Algernon Lee Papers
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Abstract
Algernon Lee (1873-1954), served as the editor of several socialist publications, including The Worker, The Daily Call, and The New Leaderin New York City. He was also the Director of Education at the Rand School of Social Science. From 1909-1954, Lee was one of several Socialist members of the New York City Board of Aldermen temporarily prevented from taking office following his 1919 re-election. Lee also served one term as the national chairman of the Socialist Party following Morris Hillquit's death in 1933. The collection contains correspondence with many leading U.S. and European socialists, published and unpublished writings, radio scripts, ephemera, memorabilia, reading notes, miscellaneous materials and the Civil War letters of Pvt. James Lee.
Biographical Note
For more than 50 years Algernon Lee was a leading figure in the major educational and political activities pertaining to American socialism. After attending the University of Minnesota in the early 1890s, Lee worked as a political organizer for the Socialist Labor Party and served as the editor of several socialist publications, including The Tocsin in Minneapolis and The Worker, The Daily Call, and The New Leader in New York City. In 1909, Lee became the Director of Education at the Rand School of Social Science. He held this position until his death in 1954. In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Lee was also an instructor in economics and American history at the Rand School.
Lee was a member of the New York City Board of Aldermen from 1918 to 1921. As a Socialist Party representative, Lee supported various measures regarding municipal ownership of the transit system and decreases in municipal taxes. During World War 1, Lee, a pacifist, opposed the Board's decision to assist in the sale of war savings stamps, but he later joined the Board in working on behalf of Library Bond sales.
In November 1919, Lee was re-elected to the Board of Aldermen, but was prevented from taking office because he was declared the loser in his race. The Board's committee on privileges investigated the situation and reported that although there had been no election fraud, there were certain "errors" in the vote count which made it appear as if Lee had been defeated in his re-election bid. Upon receiving the committee's report, Lee embarked on a fight to retain his seat on the Board. In November 1921, just two months before his term of office expired, Lee was finally allowed to take office. Lee also sued the City of New York for the $5,500 salary which he claimed was owed to him during this period. Eventually he won this suit with a favorable New York Supreme Court ruling,
Concerning other socialist experiences, Lee was a delegate to numerous Socialist Party national conventions and socialist international conferences. As a Socialist Party candidate, Lee ran unsuccessfully for president of the New York City Board of Aldermen, New York state senator, Mayor of New York City, and other offices. Lee also served one term as the national chairman of the Socialist Party following Morris Hillquit's death in 1933.
During the mid-1930s, Lee was actively involved in the factional disputes which resulted in the Socialist Party split. In 1934, he presided over a Socialist Party rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City which ended in a pitched battle between the Militants and the Old Guard. Unable to hold the various factions together during this turbulent period, Lee withdrew from the Socialist Party in 1936 and joined the Old Guard in establishing the Social Democratic Federation. Lee served as the national chairman and honorary national chairman of the Social Democratic Federation after it was organized. Lee also served on the New York State Executive Committee of the American Labor Party in the late 1930s, but later quit after discovering that the organization was dominated by Communist Party members.
Arrangement
Organized into fourteen series:
I. Correspondence II. Account book III. Lectures IV. Radio Scripts V. Diary VI. Writings VII. Undated Writings VIII. Ephemeral Printed Matter IX. Reading Notes X. Autobiographical Matter XI. Birthday Testimonials XII. Miscellaneous Items XIII. Obituaries and Last Will XIV. Civil War letters of James Lee
Folders are arranged chronologically within each series.
Scope and Contents
The bulk of the collection is comprised of Lee's correspondence, lectures, radio scripts, and writings, described in some detail below, followed by a summary description of the remainder of the collection.
Series I. Correspondence, includes letters from virtually every prominent American socialist as well as many European socialists. Most of the correspondence focuses on the issues involving the Socialist Party, the Rand School, the Social Democratic Federation, the New Leader, the Workmen's Circle, and the American Labor Party. Among the most significant of the approximately 2000 letters in this collection are those from W. J. Ghent. In this correspondence, which spans nearly 40 years, Ghent discusses the Socialist Party's position on World War I, the 1936 Socialist Party split, and other developments and personalities in American socialism. Equally significant for reflections on the socialist movement, particularly on the Socialist Party's formative years and on Norman Thomas, is the correspondence of James Oneal. There are a number of letters from Charles Edward Russell which convey his thoughts on socialist activities and there are several letters from Upton Sinclair which discuss his attitude regarding World War I and his use of George Herron as the model for the hero of World's End. Another interesting feature of the correspondence are four letters which Lee wrote to his wife, Mathilda, describing the events of the 1936 Socialist Party convention in Cleveland. The Lee correspondence also contains important letters from such figures as Morris Hillquit, Victor Berger, Norman Thomas, Meyer London, Eugene and Theodore Debs, Louis Waldman, William E. Bohn, Lena Morrow Lewis, Adolph and Julius Gerber, Abraham Cahan, William Mailly, Harry W. Laidler, and James H. Maurer. Besides the correspondence relating to American socialism, there are numerous letters concerning socialist developments in Europe. Of significant importance within the international correspondence are the letters of Karl Kautsky and his family. These letters describe the deteriorating conditions in post-World War I Europe, the rise of Adolf Hitler, the Kautsky's flight to Holland, Karl Kautsky's death, and the family's eventual move to the United States. In addition to the Kautsky correspondence are letters from Jean Longuet and Raphael Abramovitch. There is also considerable correspondence with several organizations which supported Polish democracy during and after World War II.
Series III. Lectures, pertain to a variety of subjects which Lee presented in his classes at the Rand School. Among the subjects discussed in these lectures are economic history, history of the belief in gods, and the regulation of employer employee relations. There is also a lecture by Alexander Trachtenberg entitled, "Socialism and Trade Unionism" (1916-1917), and a lecture by Harry Elmer Barnes entitled, "The Economic Determination of History: Its Uses, Status and Limitations" (1928), contained in this file.
Series IV. Radio Scripts, which were presented on Lee's weekly program on WEVD, feature commentary and debate on many national and international issues for the period, 1939-1948. Some of the issues discussed in these scripts include labor and socialism, rationing, the release of Earl Browder, the registration of trade unions with the federal government, schizophrenia, the murder of Carlo Tresca, the Harlem race riots, Italian politics following Allied liberation, and the dissolution of the Communist International.
Lee's personal writings in this collection include a diary, speech manuscripts, articles, drafts of pamphlets, position papers, preliminary outlines, memoranda, resolutions, and notes. One of the most interesting items in the Lee Papers is his personal diary (Series V). The diary, which also includes a typewritten transcript, describes reminiscences of Lee's educational activities and his philosophical development from high school onward. Lee's first attraction to socialism at a Nationalist Club in Minnesota is described in the diary, as is his political organizing work for the Socialist Labor Party in Minnesota.
Other writings in this collection are organized into dated (Series VI) and undated (Series VII) items. The dated writings have been given frame numbers for each item and have been cited in the complete reel list. Some of the items in this file include articles on William Morris' view of art, the revolutionary movement in Russian history, the socialist and labor attitude toward war and militarism, Marx's theory of value, military strategy and foreign policy in World War II, and the Socialist International. The undated writings include items on the Rand School classes, the Young People's Socialist League, individualism, educational systems, socialism and farmers, leadership, and the 1934 Declaration of Principles of the Socialist Party.
There is also a small number of pamphlets, articles, statements, memoranda, and newspaper clippings in the ephemeral printed matter (Series VIII). These items include an open letter with which Lee accepted the Socialist Party nomination for Mayor of New York City in 1905, statements and memoranda to the American Socialist Society Board of Directors, position papers on the relationship between the Social Democratic Federation and the New Leader, newspaper clippings on the Social Democratic Federation and other contemporary issues, and a memorial tribute to Lee in 1954. The collection also includes an Account Book (Series II), Autobiographical Materials (Series X), Birthday Testimonials (Series XI), Miscellaneous items (Series XII), and Obituaries and a Last Will (Series XIII).
The only items that were not filmed in this collection were the contents of Series XIV which contains five folders: three folders of Civil War letters written by James Lee (28th Pennsylvania Volunteers, and 147 Pennsylvania Volunteers) to Jane Emerson (1861-1864); one folder containing a narrative of military incidents; and one folder containing some miscellaneous family papers.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Tamiment Library has no information about copyright ownership for this collection and is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials from it. Materials in this collection, which were created in 1861 to 1954, are expected to enter the public domain in 2025.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Algernon Lee Papers; TAM 014; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was transferred to NYU from the Tamiment Institute Library of the Rand School of Social Science in 1963. Earlier provenance information is unknown. The accession number associated with this collection is 1962.013.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Due to the fragile nature of the original materials, researchers must use the microfilmed version; microfilm call number is Film R-7124, Reels 58-62. Series XIV is not available on microfilm.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Decisions regarding arrangement, description, and physical interventions for this collection prior to 2019 are unknown. In 2019, materials were rehoused in new acid-free folders and boxes in preparation for offsite storage.