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Start Over Date range 1922 Names American Federation of Labor
West Virginia and Regional History Center

A. Philip Randolph, Civil Rights and Labor Leader, Papers

0 Linear Feet Summary: 45 pages
Papers of Asa Philip Randolph, a prominent civil rights and labor leader, who founded and edited The Messenger, an influential black radical labor newspaper of the 1920s and who organized and presided over the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the only independent, viable black trade union in the American labor movement. Much of the correspondence deals with raising subscriptions for The Messenger, gaining an International Charter as an independent affiliate to the American Federation of Labor and the early organizing strike actions against the Pullman Company. This correspondence emphasizes the difficulties of convincing black workers of the feasibility of an independent fledgling black trade union; the necessity of organizing black workers for the benefit of the whole labor movement; and the challenge of maintaining jurisdictional independence from competing trade unions with predominantly white membership, such as the Hotel Workers union. These letters also reflect Randolph's desire to attain full civil rights for blacks.
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A. Philip Randolph, Civil Rights and Labor Leader, Papers 0 Linear Feet Summary: 45 pages

Randolph, A. Philip (Asa Philip), 1889-1979
Papers of Asa Philip Randolph, a prominent civil rights and labor leader, who founded and edited The Messenger, an influential black radical labor newspaper of the 1920s and who organized and presided over the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the only independent, viable black trade union in the American labor movement. Much of the correspondence deals with raising subscriptions for The Messenger, gaining an International Charter as an independent affiliate to the American Federation of Labor and the early organizing strike actions against the Pullman Company. This correspondence emphasizes the difficulties of convincing black workers of the feasibility of an independent fledgling black trade union; the necessity of organizing black workers for the benefit of the whole labor movement; and the challenge of maintaining jurisdictional independence from competing trade unions with predominantly white membership, such as the Hotel Workers union. These letters also reflect Randolph's desire to attain full civil rights for blacks.
West Virginia and Regional History Center

Parkersburg Central Trades & Labor Council Records

1.7 Linear Feet Summary: 1 ft. 8 in. (4 document cases, 5 in. each)

Minutes, financial records, and miscellaneous historical material of Parkersburg Central Trades and Labor Council (PCTLC), an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the West Virginia State Federation of Labor. The organization, founded in 1910, participated in various political activities and union organization activities and sponsored Labor's League for Political Education (LLPE) and created a women's auxiliary during the 1950s. The council consisted of assorted AFL affiliated unions in the Parkersburg area.

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Parkersburg Central Trades & Labor Council Records 1.7 Linear Feet Summary: 1 ft. 8 in. (4 document cases, 5 in. each)

Parkersburg Central Trades & Labor Council

Minutes, financial records, and miscellaneous historical material of Parkersburg Central Trades and Labor Council (PCTLC), an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the West Virginia State Federation of Labor. The organization, founded in 1910, participated in various political activities and union organization activities and sponsored Labor's League for Political Education (LLPE) and created a women's auxiliary during the 1950s. The council consisted of assorted AFL affiliated unions in the Parkersburg area.

West Virginia and Regional History Center

Rush Dew Holt (1905-1955) Papers

156.21 Linear Feet 156 ft. 2 1/2 in. (360 document cases, 5 in. each); (1 document case, 4 in.); (14 document cases, 2 1/2 in.); (1 flat storage box, 5 in.); (1 flat storage box, 3 1/2 in.); (2 flat storage boxes, 3 in. each); (3 flat storage boxes, 2 1/2 in. each); (9 flat storage boxes, 1 1/2 in. each); ( 44 photos in photograph filing cabinets) 11.7 Gigabytes 131 TIFF files, 2 PDF files
Papers of Rush Dew Holt, Sr. (1905-1955) relating to his personal and political activities. Types of material include publications, clippings, correspondence, photographs, and ephemera, among others. The collection is divided into six series: Personal and Political Papers (1840-2000 and undated), Artifacts (1939-1952 and undated), Legislative Records (1920-1955 and undated), Constituent Services (1923-1954 and undated), Press and Media Activity (1925-2003 and undated), and Administrative Files (1937-1940).
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Rush Dew Holt (1905-1955) Papers 156.21 Linear Feet 156 ft. 2 1/2 in. (360 document cases, 5 in. each); (1 document case, 4 in.); (14 document cases, 2 1/2 in.); (1 flat storage box, 5 in.); (1 flat storage box, 3 1/2 in.); (2 flat storage boxes, 3 in. each); (3 flat storage boxes, 2 1/2 in. each); (9 flat storage boxes, 1 1/2 in. each); ( 44 photos in photograph filing cabinets) 11.7 Gigabytes 131 TIFF files, 2 PDF files

Holt, Rush Dew, 1905-1955
Papers of Rush Dew Holt, Sr. (1905-1955) relating to his personal and political activities. Types of material include publications, clippings, correspondence, photographs, and ephemera, among others. The collection is divided into six series: Personal and Political Papers (1840-2000 and undated), Artifacts (1939-1952 and undated), Legislative Records (1920-1955 and undated), Constituent Services (1923-1954 and undated), Press and Media Activity (1925-2003 and undated), and Administrative Files (1937-1940).
West Virginia and Regional History Center

West Virginia Labor Federation AFL-CIO Papers

5 Linear Feet Summary: 5 ft. (12 document cases, 5 in. each)
Executive council minutes and proceedings, correspondence, newspaper clippings, annual conference information and proceedings, and printed material of the state organization of the American Federation of Labor founded in 1903. Papers include congressional correspondence, 1950-1957; correspondence of President E. A. Carter, 1949-1957; a few papers of H. M. Rogers, 1905-1959, and Frank W. Snyder, 1906-1911; records of the Parkersburg Central Trades and Labor Council, 1924-1942; and a typescript copy of the minutes of the Wheeling Typographical Union.
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West Virginia Labor Federation AFL-CIO Papers 5 Linear Feet Summary: 5 ft. (12 document cases, 5 in. each)

West Virginia Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
Executive council minutes and proceedings, correspondence, newspaper clippings, annual conference information and proceedings, and printed material of the state organization of the American Federation of Labor founded in 1903. Papers include congressional correspondence, 1950-1957; correspondence of President E. A. Carter, 1949-1957; a few papers of H. M. Rogers, 1905-1959, and Frank W. Snyder, 1906-1911; records of the Parkersburg Central Trades and Labor Council, 1924-1942; and a typescript copy of the minutes of the Wheeling Typographical Union.
West Virginia and Regional History Center

West Virginia Labor Federation AFL-CIO Records

181.2 Linear Feet 421 document cases, 5 in. each; 3 record cartons, 15 in. each; 1 flat storage box, 5 in.; 1 flat storage box, 3 in.; 3 clamshell boxes, 3 in. each; 2 unboxed ledgers, 1.09 in. each; 3 reels of microfilm, 1.75 in. each; 1 oversized folder, 0.01 in.

This collection includes the records of the West Virginia Labor Federation (WVLF), AFL-CIO as a singular organization, established in 1957, and the records of its predecessor organizations prior to their merger, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO).

Series 1 comprises records related to the West Virginia State Labor Federation, AFL's internal operation and initiatives, including presidents' files, secretary-treasurers' files, general office files, Department of Education files, and financial materials.

Series 2 comprises the records related to the West Virginia State Industrial Union Council, CIO's internal operation and initiatives, including executive secretary-treasurers' files, central office mailings, and records of the Political Action Committee.

Series 3 is reflective of the organization's operations and initiatives after the AFL-CIO merger, including files of various presidents, various secretary-treasurers, central office files, convention files, political materials, legislative files, assorted programs, and financial materials.

Series 4 is a 1978 addendum to this collection that includes additional files of the WVFL, AFL-CIO after the merger, largely featuring records of initiatives like the Political Action Committee and Women's Activities Department.

Series 5 is a 1981 addendum including mostly internal materials, like the notebooks of former organization leaders, photo albums, and copies of AFL-CIO publications.

Organizers featured prominently in the collection include Tom Cairnes, E. A. Carter, and Volney Andrews (series 1); Miles Stanley (series 3 and 5); Ben Skeen (series 1 and 3); Glen Armstrong (series 1, 3, and 5); and Pat Sleeth (series 3). WVLF initiatives featured prominently in the collection include the Committee on Political Education (series 3 and 4) and the Women's Activities Department (series 3 and 4), the Appalachian Council (series 3), the Manpower Development and Training Act (series 3), and others. There is a small amount of audiovisual material in this collection in the form of audio recordings created by the WVLF and some photographs that have been digitized for remote access. However, much of this collection is comprised of paper records, ledgers, photographs, printed correspondence, and notebooks.

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West Virginia Labor Federation AFL-CIO Records 181.2 Linear Feet 421 document cases, 5 in. each; 3 record cartons, 15 in. each; 1 flat storage box, 5 in.; 1 flat storage box, 3 in.; 3 clamshell boxes, 3 in. each; 2 unboxed ledgers, 1.09 in. each; 3 reels of microfilm, 1.75 in. each; 1 oversized folder, 0.01 in.

West Virginia Labor Federation, AFL-CIO

This collection includes the records of the West Virginia Labor Federation (WVLF), AFL-CIO as a singular organization, established in 1957, and the records of its predecessor organizations prior to their merger, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO).

Series 1 comprises records related to the West Virginia State Labor Federation, AFL's internal operation and initiatives, including presidents' files, secretary-treasurers' files, general office files, Department of Education files, and financial materials.

Series 2 comprises the records related to the West Virginia State Industrial Union Council, CIO's internal operation and initiatives, including executive secretary-treasurers' files, central office mailings, and records of the Political Action Committee.

Series 3 is reflective of the organization's operations and initiatives after the AFL-CIO merger, including files of various presidents, various secretary-treasurers, central office files, convention files, political materials, legislative files, assorted programs, and financial materials.

Series 4 is a 1978 addendum to this collection that includes additional files of the WVFL, AFL-CIO after the merger, largely featuring records of initiatives like the Political Action Committee and Women's Activities Department.

Series 5 is a 1981 addendum including mostly internal materials, like the notebooks of former organization leaders, photo albums, and copies of AFL-CIO publications.

Organizers featured prominently in the collection include Tom Cairnes, E. A. Carter, and Volney Andrews (series 1); Miles Stanley (series 3 and 5); Ben Skeen (series 1 and 3); Glen Armstrong (series 1, 3, and 5); and Pat Sleeth (series 3). WVLF initiatives featured prominently in the collection include the Committee on Political Education (series 3 and 4) and the Women's Activities Department (series 3 and 4), the Appalachian Council (series 3), the Manpower Development and Training Act (series 3), and others. There is a small amount of audiovisual material in this collection in the form of audio recordings created by the WVLF and some photographs that have been digitized for remote access. However, much of this collection is comprised of paper records, ledgers, photographs, printed correspondence, and notebooks.

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