RG1-001. The American Federation of Labor Records: The Samuel Gompers Era, [1877-1937].
This collection is a joint project of the Samuel Gompers Papers and the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. It consists of correspondence and other printed materials of Samuel Gompers, the first president of the AFL. Though many of the originals were discarded after their initial microfilming, what remains are at the George Meany Memorial Archives and the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. See also RG2-001, RG4-001, RG4-002, and RG4-004.
Microfilm 15: 144 reels
RG1-002. Office of the President. Copy Books, 1883-1925.
This collection consists chiefly of outgoing correspondence of AFL presidents Samuel Gompers, John McBride, and William Green and relate to the formation of local unions, conduct of meetings, charters, bylaws, ethics, publicity, arbitration, the political principles of the AFL, socialism, Marxism, individual unions and strikes, fundraising, and boycotts. The AFL-CIO gave this collection to the Library of Congress in 1966; it was filmed by the latter. Two additional letterbooks can be found in RG1-008.
Microfilm 34: 340 reels
RG1-003. Office of the President. National and International Unions, Correspondence, 1890-1959.
This collection, filmed in-house, contains correspondence of the AFL with union headquarters, correspondence with local unions, and documents relating to the bonding of union officials. Originals are at the George Meany Memorial Archives and the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. The collection is continued in RG1-030.
Microfilm 5: 31 reels
RG1-004. Office of the President. National and International Union Records from the Samuel Gompers Era, 1890-1927.
This collection consists of records from national and international unions of the Samuel Gompers era. A project of the Samuel Gompers Papers, the collection is comprised mainly of correspondence between Gompers and fifteen of the unions affiliated with the AFL during this period.
Microfilm 12: 5 reels
RG1-005. Office of the President. Samuel Gompers' Files, 1891-1925.
This collection consists of AFL president Samuel Gompers' correspondence, addresses, press interviews, and statements. Filmed in-house, the originals are at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. This collection is also reproduced in RG1-001 (Micro 15).
Microfilm 20: 8 reels
RG1-006. Office of the President. Samuel Gompers Scrapbooks, 1891-1924.
This collection consists of articles by and about AFL president Samuel Gompers, including addresses, press statements, clippings, cartoons, poems, and invitations. It was filmed by the New York Public Library and the University of Maryland.
Microfilm 11: 5 reels
RG1-008. Office of the President. Copy Books, Personal, 1895-1924.
This collection consists of outgoing correspondence from the Office of the President, primarily personal in nature. The AFL-CIO gave this collection to the Library of Congress in 1969; it was filmed by the latter. 340 additional letterbooks can be found in RG1-002.
Microfilm 35: 1 reel
RG1-009. Office of the President. Strikes and Agreements Files, 1898-1953.
This collection contains the complete strikes and agreements files of approximately 2,000 federal labor unions with AFL national headquarters during the period. Material types include correspondence and reports concerning negotiations with management, planned strikes, progress of negotiations or strikes, and copies of agreements made between local unions and management. The collection was filmed by University Publications of America; the originals are at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
Microfilm 33: 55 reels; Microfilm 30: 9 reels
RG1-010. Office of the President. Rosa Lee Guard Papers, 1904-1927.
This collection consists of Rosa Lee Guard's poetry, magazine and newspaper clippings, Br'er Rabbit messages, and Br'er Rabbit clippings. Guard worked as AFL president Samuel Gompers' secretary from April 1898 until his death on December 13, 1924.
.09 cu. ft.; formerly Collection 34
RG1-011. Office of the President. Samuel Gompers' Letter Books, 1907-1924.
This collection comprises five volumes of Samuel Gompers' outgoing correspondence. These letterbooks are reproduced on microfilm in RG1-001 (Micro 15, Reels 20-23).
1.25 cu. ft.; formerly Collection 16
RG1-012. Office of the President. Correspondence with Politicians, 1908-1944.
This collection of miscellaneous political correspondence consists of letters from U.S. presidents, secretaries, and under-secretaries of executive departments and agencies and from state governors to AFL presidents Samuel Gompers and William Green.
.08 cu. ft.; formerly Collection 21
RG1-013. Office of the President. Samuel Gompers and Woodrow Wilson Correspondence, 1914-1919.
This collection consists of letters exchanged between AFL president Samuel Gompers and U.S. president Woodrow Wilson during the latter part of Wilson's presidency, covering a wide variety of topics pertaining to labor and to World War I.
.16 cu. ft.; formerly Collection 22
RG1-014. Office of the President. William Green Papers, 1891-1952.
This collection, filmed by the Ohio Historical Society, consists of correspondence, printed materials, reports, writings, and financial records which are not comprehensive for all phases of AFL president William Green's life, but which do provide insight into the variety of concerns and activities with which he was involved. See also RG1-019.
Microfilm 13: 21 reels
RG1-015. Office of the President. William Green Papers, 1888, 1909-1952.
This is a miscellaneous collection of AFL president William Green's records, including correspondence, minutes, speeches, questionnaires, calendars, and printed materials arranged according to topics such as fascism, politics, congressional elections, injunctions, racial discrimination, the Taft-Hartley Act, and British labor.
12 cu. ft.; formerly Collection 3
RG1-016. Office of the President. William Green Speeches and Addresses, 1924-1952.
This collection, filmed in-house, consists of AFL president William Green's addresses and statements made to congressional hearings, community and political organizations, and labor meetings and conventions. Originals are at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
Microfilm 21: 3 reels
RG1-017. Office of the President. Copy Books, 1925-1960.
This collection, filmed in-house, is a compilation of outgoing correspondence of AFL president William Green and AFL and AFL-CIO president George Meany. The collection is continued in RG1-029.
Microfilm 16: 63 reels
RG1-018. Office of the President. Reference Files, Communism, 1925-1936.
This collection, filmed in-house, consists of reference files on communism. Originals are at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
Microfilm 28: 1 reel
RG1-019. Office of the President. President's Files, William Green, 1869-1955.
This collection consists of the originals microfilmed in RG1-014, as well as additional records that were not microfilmed. Although the records in this collection reflect William Green's position as president of the AFL, they do not directly shed light on federation policy making; they are of a generally personal nature, showing the influence of office rather than policy implementation.
11.94 ln. ft.; formerly Collection 2
RG1-020. Office of the President. Correspondence with State and Local Central Labor Councils, 1932- 1967.
This collection consists of correspondence between state federation headquarters and central labor councils on a wide variety of matters such as pending bills in state legislatures and jurisdictional disputes. The collection was filmed in-house; originals from the William Green period are at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
Microfilm 6: 14 reels
RG1-021. Office of the President. William Green's Files, 1934-1952.
This collection documents the emergence of the CIO in the 1930s and subsequent competition and cooperation between the CIO and the AFL until the early 1950s. The collection was filmed by University Publications of America; the originals are at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
Microfilm 76: 38 reels
RG1-022. Office of the President. Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1937-1968.
This collection consists of miscellaneous correspondence between AFL president William Green and AFL and AFL-CIO president George Meany. Filmed in-house, the original Green papers to 1949 were destroyed; the originals from 1949-1952 are at the Wisconsin State Historical Society; the original Meany papers are at the George Meany Memorial Archives.
Microfilm 18: 23 reels
RG1-023. Office of the President. President's Files, William Green, 1940-1952.
This collection consists of records relating to government boards, agencies, and departments, and national and international union correspondence. This collection is duplicated on microfilm in RG1-024 and RG1-031.
8.25 cu. ft.; formerly Collection 4
RG1-024. Office of the President. U.S. Government Files, 1940-1968; Constitutional Department Files, 1926-1968; Circular Mailings, 1906-1968.
This collection, filmed in-house, consists of correspondence of AFL and AFL-CIO officers (usually the president or secretary-treasurer) with U.S. government agencies, AFL and AFL-CIO constitutional departments, and affiliated unions through routine circular mailings. See also RG1-023.
Microfilm 7: 17 reels
RG1-025. Office of the President. International Affairs and Affiliations, 1949-1967.
This collection, filmed in-house, consists of materials on the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, specific countries, and the International Labor Organization.
Microfilm 31: 5 reels
RG1-026. Office of the President. George Meany Papers, 1935-1960.
This collection consists of papers relating to George Meany's tenure as president of the New York State Federation of Labor, congratulatory messages on his elevation to secretary-treasurer of the AFL, and personal correspondence.
2.5 cu. ft.; formerly Collection 6
RG1-027. Office of the President. President's Files, George Meany, 1947-1960.
This collection documents the first eight years of George Meany's 27-year tenure as president of the AFL and the AFL-CIO. It includes national and international unions correspondence; government departments correspondence; state central bodies correspondence; city and county central bodies correspondence; federal labor union strike sanctions; miscellaneous correspondence; condolences, congratulations, invitations, and engagements; disputes, mergers, internal abuses; international affairs files; speeches and statements; and reference files.
63 cu. ft.; formerly Collection 8
RG1-028. Office of the President. Merger Files, State and Local Central Bodies, 1955-1962.
This collection consists of correspondence, transcripts, minutes, and agreements that describe the steps necessary to unify state and local organizations after the merger of the AFL and CIO on December 7, 1955.
3 cu. ft.; formerly Collection 9
RG1-029. Office of the President. Copy Books, 1960-1968.
This collection, filmed in-house, continues RG1-017 and consists of a compilation of AFL-CIO president George Meany's outgoing correspondence.
Microfilm 81: 9 reels
RG1-030. Office of the President. National and International Unions Correspondence, 1960-1969.
This collection, filmed in-house, continues RG1-003 and consists of correspondence, reports, court cases, and clippings that were gathered as part of the work of the AFL-CIO president and secretary-treasurer with affiliated unions. Topics addressed by the correspondence include organizing drives, strike settlements, and jurisdictional disputes.
Microfilm 82: 11 reels
RG1-031. Office of the President. Congress of Industrial Organizations Historical File, 1934-1951.
This collection, filmed in-house, consists primarily of CIO convention files. See also RG1-023.
Microfilm 23: 3 reels
RG1-032. Office of the President. Congress of Industrial Organizations, National and International Unions Correspondence, 1935-1955.
This collection, filmed in-house, consists primarily of national and international unions general correspondence and reports. Originals are at the Catholic University of America.
Microfilm 24: 3 reels
RG1-033. Office of the President. Congress of Industrial Organizations, Local Industrial Unions Correspondence, 1935-1955.
This collection, filmed in-house, consists of local industrial unions correspondence. Originals are at the Catholic University of America.
Microfilm 25: 6 reels
RG1-034. Office of the President. Congress of Industrial Organizations, Local Industrial Councils Correspondence, 1935-1955.
This collection, filmed in-house, consists of local industrial councils correspondence. Originals are at the Catholic University of America.
Microfilm 26: 5 reels
RG1-035. Office of the President. Congress of Industrial Organizations, State Industrial Union Councils Correspondence, 1935-1955.
This collection, filmed in-house, consists of state industrial union councils correspondence. Originals are at the Catholic University of America.
Microfilm 27: 2 reels
RG1-036. Office of the President. The CIO Files of John L. Lewis, Part 1: Correspondence with CIO Unions, 1929-1962.
This collection comprises CIO president John L. Lewis' correspondence files with international labor unions and a few local unions. Filmed by University Publications of America, the originals are at the archives of the United Mine Workers of America at the Pennsylvania State University.
Microfilm 77: 25 reels
RG1-037. Office of the President. The CIO Files of John L. Lewis, Part 2: General Files on the CIO and AFL, 1929-1955.
This collection consists of CIO president John L. Lewis' general files; United Mine Workers of America files regarding loans and financial aid to CIO unions and industrial unions; CIO field office files; AFL general files; and United Steelworkers of America correspondence files. Filmed by University Publications of America, the originals are at the archives of the United Mine Workers of America at the Pennsylvania State University.
Microfilm 78: 20 reels
RG1-038. Office of the President. George Meany Files, 1940-1980.
This collection comprises the records of the last two decades of George Meany's AFL-CIO presidency. It includes national and international unions correspondence; state and local central bodies correspondence; miscellaneous correspondence and subject files; international affairs files; government agencies correspondence; speeches; copybooks; AFL-CIO committees material; state governments correspondence; organizers correspondence; merger and jurisdictional dispute files; constitutional and trade departments records; ethical practices committee records; and personal papers.
132 cu. ft.
RG1-039. Office of the President. AFL-CIO Joint Minimum Wage Committee, 1954-1960.
This collection consists of records of the AFL-CIO Joint Minimum Wage Committee, documenting the work of the committee in supporting improvements to the minimum wage clause of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
1.75 cu. ft.
RG1-040. AFL Cornerstone Papers, 1881-1916.
This collection consists of papers and memorabilia which were placed in the cornerstone of the American Federation of Labor headquarters in Washington D.C. on January 8, 1916 and removed on September 21, 1987. Materials include AFL reports and proceedings, laws and hearings, photographs, and artifacts.
1.35 cu. ft.
RG1-041. Office of the President. Jurisdiction Books, 1890-1978.
This is a collection of jurisdiction books arranged by national and international union. The collection contains brief national and international union histories and chronologies compiled from various sources; correspondence, memoranda, and telegrams between unions and federations (AFL, CIO, AFL-CIO) pertaining to jurisdictional issues, including charter applications, merger and amalgamation applications and notifications, and jurisdictional extension requests; minutes and resolutions from federation convention proceedings and executive council meetings regarding jurisdictional matters; no-raiding and other jurisdictional agreements between unions; and some press releases, newspaper clippings, and reports.
10 cu. ft.; 116 vols.
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