Edward J. Falkowski Papers
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Abstract
Edward J. Falkowski (1901-1984) was a journalist, trade unionist, and radical who was politically close to the communist movement in the 1920s-1940s. He was a prolific writer, contributing articles to left-wing journals throughout his life. He spent the years 1930-1937 living in the Soviet Union and writing for the English-language paper Moscow News. In addition to being a journalist, in the 1950s Falkowski was also a shop steward to the United Automobile, Aircraft and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), Local 365. The collection documents Falkowski's years in the Soviet Union, his involvement with Local 365, the evolution of his work as a writer and journalist, and his family relationships. The collection mainly consists of Falkowski's published and unpublished writings, correspondence, journals, scrapbooks, and labor union records.
Historical/Biographical Note
Edward J. Falkowski (1901-1984) was a journalist, trade unionist, and radical who was politically close to the communist movement in the 1920s-1940s. He was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania in 1901. As a teenager, Falkowski began working in the coal mines, and he became active in the United Mine Workers (UMW). In 1926, Falkowski began attending Brookwood Labor College in Katonah, New York on a UMW scholarship. During this time, Falkowski's articles and poetry first appeared in Labor Age and New Masses. (Falkowski used two pseudonyms in his published writings: "Edward Fulsky" in the 1920s and "Polonicus" in the 1970s.)
In 1928, Falkowski traveled to Germany as a work exchange student. Encouraged by friends and attracted politically to the Russian Revolution, he decided to visit and write about the Soviet Union, arriving in May 1930. He remained in the Soviet Union for seven years, during which time he worked as a journalist for the Moscow News (an English-language paper), married, and began raising a family. In 1937, he left the Soviet Union and returned to the United States, where he settled in Toledo, Ohio. He taught for a time at Commonwealth College in Mena, Arkansas, then was drafted into the army. After his service, he remarried and continued his writing activities.
In the mid 1940s, at the urging of labor organizer Leo Krzycki, Falkowski helped organize and worked for the communist-associated American Slav Congress, an umbrella organization of Slavic Americans. He later directed a Polish press agency.
As a factory worker in the plastics department at Eagle Electric Manufacturing Company in the 1950s, Falkowski served as shop steward to the United Automobile, Aircraft and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), Local 365 in Queens, New York. He moved into a management position at Eagle Electric in 1959.
In the 1960s, Falkowski was active in New York City housing issues, worked as a field interviewer for the National Opinion Research Center, and contributed articles to the Christian Herald, Good Business, Supervision, Modern Management, Christian Science Sentinal, New Republic, and New Freeman.
Falkowski died in New York City in 1984.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into seven series. Folders are arranged alphabetically or chronologically within each series.
Series I: Journals
Series II: Correspondence
Series III: Writings
Series IV: Scrapbooks and Photographs
Series V: UAW, Local 365
Series VI: Moscow Years
Series VII: Unprocessed Materials
Scope and Contents
The collection spans over eight decades and documents Falkowski's years in the Soviet Union; his involvement with UAW, Local 365 and his employment at Eagle Electric; the evolution of his work as a writer and journalist; and his family relationships. The collection consists of Falkowski's published and unpublished writings, correspondence, journals, and scrapbooks. It also contains photographs, notes, biographical materials, and labor union records.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright (and related rights to publicity and privacy) to materials in this collection created by Edward J. Falkowski are held by the Falkowski family. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Edward Falkowski Papers; TAM 120; Box number; Folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Helen Falkowski, widow of Edward J. Falkowski, sent a gift of Edward Falkowski's papers in 1984. The accession numbers associated with this gift are 1984.019, 1984.020 and NPA.2005.056.
Separated Materials
A run of the Polish Press Agency from 1944 to 1946, featuring articles written by Falkowski, was separated for library cataloging.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Photographs and other graphic materials were separated from this collection during initial processing and were established as a separate collection, the Edward J. Falkowski Photographs (PHOTOS 205). In 2013, the photograph collection was reincorporated into the Edward J. Falkowski Papers (TAM 120). Scrapbooks were rehoused in custom-made boxes by Preservation department.
