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United Mine Workers of America, panoramic photograph, April 1, 1941

 Item — Box: SLA Super-OS Photographs
Identifier: L1974-15_09

Scope and Content of the Records

From the Collection:

The Records, 1933-1969, parallel the long and distinguished career in the labor movement of Paul R. Christopher, who first went to work as a silk weaver in South Carolina in 1925 at age 14. In 1935 he was elected president of the United Textile Workers in North Carolina and a vice-president of the North Carolina Federation of Labor. Christopher allied himself with the fledgling Textile Workers Organizing Committee (TWOC) in 1937, and when TWOC became the Textile Workers Union of America (TWUA) within the CIO, he was named TWUA state director in South Carolina. He moved to Tennessee in 1940 as the state CIO director, was named director of the CIO's Fourth Region in 1953; and when the AFL and CIO merged in December 1955, was named Director of the new AFL-CIO Region 8 headquartered in Knoxville and encompassing the states of Tennessee and Kentucky.

Correspondence and related material make up a large portion of the Region 8 records. Of particular importance is Christopher's correspondence with international unions; labor related organizations; companies; people associated with the labor movement; government agencies; local, state, and national labor organizations; labor related conferences; and individuals concerned with organized labor's political activities. Christopher also corresponded with various CIO departments, especially the CIO Political Action Committee; and as an adjunct to his interest in organized labor's political role, he corresponded regularly with Congressmen, Senators, and other governmental officials.

Christopher's work led him to be concerned with a variety of subjects important to union members. Some of the most prominent were: adult education, aid to Israel, anti-war associations, arbitration, civil rights, employment security, farm labor, foreign affairs, guaranteed annual wage, human welfare, industrial research, labor and religion, labor education, legislation, Medicare, minimum wage, political elections, political parties, poll tax, race relations, right-to-work laws, sales tax, school integration, segregation, senior citizens, Social Security, the soldier vote, Tennessee industry, Tennessee labor market, United Nations, voter registration, wage rates, welfare and pension plans, and workmen's compensation.

The periods of Paul R. Christopher's career as a union organizer and leader correspond to the series titles of this collection.

Christopher's correspondence was voluminous and detailed to mirror his far-reaching and varied activities. When feasible, within this inventory, folders are described to clearly identify union bodies and organizations associated with their contents. Any folders designated "miscellaneous correspondence" usually involve Christopher's personal activities. Also included in the collection's holdings are wax phonodiscs, one sound film, 47 photographic prints, and printed material such as newspapers and other periodicals, union proceedings, collective bargaining contracts, and pamphlets.

Dates

  • Creation: April 1, 1941

Creator

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open for research use.

Extent

1 item(s) (OS photograph)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
100 Decatur St., S.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
404-413-2880
404-413-2881 (Fax)