David Montgomery Papers
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Abstract
David Montgomery (1927-2011) was Farnam Professor of History Emeritus at Yale University. Montgomery is considered one of the foremost academics specializing in United States labor history, and is credited as a leading founder of "new labor history" in the U.S., placing emphsis on working-class culture, rather than simply their organizations. Contains the research files, clippings correspondence, printed ephemera, typescripts, and FOIA files. Three boxes are devoted to the FBI files of Jay Lovestone, a former Communist Party USA leader who became a militant anti-communist, specializing in combating communism in labor movements in the U.S. and around the world.
Biographical / Historical
David Montgomery (1927-2011) was Farnam Professor of History Emeritus at Yale University. Montgomery is considered one of the foremost academics specializing in United States labor history and has written extensively on the subject. Along with David Brody and Herbert Gutman, he is credited with founding the field of "new labor history" in the U.S. Following the example of British historian E. P. Thompson, Montgomery encouraged a generation of labor historians to examine working-class culture, rather than simply their organizations. He was also President of the Organization of American Historians from 1999 to 2000.
Arrangement
Materials within the 2017 accretion have not been arranged by an archivist. Original order may have been lost during packing. The collection contains numerous photocopies of articles, and groupings of folders arranged in alphabetical order by author's last name or by article topic, in some cases, still remain.
Scope and Contents
The David Montgomery Papers document the professional career and, in some cases, the personal life of historian and professor David Montgomery (1927-2011).The bulk of the collection consists of Montgomery's research files, which mainly focus on the labor history of the United States, although some files describe labor movements that occurred in China, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Latin America. Materials include photocopies of articles, newspaper clippings, correspondence, printed ephemera, handwritten notes, typescripts, and FOIA files. Three boxes are specifically devoted to the FBI files of Jay Lovestone, a former Communist Party USA leader who became a militant anti-communist, specializing in combating communism in labor movements in the U.S. and abroad, was employed by the AFL-CIO for this purpose, and cooperated closely with U.S. government agencies. In addition to Montgomery's research files, the collection also contains a few awards, some materials related to Yale University where Montgomery taught, photographs, course materials (including student theses), medical records, personal financial documents (including tax returns), and child artwork.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open to researchers with the acception of any letters from Dana Frank to David Montgomery and the unprocessed 2017 accretion. Access to the Dana Frank letters is restricted until death. Access to the 2017 Accretion to the David Montgomery Papers is restricted until the materials have benn processed.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by David Montgomery were transferred to New York University in 2017 by Edward B. Montgomery and Claud B. Montgomery. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; David Montgomery Papers; TAM 446; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was initially donated by David Montgomery in 2008 and 2009; additional materials were donated in 2017 by Edward B. Montgomery and Claude D. Montgomery. The accession numbers associated with these donations are 1997.024, 2008.034, 2009.069, and 2017.036.
About this Guide
Processing Information
The 2017 accretion to the David Montgomery Papers was initially shelved upon its arrival at 20 Cooper Square, although later, in late June and early July 2017, all materials were transferred from hanging folders to acid-free folders and archival boxes. Original folder titles were retained during rehousing, and rusty fasteners were removed to prevent further deterioration. Processing information for the materials donated prior to 2017 is unknown.
Repository
Research Files, 1870s, 1969-1970
General
Research Files: History of Knights of Labor in Philadelphia (manuscript, brochure), 1889-1902; History of Typographical Union, Philadelphia (manuscript, transcripts, handwritten lists), 1870s; Oral History Interview Transcripts: Edward J. Sullivan, Anna Weinstock, Samuel Angoff (labor movement, MA), 1969, 1970; Membership Applications for "Sovereigns of Industry", 1870s
Committee to Secure Justice for Hospital Workers - establishing a union at Presbiterian-University Hospital in Pittsburgh (application cards, clippings, correspondence), 1970
Research Files; Academic Files; Labor Activities, 1934-1936, 1996-2001
General
Research Files: National Steel Labor Relations Board related correspondence 1934-1935; Jones and Laughlin Case (clippings,correspondence, reports and transcripts of Proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, exhibits of hearings) 1934-1936
Academic Files: Teaching Related Materials (correspondence, reviews of dissertations, tenureships, and grant applications, student essays, conferences)1996-1999
Labor Activities: Labor History (periodical) correspondence 1996-2001; Labor History Forum (blog printed from the Internet) 1996-2001
Correspondence, Academic Documents; Typescripts by Others (Part 1), 1990s
General
Alphabetic Files of recent correspondence and academic documents (student essays, tenureship recommendations) Manuscripts of Leslie A. Falk, Thomas Y. Fujita Rony
Correspondence, Academic; Typescripts by Students and Others (Part 2), 1990s
General
Academic files: correspondence, letters of supports reviews for tenureships, grants, and publications; manuscripts of papers
manuscripts by others: African-American Railroad Labor by Eric Arnesen
Correspondence, Academic; Typescripts by Students and Others (Part 3), 1990s
General
Academic files: correspondence, letters of supports reviews for tenureships, grants, and publications; manuscripts of papers in alphabetic order
Lovestone, Jay: FBI/FOIA Files (Part 1), 1953-1955
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Jay Lovestone FBI/FOIA Files: Part 1
Lovestone, Jay: FBI/FOIA Files (Part 2), 1952-1960
General
Jay Lovestone FBI/FOIA files: Part 2
Lovestone, Jay: FBI/FOIA Files (Part 3), 1950-1954
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Jay Loveston FBI/FOIA Files: Part 3
Academic Files (Part 1), 1964-1980s
General
Academic Files: student theses,grant applications, course and lecture outlines on American Industrial Workers (Warwick lectures), research materials (Douglas Papers) Correspondence: Institutional (Social Science History Association, University of Illinois Press, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Labor History Society) and Individual
Academic Files (Part 2), ca. 1981-1984
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Academic Files: Correspondence, Invidudals; International Labor and Working Class History correspondence; research materials (including articles and notes)
Academic Files (Part 3), 1980s-1990s
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Academic Files: teaching at Brazil Unicamp, Oxford, Wilson Center, courses: Race and Class Seminar, Industrial Democracy at the Wilson Center, Southwest Labor Studies, 19th century Social History, International Labor and Working Class History
Academic Files: correspondence, student essays, evaluations A-J; 1990-1992
Writings and Correspondence, 1960s-1970s
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Writings (Typescripts: articles, book chapters, and related correspondence); Constance Round Table (participants papers and publications); Correspondence, Individual, K-l)
Correspondence, General, 1970s-1990
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General Correspondence, A-J; Correspondence with United Electrical Workers Archives
Correspondence, General; Academic Files (Part 1), 1975-1977, ca. 1987-1990
General
Correspondence, Individuals and other Academic Institutions (ca. 1987-1990)
Academic files: letters of supports; reviews for tenureships, grants, and publications; papers and research proposals submitted by students, course materials: American Labor in the 1880s, American Labor in the 1890s, American Social History, Popular Movements (1975-1977)
Academic Files; Correspondence; Subject Files, late 1970s, 1980s
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Academic Files: Conferences on Russian Labor, Southern Labor Studies, Connecticut Workers and Techonological Change, The Future of Labore History; Colgate Teachers' Institute, Canadian Historical Associations
Correspondence: A-B, Academia Related Publications: Labor History, International Review of Social History
Subject Files: Detroit Labor History Tours, Hungarian-American Exchange, Strikes Roundtable, Workers' World Exhibit
Correspondence, General; Academic Files (Part 2), ca. 1989-1994
General
Correspondence: Individuals and other Academic Institutions
Academic files (alphabetical order: K-Z): clippings, letters of supports, reviews for tenureships, grants, and publications; papers and research proposals submitted by students
Correspondence, General; Academic Files (Part 3), 1980s
General
Correspondence: Individuals and other Academic Institutions
Academic files (alphabetical order: M-Z): clippings, letters of supports, reviews for tenureships, grants, and publications; papers and research proposals submitted by students, conference in Paris: Socialism in the US, papers
Other Institution: Institutio Socialista, Labor History
Academic Files (University of Warwick); Writings; Political Activities, 1970s-1990s
General
Academic Files: University of Warwick courses (include syllabuses, bibliographies)on Labor History, Social History, Industrialization and Popular Movements;PhD reading lists, MA theses; essays by Tatsuro Nomura,manuscripts on steelworkers Other Activities: Pittsburgh Committee to Defend POlitical Freedom, Organization of American Historians, J.P. Stevens workers
Academic Files (Part 4), 1970s-1980s
General
Academic Files: Yale Ethnic Courses Committee, Hispanic History Search, labor bibliographies, grant applications, correspondence, conferences (Paris, Milan) course outlines and notes: social history, industrialization and popular movements,civil war Files on other organizations: Pittsburgh Professioanl Union, Women's Committee
Correspondence, General; Academic Files; Research Files, 1970s-2000
General
Correspondence: Individual, Alphabetic order: Q-Z, 1976-1980 Academic Files: Japanese Fellowship, Basso Foundation, Temple University Press, McKinzie Symposium Research Files: Journal of American History, Organization of American Historians
Academic Files (Part 5), 1920s-1930s; 1960s-1980s
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Academic Files: course documents: Black History, US Social and Economic History, US Colonial History, Working Class History, Immigration; conference papers Research Files: Workers Education 1920s-1930s, Socialist History 1600-1873 Institutional Correspondence: Rutgers-Princeton-Suny Binghampton, Yale, ILWCH, Ethnic Institutions
Correspondence, General; Writings, 1970s-1980s
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Correspondence, Academic and Research Related: Alphabetical
Writings by David Montgomery: "Challenges Facing Historians of the Working Class" "William H. Sylvis," "Strikes of Machinists in the United States, 1870-1922" and other manuscripts on Montgomery Strikes
Biographical Files: Curriculum Vitaes
Correspondence, General; Academic Files, ca. 1978-1982
General
Correspondence: Academic and Research Related, Alphabetical
Academic Files: grant applications, letters of recommendations, manuscripts by colleagues and students
