Harold Smith Papers
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Abstract
Harold Smith served as a volunteer with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. He was born in New York City on January 4, in either 1910 or 1912 (a later record differs, but a copy of his passport record lists him as aged 27 in 1937). He attended City College, joined the Communist Party in 1934, and worked as a trade-union organizer. He listed his occupation as "clerk" in 1937. He sailed to Europe in February 1937 and, after a stop-over in Paris, arrived in Spain in mid-March. Smith was wounded twice in combat. He recovered sufficiently to fight in the Ebro action around Villalba, and returned to the U.S. on the SS Ausonia in December 1938. After the war, Smith taught at the League for Seriously Disturbed Children. He died in 1970. The collection consists of twenty-four handwritten letters written in Spain. Most are from Smith to his girlfriend, identified only as "Jeanette." One is from Smith to his sister(?) Clara, and one from a friend and fellow volunteer, Harry "Jack" Boxer, to "Jeanette."
Historical/Biographical Note
Harold Smith served as a volunteer with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. He was born in New York City on January 4, in either 1910 or 1912 (a later record differs, but a copy of his passport record lists him as aged 27 in 1937). He attended City College, joined the Communist Party in 1934, and worked as a trade-union organizer. He listed his occupation as "clerk" in 1937. He sailed to Europe in February 1937 and, after a stop-over in Paris, arrived in Spain in mid-March. His letters home reflect an eager interest in the political deveopment of his friends and fellow Branch members, and in his union. Smith was wounded twice in combat. After suffering an arm wound he spent time in the Hospital Militar-Moya in Barcelona, where one of his nurses was U.S. volunteer Toby Jensky. He recovered sufficiently to fight in the Ebro action around Villalba, and returned to the U.S. on the SS Ausonia in December 1938. After the war, Smith became a member of the Board of Governors of the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (VALB) and taught for a while at the League for Seriously Disturbed Children. He died in 1970.
Arrangement
The collection is organized in one series: I. Correspondence, 1937-1938.
Files are arranged alphabetically by correspondent and then chronoloigcally, with several undated fragments at the end.
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of twenty-four handwritten letters written in Spain. Most are from Smith to his girlfriend, identified only as "Jeanette." One is from Smith to his sister(?) Clara, and one from a friend and fellow volunteer, Harry "Jack" Boxer, to "Jeanette." Three items are undated fragments. Several of Harold Smith's original letters are accompanied by typed transcripts.
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People
Access Restrictions
Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives for more information and to schedule an appointment, tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Use Restrictions
The Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives has no information about copyright ownership for this collection and is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials from it. Copyrights held by original creators of individual items in the collection are expected to pass into the public domain 70 years after the creator's death. For more information, please contact the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Collection name; Collection number; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library, New York University.
Provenance
The Harold Smith Papers came to the Tamiment Library as part of the original acquisition of ALBA collections, formerly housed at Brandeis University, in 2001.
