Series VII: New York City Files

Scope and Contents Note

This series constitutes the largest part of this collection, and contains correspondence, financial papers, minutes, resolutions, statements, position papers, reports, and memoranda. The bulk of the New York City material is correspondence (X:81). Most of the correspondence pertains to the 1930s and early 1940s, although there are items from the early 1950s. The correspondence relates primarily to such routine organizational matters as establishing new branches and locals; scheduling meetings, rallies, and special conferences; recording dues and other membership information; handling literature requests; and sponsoring bazaars and theater parties. There are items in the correspondence, however, which convey information about the first SDF convention in 1937, financial problems affecting the SDF, the defection of Socialist Party locals to the SDF, SDF's relationship with New York City unions, the Moscow Trials, socialist refugees from Europe who worked with the SDF, the death of B. Charney Vladeck in 1939, the 1940 campaign to attract young people into the SDF, the formation of the Social Democratic Youth in 1941, the decline in SDF membership during the early 1940s, and the SDF Bazaars in the early 1950s. The principal correspondent in this file is August Claessens, but there are also numerous letters from Julius Gerber, George Field, James Oneal, B. Charney Vladeck, Jacob Panken, Louis Waldman, Lena Morrow Lewis, Sonia Teitelman, Leo Meltzer, Mark Starr, Algernon Lee, Sol Levitas, Alfred Baker Lewis, and Adolph Warshow.

Other major files in this section are the minutes of the New York City Central and Executive Committee (X:83 and X:85, respectively) papers of radio station WEVD (X:88), and various miscellaneous items (X:87). The WEVD correspondence is especially interesting in that it contains information about programming, editorial viewpoints, and the use of air time by the SDF leadership. The miscellaneous file contains city convention reports and resolutions for 1945, 1946, and 1949; minutes of meetings which discuss the American Labor Party and New Leader controversies; Branch Officer and County Executive Committee minutes; and Grievance Committee reports.

Correspondence, Jan 1936-Jun 1939

Box: 10, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence, Jul 1936-Dec 1936

Box: 10, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence, Jan 1937-Mar 1937

Box: 10, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence, Apr 1937-Jun 1937

Box: 10, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence, Jul 1937-Sep 1937

Box: 10, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence, Oct 1939-Dec 1937

Box: 10, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence, Jan 1938-Mar 1938

Box: 10, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence, Apr 1938-Jun 1938

Box: 10, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence, Jul 1938-Dec 1938

Box: 11, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence, Jan 1939-May 1939

Box: 11, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, FrameX:81

Correspondence, Jun 1939-Dec 1939

Box: 11, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, FrameX:81

Correspondence, Jan 1940-Jun 1940

Box: 11, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, FrameX:81

Correspondence, Jul 1940-Dec 1940

Box: 11, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, FrameX:81

Correspondence, Jan 1941-May 1941

Box: 11, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, FrameX:81

Correspondence, Jun 1941-Dec 1941

Box: 11, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, FrameX:81

Correspondence, 1942, inclusive

Box: 11, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, FrameX:81

Correspondence, 1945, inclusive

Box: 11, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, FrameX:81

Correspondence, 1946, inclusive

Box: 11, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, FrameX:81

Correspondence, 1952, inclusive

Box: 11, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, FrameX:81

Correspondence: Bazaar, Jan 1953-Mar 1953

Box: 12, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, FrameX:81

Correspondence: Bazaar, 1953, inclusive

Box: 12, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, FrameX:81

Correspondence: Theatre Party, 1954, inclusive

Box: 12, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence, 1954, inclusive

Box: 12, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence: Bazaar, 1954, inclusive

Box: 12, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence: Theatre Party, 1955, inclusive

Box: 12, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Correspondence, 1956, inclusive

Box: 12, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:81

Finances: Membership, 1936, inclusive

Box: 12, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:82

Finances: Membership, 1937-1938, inclusive

Box: 12, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:82

Finances: Bills, 1939, inclusive

Box: 12, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:82

Finances: Bills, 1940, inclusive

Box: 12, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General note

Film R-7124, Reel 18, Frame X:82