Special Collections Division University of Washington Libraries Box 352900 Seattle, Washington, 98195-2900 USA (206) 543-1929 This document forms part of the Preliminary Guide to the Eugene V. Dennett Papers. To find out more about the history, context, arrangement, availability and restrictions on this collection, click on the following link: http://digital.lib.washington.edu/findingaids/permalink/DennettEugeneV3917/ Special Collections home page: http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcoll/ Search Collection Guides: http://digital.lib.washington.edu/findingaids/search EUGENE V. DENNET PAPERS Accession No. 3917-2 INVENTORY 1992 MANUSCRIPTS & UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES DIVISION UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON LIBRARIES EUGENE V. DENNETT Accession No. 3917-002 GUIDE BIOGRAPHICAL Eugene Dennett was born in 1908 in Revere, Massachusetts to a working-class family. His parents named him for the Socialist leader, Eugene V. Debs. Dennett attended Oregon Normal School and taught school until 1931. In the 1930s he joined the Communist Party under the name Victor Haines and in 1931 became Agitation and Propaganda Director for the Communist Party, Northwestern District Buro in Seattle. As a result of conflict with the District Organizer, Dennett was sent to Bellingham in 1932 as Party section organizer. He eventually drifted away from active participation in the Communist Party because of his political disagreements with the district leadership. In 1934 he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and edited CCC camp newspapers at Yale, Washington and Metaline Falls, Washington. He was discharged from this job in 1935 because of his radical pro-labor leanings. Dennett moved to Seattle, found a job on a ferry boat, joined the Ferryboatmen's Union (later renamed the Inlandboatmen's Union), and took part in strikes in 1935 and 1936. He was a ship delegate and chaired a "Committee of Nine" which was assigned the task of interpreting and applying the decision of the Governor's review and arbitration commission following settlement of the strike in 193 6. When the IBU joined the Maritime Federation of the Pacific Coast, Dennett was elected one of the IBU's delegates to the Federation's Puget Sound District Council and to the Federation's third convention in 1937. He also served as IBU delegate to the Seattle Central Labor Council from 1936 to 1937. After rejoining the Communist Party in 1936, Dennett was active in the Washington Commonwealth Federation and served as WCF Vice President from 1938 to 1940. In 1937 he managed Hugh DeLacy's successful campaign for Seattle City Council. In 1938 he was elected the first Executive Secretary of the new Washington State Industrial Union Council (CIO), serving two years before he and other left-wing executive board members were removed at John L. Lewis' orders. Dennett next went to work at Bethlehem Steel, Seattle, and joined the Steel Workers Organizing Committee. Meanwhile, Dennett and his wife, Harriette, led a large Communist Party unit in a working class Seattle neighborhood during the early years of World War II. In 1943 Dennett was drafted into the Army. After the war, he returned to Bethlehem Steel. His disagreements with the Communist Party led to his expulsion in 1947 on charges of being an FBI agent. He continued his activity in Steelworkers Local 1208, holding the office of Recording Secretary and serving on the local's Grievance Committee. After conflicts with the union hierarchy and Bethlehem management he was expelled from the union in 1954. In 1955 he was subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Following his initial resistance, Dennett testified before the Committee about his past associations with the Party. He continued working at the mill until 1966 when a confrontation with management and health problems induced him to retire. Dennett worked several years as a longshoremen's cargo checker on the Seattle docks until his retirement in 1972. In 1979 he visited China as a member of a U. S. Booksellers Delegation to the PRC. He died in 1989. For further biographical information, see Eugene Dennett's autobiography. Agitprop, The Life Of An American Working-Class Radical, 1990. PROVENANCE The Eugene Dennett papers were presented to the Libraries in June 1989 by the Dennett estate. They were deeded to the Libraries in September 1989 by Dennett's literary executor, Jeremy Egolf. The papers measure 9 cubic feet. ARRANGEMENT The Dennett papers were processed in preliminary fashion soon after they were received. Processing of the papers was completed in 1991. They were subgrouped according to Dennett's activities, with a large group of material unrelated to any of the subgroups designated as Personal Papers subgroup. A speech and a letter which had been received from Dennett in 1988 and accessioned as #3917, were integrated into this accession during processing in 1991. Near the end of processing a substantial number of documents that did not fit well together or in any of the subject files in the Personal Papers subgroup were separated into three groups designated "Miscellany. " The following is a brief description of the types of material in each group. Political Issues and Campaigns—includes much Democratic Party information, pamphlets, memorabilia, brochures, newsletters, some personal notes. Health—much of this is correspondence with the Veterans Administration, American Red Cross, and several doctors and hospitals regarding Dennett's various ailments. Also included are brochures, questionnaires, test results, clippings. Labor—these are individual items collected by Dennett through his associations in the labor movement, but not extensive enough to warrant a subgroup or subject file. They include constitutions, ephemera, contracts, agreements, acts, newsletters, resolutions. The record series, "Miscellany," was used, to a lesser degree, in other subgroups as well, for unsorted material of any kind. All of Dennett's papers relating to his service in the CCC are in the subgroup, U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps. Company 1745. All of his papers relating to his activities on behalf of the Communist Party are in the subgroup. Communist Party, U.S.A. District 12. Transcripts and material relating to Dennett's later testimony about the Party are in the Personal Papers subgroup. One file, on Dutch Schultz, will be closed until January 1, 2000. Another file, "Melville M. London and the Early 1930s Washington State Unemployment Movement...," will be closed until the manuscript is published. EUGENE V. DENNETT PAPERS Accession No. 3917-002 TABLE OF CONTENTS Subgroups Pages Communist Party, U.S.A. District 12 1-2 U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps. Company 1745 (later 2920) 2-3 Washington Commonwealth Federation 3-4 Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific. Puget Sound Division (Ferryboatmen's Union of the Pacific. Puget Sound Division) 4-6 Central Labor Council. Seattle 6 Industrial Union Council. Seattle 6 Industrial Union Council. Washington (CIO) 6-8 Steelworkers of America, United. Local 1208 8-9 Dennett, Harriette 9-10 Personal Papers 10-15 EUGENE V. DENNETT PAPERS Accession No. 3917-002 INVENTORY Box/Folders Dates Subgroups COMMUNIST PARTY, U.S.A. DISTRICT 12 1/1 Constitutions—Communist Party, U.S.A. 1945, 1947 1/2 Incoming Letters 1933-1948 1/3 Outgoing Letters 1932-1934,Undated 1/4 Inter-organizational Correspondence 1932-1947,Undated 1/5 General Correspondence 1932-1933,Undated 1/6 Memoranda 1939 Writings 1/7 "The O^nmunist Party" (chapter 7 of Why Communism, with study questions) by Moissaiye J. Olgin Undated "Democratic Centralism" Undated 1/8 "Elements of Political Education" Undated "Fundamental Problems of Marxism" Undated "On Tactics of Communists in a United Front" Undated 1/9 "Socialism: Scientific and Utopian" by F. Engels 1893 "Striking Against "Forced Labor'" Undated 1/10 Miscellaneous 1934, Undated 1/11 Reports Report on Anacortes Trial at Mt. Vernon 1932 Plan of Action for Northwest District Undated Political Reports to the Units 1932-1933 Report on May Day (Bellingham) 1932 Resolutions 1/12 District 12 Draft Resolutions 1932-1934,Undated 1/13 Resolution of Tasks of the Communist Party, U.S.A. Undated Resolution on Inner Party Situation and Expulsion of Members Undated 1/14 Statements 1932-1947,Undated 1/15 Campaign Materials 1928-1932,Undated 1/16 Bulletins Undated 1/17 Pamphlets 1933-1947, Undated E.V. Dennett 3917-002 Page 2 Box/Folders Dates Subgroups cont. COMMUNIST PARTY, U.S.A. DISTRICT 12 cont. 1/18 Newsletters 1931 Newspapers 1/19 People's Daily World 1986 Voice of Action 1933 1/20 Miscellaneous 1931-1933, Undated 1/21 Clippings 1976-1988 1/22 Notes On "Victory and After" Undated Miscellaneous Undated Subject Series 1/23-24 Agitprop 1930-1931,Undated 1/25 Communist Party of Japan Undated 1/26 Dennett's Expulsion from Communist Party, U.S.A. 1947-1948,Undated 1/27 Pioneer Summer School (Seattle) Undated 1/28-30 Workers' School Undated Affiliated Organizations 2/1 Friends of the Soviet Union Undated 2/2 International Labor Defense Undated 2/3 Trade Union Unity League Undated 2/4 Unemployed Council (incl. National Committee Unemployed Councils) 1932-1933,Undated Uhaffiliated Organizations 2/5-6 Peoples Councils (Bellingham) 1932,Undated 2/7 Unemployed Citizens League. Central Federation (and others) 1933-34 Ephemera 2/8 Communist Party 2/9 Miscellaneous related 2/10 Miscellany U.S. CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS. COMPANY 1745 (later 2920) 2/11 Incoming Letters 1934-35 2/12 Outgoing Letters 1935 2/13 General Correspondence 1934,Undated Reports 2/14 Report of personnel survey 1935