THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS SECRETARY-TREASURER'S OFFICE COLLECTION Papers, 1928-1967 (Predominantly, 1936-1953) 1 5 4 linear feet Accession Number 348 L.C. Number The files of the Secretary-Treasurer's Office of the American Federation of Teachers were placed in the Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs in May of 1969 by the AFT and were opened for research in 1970 as the Miscellaneous Old Files Series of the AFT Collection. The material was reprocessed and a new guide was written in May of 1986. The American Federation of Teachers created the office of Secretary-Treasurer at its 1918 convention. The only full-time paid officer of the AFT, the Secretary-Treasurer handled routine business matters and made minor policy decisions between meetings of the Executive Council. His executive duties included implementing policies adopted by the convention and the Executive Council, supervising national office personnel, servicing existing locals and assisting in the organization of new ones, and generally representing the union's position in labor and educational conferences and publications. Florence Curtis Hanson, President of the Chicago Federation of Women High School Teachers, served as Secretary-Treasurer from 1926 until illness and a controversy over union finances brought about her resignation in 1935. Her successor, George Davis, President of the Cleveland local, served only temporarily, maintaining his residence in Cleveland and resigning immediately after his reelection in 1936. The Executive Council then appointed Irvin R. Kuenzli Secretary-Treasurer. A Latin teacher in Springfield, Ohio, he served as President of Springfield Local 296 and of the Ohio Federation of Teachers before being elected a national Vice-President. His tenure as Secretary-Treasurer coincided with a period of dramatic growth in the AFT. In addition to his regular union duties and to his work on various AFT committees, Mr. Kuenzli was active in national and international educational and labor organizations such as the American Council on Education and the International Federation of Free Teachers' Unions, of which he was elected President in 1951. When Carl Megel became President of the AFT in 1952, he transferred many of the tasks previously performed by the Secretary-Treasurer to his office. A conflict developed between the two officers, resulting in Mr. Kuenzli's dismissal in December of 1953. The new President then reorganized the office of Secretary-Treasurer, assigning routine administrative tasks to a staff of secretaries and administrative aides. AFT Secretary-Treasurer's Office Collection - 2 - The Secretary-Treasurer's files provide information about the functioning of the national office, early organizing efforts, and issues of concern to the AFT. Important subjects covered in the collection are: Academic Freedom Organizing Locals Federal Aid to Education Segregated Locals International Teachers' Unions Worker Education Among the important correspondents are: Barker, Mary C. Fewkes, John Borchardt, Selma Hanson, Florence Curtis Childs, John Kuenzli, Irvin R. Davidson, Ben Oldenbroek, J. H. Davis, George Reeves, Floyd Eisenhower, Milton Selden, David Eklund, John Snow, F. C. Elder, Arthur Van de Moortel, M. An index to subjects and correspondents will be found on p. 13. AFT Secretary Treasurer's Office Collection - 3 - Contents 1 10 2 manuscript boxes Series I, Florence Curtis Hanson Files, 1928-1935, Box 1: Correspondence with Mary C. Barker and George Davis, and a few items relating to Chicago teachers' unions. Series II, George Davis Files, 1934-1937, Box 1: A small amount of correspondence and other material relating to Mr. Davis' work as Secretary-Treasurer. A few letters fall outside the dates of his tenure. Series III, Irvin R. Kuenzli Files, 1936-1953, Boxes 2-8: Subseries A: Academic Freedom, 1936-1953, Box 2, Correspondence, reports, and other material relating primarily to the work of the AFT's National Academic Freedom Committee. Subseries B: Miscellaneous, 1936-1951, Box 2, Correspondence and reports. Subseries C: National Office, 1936-1953, Box 2, Correspondence and materials primarily relating to personnel matters. Subseries D: Non-AFT Organizations, 1938-1953, Box 3, Correspondence, minutes, and publications concerning Mr. Kuenzli's activities in labor and educational organizations. Subseries E: Organizing, 1949-1953, Boxes 4-5, Correspondence and reports relating to the work of the AFT's national field representatives. Subseries F: Policy, 1942-1954, Boxes 5-7, Correspondence, minutes, reports, and other records documenting the work of the AFT's Commission on Educational Reconstruction and AFT testimony on federal aid legislation. Subseries G: Referenda, Surveys, and Constitutional Amendment Material, 1937-1953, Boxes 7-8, Correspondence, questionnaires, and ballots recording membership positions on various union procedures and policies. Series IV, Carl Megel, Clinton M. Fair, Paul D. Ward, and Robert M. Porter Files, 1954-1967, Boxes 8-11: Subseries A: Locals, 1954-1960, Box 8, Primarily procedural manuals for use by locals. Subseries B: Miscellaneous, 1957-64, Boxes 8-9, Primarily Executive Council agendas. Subseries C: National Office, 1955-1961, Box 9, Reports relating to building construction and personnel matters. Subseries D: Policy, 1954-1962, Box 9, Reports covering various policy concerns of the AFT, including merit pay and strikes. Subseries E: Referenda, Surveys, and Constitutional Amendment Material, 1955-1967, Boxes 9-11, Reports, questionnaires, and ballots recording membership positions on various union procedures and policies. A number of files contain proposed constitutional amendments submitted by locals. AFT Secretary Treasurer's Office Collection - 4 - Series V, Mary R. Wheeler Files, 1963, Box 11: 1963 convention materials collected by Mary R. Wheeler. Non-manuscript Material: One photograph of F. C. Snow, AFT Western states organizer, has been placed in the Archives Audio-Visual Collection. A few issues of The Chicago Union Teacher for the years 1931-1942 are available in the Archives Library. AFT Secretary-Treasurer's Office Collection - 5 - Series I Florence Curtis Hanson Files, 1928-1935 Box 1 Correspondence with Mary C. Barker, President of the AFT, concerning union finances, organizing, especially in the Southeast, the AFT's relationship with the AFL, and its rivalry with the NEA. The files also contain some correspondence with George Davis concerning the 1935 convention and materials relating to the Teachers Unions of Chicago and the Chicago Federation of School Executives. Files are arranged alphabetically by subject or type of material and then chronologically. Box 1 1. Chicago Fed. of School Executives' charter application, 1930 2-20. Correspondence; Barker, Mary C, 1928-34 21-23. Correspondence; Davis, George, 1934-Jul 1935 24. Teacher Unions of Chicago, 1929-30 25. Yellow Dog Contracts Resolution, 1931 Series II George Davis Files, 1934-1937 Box 1 Correspondence with the national office secretary regarding routine business matters and with the AFT National Academic Freedom Committee. Some convention material is included. Files are arranged alphabetically by subject or type of material and then chronologically. Box 1 26. Constitutional amendment vote, Sep 1935 27. Convention report, 1936 28. Correspondence, Sep 1934-Aug 1937 29-30. Correspondence; National Academic Freedom Comm., Jan-Oct 1936 AFT Secretary-Treasurer's Office Collection - 6 - Series III Irvin R. Kuenzli Files, 1936-1953 Boxes 2-8 Files relating to Mr. Kuenzli's duties as Secretary-Treasurer. This series is divided into the following seven subseries: Subseries A: Academic Freedom, 1936-53, Box 2 Correspondence with Ben Davidson, chairman of the National Academic Freedom Committee, and with others concerning various AFT defense cases. Also included are materials relating to the AFT position on teachers' political activity, including Communist affiliations. Files are arranged alphabetically and then chronologically. Subseries B: Miscellaneous, 1936-51, Box 2 Correspondence and reports relating to national office business and AFT membership. Arranged alphabetically. Subseries C: National Office, 1936-53, Box 2 Correspondence, applications, and reports relating to personnel matters, including pension plans, public relations, and the Research Department. Arranged alphabetically and chronologically. Subseries D: Non-AFT Organizations, 1938-53, Box 3 Correspondence, minutes, reports, and published material relating to Mr. Kuenzli's membership in national and international labor and educational organizations as a representative of the AFT. Topics covered include organizing non-Communist international teachers' unions, worker education, labor education in the public schools, and federal aid. Files are arranged alphabetically and chronologically. Subseries E: Organizing, 1949-53, Boxes 4-5 Correspondence and reports from David Selden and F. C. Snow, AFT Field Representatives for the Northeastern and Western states, respectively, including guides written by Mr. Selden to improve organizing techniques and administration on the local level. Files are arranged alphabetically by correspondent and then chronologically. Subseries F: Policy, 1942-54, Boxes 5-7 Correspondence, minutes, reports, press releases, and other materials relating to the subjects of federal aid to education and universal military training and to the preparation of book-length studies of the history of the AFT and its recommendations for American educational