -3- Brookwood Gustav Geiges Mark Starr Clinton S. Golden Tom Tippett William Green Mary Van Kleeck Carl Haessler H.G. Wells Florence C. Hansen Mathew Woll Sidney Hillman Phil E. Ziegler Charles Evans Hughes A.J. Kennedy • I · · •r- · I , • •• I I i I ,• ,i -4- Brookwood Contents 98 manuscript boxes 3 scrapbooks • School Files Series I, Boxes 1-14 Correspondence, memos, printed material, and general school records concerning the Brookwood organiz.Upn, 1921-1937. Subject Files I Series II, Boxes 15-58 , Correspondence and memos concerning various organizations and individuals, 1921-1937. Also included are some pamphlets, clippings, and miscellaneous material. Extension School Files Series III, Boxes 58-60 Brookwood Extension School correspondence and memos relating to students in several eastern states, 1928-1936. Included are reports, publicity material, and other records. Student Files Series IV, ' Boxes 60-96 Files on Brookwood students and student related material consisting of correspondence, memos, questionnaires, and some graduation and student election material. They date from 1921 to 1937. Chautauqua Series V, Boxes 96-98 Correspondence and other material related to the Chautauqua pro­ gram put on by the Brookwood labor players, 1933 to 1937. • Non~Manuscript Material A group of photographs and three scrapbooks relating to Brookwood have been placed in the Archives Audio-Visual Collections. Included are photo­ gr~phs of students, faculty, other labor leaders, and the buildings at the Brookwood Labor College. -5- Brookwood Series I Boxes 1-14 Correspondence, memos, printed materia1, .and school records, including minutes . and financial records covering the period 1921 to 1937. These school files include material on the board of directors, the curricula, the faculty, and other organization material. These files are arranged alphabetically by topic. Box 1-Schoo1 Files: A-C 1-12. Board of Directors, 1925-1938: annual meeting correspondence, miscellaneous, and projected pro­ grams and budget. 13. Brookwood COMuunity Cooperative; Gonstitution 14. Brookwood, Inc.; by-laws 15-16. Class Schedules; miscellaneous, 1926-1937 17-20. Conference for Progressive Labor Action; controversy; 1932-1933 21-25. Contributions, 1927-1937: lists and correspondence, form appeals, response to appeals, and tax exemp­ tions. 26. Copyrights; miscellaneous 27. Corporation correspondence, 1925-1926 Box 2-School Files: Curricula 1-18. Brookwood Curriculum, 1920-1934: American Labor History, British Labor History, Constitutions of miscellaneous unions, Detechni­ co1ized Grammar, Economics lectures by Arthur Calhoun, E~onomics lectures by J.C. Kennedy, and Economic Geography. • Box 3-Schoo1 Files: Curricula 1-20. Brookwood Curriculum, 1920's-1930's: Economic Geography, First Aid and Grammar rules. Box 4-School Files: Curricula 1-20. Brookwood Curriculum, 1924-1931: History of Western Civilization, How to organize, Industrial and economic problems, International Labor History, Jour­ • nalism, Labor Journalism, Labor Legislation, and "Labor Movement Today'! and other pamphlets. ,• • ,• I -6- Brookwood Box 5-Schoo1 Files: Curricula 1. B~ookwood Curriculum: Marxian economics and basic industries in U.S.S.R. and U.S., Modern Industry, Public speaking, School economic atlas, Statistics, Strike relief, Suggested reading list, Trade union organization, and Unemployment. Box 6-Schoo1 Files: D~E 1. Daily procedures and regulations, 1927-1928, ' 1932-1933. 2. Economy measures, 1927 3. Evaluation of courses by credit, 1926-1935 4-12. Executive Board Annual Report, 1926-1936 13-23. Executive Board Correspondence, 1923-1926 • Box 7-Schoo1 Files: E-F 1-3. Executive Board Minutes, 1922-1932 4. Executive Board Committee: miscellaneous correspondence, 1932-1937 5-17. Faculty, 1922-1935: appointments, material re­ garding AFL controversy of 1928-1929, memoranda, and minutes. Bo~ 8-Schoo1 Files: F 1-4. Faculty, 1924-1936: recommendations and mis­ cellaneous, skits, and summer school. 5-18. Financial material, 1924-1937: correspondence, • • • miscellaneous, notes payable,statements, and , • stddent payroll. • Box 9-Schoo1 Files: F 1-14. Financial Reports; annual, 1922-1935 15. Foreign students, 1924 16-17. Form letters Box 10-Schoo1 Files: H-L 1. Health 2. Income Tax Reports 3-4. Incorporation: legal papers, 1923-1925 5-10. Inquiries, 1930-1932 , 11-19. Institutes and conferences, 1924-1935: Grant Power Institute, Labor Institute, miscellaneous, National Women's Trade Union League, Railroad , Labor Institute, Textile Institute, Womens' , -I Auxiliary Institute, and Workers' Theatre Insti­ I tute. 20. International Labor Organization: miscellaneous, 1930. Box ll-Schoo1 Files: L 1-17. Labor Cooperating Committee, 1923-1927: bookeeping system ~nd correspondence. • -7- Brookwood • 18. Labor articles: AFC, 1935 19. "Labor Knowledge", 1936 20. Labor Seminar, 1927-1928 21-23. Lists: educational tools, Brookwood publications, and miscellaneous 24-25. Loans, 1925 Box 12-Schoo1 Files: M-R 1-.2. Muste, A.J.: informal conference and correspon­ dence regarding back pay 3. Nominations for Labor Cooperating Committee, 1925 4. Organization of Brookwood: a memo, 1924 5-6. Pamphlets pub1iched by Brookwood: reviews and miscellaneous, 1932 7-8. Printed material: AFL Controversy, 1928-1929 9-10. Prospective students, 1933-1936 11-20. Publicity and releases: 1926, 1933-1936 and undated 21. Recruiting forms. 22. Report on Brookwood, 1924 23. Ruskin-College material, 1928-1929 Box 13-Schoo1 Files: S 1-5. Songbooks: compiled by Brookwood 6-9. Speakers, 1928-1930 10. Special affairs: anniversary reviews, etc. 11. Special Committee: constitution and by-laws, 1933 12. Staff written articles 13. Statement of purpose, 1933 14-16. Student correspondence: miscellaneous, 1925- 1936 17. Student memorandums: 1934-35 18. Student: Negro prospective, 1927-1928 19. Students: prospective, 1935-1936 20-21. Summer Guests: information, 1931-1934 Box '14-Schoo1 Files: S-Z 1-2. Sunmler School, 1935-1936 3-4. Symposium sponsored by Broo'kwood, 1935-1936 . 5. Tenth Anniversary Dinner 6-7. "The Brookwood Reporter", 1929-1930 8. "The Brookwood Review," misc. issues, 1930-1936 9. Ticket Lists 10; Questionnaires for Workers Education Survey 11-12. Questionnaire
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