The Americans for Democratic Action Papers 1932-1965 ' A GUIDE TO THE MICROFILM EDITION . ..... 'v1ty ~ -- • :::> Pro uesf Start here. This volume is a finding aid to a ProQuest Research Collection in Microform. To learn more visit: www.proquest.com or call (800) 521-0600 About ProQuest: ProQuest connects people with vetted, reliable information. Key to serious research, the company has forged a 70-year reputation as a gateway to the world's knowledge-from dissertations to governmental and cultural archives to news, in all its forms. Its role is essential to libraries and other organizations whose missions depend on the delivery of complete, trustworthy information. 789 E. Eisenhower Parkw~y • P.O Box 1346 • Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 • USA •Tel: 734.461.4700 • Toll-free 800-521-0600 • www.proquest.com AMERICANS FOR DEMOCRATIC ACTION PAPERS, 1932 - 1965 A GUIDE TO THE MICROFILM EDITION EDITED BY JACK T. ERICSON MICROFILMING CORPORATION OF AMERICA 1620 HAWKINS AVE./P. 0. BOX 10 SANFORD, NORTH CAROLINA 27330 1979 This guide accompanies the 142 reels that comprise the microfilm collection of materials published as Americans for Democratic Action Papers, 1932-1965. Information on the availability of this collection and the guide may be had by writing: Microfilming Corporation of America 1620 Hawkins Ave./P. o. Box 10 Sanford, North Carolina 27330 Copyright {£) 1979, Microfilming Corporation of America ISBN/0-667-00540-4 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE . v NOTE TO THE RESEARCHER vii HISTORY, DESCRIPTION OF ARRANGEMENT, AND REEL LIST SERIES l UDA ADMINISTRATIVE FILE, 1932-1951 l SERIES 2 ADA ADMINISTRATIVE FILE, 1946-1965 13 SERIES 3 ADA CHAPTER FILE, 1943-1965 .. 27 SERIES 4 ADA CONVENTION FILE, 1947-1965 33 SERIES 5 ADA LEGISLATIVE FILE, 1946-1964 39 SERIES 6 ADA POLITICAL FILE, 1944-1964 · 47 SERIES 7 ADA PUBLIC RELATIONS FILE, 1936-1965 51 SERIES 8 ADA CAMPUS DIVISION FILE, 1939-1965 55 SERIES 9 ADA SERIALS, 1947-1973 63 BRIEF REEL LIST 65 NOTE ON THE USE OF THE INDEX OF IMPORTANT CORRESPONDENCE 69 INDEX OF IMPORTANT CORRESPONDENCE 71 APPENDIX l STAFF ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS 119 iii PREFACE The Microfilming Corporation of America wishes to thank F. Gerald Harn, Archivist of the State of Wisconsin, and the staff of the Archives Division of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin for their interest and kind assistance in making this microfilm edition of the Americans for Democratic Action Papers available to scholars. v NOTE TO THE RESEARCHER The Microfilming Corporation of America does not own the copy­ right for the manuscript or printed items included in this microfilm edition. It is the responsibility of an author to secure permis­ sion for publication from the holder of such rights for materials in this microfilm edition. vii HISTORY, DESCRIPTION OF ARRANGEMENT, AND REEL LIST SERIES 1 UNION FOR DEMOCRATIC ACTION ADMINISTRATIVE FILE, 1932-1951 History At a conference of prominent American liberals and labor leaders held at New York City on May 9-10, 1941, the Union for Democratic Action (UDA) was formally organized with James Loeb, Jr., as executive secretary, Reinhold Niebuhr as national chairman, and Frank Kingdom as president. Its purpose was to initiate a two-front fight against fascism, both at home and abroad. At a reorganizational conference held December 21, 1941, 150 leading American liberals developed a program they thought would be most effective in the prosecution of the war. In June, 1941, the UDA Bulletin began publication. In January, 1942, former Wisconsin Congressman Thomas R. Arnlie opened the UDA Washington Bureau and wrote The New Republic Supplement, "A Congress To Win the War". More than 300, 000 copies were distributed. In June the UDA was attacked by the Dies Committee as being a Communist Front organization; this was partly responsible for the closing of the Washington office at the end of the year. During 1942 a Chicago office was o:i;ened, headed by Frank McCulloch and aided financially by many prominent Chicago liberals, including Anita McCormick Blaine. From 1943 to 1945, the UDA was actively involved in supporting the war effort. With the end of the war in 1945 and the return of the troops, the UDA strongly supported a full post-war employment plan, and fought vigorously for the appointment of Henry A. Wallace as secretary of com­ merce in order to carry out full employment plans. In 1945, when the UDA national offices moved to Washington, D.C., there were regional offices in New York City, headed by Joseph P. Lash, and in Chicago. The Wash­ ington Bureau was headed by Paul Sifton. There was also a London Bureau, headed by David C. Williams. In the summer of 1946, in the midst of the "cold war'', UDA leaders became increasingly anti-communist. With liberal political defeat in the November elections, James Loeb, Jr., national director of UDA, joined by Leon Henderson, %.lson W. Wyatt, Hubert H. Humphrey, and others, called for a convention of democratic progressives to meet in Washington, D.C., on January 4, 1947. It was their purpose to form an organization of liberal opinion which would be explicitly and uncompromisingly democratic in purpose. On January 6, 1947, the Organizing Committee of the Ameri­ cans for Democratic Action (ADA) took over the staff and facilities of UDA, with James Loeb, Jr., as national executive secretary. 1 The Collection The Union for Democratic Action Administrative File is arranged alphabetically by subject folder title. The reel list provides the title of each folder, with inclusive dates for correspondence. The correspon­ dence within each folder is arranged chronologically by year and month and is placed first in each folder. Miscellaneous printed and mimeographed material follows the correspondence and may occasionally overlap the inclusive dates given for the correspondence. Much of the UDA administrative file relates to business and social activities of the organization including arrangements for dinner and luncheon meetings, various topical conferences, speaker' s bureau, and tours such as that arranged for Patrick Gordon-Walker in 1946-1947. There is little financial information and only scattered correspondence and minutes of the National Board; there is correspondence of National Director James Loeb, Jr., 1941-1946, and National Chairman Reinhold Niebuhr, 1942- 1947. Other important correspondence is filed as "Correspondence-Miscel­ laneous, 1940-1946". The UDA actively supported many political, social, and economic issues between 1941 and 1946, such as fair employment policies, anti­ discrimination measures, the Bretton Woods Monetary Agreement, the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, civil liberties, and world food problems. Although there is not a great deal of material in this series in any one of these issues, the collection does contain considerable information on UDA's fight for full post-war employment and its support of Henry A. Wallace for the position of secretary of commerce in 1945. Included in this series are subject folders relating to local UDA chapters. These folders, which are arranged alphabetically by state, usually do rot cover the entire period from 1941 to 1946 and frequently contain more mimeographed material than correspondence. The largest single chapter represented is the New York City chapter. The materials for this chapter cover much of the same material found in the entire UDA administrative file including full employment activities, New Republic Supplement, Dumbarton Oaks Conference, and problems of minority groups. Also included are materials for the New York Administrative Committee, materials relating to publicity, fund raising, and membership activities, and folders for various social activities sponsored by this chapter. It must be stressed that there is an overlapping of materials in similar folders in both the New York City chapter files and those of the national organization. Prior to the summer of 1945 both groups occupied the same office in New York City and utilized many of the same staff members. The arbitrarylocation of certain folders in either location does not always indicate the original file location of these folders. Most of the work of organizing chapters was carried on by the national director, James Loeb, Jr., aided by various staff members. Two of the organizers were William Dobbs, who worked in the West in the summer of 1945, and Richard Bollings, who worked in the Midwest in the spring of 1947. There is a folder covering the activities of each man. 2 This series also includes the files of the Washington Bureau and its director, Thomas R. Amlie. Amlie's New Republic Supplement of May 14, 1942, was sanctioned by UDA and served as a campaign document for the supporters of the Roosevelt administration. Attacks upon the UDA by the Dies Committee in the summer of 1942, and a lack of funds, caused the temporary closing of the Washington office in the winter of 1942. Amlie's correspondence with James·Loeb, Jr., Howard Y. Williams, and Bruce Bliven is located in the folders labeled "Amlie" and "New Republic". Paul Sifton, a former employee of the National Farmers' Union, re­ opened the Washington Bureau in November 1944. Under his leadership the Washington Bureau's main function was to make known and to influence national legislation. To aid in this project, UDA published the UDA Congressional Newsletter. See the folders labelled "Sifton" and "Wash­ ington Bureau". In 1946 the UDA Educational Fund, Inc. established a London Bureau, headed by David C. Williams. The London Bureau's basic purpose was to inform Americans of the new economic and social experiments being carried out by the post-war government of Great Britain. It also had the function of interpreting American political, social, and economic developments to the British. This was partially accomplished by publishing the UDA London Letter. In addition, Williams arranged tours for Patrick Gordon-Walker, M. P., and labor leader, Jennie Lee.