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Herman and Conway Associates Records

Call Number

TAM.094

Dates

1923-1966, inclusive
; 1948-1966, bulk

Creator

Herman and Conway Associates

Extent

3 Linear Feet
(3 boxes)

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

Herman and Conway Associates was a labor relations consulting firm founded in the 1940's as a successor to Robert Maisel Associates. In its work on behalf of employees and employer associations, the firm dealt with the major labor and management relations issues that pervaded the post-World War II era. The collection includes some of the the firm's correspondence, memorandums and clippings.

Historical/Biographical Note

Herman and Conway Associates, a firm of labor relations consultants, was the successor to Robert Maisel Associates. Although the exact year of succession could not be ascertained, the change was made sometime during the late 1940's. In its work on behalf of employees and employer associations, the firm dealt with important issues in labor- and management relations during the post-World War II era. Material on issues such as Communist involvement in labor organizations, government versus private ownership, health-care providers, public utilities and related topics are to be found within this collection. Richard Conway, while figuring in some of the correspondence and memos, does not appear to have played a central role. As far as one can judge from the records extant, Harry C. Herman had primary responsibility for the administration of the firm. He served in the infantry during World War II and reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was decorated with the Purple Heart twice and received the Silver Star and the Croix des Services Militaires of France. Mr. Herman was also instrumental in founding the Naval War College in Washington. He died on February 23, 1984 in Boca Raton, Florida.

Arrangement

The files are grouped into one series.

Folders are arranged alphabetically.

Scope and Content Note

The collection is organized in one series of subject files, arranged alphabetically by title. The files contain correspondences, memoranda, Senate and House bills, reports, newsclippings, and examples of union literature. Clearly this small collection does not represent a full record of the firm's work; there are gaps in documentation, and some items appear to be missing. The collection reflects management responses to the growth in influence and membership of America's organized labor force from the 1940s to the mid-1960s. Many case-files are concerned with alleged Communist influence and infiltration in unions and labor-management conflicts.

Files on the National Farmers Union (NFU) contain documents and articles concerning possible links between this organization and the Communist Party. The report entitled "A Total Basis for Executive Judgment and Evaluation of Trade union Forces in the Food Industry" details the left-wing activity in unions associated with the food industry. One such group was the united Packinghouse Workers Union; its president, Ralph Holstein, is profiled. It was not possible to determine if this was written by a member of the Herman and Conway Associates team, but it seems that the firm was involved in management's attempt to bolster their relations with the more moderate unions of the industry. Also relevant to the issue of communism and unions are files on the United Electrical Workers (UE). These focus on the wrangling between the UE and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. At issue was the representation of the Radio Corporation of America workers in Lancaster, PA. Files of clippings, notes and reports on the recording industry's strike following the Second World War highlight activities of the American Federation of Musicians and its colorful president James Petrillo.

Schenley Distillers is the only subject in this collection for which extensive correspondence has survived. An exchange of letters between Mr. Herman and Mr. Phil Shays, Schenley's Director of Personnel and Labor, is included. Also included is correspondence between Mr. Herman and Louis Rosenstil, Chairman of Schenley Industries. The working relationship between the firm and Schenley Distillers lasted about five years (1945-50). During that time Herman and Conway Associates carried out their investigation into the problems which existed between the distillery and unions at various Schenley plants. Reports are based upon recorded observations and personal interviews. Charles Scofield, a member of the Herman and Conway investigatory team, figures prominently in reports and correspondence. Extensive correspondence included exchanges between Herman and Phil Shays, Schenley?s Director of Personnel, and Louis Rosenstil, Chairman of Schenley Industries.

Files on Bonneville, Hells Canyon, Missouri Valley, Niagara, St. Lawrence, and the Tennessee Valley Authority deal with the issue of government versus private ownership of electrical power. Herman and Conway Associates appeared to have been actively engaged with the subject, but it was not entirely clear who engaged them or for what specific purpose.

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

The Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Archives 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 1923-1966, are expected to enter the public domain in 2087.

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:

Identification of item, date; Collection name; Collection number; box number; folder number;
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.

Location of Materials

Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu at least two business days prior to your research visit to coordinate access.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The provenance of this collection is unknown. The accession number associated with this collection is 1967.002.

Related Material at the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

A complete run of Interpreting Labor News, a newsletter produced by Herman and Conway is available at the Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Collection processed by

Camille M. Purcell (1991) and Porsche Martin (2002).

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 16:50:13 -0400.
Language: Description is in English.

Edition of this Guide

Herman and Conway Guide.doc

Repository

Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

Container List

American Federation of Musicians, 1937-1954, inclusive

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

American Federation of Musicians, undated , 1943-1948 , 1954-1958, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

American Federation of Musicians: Clippings, undated , 1948, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

American Federation of Musicians: Clippings, undated , 1944-1954, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

American Trade Fair Issue, undated , 1962, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Association of Actors and Artistes, undated , 1950, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Bethel and Mt. Aetna Telephone, 1946-1961, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Bethel and Mt. Aetna Telephone: Clippings, undated , 1954-1960, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Bonneville Power Administration, 1951, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Conesta Telephone and Telegraph Co., 1957-1958, inclusive

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

Durlacher and Co., undated , 1945-1965, inclusive

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

General Bronze, undated , 1950-1951, inclusive

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

General Foods, 1966, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Hells Canyon, Idaho Project, 1952-1955, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 14 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Hells Canyon, Idaho Project, undated , 1956-1957, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 15 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

International Brotherhood of Teamsters: Agreements, undated , 1947-1949 , 1953-1954, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 16 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Kings County Lighting Co., 1940 , 1951, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 17 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Labor-Management Relations, undated , 1948-1957, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 18 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Mt. Sinai Hospital, 1958-Mar 1959, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 19 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Mt. Sinai Hospital, Apr 1959-1960 , Feb 1963

Box: 1, Folder: 20 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Mt. Sinai Hospital: Clippings, undated , 1953 , 1958-1959, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 21 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Missouri Valley Authority, undated , 1952, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 22 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Farmers Union, undated , 1942-1966, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 23 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Farmers Union: Clippings, 1945-1966, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 24 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Maritime Union, 1946 , 1906-1961, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Maritime Union, undated, inclusive

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

Niagara Power Project, 1946-1948 , 1960-1962, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Maritime Union: Clippings, 1948-1955, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Niagara Power Project, 1956-1958, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Niagara Power Project, undated , 1951 , 1956, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Niagara Power Project: Clippings, 1950-1957, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Nuclear Power and Labor, undated , 1957, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Ohio Utility Seizure Bill, undated , 1956-1957, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Pension Plans, undated , 1941-1943 , 1954-1958, inclusive

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

Permuit CO., undated , 1954 , 1959-1960, inclusive

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

St. Lawrence Seaway, 1951-1957, inclusive

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

St. Lawrence Seaway: Clippings, 1951-1955, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Schenley Distillers, 1943-1950, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 14 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Schenley Distillers, undated , 1954, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 15 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Schenley Distillers, undated , 1949, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 16 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Schick Inc., 1954, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 17 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Southern Industrial Economics, undated , 1952 , 1955, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 18 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Tennessee Valley Authority, 1951-Apr 1957, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Tennessee Valley Authority, May 1957-Nov 1957

Box: 3, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Times Square Stores, undated , 1949-1961, inclusive

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

United Electrical Workers Union, undated , 1943-1958, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

United Electrical Workers Union: Clippings, 1945-1950, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

United Electrical Workers Union: Clippings, 1949-1950 , 1958, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

United Seamen's Service, 1960-1963, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Utilities, 1923 , 1950-1954, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Utilities, 1955-1961, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Utilities, undated , 1947-1956, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012