00271 SAMUEL K. DAVIS An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society Finding aid prepared by KAthryn A. Johnson Minnesota Historical Society

St. Paul MN.

Finding aid encoded by Dennis Meissner October 10, 2006Finding aid written inEnglish August 2008Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to Version 2002 by Monica Manny Ralston, Daniel Sher, and Joyce Chapman. OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION Minnesota Historical Society Davis, Samuel K., 1899-1968. Samuel K. Davis papers, 1919-1980. Biographical information and personal correspondence (1919-1968), and subject files (1932-1980) compiled by Samuel K. Davis, journalist and Communist Party activist, reflecting his career as editor of the newspaper Midwest Labor, and his activities in the Minnesota Communist Party and in civil and human rights organizations. 3.5 cu. ft. (4 boxes). See Detailed Description section for shelf locations. SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE PAPERS

The papers contain information on the Communist Party's involvement in the labor movement, particularly the Congress of Industrial Organizations' early organizing efforts in Minnesota; on civil rights and civil liberties issues revolving around minority segregated education and employment, and deportations, trials, and similar treatment of Communists; labor legislation, and wartime price and wage controls; and political affairs, with emphasis on Minnesota elections and the candidacy of Communist Party and Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidates, third parties (in particular, the 1948 presidential campaign of Henry A. Wallace), and the activities of the National Citizens Political Action Committee.

There are individual files on the following Minnesota unions: United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers; United Packinghouse Workers; United Steelworkers; and the timber workers' unions.

Communist Party files contain information on the Minnesota-Dakota district of the party, the Minnesota Communist Party, and activities of the national party, particularly the 1948 trial of twelve party leaders under provisions of the Smith Act.

OTHER FINDING AIDS

A print version of this finding aid is available in the repository; filed in ALPHA notebooks under the heading: Davis, Samuel K.

CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Aliens -- Political activity. Civil rights -- United States. Communism and international relations. Communist parties -- Minnesota. Communist parties -- United States. Jewish journalists -- Minnesota. Jewish communists -- Minnesota. Minorities -- Minnesota. Minorities -- United States. Peace movements -- United States. Political action committees -- Minnesota. Political action committees -- United States. Political plays. Subversive activities -- United States. Third parties (United States politics). Communist Trial, New York, N.Y., 1949. Labor -- Minnesota. Labor -- United States. Working class -- Minnesota. Working class -- United States. Deportation -- United States. African Americans -- Civil rights. African Americans. African American communists. Labor unions -- United States -- Political activity. Labor unions -- Minnesota -- Political activity. Persons: Trotsky, Leon, 1879-1940. Wallace, Henry Agard, 1885-1965. Organizations: American Committee for Protection of the Foreign Born. Communist Party of the United States of America. Congress of Industrial Organizations (U.S.). Congress of Industrial Organizations (U.S.). Political Action Committee. Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Minnesota Historical Society. Radicalism Project. Minnesota State Industrial Union Council. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. National Citizens Political Action Committee. Progressive Party (United States : 1948). Twin City Committee for the Defense of Leon Trotsky. United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America. Places: Soviet Union -- Foreign relations -- 1917-1945. Soviet Union -- Foreign relations -- 1953-1975. Minnesota -- Politics and government -- 1930-1980. Occupations: Journalists. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota Historical Society. Samuel K. Davis Papers.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples

Accession Information:

Accession number: 14,158

Processing Information:

Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, 1990

Catalog ID number: 1712430

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION 149.A.6.7B 1 Biographical information, correspondence, and miscellaneous papers, 1919-1950, 1968. 2 folders. Subject Files: American-Soviet Friendship committees (Minnesota and National), 1948-1977. Civil Liberties: Aliens, foreign-born, deportations, subversive activities, 1940-1976. Legislation (subversive), 1948-1950. Miscellaneous papers, 1940-1977. Civil Rights: Blacks, Indians, FEPC: Miscellaneous papers, 1932-1970s. 2 folders. Racial incident, Columbia, Tennessee, 1946. Communist Party: Minnesota and Minnesota-Dakota District, 1932, 1943-1978. 2 folders. By state: California-Wisconsin, 1943-1961. National, 1941-1980. 4 folders. Smith Act: "Trial of the 12," 1948-1960. Trotsky and Trotskyites, 1930s-1949. 3 folders. 149.A.6.8F 2 Congress of Industrial Organizations: Minnesota, 1940-1950. 5 folders. Midwest Labor (newspaper): Correspondence and financial records, 1937-1946. Minnesota Labor: Correspondence, miscellany, financial records, minutes, 1943-1947. 3 folders. Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, 1946-1948, 1958. Farm issues and organizations, 1946-1960. Forichette, John: Personal papers, 1960s-1970s. Gelb, Philip: Play scripts, 1945-1946. Horowitz, Samuel, 1953-1955. 2 folders. Housing, [1939?]-1977. Jewish Life Project (reminiscences), 1930s. Labor: Legislation, State and national, 1939, 1943, and 1946. National Maritime Union and Harry Bridges, 1940-1947. Postwar reconversion, 1944-1946. Price controls, wages, and Office of Price Administration, 1943-1951. Timber workers, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1948. 149.A.7.1B 3 United Electrical Workers, 1943-1950 and 1959. 2 folders. United Packinghouse Workers; United Steelworkers, 1941-1945, 1951, 1958. Minnesota Legislature, 1945-1947, 1959. Moral rearmament, 1944-1947. Political Files: General (including elections), [1935?]-1980. 4 folders. Henry A. Wallace (including 1948 presidential campaign), 1945-1948. Third parties and progressive parties, 1942-1948, 1952. National Citizens Political Action Committee, 1944-1946. Sinirus, Fred (North Dakota murder case), 1941. Universal military training, 1945-1948. War and peace (including World Peace Assembly), 1955, 1939-1955. 2 folders. Women's issues, 1944-1980. 149.A.7.2F 4 Miscellaneous subject files: A-Y, 1934-1978. 8 folders.