1
10
32
-
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/7987/ms012_09_18_orgelman_marguarite.mp3
1b4698585d244570f01b98e8d8e662b8
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Herb Janick Papers, MS012
Description
An account of the resource
The Herbert F. Janick, Jr. Papers spans the years 1889-2002 and consists mainly of Janick’s research for his book on the centennial history of Western Connecticut State University.
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Janick, Herb
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f32271cc-b16e-4921-8776-db43f2dc8a6f
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
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Marguerite Orgelman (interview)
Creator
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Janick, Herbert F.
Orgelman, Marguerite
Description
An account of the resource
~30 mins.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
This interview is a continuation of this interview: <a href="https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/items/show/2914">https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/items/show/2914</a><br /><br />0-10 minutes: (Side A) (Illegible conversation); Ms. Johnson; Southern Discrimination; Long Ridge Women’s Group; Long Ridge Library <br /><br />10-20 minutes: Joining Women’s Group; Attending Meetings; Participation; Presidency; History of Danbury; Family History; Family Records Xerox <br /><br />20-30 minutes: John Green History; Description of California; Sierra Nevada; Spanish-American War
Date
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1988
Subject
The topic of the resource
Danbury (Conn.)--History
Identifier
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ms012_09_18_orgelman
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UUID
380d483d-5d64-4bfc-a0ef-bb4779a816d9
-
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/7977/ms012_02_33.pdf
888b42011949914fc1f594c61b175751
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/7977/ms012_02_34.pdf
a00304b8c1789f6180d1da3ce9be138e
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Title
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Herb Janick Papers, MS012
Description
An account of the resource
The Herbert F. Janick, Jr. Papers spans the years 1889-2002 and consists mainly of Janick’s research for his book on the centennial history of Western Connecticut State University.
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Janick, Herb
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<a href="https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/findingaids/ctdbn_ms012_janick.xml">Link to finding aid.</a>
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Title
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Student Activism, 1967-1970
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Janick, Herbert F.
Detzer, David
Wilder, David E.
Description
An account of the resource
~100 pgs
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Includes a David Detzer essay on student activism in the late 60s at WestConn.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2002
Subject
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Student protesters
Identifier
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ms012_02_33-34
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UUID
d2c305a8-e486-466a-abaa-5c7d7de4c0a8
Herb Janick
-
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Truman_A._Warner_Papers_MS026/7884/ms026_25_64_001.pdf
e6389f4782fb4fd223fb583d4d0861bf
PDF Text
Text
Title: “Danbury Crowned Them All: The Rise and Fall
of the Hatting
Industry in Danbury, Connecticut.”
Presenters: Dr. Herbert Janick, History Department,
WCSU
Dr. Truman .Jarner, Social Science Departme
nt, WOSU
Proposal:
The familiar story of the textile industry in New
England begins
with the establisent of small mills adjacent
to the rivers of
Iassachusetts, Rhode Island, Conneccut, and
New Hampshire in the
early 19th century; emphasizes the dominance
of huge, technologically
advanced, immigrant-staffed work places in
the late 19th and early
20th centuries; and concludes with the flight
of the textile companies
for the more congenial tax and labor climate
of the South in the 192(3’s.
Rusting mills are the symbols of the economic
and social stagnation left
in the wake of the departing industry.
This paper will present a somewhat different
case history of a New
England textile town, of interest in itself,
but also valuable as
a point of comparison for other regional community
studies. Utilizing
the methodologies of history and anthropology
the authors will analyze
the growth an decline of the hatting industry
in Danbury an the
efiect ci this process on the social fabric of
the city. The investigation
will focus on the impact ci geography, energy
sources and technology,
demographic patterns, class relations, and the
distribution oi power.
Doth authors will deliver a portion of the
paper at the conference.
The chronology of hatting in Danbury correspon
ds to the traditional
New England pattern. The first hat shops appe
ared in the late 18th
and early 19th centuries,but were scattered
throughout the rural
areas as well as in the center of town for
initially water was not
a major factor in determining the location of
the shops. By the
�—2—
early 1800’s more than fiIty shops produced hats that were marketed
by merchant entrepreneurs in major East coast cities and throughout
the South. However hatting was but one o1 severa± iledgling industries,
including comb making and the proauction of saaales and shoes, that
were competing in tlae region. The paper will explore reasons for the
eventual domination of hat making.
The coming of the railroad aria with it a cheap supply of coal escalated
the pace and scale of hat proauction in the 1850’s. Larger factories
required a plentilul supply ci water so that tne industry began to
locate exclusively in the center of the town along the Still River.
The post Civil ‘1ar decades were boom years for hatting. By 1890
five million hats were manufactured annually,
some in lactories
employing between 500 and 900 workers. Between 1890 and 1930 such
factors as an efficient national marketing network, rigid tariff
protection, more sophisticatea mechanization, and specialization
evident in the large scale production of rough hat bodies to be
finished elsewhere,
brought prosperity to the city. However because
of its depenciance on fashion,
the hatting industry was vulnerable to
depression, war, and shifts in taste. Successive blows from reduced
purchasing power in the 1930’s, re—allocation of resources during
Iorld Jar II, and a more informal post-war lifestyle sent hatting
into a permanent eclipse by 1950. Today there is not a single hat
factory in IDanbury.
The cycle of artisan beginnings,
emergence of mass production, and
decline starting in 1930, is not unusual. However many aspects of
the Danbury hatting experience are unique, and they will be examined
in the paper. :Jhile Zanbury was a hatting town it was not controlled
�—.
-“.
—3—
by a few mammouth firms; rather 0 to Th hat factories
operated in
the city from the 1350’s on. iven the largest firms emplo
yed less
than 2,000 people. Diffusion of power was also foste
red by the
existence of other types of influential companies, such
as those
engaged in lur processing and the fabrication of
hat boxes and hat
bands, that serviced the hatting industry. For many
decades the
social distance between management and workers was
not great. It
was possible to move from the workbench to owners
hip of a factory,
a route taken by such men as Frank Iee and Harry
McLachlan. The
city was not ghettoized by class as owners and worker
s, many of whom
owned their own homes, lived in the same modest
neighborhoods. The
hatting industry was mechanized to only a moderate
degree and workmen
retained their craft sills and orientation well into
the 20th century.
The resulting independance of the worker along with
the seasonal
nature of production which encouraged mobility, were
obstacles to
control of the industry by both management and union.
Probably the sharpest divergence from the New Englan
d model was the
continued health of Danbury after the demise of hatti
ng. Serious
efforts to diversify local industry, begun in World
War I, paid
dividends during World War II and the immediate postwa
r years when
high tech industries came to Danbury to capitalize on
its pool of
skilled workers. The construction of the interstate
highwayS system,
and the subsequent migration of corporations into
Westchester and
Fairfield counties, blended Danbury into the suburb
an fabric of the
Tn-state region. Some attention in the paper
will be given to these
recent developments.
�
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Title
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Truman A. Warner Papers, MS026
Description
An account of the resource
Warner spent 37 years as a teacher and administrator and was also a board member and former president of the Scott-Fanton Museum, now known as the Danbury Museum and Historical Society. During his tenure, he supervised and contributed to numerous museum exhibits. The Warner Collection consists of writings, photographs, miscellanea, research notes and papers documenting Warner’s life as a World War II medic, author, historian and historical researcher. The bulk of the collection contains an extensive series of newspaper clippings and printed materials relating to local and state history, several boxes of personal papers, and several boxes that contain information on Western’s faculty, administration, and events concerning the school’s history beginning in the 1940s and continuing through to the late 1990s.
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Title
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They Crowned Them All: The Rise and Fall of the Hatting Industry in Danbury, Connecticut
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Warner, Truman
Janick, Herbert F.
Description
An account of the resource
3 pgs
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
First pages of a talk delivered at the Scott Fanton Museum
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1972
Subject
The topic of the resource
Danbury (Conn.)--History
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
ms026_25_64_001
IIIF Item Metadata
UUID
2da91f6f-fe62-4b65-a6ed-3d729bacb40c
Hatting
-
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/7876/ms012_15_19_001.pdf
ae315d7062d6664d034424ee0cb44a6c
PDF Text
Text
Hi E:tOfl nS :hiricter1 re the f rst World Wr s
Uni on rnembershi
boon to orqni red 1 bor.
I ncresed substtnti & 1 q nd wqes soired. Sirnue1
bornpers stteqi of unquol I fled support for the war effort ci evated the
Amen can Federation of Labor to favored status with
admni strati on sumbol 1 red bq the
11
rst apriearance
0?
the
Wilson
a Urn ted State:E;
President at an AFof L conventi I:!n in 1 9 1 7. Government bac:ki nq enabled
1 abor to reach the 1 onq souqht qoal of the ci qht hour daq I n the rail road
I ndustri,
become the
a breakthrouqh that uni on 1 eaders expected woul
national standard. The fact that even the steel industr, an implacable
enemt of unions, made some concessions to their workers, indicates the
degree of proqress made b!_I organl red I bflr duh n 1
‘
1 7 and 1 9 1
.
(1
:
The fate of the hattinq I ndustr in Danburij, Cornecti cut was an exceDti on
to this pattern. Hat manufacturers in the sinqie industr! town of
appro::.:imatel! 22,000 eoi1e exploited wartime clrc:umnstances
to
accomnpl i sr their twentq gear obj ecti ‘c of c:urtai Ii nq the influence of the
Urn ted Hatters of North Amen ci A
bi
ttet— stn ke aqai nst four of the
iarqest hat firms in the ctu, provoked bq manaqemnent in 1917 contrar!
to
the ublic:1i exressed wishes of the Wilson adrrnnstration, draqqed on
until 1 922 when the urn on conceded that i t
mnemnbers cou I d work i n all
local non—urn on factories thereu ack:nowledqi nq its i mrwotence. This paper
will show how aqqresive fai::tori owners, with crucial help from the
Connec:ticut_ Manufactut—er—s Assoc:iation and its affiliates
,
vanquished the
United Hatters despite the simpathet c presence of the federal
qccvernment and transformned Danbun from a union stronqhold to an open
shop t ci wn
�The hitti riq I ndustrq I ri the Urn ted E;ttes ‘t the
resisted rtiomliztii:in. Coni::entrated in
start
of World Wôr I hd
holf dozen cites in
L:onnec:tic:ut, New York, ond Pennst1vnio it enc:ompissed rnônt smell to
medium sized firms th8t enqqed in ruthless price competition. Efforts to
c:reite
national industnal assoc:iatii:in that could impose order on the
trade met with limited suc:c:ess.
situation was equalkj chaotic.
‘::
me
Within ec:h httinq center the
connecticut Department of Factor!
!nspec:ti Ofl 11 sted 3b businesses in Daflbur!4 In 19 1 fE tflat either matie hats
or directlq serviced the hat industr’. (3) Some semblance of unit was
provided b! the Hat Manufacturers Assoc:iation of Danburi and 6ethel
which was set up in 1903 but ni:it all firms were members. The most
natable absentee was the si :able E.A. Ma] i ctr—q
C:ompan,
The rival r amoeq
L:’anbur! hat firms appalled a field aqent of the Manufacturers Association
of
Connec:ti
c:ut sent to the ci t; n 1 91 9 who reported to tfle state
or—qani zatq on that the maj or problem he found in the communi tu was a
lack of ‘::ooperation amonq businessmen who Thad insufficient desire and
abilit to serve their loint ends because thei_j were more or less kniffinq
one an!:lther.
4:
The abi Ii t’ 011 actor’ o’vners to c:ontrol tre s!stem 01 hat product 1
was
c:omp] i c:ated bq the presenc:e of established urn one. As earlj as 1 791 loc:al
I ourneimen beqan to formalize the terms of their empi otjment. In 1 E00 the
I_Irti ted and True Assistant Soi::i eti4 of Hatters, the nations fi ret hat urn on,
vas established in Danbur to spell out in detail the rules and
responsibilities of membership in this artisan fraternitt. (5) As the scale
�iJI
the industr qrew sui::h ioc:al mani:ations c:i:ins:ilidated into nati’:’nal
uni ons. Pepresenti nq t hose ‘ht: perf orrned the most ski 11 ed t asks of
stlin, polishinq, and curlinq, the elite ht finisrfers were te first to
amaqamate formi nq the Hat Finishers National Trade Assocati on in 1 a54.
Thei r counterparts i n the st: cal led back shop, the flat makers, were unabi e
to form a national tront until I iEiIE5. Collabr:tration between the unions
representinq each seqrnent of the hat manufacturinq process was sporadic:
urti 1 the Depressi’:n of I Ei93 prompted the rnerer of the two qroups into
the United Hatters of North America in 15% which imnmnediateiq affiliated
with the American Federation of Labor. The membership in the DanburLj
I4p
LO
di str c:t of the new union was 1 are and influential. (6; The LrrL! Ht
Tfl mmers LIni on, c:omp!Jsed cxi:: 1 usi vel q 01 women Who retresented about
one—third of the work force in eai::h factori, never joined the United
Hatters and
often more militant than their male coil eaques. (7)
The labor unrest that exploded in Danbur.j as the Urn ted States ended its
three qears of neutra1it had deep roots. As one astute observer put it
“The c:i t t has been dead—i ocked for !jears with hat manufacturers on one
side, union labor on the other” (5) The Hat Makers and the Hat Finishers
each faced a mna or threat to their job set::uri t!. With the i ntrot1uct on of
the forminq machine in I 5461wh1c:h shaped the basic: hat c:one1a pattern of
qreater mnec:harn zati on cback shop 1 essened dependanc:e or ski 115 of the
worker. n the c:ase. of the Finishers the mHc:e consisted in fewer hats to
&a1l
�4
finish. in::e 1 Ei92 when Hrri Mc:Lc:h1iri i:i—iqinite tre s::rteme to
SiCCi
1 I :e in tibric:ti nq rouqh heit bocli es thit w!:lu1 d be completed in
srnal 1 “buck—cue” shops all over the count rq more Danbur’ N rms turned to
trii3
mss production ipproii::h. 5 1917 the Director of the
I ndustri al 6ureau of the Chamber of ,::ornmet—ce esti mated that m!:re than
half of the output of Danbur’ hat factories was beinq finished
elsewhere mostlq in New York C:itt. Nine factories e se r!:tuqh
cwt..
eC’ifi’fl.
hats outsi ‘Ic the ci tLl br ii fli sf1 nq. (9.: Thessue and others 4—’* S nç
stri nqent apirenti c:eshi p rules and requl ati on of the pace of
work——Danburi hatters enforced the “stint” or ac:ceptatil e daqs out
put——were resonsible for a 16 week lockout in I E;93—94 and a 21 week
work stoppace in 1909 as well as numerous shorter interruptions. The
frequenc:q of labor c:onfri:ntations increased after 1 903, not onlq because
I oceil rnanoqement was more uni f i ed, but because the Supreme Court
decision in the famous Danburi Hatters case (Loewe vLawier) depnved
the United Hatters of its most effective weapon, the boic:ott.( 10)
War i ntensi fi ed the tensi on between labor and menaqement Elecause
.
hat t nq was not a vital war i ndustr! and hat c:ompani Cs rec:ei ved few
qovernment c:ontract 5 Danburtj did not share in the prosperi t j that the war
C0 €.t%
stimulated in
rni:’st
of the nation.
&.
wnrkerc; in this staqnant industrLj
suffered di sproporti onatel q from the hi qh cost of ii vi nq fueled bLi inflated
wa’es in other sec:tors of the ec:oriomt. In order to provide relief the
Executive Committee of the United Hatters decided that the new waqe
c:ontrai::t which woW d replace the bill of prices that voul d exp re on
�Mai 1 1917 must be tied to the se11inqtJj:: hatIs nther than the
production costs. In the e’es of ‘.ini on offi ID1 al s this was far from a radical
proosa 1 havi nq been the pri i::i nq standard for the rnanufa::ture of stiff hats
si rice 1 902 and i ntrodw::ed as the basi 5 for remunerati on f’:’r maki nq soft
hats in the 1916 contF-act. In ot-der to a11a’ manaqernents fear) of
constant waqe i ncreases as hat prices went up union leaders aqreed to
freeze wagE; for an entire hear.
The war p1 ar::ed the hat manufacturers i n a di ff cult posi ti on also. Paw
materials i rnported from Europe, such as rabbi tt fur ani chemical d!es.,
were now scarce. With two million men in the service the demand for
civilian hats was weak. Ijnder the ci rc:umstances theta were uneasi. about
ranti nq waqe i ncreases wi thout knowi nq thei r exact costs. On] q a few
firms followed the e::::ample of E.A.Mall orq and Sons, one of the c tis
01 dest and 1 arqes t ci:mpani es, who Wi thi n a few da!s of the expi rat i on of
the ol d contract si qned a new areement wi th the union where the waqe
rate was peqqed to the sell i nq price of hats.
More attrac:ti ye was the response of Frank J.Lee the 1 arqest empi oher in
the ci t!, who sensed that unsettl ed condi ti :ins provi led an opportuni t!
ti:
break the uni on. Al onq with Harr M::Lachl an, a Scotch i mrni qrant who
beqan as a journehman in the 1 E90’s and was in partnership with Lee from
1909 to 1914, and the sort of John Wi3reen who had rec:ent1. taken over
control of that establ i shed comparit, Lee dcci dci to provike a strike. The
three firms took the provoc:atlve position that linkinq waqes to the se1lint
pfl ce was a departure from past practi c:es and had to be subject to
�hi
arbi trati on as spelled out i ri the so cal led “Father KennedL Aqreement” that
settled the 1 909 stri ke. Local s 1 0 and 11 responded predi ctabi r that waqe
polici was a national issue and could not be sub jec:t to local arbitration,
an acc:epted pri nd il e I n 1 abi:ir—manaqement rd ati ons. (1 1 )
Frank: Lee, the most mlii tarit foe of the United Hatters in E:ianbur—i.j, was an
uni 1 kel i. uni on buster. The !JOungest 01 ten chi 1 dren who was raised on a
Connec:t i cut farm he ‘vas a j ourneqman and uni ‘:‘n member before start i nq
hi :3 own if ai::tori I n Eiethel 1 n I 6. In 1 909 he construc:teil a modern steel
and conc:ret e fai::tor that i n 1 9 1 E empl oied I 1 00 workers and qrossed
,
over 2.5 rrii lii on dcii lars in business. Despite his financial success he
mal ntai ne’i an unost entat I ous ii if est!l e on a hi 11 top farm. He knew most of
his ernploiees b!J their first names and earned their respect for 1nteqntL
and qener’:sit to the c:ommnumtq. Even in the midst of labor unrest n 1917
President Jeremiah Scull q showed his admiration for Lee bi tell inq a
qathen nq of the Hat Makers union that Lee “has qone awa’ from us but i n
ever! dealinq with me he has been fair and honest.” (1 2)Yet Lee resented
the intrusion ‘:f a nati’:’nal union inti:’ the affairs of his fa,::t,:,ru
that he was wi 111 nq
ti:’
El:,
strl:inql!
endure ,::i:,nsi derabi e e,::,:in,:,ml c 1 ‘:‘ss to remni:’ve its
presenc:e. He adrni tted In I i
1I
that the strike he tn qqered had cost him a
half million dollars and reuced his work fi:iri::e bt one—half. (13)
The con,::lusi,:,n that Lee deliberatelq brouqht on the strike with the
1 ntenti on of darnaqi nq the uni on I s enescapabi e. L.ont emnporari es not
affiliated with the umon rei::i:iqnized his mnotivaton. E.cGintU, a former
�E:’onbur p01 i cc captain, tol ii the L:onnec:t 1 cut Federati on of Labor meet i n
in Danburu in 1 Y 17 that the purpose of the strike was “sirnp1i to crush and
destro’ the United Hatters of Amen ca.” (1 5) Mcdi ators dispatched bi the
IJni t cii States Department of Labor on t NO separate oci::asi ons, thouqh
unable to resolve the impasse, praised the union for cooperation and
viii I fled manaqement for their “antaqoni sti c mental condition.: the
rnani festl !j absu
nature of their stance on arbitration
thef “stubborni
the uni on E .E.
“that the buro
obtains i n t h
who, n m
i
refuse to off I ci all
end for the wau
deal i n anL manner whatsoe,’er WI th
tenwal t .1 n frustrat i on, reported to hi s superiors in 1 9 1
/ of
responsi bi 11 t’ for the reqrettabi e. Si tueti on that now
ommuni
tq rests upon the shoul ders
i:if
the manufai::turers,
qement, ireci i toted wi thout suffi ci ent reesi:ins,
::i:insi den nq the i::i:indi t 1 i:ins of the won
Ii
ani our i::i:iuntri, an i ndustri al
troubi e that has brouqht 1 ncal ::uabi e harm to the busi ness i nterests
i:if
the
communi ui” (1 6)
The Lini ted Hatters recoqm zed Lees acti on as a direct cialienqe to their
intl ueni::e and were warq in thei r response. On Mat 1 6, 1 9 1 7, after the 0111
cont rai::t had e::.::pi red and neqi:it i at i i:ins were stall ea i:iri the I ssue
‘:if
arbi trati on, the uni on withdrew the label f rorn four f ei::ton es c:ontro] 1 ed bq
Lee, McLachl an, and Green but permitted uni on members ti: ci:nti nue work
in other factories run b! members of the Danbur! Hat Manufacturers
Assi:ci ati on. To strenqhten their i::redi bill tq the uni on i mmedi ate] !J 5i qnea
a new pact with E.A.Malli:irq (600 emnp1oiees) anti several smaller 1rms
�fl
whi:i were not members of the hat manuf acturers orni zati on that ti cii the
ii11 of prices with the sellinq price ‘:if hats. Within two weeks the union
beqan to di stri butetri ke benefits to empi oLees of the four tarqeted
ii rms at the rate 01 seven ‘loll ars a week for marri cci men mid fi ye ‘ii:’i 1 rn—s
for si nql e workers. Al thouqh far bel ow the normal earm nqs of hatters
whi c:h was c:1 cisc to twenti dcii] ars per week, this f I nanci al support
ti qhtened the discipline of the urn on. (1 7)
Adherence of the Danburq 1 i:i::al 5 to nati onal uni i:;n rul es was si:i’:in test ed.
After five weeks of seei nq his fai::ti:irL( 1 del arid yowl nq that “he did not
mean to be dri yen from the manufacture of hats” Lee threatened to
iermanent —‘hijt down his rnociern facti:irt——known I n town pan anc:e
si mp1i as the “bi q plant”-2 and
ti:
shift his operati ‘:ins
ti:’
a srnal icr open
sh’:’’ fact ortj in DanbuF—q i:ir possi bi Lj i n N’:irwal k. Thi s warni nq pri:idui::ed
c:i:ir,sternat 1 i:in amcnq Lees stri ki nq empi i:’’ees whi:’ formed a Comnmni tt cc
Eiqht
ti:
i:if
i::i:infer with the Linited Hatters on a suitable respi:inse. This
meeti nq, described bi the DanbuF— Eveni nq News as “more or less
a’:;ri moni ous” and one where “personalities were i ndul qed in’ showed that
Lee had thrust a wedqe into union ranks. Some workers were c:ni ti c:al of
the poll c:i es of the national 1 eadershi p and were adamant about the need to
keep the Lee factor operatinq in :‘anburi. Patrii::k Connoli!L a fcrrner
%ec:retari of tre Hat Makers loc:al and an cx Connec:ti cut Labor
L:omr-imisioner, warned that the l’:ss of the lee fai::tori “miqht kill Danburi.”
Herbert Low, a Lee ernploiee and member of the
publi::4_4qreed with rnanaqement that the issue
cirrimni ttee cii Eiqht,
i:if
pric:es like all others
�should be dcci ned bq I ocal arti btrt on arini attacked national Secretart
Mart in Lawl or who, Low Cl al mcd, had stated that he was will 1 Q to
scat fi cc the Lee factorq for the principle 01 attachinq waqes to the
sd ii nq price.( 1 i)
Grurnbl i nq aqa 1 nst uni on poll ci qrew I n vol ume. T he 1 oc:al newspaper
published letters from hatters critical of national union 1eadershp. one
from an cx hatter in Norwalk: predicted that “Kaiser Lawlor is qoinq to qet
a bad bump as Kaiser 6111 is” (19) Respected leaders in the c:ornmunit
ur’ed uni on members to di sreqard the di recti ons cn thel cii Ii cers.
Reverend A.Cf:oburn, iounq rec:tor of St_lames Epi scopal Churcri, spoke
about the situation from the pulpit. 1_Isi nq anal oqi es to the war,
apprn:npri ate fri:nrn cnne who vol unteecd tn:n be a ml ii tar! i::hapl ai n, Coburn
i::n:irnpared “bl eedi nq Danbur” tn: “61 cciii nq 8e1 qi urn” and i mn 1 ored stn kers
to “qet toqether and show the won ii we
are
nn:nt si an::kers.” He went n:nn tn:n
tell his conqreqati on that the onl i. si:nl uti on tc’ labor unrest i ri Danbur! was
di ren::t ne ol ti at ions between E:Ianbuftj bniSses
termed “home rul e.”
(2o).
and
Danbuni.i workers, what he
Reverend Walter Shanl e’, the fi rerq pastn:nr n:if
St Peters l::athn:n ii c: Chunn::r, whn:n never hesi t ated to wn te n:’r speak about
sui::h pubi in:: I ssues as temperann::e and qamnb ii nq turned his attenti i:nn tn: the
•.
strike. In an open letter to the Danbur!J Eveni nq News he casti qated Martin
Lawl er for drawi nq a hi qh sal ar as a uni n:nn exn::euti ye wri Ic 1 n:ii::al wn:;rkers,
mari! 01 them his pat—i :E;r,oniers, suffered. He j udqed that “never in Danbur
have the work:ers expressed qreaten i ndi qnati on aqai mist the officers than
at present.” These blunt senti mnents also found expressi on in his Sundat
�1o
sermons. One 11 fe—i onq Danburq resident remembered t hat Shani eqs
remarks provoked Jeremi ah Scull
,
the Presi dent of the Hat Makers urn on,
to the unheard of ac:ti on of speaki nq out in protest from hi s pew before
:3tal kinq out of mass.(2 1 :
More damaqi nq than words was the belated action of the other members of
the Hat Manufacturers Assi:n::i at i on who on June 1 6 vot cii
ti:’
ci cisc thei r
plants rather than ac:cept a contract based on the sell i riq ph ce In
announcinq their decision in an open letter to the press the !ssoi::iation
indic:ted the national offic:ers for poiic:ies that benefited them but not the
workers wrii:i ‘were fi:irc:ed to I cave the ci tq of fi nil work. T heq label ed
the current stn ke as a “death blow to Danbur’.”(22)
Union officials fouqht back. Mar—tin Lawl or deni cii that he ever c:onsl dered
“sacri fi c:i nq” the Lee p1 ant and deni:iunc:ed Father Shanl ey as a I onq t i me
apol oqi st for the mnanuf at::turers. The mi:st ci i:iquent uni on repi q ‘was the
c:onti nued support of the rank: arid file.
On
June 2 1 after three hours of
heated di sc:ussi on at Ci tq Hall where more than 1 000 members amme’ the
meet i nq roi:rn ,spi 11 ed out i nt ci the hal 1 waqs, and even sat ‘:in the i::i:iurt
rai ii nq and i:ln the j ude%beni::h the 1 arqest ever mneeti nil
,
union vi:;ted
ti:i
i:if
the Hat Makers
support the national position ani not pursue separate
neq:t i ati ons with the Danbur’ fa::t:irf ‘wners. The f:l 1 i:iwi nq da’ the Hat
Finsriers
with t::onsiderabl! less enthusiasm arid urnt!, foll:wed suit. On1i
226 of the 400 members who attended the meeti nq c:ast ballots and 42
votes were rei::orded in opposition to the national position. (:
�11.
The response of Lee and his associates to the hatters solidarity was
direct. Lee leased the abandoned Geltaire factory, a small wooden
structure on
North Main Street, and began to hire workers regardless of union
affiliation. He announced to prospective employees that, although he
would never deal with a national union , he would be willing to arbitratre
all issues with a local union. Lee advertised his South Street factory for
sale in the New York city newspapers and he started negotiations with
Norwalk businessmen about opening a factory there. The three other struck
firms also reopened on an open shop basis. In August all four incorporated
as the United States Hat Company and with capitalization of one million
dollars became the largest hat company in the district responsible for
more than half of the local output. (24)
As hatters, some of them union members, began to file into the factories
of Lee and his partners the union escalated the tension by opting to picket
what they termed the “foul shops.” Although union leaders were careful to
decry violence and boasted that they did not use force in labor disputes
there is some indication that this strike was not entirely peaceful. Of
course there is no direct evidence of this in the local newspaper always
concerned about Danbury’s reputation. The press recorded peaceful marches
of hatters carrying American flags up Main Street to the Lee plant.
However Kenneth Hanna, the son of the then City Clerk, recalls that verbal
abuse and frequently rocks were hurled by strikers at men who crossed the
picket lines.(24) The terse newspaper report that Lee shot at a prowler
near his home at the height of the strike takes on added significance in the
context of his daughters description of her father sleeping with a gun
�12
under his pillow t this time, hivinq the qrounds of his home illuminited,
arrangi nq tor Danburq p01 i cc to st aq overni qht at the I arm, and
Wi thdrawi nq hi s children from St Peters school to protei::t them from
phqsicil hrm nd from the tunts
0?
“scib” hurled bLI the r
ci assmates (2%)
The hardeni nq f pi:isi ti ofls i n the current strike occ:urreI qii nst the
backdrop of the denouement of the Danburi Hatters case, a qraphi c
remi rider of the resourceful ness and deterrni nation of the open shop
advo,::ates. After 1 4 !Jears
i:if
I eqal manuveri nq whi i::h 1 ni::l uded twi:i
‘:;uiterfle u:urt hearinqs, the $240,000
li1rrin
;
assessed aqairist the union
was si::hedui cii fi:r paiment in Jul ij, 1 9 1 7 Wi th the rnoneLI to tie ral sed bq
the auction of the homes of 247 Cor,nec:ti c:ut members of the LIril ted
Hatters, mi:ist
i:if
whi:irn lived in Danburi. The forc:ed sale
i:if
these
resi deni::es, whi i::h had been under attai::hmnent si rice 1 903, reai::ried the
staqe where the auction date was pucized and each propert described
in the 1 ocal press befi:ire it was canc:el cii when the Amen c:an Federati on of
Labi:ir paid the bl ‘:‘i:i’i rnorieLI” as Marti n Lawl i:ir desi::ni bed
it
(26)
Frank Lee and other Danburq busi nessmen who wanted to free themsel yes
from the power cit organized 1 ab’:ir hail eaqer allies in the Manufacturers
Assoc:iati on of I::onnecti cut and its affiliates: the Fm rfiel 1 Couritq
Empl i:iters Asscii::i ati i:in, The Hart f i:ird Ciunti Manufai::turers Assiji::i at 1 on,
arid the 6ridgeport Manufacturers Association.
assi:n::iation dei::ided
ti:i
In
1917 the state
qo beLIi:ind its traditii:inal ri:ile as a ieqislative
�13
watchdog for business interests to become an agressive promoter of the
open shop. Spearheading this anti-union drive was Clarence V.Whitney, a
Hartford industrialist whose hatred of organized labor was so strong that
the President of the Association decribed him in 1919 as someone who
regretted “that the action taken by Governor Coolidge of Massachusetts and
by Judge Gary in connection with the steel strike has not been taken by
Connecticut manufacturers.” (27) When Whitney was searching for ways to
mobilize the state Association his attention focused on the fight that Lee
and his colleagues were making to establish the open shop in Danbury.
Named to head a special Danbury Committee of the Manufacturers
Association Whitney provided a number of curcial services to the local hat
firms.
Most important the Manufacturers Association helped overcome the
fragmentation and isolation of the Danbury industrialists. On September
13, 1917 the Fairfield County Employers Association met with local
businessmen at the Hotel Green. At this gathering Whity and others gave
glowing testimony to the patriotic nature of the open shop. Lee, McLachlan,
and W.Harry Green pledged their dedication to giving workers “the liberty
to work to their full potential.” Other Danburians pledged their support.
Reverend Coburn, for example, said that he was willing to “temporarily
alienate workingmen” in order to’t the open shop. (26) One month
later a Danbury branch of the Fairfield County Employers Association
headed by Arnold Turner, a maker of hat machinery, was formed. At the
first session of the new group a stream of out of town speakers promised
�14
thesuGP5it of the state Association and predicted that this new approach
would remove “Danbury’s unsavory reputation as a labor town. Walter
Drew, an attorney retained by the state Association to help build a Danbury
employers organization, captured the revivalistic tone of the meeting
when he intoned” I believe the light is breaking over the hills of Danbury’s
bringing “a new era that would see Danbury safe for democracy.” (29) The
Manufacturers Association then took its message to the public by
underwriting a half—page advertisment in the local newspaper that
reprinted Elbert Hubbard’s 1910 article from the ycrofters entitled “The
Closed or Open Shop” (30)
In addition the Manufacturers Association subsidized the services of savvy
lawyers who presented the Danbury employer’s’postion in the best light
before courts and government agencies. Ralph O.Wells, a Hartford attorney
retained by the state Association since 1912, argued persuasively that the
War Labor Board, sympathetic to organized labor, had no jurisdiction over
labor matters in the Danbury hat industry. (31) Wells, as counsel for the
United States Hat Company, obtained an injunction from the Superior Court
in Bridgeport to curtail picketing near Lee’s plant and handled the
contempt proceedings against John O’Hara, Secretary-Treasurer of the Hat
Makers union for allegedly violating this injunction. (32)
One benefit to Danbury hat manufacturers of the alliance with like minded
state industrialists is easier to allege than it is to prove. On numerous
occasions hat union officers asserted that striking hatters were
discriminated against when they sought work in Bridgeport munitions
�15
factories during the summer of 1917. In particular it was claimed that
Remington Arms instructed all hatters who applied for positions to “go
back to Danbury and go to work.” John O’Hara went further and reported to
Secretary of Labor William Wilson that hostile Bridgeport employers
maintained a blacklist that forced hatters to accept employment in
Danbury open shops. (33) Ultimately this charge was relayed to the War
Department but there is no indication that any investigation was made.
However it is strange that hatters in large numbers were forced to take
menial jobs on the railroad and on farms if positions in war plants had
been available to them. (34)
The Manufacturers Association’s determination to nurture the open shop
movement in Danbury continued into the postwar period. The.field
Secretary of the Association and a special counsel spent much of their
time in 1919 in Danbury attempting to unify the business community
behind what they referred to as a system of “industrial democracy.” One of
their accomplishments was to help establish the Danbury Boosters Club at
whose weekly luncheons the advantages of the open shop could be
proclaimed. (35) When Frank Lee and Harry McLachlan decided in 1919 that
it would be prudent to purchase a vacant hat factory rather than let it
reopen as a closed shop the Association provided a loan of $20,000 as a
gesture of encouragement. (36) Testimony to the importance of the
Manufacturers Association’s assistance to the open shop in Danbury was
given by Frank Lee at the 1919 meeting of the state group. At that time
Lee paid tribute to Clarence Whbitney as the one who “has inspired me in
�16
the Open Shop propoganda more then any other member of the Association1”
and then added significantly 9 dare say there was a time and a period in
my open shop propoganda when, if it hadn’t been for Clarence Whitney, I
might have weakened, but fortunately we continued on.” (37)
The most effective strategy used by Lee and other open shop employers to
“continue on” with their anti-labor campaign in the postwar years was to
exploit Danbury’s very dependance on the hatting industry, dramatized by
the city’s experience of being cut off
0 from the wartime economic
boom. On August 6, 1918 a group of 25 prominent local businessmen met to
form a corporation whose purpose was to attract diversified industry to
the city. The Danbury Industrial Commission ultimately played an
Important role in revitalizing Danbury’s economy in the 1940’s and 50’s
following the collapse of hatting, but in the early years it was primarily a
mechanism to counteract what Arnold Turner, one of the founders of the
organization, termed Danbury’s “bad press about labor problems.” Three of
the five officers of the company were hat executives including Lee and
McLachlan. Lee served as the first President of the Industrial Commission
until his death in 1937. His interest in the corporation was clear from his
comments at the original meeting when he expressed willingness to
subsidize the construction of a modern factory building that could be
rented to relocating industries. However this offer was valid, he
emphacized, only if the community welcomed the newcomers with “the
proper spirit.” It is apparent from the type and number of industries
brought to the city by the Industrial Commission that to Lee “proper spirit”
meant “hostility to unions.” (38)
�17
Aqal nst this powerful business attai::k the IJrn ted Hatters had meaqre
weapons. Theq forqed an & Tiini.:. of c:on’y’enj ence Wi th the bull di nq trades
represented bq the canburq Central Labor Lini oFsorneth1 n’ the hatters
I t:ical s had shunned for manq qears The c:onvent ion of the c:onriei::tl cut
Federat i on of Labor was hel d I n Eantiuri in I 9 1 7 provi di nq a psicho1 oqi cal
boost and a propoqanda platform where state deleqates were urqed to
honor the unl on 1 abel (39) Urn on 0111 Cl al s orchestrated a modest letter
wri ti riq c:ampai qn t ci c:ount er the 1:: 1 al ms of the manuf act urers that en open
shop pal ii hi her waqes and provi tied more sati sfi nq worki nq
c:ondi ti ons.(4cie Fac:e to fai::e meeti nqs betwen the United Hatters national
President and Danburq manufacturers in JanuarW and Februarq 1 9 1 5 fail cii
to break the i mpasse.(4 1 Probabl q the most prudent uni on tac:t ii:: was to
perrni t members to work i n all oien shop factori es exc:ept those ownei b!J
Lee McLachl an
arid Lireen even thouqh
product I on cpac:1 t!. 6j the end
&,
t:if Auqust
c:ontrol 1 cii 57: of the local
1 9 1 7 all t:tther Dariburq hat
companIes had withdrawn from the Danburq Hat Manufacturers Assi:tci at i:in
and
had reai::hed a rm:idus vi vendi with the uni on.
Appeals to ci ass and racial fears that became rnl:tre e::<pl 1 i::i t as the 1 ahor
situation deteriorated were c:entral to the hatter3’strateqt. Martin Lawl or
tol tithe del eqates to the Connecti c:ut Federati on of Labor Meetiriq hel ii in
c’anri1ftj over Labi:’r Daq 1 n 1 9 1 7 that the ‘:‘pen shi:ip had
1 ured I nti:i the
c:ommunitij undesirable immiqrants with a lt:iwer standard of livinq and a
WI lii nqness t i: subordi nate themse I yes to mai::hi nes 1 n the hat fai::ti:rrl es. He
quaranteed that 1 oc:al merc:hants coul ii testi f’ to the “ri ft—raft of
outsi tiers” that
fl o’jded I nt o c:’anhurt.($2) When the Reverend Coburn
expressed s!JmPeth!J with the r:’pen shop the uni on advi seti hi m
�1 El
3irc:i5tj c1 I i to stirt
“open c:hpei
ifl
the vici niti !j
Of
5eaver Street
where the I atest aqui sit 1 on4o Danburs peaceful population live and work
in the open shopS” (43) F’atn ck 131 ntW, a j ourneqman, was more bi unt when
he charqed that the open shop had brouqht to Danburq a 1 ow class of
people... the scum of Europe.” (44.:
The most promi 51 nq source of support for the Danburq hatters was the
federal qovernment parti culari q the Department of Labor headed b!
Wi Iii am Wi 1 son, a former United Iii ne W’:irkers offi ci al The IJni ted Hat t ers
.
coni::] uded that I nterventi on of federal outhori t I es more sensi t ye t ci
1 abors p11 qht than an’ previous admi ni strati on who, I n addition, were
eaqer to auel 1 an labor troubi es that marred the war effort would be to
their advintaqe. Yet on two occasions, in August 1 ‘El 1 7 and in April 1 9 1
,
federal mediators failed to bri nq the fuedi nq parties together. When the
National War Labor 8oard in Jul q, 1 9 1 El ruled that it was not appropriate
for them to intervene in a strike that did not di rectl q effect the conduct
of the war the c:ause of the union was doomed.
i:tri qi nal l! it was a worn cii ci t! government rather than the hatters union
that turned ti:’ Washi n ti:in fi:ir assi stani::e. When a Ci ti zens Ci:immi ttee
authorized bq the Ci tq i::citric:i I and appointed bq Ac:ti nq Maor Mi c:haelU
Sullivan was unable to budqe the twi:i :31 des after several cii Fit meet i nqs
desperate
ci ci erk I3eorqe Hanna asked the Labor Department
to send a
1.
mcdi at or to Danbur’. (45) 1 n respi:inseAl3eneral Robert McWade, an
experi eni::ed di p1 ornate whi: had been the i::i:insul qeneral I n Chi na, orri ve’i
�it
•
•
•.•
19
in early August 1917 only to find that neither managme4nt or labor
welcomed his presence. However after a series of meetings McWade
concluded that it was the intransigence of the hat manufacturers that
prolonged the strike. In a press conference before his departure and in his
off ical report to the Labor Department he portrayed labor as willing “to go
as far as the limits would allow to settle the matter” while he
characterized the owners as stubborn and hostile. His final verdict was
that Lee and asociates had acted unfairly in trying to take advantage of the
war emergency. (46) Possibly because McWade sided so strongly with the
union-—United States Hat Company attorney Ralph Wells judged that he did
“not impress the manufacturers as in any sense an impartial or open
minded concillatol,” he was unable to bring the strike to an end. (47)
Encouraged by Mcwade’s evaluation the hat union was responsible for
injecting the Labor Department into the local scene for a second time in
the Spring of 1918 after an attempt to apply community pressure misfired.
In October 1917 the United Hatters circulated a petition urging that the
strike be settled and Danbury’s factories be operated “under union
conditions.” This statement, signed by 300 persons including all elected
city officials and 86 others who identified themselves by their small
business or profession, argued that non union factories have attracted
workers “that are not of a type or class to which Danbury is accustomed,
and whose standard of living is far lower than that of Danbury citizens.”
a
To underscore the claim that loyal Amencans
idle while undeserving
.
foreignersimployed over 50 of the signers added such phrases as “son
in army,” “boy in army,” after their names. (48)
�U
When public pressure fi 1 ed
ti:i
Hit r1k:ers uni on f or’vrd1the
cover letter requestinq
hudqe the mmiuftcturers John OHr of the
peti
ti on to Secretrq of Lobor Wi 1 son with
federol investiqtion of the unpatrioitic
activities of the hat companies who flq the American flaqs over their
factori es that were purc:hased b! their 1 :ial workers who were then
locked out and replaced with aliens. (49) Once aqain, in April 191 E, a
federal mediator came to Daribur. The disqust of E.E. l3reenwalt after
meeti
nq with both sides was even more extreme than that of his
predec:essor. Li ke Mi::Wade he found the uni on cooperative anil manaqement
t—i qi ii,
““so posi ti YC
1 fl
the r assert i ons” t hat he coW d make no headwaq. For
the rei::ord he stated that in hi 5 j udqement owners took: advantaqe of
unsettled c:ondi ti ons to irovoke the strike and for self I sh reasi:ins thei
were pro] onqi nq it to the detriment of the communi t!j. (50)
jtD
Al thouqh two federal mciii ators had been ineffective in
/
labor was heartened that both aqreed t theq were
manaQemerits resolve to establish the open shop in [:‘anbur. Therefore
after alm,:st a gear on strike and with n!:t siqn ‘:‘f weakinq of the resi:ilve
i:’f
Lee and associates, the United Hatters in desperation aqai n souqht federal
intervention this time with a charqe that the strike was di srupti
nq
the
conduct of the war. Admitting that the hat facti:iries themselves had few
qovernmnent i::i:intrai::ts the union
that a blai::klist existed whii::h
prevented hatters frt:mn f I ndi nq empi i:ument I n the 6ri dqepi:rt war
i ndust n es and that manaqement was i mport I nq “al i en enemi es to work
“
in
the i:rpen shops i n Daanburq. (5 1) The Nat i onal War Labi:r 6oard ii i i::t:insent
�t:i
hold heari nqs in Washi nqton and asked both si des to f 11 e bri ef s but I n
the end failed to take anq action on the qrounds that what was hapeni nq
in Danburq did not hinder the conduct of the war—.(52)
With that terse rulinq the ossibi1itq that Qovernment mlqht restablish
Danbur’ as a union town disappeared. The open shop factones prospered.
6oth Lee and McLachl an boasted to the press in 1 91 9 that thei had so much
business the were eaqer to hire an’ hatter mmcdi atel q. (53) The
rlanulac:turers Association with satisfaction, rated the industrlal scene
I r Danbur a few !.lears later as 96 normal and 25: above the averaqe for
the entire state. (54) Si mu] taneousl q pressure mounted amon local union
mernberto face real i t and lift the restri cti oris aqa nst empi oment in
open shoi factories. In Januar
1 922 both the Hat Finishers local 1 0 and
the Hat Makers loc:al 11 with the bl eSSI nqs of the national exec:uti ye
board of the United Hatters voted to permit
-i
rnernDers to accept
obs I n al 11 oc:al factories. (55) c:fantut—i. was no 1 onqer a I abor stronqho Id.
The United Hatters of North Amen ca locals in Danburt were as muc:h
IIpjfl.:;
of World War I as
ani
battlefield casualties. What is more the
union never reqained its influential postion in the economic life of the
c:ommuni tq. When the depression of the 1 930s and the support of the New
Dee1] revi tall zed the I abor movement the hat i ndustrt n E:’aribur had bequn
its rapid sI ide to exti nc:ti on.E;q 1 90 1 ess than 20:of the Cl tq vor.:: force
vias sti 11 enaqed In hatti nm rom call g it was Danbunis new reputation as
an cipen shop town that contributed to its e,::onomic: :urv1val. Mani of the
apro::i mnate.1
fi ft C:Omflpafli Cs that settled i ml Danbur between 1945 and
I 960 were attracted b! a pool of non union factor’ yorkers.
�
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PDF Text
Text
Historians
characterize
labor.Union
membership
Gomper’s
the first World
increased
support
the first appearance
of an 1merican
of Labor
elevated
Wilson
convention,
administration.
the steel
The
industry,
labor during
Hatters.
year objective
A bitter strike against
administration,
lasted
members
could
explore
the way
Danbury
from
1,Two
work
a union
respected
labor problems,
Here:The
University
War
Press
forces
and
258—63;
(NY:Harper
Strike
,
though
factories.
and local
shop
treatment.
Robert
Ferrell
progress
provoked
wishes
by
of the
conceded
This paper
that
its
will
transformed
town,
front, though
Kennedy,
(New
Woodrow
1985)192—196.David
(Philadelphia:
temporary,
,
to accomplish
responses
David
Society
to
of
hat firms,
the union
on the home
American
and Row:
of 1919
by
of the United
expressed
when
to an open
of the war
War
1980)
Crisis: The Steel
the real
1922
typify this positive
First World
the influence
non—union
national
surveys
14917—1921
indicate
until
town
circumstances
to the publicly
stronghold
made
an exeption
was
industry
four of the largest
in all local
in which
such
some
made
Connecticut
wartime
of curtailing
contrary
the
fact that
The
of progress
the amount
in Danbury,
used
in 1917,
with
labor to achieve
of unions
by
Federation
status
industries.
in this single
people
Samuel
1918.(1)
industry
22,000
management
Wilson
and
Hat manufacturers
approximately
their twenty
indicates
1917
fate of the hatting
this pattern.
enemy
soared.
effort, symbolized
to favored
enabled
backing
an implacable
wages
at an American
President
Government
to organized
for the war
the organization
to their workers,
concessions
organized
and
goals as the eight hour day in many
long sought
even
as a boon
substantially
of unqualified
strategy
War
not ignoring
Over
York :Oxford
Wilson
Brody,
and World
Labor
J.B.Lippincott,1965)50—65
in steel
jg.
�_______
The
hatting
industry
Connecticut ,New
firms
with
met
equally
that engaged
limited
chaotic.
38 businesses
directly
organization
in Danbury
Association
appalled
E.A.Mallory
who
problem
“had insufficient
they were
more
David
8ensman,
19th
Century
provides
conduct
.
Factory
IDID
.LIJI,
‘
Association
listed
or
provided
which
Danbury
to the statewide
was
Inspection
and Sethel
was
by
set up
absentee
was
hat firms
of Connecticu
organization
cooperation”among
sent
that the
businessmen
their joint ends
because
one another.
of Solidarity:American
University
of Illinois Press,
description
Hat Finishers
1985).
in
Bensman
of the structure
and
in America.
Documents,
1918,
Report
of the Department
of
,pp9l.92.
Association
of Connecticut,
Report
a
on the trade
the scene
The rivalry among
and perceptive
Public
Inspection
center
of unity was
and abil ity to serve
The Practice
(Urbana:
of hatting
Maru±acturer’s
desire
to create
notable
“insufficient
or less knifling
a complete
Connecticut
was
Efforts
The most
reported
he found
to medium
either hat factories
of Danbury
I had
small
order
of Factory
of the Manufacturer’s
who
impose
hatting
semblance
members.
Company.
a field agent
to the city in 1919
were
each
that were
to hattingome
many
price competition.
that could
War
cities in
it included
Department
in 1918
but not all firms
the sizable
Within
success((2)
the Hat Manufacture’s
major
in ruthless
The Connecticut
related
in 1903
in a half dozen
York, and Pennsylvania
manufacturer’s
national
at the start of World
States
CLd
rationalization.
resisted
sized
in the United
of the Annual
Meeting
�3
The ability of factory
complicated
was
began
the United
of membership
such
local
those
who
performed
organizations
Trade
were
the hat makers,were
Cooperation
1896
was
unable
erratic
of the two
and
all these
immediate
the largest
and most
exclusively
of women
at each
factory,the
fraternit
As the scale of the industry
way
skilled
to national
tasks
to form
a national
prompted
local
about
was
the
America
Federation
of the Danbury
one—third
established
in
in
of Labor.
district
union
shop
1885.
of North
the American
represented
Hat Trimmers,
front until
Hatters
the
the Hat Finishers
in the back
of 1893
()iAnother
.
Representing
and curling,
forming
counterparts
into the United
with
unions.
of polishing
Their
the membership
who
the first hat union,
the rules and responsibilities
in i54.
influential
local
detail
..
affiliation
organizations
WaS
in the trade. in
of Hatters,
until the depression
groups
made
As early as 1791
of employment
the first to amalgamate
Association
hats were
unions.
Society
gave
the most
elite hat finishers
mereger
out in
in this artisan
grew
the terms
Assistant
to spell
the way
of established
to formalize
and True
established
National
to control
by the presence
journeymen
1800
owners
was
In
among
composed
of the work
and often
force
was
the
/
most
mil itant
presence
)
in the city (
S
-rf%4%.
•4t
(tcIqI
g
.0anbury
makers
Dana
graduate
Evening
residing
Frank
News
the Hat Trimmers
4,1909
) lists 1303
finishers
and
1350
in the city.
“Hard
paper,
(February
in Hat Town:The
Times
History
Department
position
was
Danbury
Yale University
too extreme
Lockout
(1981)
for their male
of 1893—94”
shows
how
associates.
b%bOI4
�4
The
labor unrest
ending
that exploded
its three
years
of neutrality
put it “The city has been
on one side, union
Finishers
just as the United
‘dead—locked’
a major
for yars
with
was
observer
hat manufactuerers
The Hat Makers
and the Hat
to their job security.
threat
States
roots1 As one astute
had deep
labor on the other’.(B)
faced
each
in Danbury
Mechanization
in
i ac
iiM’
by the addition
the backshop
in fewer
consisted
McLachlan
hit on the scheme
completed
in small
firms
the Industrial
of Danbury
half of the capactity
in New
export.(9)
of Commerce
factories
on these
of the pace
issues
was
being
and others
the director
more
finished
rough
of
than
elsewhere
hats for
like apprenticeship
hatters
be
Danbury
estimated
manufactured
of work——Danbury
that would
more
By 1917
the
Harry
hat bodies
technique.
City. Nine factories
York
Sensitivity
and regulation
production
lessened
when
all over the country
shops
of the Chamber
Bureau
1892
rough
to fabricate
machines
of the Finishers
In the case
hats toinish. Since
“buck-eye”
to this mass
turned
mostly
ad—blowln’
on the skills of the Makers.
dependance
menace
of forming
enforced
rules,
the “stint”
r
or acceptable
and a 21
work
week
1903,
because
v.Lawler)
effective
involved
in 1909
in a 16 week
as well
lockout
as numerous
of the labor confrontations
not only because
the Supreme
(Loewe
stoppage
The frequency
interruptions.
since
output——were
days
Court’s
local
management
decision
had deprived
was
in the famous
the United
Hatters
in 1893—94
shorter
had
increased
better
organized,
Danbury
Hatters
of the boycott,
but
Case
it s most
weapon. (10
8. E.C.Ginty
to Editor,July
16,1917
contained
in files of National
War
Labor
tb-t
Board,
National
Archives.Ginty
after the settlement
true situation
sent
of the Hatters
in Danbury.
Ginty
a series
Case
to Danbury
of letters
in an effort
Evening
to many
to inform
News
(June
newspapers
them
of the
r
�June
Telegram
pri1
3,12,1915;
30,1917).
9.Ginty
to Editor,
10.The
best treatment
July 16,1917,
of war
impact
1948).
Hatting
both
prosperity.
was
Yet workers
cost of living fueled
consumer
United
Hatters
prices
that would
Danbury
in this stagnant
To provide
industry
did not share
sectors
contract
in war
suffered
relief the Executive
on May
1, 1917
must
on
for labor
and received
few
irduced
from
the high
and shortages
Committee
to replace
of
of the
the bill of
p5
expire
Spotlight
and opportunities
in other
wages
Robinson
pp 201—208.
industry
that the annual
decided
is Donald
not a vital war
by inflated
products.
Case
the problems
contractt eet1y
government
5
See also Bensman,
magnified
and management.
NWL8
of the Hatters
(NY: Dial Press,
a Union
The
to Bridgeport
Gnty
7, 1917);
22,26,28,July
be tied to the selling price
LV
0+
hats rather
was
far from
hats since
1902
and
up union
leaders
The war
placed
were
hats was
They
employer
a departure
to arbitration
worried
as rabbitt
granting
important
with
the position
strike. Normally
situation
prices
were
also. Raw
dyes,
without
led by Frank
an opportunity
wages
and therefore
Fr.Kennedy
went
for civilian
increase
owners
that linking
to
year.
that this was
by the so called
gs3ture
the demand
three
past practices
f or soft hats
fur and chemical
a price
this
for stiff
as hat prices
for an entire
in the city, sensed
took
increases
in the service
about
costs. More
as provided
the 1909
men
standard
a reasonable
in a difficult
Europe,such
2 million
With
the union. They
price was
settled
from
their exact
the largest
wage
prices
officials
for remuneration
they considered
to freeze
of union
the pricing
as the basis
the hat manufacturers
weak.
knowing
break
agreed
In the eyes
been
fears of constant
imported
scarce.
In what
costs.
having
introduced
contract.
managements
materials
proposal
a radical
in the 1916
offset
the production
than
negotiated
Lee,
to
t the selling
had to be subject
agreement
annually
1#%
that
by local
u,...ei-- ‘.
�shop
committes.
national
issue
Hatters
succinct
of North
Board,Record
America
Group
thought
of the expiration
of the cities oldest
selling
3. Lee
emerged
as the most
who
raised
was
his own
knowing
respect
,former
partnership
had recently
of the Hat Makers
with
me
a Scotch
with
taken
immigrant
1909
also began
force
away
at the peak
from
Along
at the bench
of that venerable
it would
their
f or Lee by telling
and the son of John
though
buster
Even
fair and honest.°(12)
that the strike had already
his work
union
his respect
mean
cost him
News
(February
Harry
and who
was
W. Green
who
compan,Lee
economic
loss.
a half million
by one half. (14)
7, 1937)contains
us but in
with
Jc 50) Lr7
Evening
steel
and grossed
and earning
that Lee ‘has gone
to 1914,
a strike.(13)even
—
13. Danbury
who
showed
starting
a modern
to the community.
over the management
in 1919
and reduced
union
he has been
Lee from
to provoke
Lee admitted
Scully
had
before
workers
an unlikely
the
of ten children
a hatter
by their first name
and generosity
who
he constructed
Lee was
one
followed
members,
1,100
a few
on the
based
The youngest
he became
employed
Jeremiah
Labor
E.A.Mallory,
ut most
and union
that in 1916
of his employees
War
labor. Within
1, 1917
followed.
In 1909
in business.
is United
National
,
a contract
foes of unions.
farm
sides
et.al
on May
in 1886.
dollars
6
to challenge
signed
journeymen
agressive
President
dealing
McLachlan,
dollars
companies
for his honesty
a gathering
decided
smaller
factory
most
of tension
every
firms,
in 8ethel
over 2.5million
wise
and largest
on a Connecticut
factory
and concrete
it was
accepted
Archives.
of the old contract
price. Several
lead of Frank
H.Lee Company
2, File 15, National
that a
(Ii)
of the issue on both
v. Frank
responded
arbitraticn,an
relations.
statement
Not all manufacturers
days
to local
in labor—management
IL The most
Hatters
of the United
not be subject
could
interpretation
II
10 and
Locals
an elaborate
in
�obiturary
of Lee
History
; Danbury
of Fairfield
biographical
sketch
Meeting,1919,p.39;
The
Group
conclusion
the union
Labor
Council
that he employed
in Danbury
State
Industrial
Library.
persons.
on the strike with
besides
the intention
union
that the purposeof
the United
and destroy
Federation
the strike
of America.”
Hatters
of hurting
officials
E.C.Gint’ told the Connecticut
in 1917
On January
of
was
(15)
The two
“4
mediators
dispatched
the parties
together
cooperation
by the Department
praised
“the manifestly
of Labor
the union
nature
and for the way
they
whatsover”with
the union. E.E.Greenwalt,
superiors
“that the burden
that now
ibtains
manufactureres
considering
industrial
interests
refuse
trouble
in my
unable
to officially
judgement,
deal
in frustration,
mental
on arbitration,
in any manner
reported
f or the regrettable
rests upon
the shoulders
precipitated
the conditions
of the world
that has brought
incalcuable
to bring
for their
of their position
of responsibility
in the community
who,
were
for their ‘antagonistic
absurd”
“stubbornly
who
representatives
and villified management
condition”,
reason,
for a
of Annual
of Defense,
just 214
Contemporaries
his motivation.
to crush
Wilson,
Lynn
pp300—303
Report
64, Connecticut
that Lee brought
meeting
“simply
State
29, 8ox
is inescapable.
recognized
of Connecticut,
Connecticut
Lee reported
22,1918
30,1917)
(June
of McLachalan.
Association
Record
News
(Hartford:S.J.Clarke,1929)
County
14. Manufacturers
Sruvey,
Evening
without
sitiatuon
of the
sufficient
and our country,
harm
to his
an
to the business
of the community.”(16)
15. Danbury
Evening
Connecticut
Federation
16. Robert
McWade,US
8.Wilson,Secretary
(September
Conciliation
News,
September
fL bcr..Annual
Commissioner
RG 280;
Ecad—+- the
Neeting,1917.
of Conciliation,
of Labor,”Adjustment
20,1917) ;Department
Service,
6,1917;
of Danbury
of Labor,
33/585;
Federal
Danbury
to William
Hatters
Mediation
Evening
News,
Strike”
and
August
�8,ffl191?;
E.E.Greenwalt,’Preliminary
Ccnci1iation’
Board
April
27,1918,
RG 2, File 15, 33/1199;
Department
Danbury
Report
of the Comfnissioner
of Labor,
Evening
National
News,
April
War
0+
Labor
19, 1918.
�8oard
Danbury
RG 2, File 15, 33/1199;
The United
Hatters
recognized
position
in the community
contract
expired
Evening
that this was
and were
wary
and negotiations
were
News,
April
a direct
19 1918.
challenge
in their response.
stalled
to their
When
on the issue
the
of mediation
from
the four factories
controlled
by Lee,
May
16, 1917
but permitted
their members
to
work
in the other
factories
run by members
Manufacturer’s
Association.
the union
withdrew
the label
and Greenon
McLachlan
continue
immediately
signed
a new
the selling price with
firms
two
who
were
weeks
men
of close
the discipline
(600
employees)
f or
single. Although
dollars
dollars
far below
a week
linked
was
to
smaller
organization.Within
strike benefits
at the rate of seven
the union
and several
of the hat manufactuer’s
Hat
to the employees
per week
for married
the normal
earnings
this financial
support
of
tightened
of the union.(17)
special
assesment
1917
the bill of prices
to distribute
to twenty
Evening
both
where
E.A.Mallory
firms
17. Danbury
IO
their creditbility
contract
the union began
and five dollars
hatters
To strengthen
not members
of the four target
of the Danbury
and
in the following
1918.
News,
June
7,1917.
on all local s
In 1917
30 when
sent
to idle workers
in the city. United
New
York
Account
University,
Books,
Hatters
to pay strike benef its
the amount
year until June
The United
paid out was
benefits
Hatters
1915—1922,
Box
$4,344.23
Taimiment
55.
a
in Danbury
$137,546.68
stopped
Papers,
placed
in
while
was
Library,
�)t2
Discipline
union
and
needed
was
rules was
for adherence
soon
tested;
hats” Lee threatened
parlance
operations
referred
challenge
a Committee
response;
a wedge
of the policies
to keep
former
publicly
agreed
with
should
be decided
Martin
Lawlor
sacrifice
Low,
Local
a Lee employee
management
by local
who,Low
striking
and were
in Danbury.
that the issue
arbitration
claimed,
and member
had stated
for the principle
News
June
19,20,21.
workers
adamant
that he was
of attaching
were
about
Connolly,
Connecticut
“might
kill
Secretary
willing
wages
a
Labor
of 8,
like all others
national
or
in” showed
Patrick
of prices
who
as “more
of the Committee
and attacked
price; (18)
Evening
indulged
that the loss of the Lee factory
the Lee factory
18.Danbury
were
and an ex
in
on a suitable
News
Evening
leadership
in
Lee’s employees
Hatters
ranks; Some
operating
of the Hat Makers
Herbert
Danbury.”
“personalities
of
and to shift
among
the United
idle
factory——
or possibly
by the Danbury
of the national
warned
in Danbury
with
into union
the Lee factory
Secretary
Copmmissioner
selling
described
and one where
that Lee had thrust
the need
plant
consternation
his factory
modern
his huge,
open
shop
to national
the manufacture
as “the big plant”——
of 8 to confer
less acrimonious”
from
to simply
produced
This meeting
critical
close
locals
of seeing
to be driven
to permanently
to a smaller
Norwalk .This
formed
five weeks
that “he did not mean
vowing
town
fter
of the Danbury
to
to the
�Criticism
critical
of the union
of local
comments
in Norwalk
that depicted
predicting
that “Kaiser
disregard
rector
pulpit. Using
to be a military
Belgium”
implored
not slackers.”
He went
in Danbury
and Danbury
workers,
to speak
gambl ing
,
Evening
salary
as a union
parishoners,
expressed
was
Danbury
Jeremiah
about
one who
local
He judged
that “never
against
reembered
that the only solution
to
Danbury
the President
who
out in protest
from
never
and
letter to the
for drawing
a high
of them
have
his
the workers
than at present.”
in his Sunday
his pew
Walter
as temperance
in Danbury
These
One
sermons.
remarks
of the Hat Makers
bosses
Reverend
many
that Shanley’s
the world
are
issues
the officers
expressions
to !bleeding
we
Church,
workers,
the
volunteered
Danbury”
between
Lawlor
to
from
to the strike. In an open
Martin
Bill
the situation
rule.” (20)
publ ic
hatters
and show
Catholic
such
while
also found
of speaking
“home
of St.Peter’s
indignation
resident
Scully,
he termed
as Kaiser
young
“bi eeding
negotiations
and
.C.Coburn,
from
to “get together
he castigated
suffered.
about
appropriate
direct
executive
greater
spoke
on to tell his congregation
what
News
local
Reverend
compared
his attention
blunt sentiments
action
Coburn
or write
turned
Danbury
time
to the war,
the fiery pastor
hesitated
Church
strikers
labor unrest
Shanley,
of their leaders.
chaplain,
and
urged
the
an ex—hatter
as “meddlesome”
to get a bad bump
in the community
publish
a letter from
leadership
is going
Lawlor
Episcopal
analogies
they printed
the national
the directions
of St. James
Not only did the newspaper
hatters
figures
is.”(19) Respected
grew.
stance
long
provoked
union, to the unheard
before
stalking
of
out of
mass.(21)
1CL(tt7
)
L
20 Danbury
Evening
News,
June
11,1917
21. Danbury
Evening
News,
June
16, 1917.
day,1986;
Shanley
and Lawl or
were
Kenneth
old antagonists.
Hanna
to author,
Shanley’s
no
talk at an
�early Chamber
of Commerce
insisted
that the organization
troubles
in Danbury
replies
angry
and counter
letter taking
Evening
him
News
to task
May
1l,19,2O25,
the Hat Manufacturer’s
plants
rather
announcing
than
strike
22. Danbury
Evening
said anything
judges
forced
as Ha death
officials
News,
fought
about
union
of heated
bench,
apologist
the support
unanimously
voted
to support
negotiations
with
the Danbury
with
of the 400
votes
were
considerably
members who
recorded
denied
charges
the manufacturer’s.
of the rank
of the Hat Makers
manufacturers.
less enthusiasm
attended
more
on the courthouse
the national
in opposition
label led
the
that he had ever
Father
The most
and file. On June
at City Hall where
meeting
but not the
the Lee plant and denounced
the building,sitting
the largest
them
(22)
Lawlor
for
discussion
the Association
ii-e
16, 1917
June
their
on the selling price. In
to Danbury.H
blow
members
to close
the city to find work.They
to leave
back. Martin
reply was
jammed
Finishers
16 voted
that benefited
for policies
11sacrificying
as a long time
members
on June
letter to the press
were
of this
a personal
of the other
in an open
current
hours
who
action
their decision
who
three
the belated
Association
union
him
of
a priest. Danbury
based
workers
eloquent
for criticizing
a contract
the national
Shanley
had written
salvo
1, 8, 1915.
June
was
labor
In the course
accept
indicted
Union
that Shanley
he
off an emotional
newspaper.
as a Catholic
than words
damaging
to the local
in which
and blaming
touched
agitators
revealed
13, 1915
not anti—union
was
outside
replies
Lawior
dialogue
More
on
on April
meeting
position
than
21
after
1000
railing and the
Association
and not pursue
separate
The next day the Hat
and unity followed
the meeting
to the national
cast ballots
policy. (as)
suit. Only
and
�sincerely
on North
never
deal
issues
with
a local
sale in New
york
businessmen
to hire
Evening
1’I
,some
what
to decry
avoided
force
was
June
of them
recorded
Street
recalls
union
violence
concerned
peaceful
about
marches
that verbal
abuse
with
other
all
for
Norwalk
struck
firms
all four
capitalization
of
in the district
August
members,
22,24,
began
escalated
1917.
to file into the factories
the tension
Although
by deciding
union
leaders
that the hatters
is some
is no
hint of this in the local
of hatters
Hanna,
and frequently
indication
reputation.
carrying
were
that this strike
Instead
American
to
always
there
the community’s
to the Lee plant. Kenneth
he
trade.C24)
and later boasted
There
advertised
was
and with
of
to arbitrate
basis. In August
hat factory
the “foul11 shops.
in labor disputes
that although
negotIations
Hat Company
22,25,26,27,
the union
not totally peaceful
always
States
wooden
regardless
be willing
shop
of
was
small
a
factory
“I
in the eyes
solidarity
there. The three
on an open
the largest
they termed
careful
Street
than half the local
News,
he would
that
J.Shanley.”
employees
he started
a factory
factories
of Lee and his partners
picket
and
opening
became
more
union
union. Lee’s South
newspapers
dollars
As workers
to prospective
a national
as the United
representing
Danbury
to the tter’s
and began
there
incorporated
Walter
Street,
announced
acidly remarked
condemned
of the Reverend
factory,
with
about
also re—opened
7/
do not stand
8eltaire
Main
would
Lawlor
the abandoned
affiliation.He
1 million
Unions
of Lee and his associates
direct. Lee leased
structure
1917.
2122
as they do in the eyes
response
union
June
that the Trade
hope
a just God
The
News,
Evening
23. Danbury
newspaper
the press
flags up Main
the son of the then City Clerk
rocks
were
hurled
by strikers
at
�Dt’
daughther’s
at this time,
Danbury
from
taunts
wall
description
having
police
the grounds
school
of “scabs”
with
hurled
to protect
sleeping
of his home
at the farm,
them
from
by their classmates
Josephine
later vividly recalls
of the barn saying
at a prowler
“We
Robinson,
note7ritten
will
March
near his home
in the context
significance
of her father
to stay overnight
St.Peter’s
Interview
years
on added
of the strike takes
height
that Lee shot
report
newspaper
terse
The
with
a gun under
floodlighted,
harm
of his
his pillow
arranging
for
his children
and withdrawing
physical
at the
and from
the
(1)
21,i987
in red letters
get your children!”
Mrs, Robinson)
y
nailed
70
on the
�the men
who
newspaper
crossed
the picket
that Frank
significance
from
it
Evening
Hanna
Lee shot at prowlers
in the lig
withdrawn
lines. A brief notation
News,
to author,1986;
on his farm
his daughter’s
school
because
June
with
takes
(,24
on added
recoflection
that she was
of her father’s
fear of union
30,July
Interview
in the September
2 September
24,19l7
Mrs. Josephine
Robinson,
Kenneth
March
21,
1987,
This heightened
tension
occurred
of the Danbury
Hatters
determination
of the open
appeals
included
which
damages
against
auction
most
was
the fine “blood
2L° William
two
Supreme
was
of 247
money”
Devlin,
We
reminder
Court
Crown
hearings,
members
that had been
newspaper
as Martin
the $240,000
each
since
by the
Hatters,
1903.
property
Federation
described
All :An
in July 1917
attached
where
and
of trials and
of the United
the American
Lawlor
Them
14 years
for payment
Connecticut
only when
of the denouement
of the resourcefulness
After
scheduled
in the local
canceled
the backdrop
advocates.
lived in Danbury,
auction,publicized
described3
a graphic
shop
the union
of the homes
of whom
case,
against
The
was
of Labor
paid
it. (25
I1lustrated
History
of Danbury
,,
(Wood 1 and
Hills, California:
summarizes
C
C...
Frank
from
C
Lee and other
the power
Manufacturer’s
County
(.
the case
Manufacturer’s
Danbury
the local
Association
who
of Connecticut
and the Bridgeport
Company,
1984)
pp.71—75
perspective.
wanted
labor had powerful
Association,
Association,
Publishing
businessmen
of organized
Employer’s
Association,
from
Windsor
and
the Hartford
Manufacturer’s
transformed
to free themselves
allies in the
its affiliates
County
Manufacturer’s
Association.
itself from
the Fairfield
In 1917
the
a staid businessman’s
)
�club into an agressive
prointer
state. Spearheading
Hartford
this open
industrialist,
of the Association
regretted
“that the action
Gary
Connecticut
the state
him
to head
Association
were
a special
Whitney
Danbury
provided
Whitney
Committee
o the
a
that the
as someone
who
of Massachusetts
was
and
taken
searching
focused
to establish
a number
so strong
strike has not been
his attention
making
V.Whitney,
Cool idge
the steel
When
was
in 1919
by Governor
with
in all parts
Clarence
described
organization
Lee and his colleagues
drive was
of unions
taken
in connection
democracy
hatred
manufacturers.”
revitalize
Named
shop
whose
President
by Judge
of industrial
by
f or ways
to
on the fight that
the open
shop
in Danbury.
of the Manufacturer’s
of crucial
services
to the local
hat
firms.
-
Most
-
important
fragmentation
13,1917
and
isolation
the Fairfield
businessmen
glowing
testimony
and W.Harry
workers
their support.
shop.(27)
One month
Employers
machinery,was
out of town
predicted
formed.
speakers
pledged
when
Walter
to help organize
he intoned
bringing
“
a new
the support
approach
as a labor town.
Association
by Arnold
would
Danbury,
“I believe
shop. Lee,
to permitting
Other
Turner,
to support
a maker
of this new
the open
of hat
group
a stream
of the state Association
“Danbury’s
an attorney
captured
the revival istic
see Danbury
and
by the state
tone of the
over the hills of
made
of
unsavory
retained
the light is breaking
era that would
Danburians
said that he was
in order
remove
Drew,
gave
of the Firfield County
At the first session
that this new
reputation
Danbury”
headed
branch
local
and others
of the open
workingmen”
later a Danbury
with
Whitney
for example,
the
On September
met
their commitment
Coburn,
alienate
Association
Association
to their full potential.”
Reverend
overcome
industrialists.
nature
pledged
“the liberty to work
helped
At this meeting
the patriotic
Green
willin)o “temporarily
meeting
Employer’s
Green.
about
Association
of the Danbury
County
at the Hotel
McLachlan,
pledged
the Manufacturer’s
safe for
�democracy.”
the public
Hubbard’s
Shop”
(28)The
Manufacturer’s
by subsidizing
1910
Association
a half—page
article from
advertisement
the Roycrofters
its message
that reprinted
entitled
“The Closed
the services
of savvy
to
Elbert
or Open
(29)
2. Danbury
Evening
News,
September
28. Danbury
Evening
News,
October
23, 1917.
29. Danbury
Evening
News,
October
24,1917.
The Manufacturer’s
who
then took
could
courts
Association
present
represented
over
US Hat Company,
Bridgeport
contempt
obtained
proceedings
Makers
unnuion
30. Ralph
O.Wells
Wells,”In
the Matter
States
against
to William
Hat Company,
O.Wells,
“The History
Connecticut
industry
a Hartford
ort W&r
in Danbury.
who
from
Lab1
uw-J
Wells,
argued
labors had no
as counsel
the Superior
Court
for the
in
near Lee’s plant. He also orchestrated
John
O’Hara,
violating
Secretary—Treasurer
this injunction.
L.Stoddard,
War
Labor
of the Danbury
Hat Strike”
July 10, 1918,
United
of the Manufacturer’s
(July 1925)
light before
attorney
to organized
<30)
p.6.
Board,
War
April
the
of the Hat
(21)
May
Memoradum
States
Board,National
Archives,
RG 2, File 15.
‘V
31. Danbury
Evening News, September
18,1917,
B.Sands,
in the best
lawyers
Se,ce i9r
an injunction
picketing
for allegedly
position
highly sympathetic
labor matters
to curtail
Ralph
Association
that the Board,
jurisdiction
employers
agencies.
the state
persuasively
subsidized
the Danbury
and government
13,1917
20, 1918;
for the United
Labor
18,1918;
Association:The
Anna
War
Years”
�One benefit
to Danbury
industrialists
occasions
businessmen
is easier
hat union
discriminated
to allege than
officers
against
during
the summer
Remington
Arms
instructed
to Danbury
to Secretary
William
maintained
a blacklist
employment
in Danbury
relayed
to the War
investigation
numbers
was
in war
32. OHara
to Wilson,
plants
had been
April
R6280;
Assistant
of Labor,
Federal
September
33. William
Z.Ripiey, War
Department,
Archives;
Danbury
exempi if ed
into the postwar
August
Danbury
of the Manufacturer’s
counsel
that any
that hatters
in large
and on farms
if
(33)
to Labor
Mediation
Secretary
to OHara
and Conciliation
Archives,Proceedings
Department
Support
special
was
+—th Convention
September -——4Th7 ;Danbury
Evening
4, 1917.
Mediation,Labor
15, National
and maintained
this charge
to them.
to “go
to accept
is no indication
available
that
employers
sobs on the railroad
ot—-eonnctTEderationof Labor,
News,
Ultimately
16,1918;
33/585Nationa1
further
to force hatters
it is strange
claimed
for positions
applied
went
munitions
it was
that sympathetic
(32)
to take menial
state
were
in 8ridgeport
who
but there
However
20,1918,Department
Service,
shops.
work
OHara
Wilson
open
made.
forced
were
John
that operated
like minded
hatters
In particular
hatters
Department
positions
April
of 1917.
and go to work11’
of Labor
that striking
they sought
all
with
it is to prove. On numerous
asserted
when
factories
back
of the alliance
to Chief
28,1918,
Evening
News,
Association
by the beachead
unify the business
much
community
of their
behind
War
Labor
of
Soard,
July 2, August
f or the open
shop
time
movement
of the Association
in 1919
in Danbury
this philosophy.
R6 2,File
9,1917.
of the four hat companies
period. The Field Secretary
spent
of Department
in
extended
and a
trying
One of their
to
�accompi ishments
week
to get union
was
in the Danbury
Boosters
and non union
Cl ub
employers
presumabi y
where
to meet
each
the advantages
of the
€3
open
shop
1919
could
be proclaimed.
it would
that
let it open
be prudent
as a closed
a gesture
given
Lee himself
by Frank
At that time
inspired
the Association.”
and a period
Clarence
(35)
to Clarence
open
propoganda
shop
I might
Whitney,
significantly
any other
but fortunately
“has
member
if it hadn’t been
when,
weakened,
have
of the state group.
I dare say there
“
was
as the one who
than
as
of the
in Danbury
meeting
more
than
a loan of $20,000
shop
Whitney
propoganda
Shop
rather
to the importance
annual
in
decided
hat factory
provided
the open
at the 1919
and then added
in my
a vacant
Testimony
in nurturing
Lee paid tribute
in the Open
me
Lee and McLachlan
to purchase
of encouragement.
Association
When
the Association
shop
Manufacturer’s
on..H(36)
(34)
of
was
a time
for
continued
we
31
34. Anna
B.Sands,
Connecticut:
of the Manufacturers
The History
The Post
Periods
War
Connecticut
Association
Industry
of
(August,
1925)p.13.
35. Sands,
‘The History
Connecticut :The
clarified
War
of the Manufacturers
Years”
Connecticut
and the Association
agreed
put up by Lee and McLachlan
was
while
immediate’y.
Connecticut
of the Annual
meetingjj
p.38—40.
Association,
attack
forged
an alliance
the Danbury
many
held
Central
years. The Convention
in Danbury
in 1917
of Annual
Union
with
locals
something
psychological
was
symbolic
and
Association,
Meeting,1919
had meagre
trades
the hatters
of the Connecticut
providing
loan was
the building
Lee
for the purchase
Manufacturers
the hatters
of convenience
Labor
that the money
Report
of
(Jul y,1p .6
Industry
the Association
returned
36. Manufacturers
Association
strength
p.39.
weapons.
They
represented
had shunned
Federation
Report
of Labor
by
for
was
and a propoganda
�Open
shop
employers
economic
to further
boom,
a group
6,1918
a corporation
city. The
whose
Danbury
of twenty—five
purpose
was
Industrial
to attract
Commission
but in the early years
Arnold
“bad press
Danbury’s
the organization
were
the first President
His interest
when
building
that could
of the Industrial
to subsidize
be rented
showed
the
‘proper
that were
attracted
termed
of
Lee served
as
in 1937.
of a modern
factory
but only if the
from
the type and number
t the city that to Lee “proper
spirit”
“non—union.”
meant
Danbury
Evening
News,
August
Association”
(July 1925)
and the state
organization.
in the open
shop
gift of 200
shares
and
of
at the original
companies
It is clear
the
of the five officers
the construction
spirit’
an important
of the group
his comments
to out of town
to the
until his death
Commission
to form
a means
Lee and McLachlan.
clear from
was
he offered
of industries
including
met
and 50’s following
prjmarily
Three
years. On
industry
played
of the founders
labor problems.”
hatters
in the group
meeting
community
about
diversified
in the 1940’s
Turner,one
the wartime
businessmen
it was
industry,
in the postwar
ultimately
collapse
what
labor
prominent
the city’s economy
of hatting
cut off from
organized
role in revitalizing
counteracting
C3
of being
weaken
on the hatting
dependance
by the city’s experience
dramatized
August
Danbury’s
used
1932
became
industry
presence
Industrial
1969,
In gratitude
of tianbury
a permanent
University,
p.6 confirms
drive Lee presented
not a single
Danbury’s
6,1918;
Transition”
ppl2—30.
Sands,”History
of the Manufacturers
the connection
between
f or the payment
of legal
the Manufacturers
Industrial
attracted
Commission
Masters
Essay,
expenses
with
Association
stock. Between
by the Industrial
in the city. Raymond
this effort
1918
Commission
J.Trimpert,”A
Western
a
Study
Connecticut
of
State
�3e1
where
platform
Union
officials
the claims
state
delegates
orchestrated
were
a modest
of the manufacturers
to honor
urged
the union
letter writing
that an open
shop
label .(37)
campaign
meant
to counter
higher
wages
and
tc,
more
United
satisfying
Hatters
working
national
and February
1918
permit
union
members
owned
by Lee, McLachlan
production
plants
capacity.
had withdrawn
had reached
a modus
conditions.
President
c
failed. Probably
to work
(38)
Direct
and Danbury
the most
in all open
and Green
though
vivendi
the Danbury
with
shop
factories
1917
was
except
57
all remaining
Hat Manufacturers
the
in January
decision
they controlled
the union.
between
manufacturers
prudent
But by the end of ugust,
from
meetings
to
those
of
local
ssociation
and
�of the manufacturers
the claims
more
satisfying
United
working
1918
permit
union
members
owned
by Lee, McLachlan
production
plants
President
failed.(39)
and February
a inodus
37. Danbury
Evening
the Connecticut
38. Camila
News,
Crotty
October
24,25,26,29,30,
39. United
Hatters
War
Labor
Board,
York
University,
standard
machines
was
except
57
to
those
of
all remaining
local
Association
and
Annual
4 1917.
Proccedings
Meeting,
to editor, W.G.Pauli
McCarthy
of
to editor,
to editor, Danbury
Evening
News,
v.Frank
Lee et.al
Hatters
Papers,
.
Brief
presented
Taimamert
to National
Library,
New
16.
that got more
fears
explicit
Lawlor
was
a central
of the hatter’s
theme
as the labor situation
told the Connecticut
of Labor
Federation
in Danbury over Labor Day in 1917 that the open shop
/
/
lured desirable immigrants
-into the community
with a lower
meeting
had already
testify
United
to class and racial
convention
in January
they controlled
1917
the
decision
factories
and
1917.
1918,
deteriorated.Martin
manufacturers
25,September
of Labor
of America
HRD
between
meetings
shop
wages
the union.
August
to editor, Joseph
higher
Hat Manufacturers
to editor, C.O.Lathrop
Gillotte
arguments
with
Federation
Patrick
Appeals
in all opn
the Danbury
vivendi
meant
the mos—prudent
and GreV though
had wi!PaW( from
d
Direct
and Danbury
Probably
to work
shop
Bu)t- end of August,
capacity.
had re
(38)
conditions.
national
Hatters
that an open
of living and a willingness
1n the hat fdCtot ies
to the “riff-raff
When
the Reverend
union
advised
him
Coburn
to subordinate
He chdrged
of outsiders”
expressed
to start an “open
that
that have
sympathy
chapel
local
themselves
merchants
flooded
with
could
into Danbury.(4
the open
in the vicinity
to
shop
of Beaver
the
Street
�where
aquisitions
the latest
work
in the ‘open shop’.” (41)
when
he charged
of Europe.”
Evening
(341. Executive
most
had brought
September
4,191
News,
promising
source
particularly
United
more
Mine
sensitive
who
the war
in July, 1918,
Workers
News,
Evening
effort
,were
seemed
in 1917
eager
and again
parties
together.
ruled that it was
than the hatters
and City Clerk
meetings
mediator
experienced
who
union
Committee
Mayor
Hatters
was
city government,
Sunderland
was
desperate
to Danbury.
diplomat
of federal
When
George
City Clerk
In response
who
was
for them
Labor
to
of cting
for armyion
the two
(43)
War
of the war
asked
the Labor
Robert
general
a
by the
joint
Department
McWade,
rather
When
and appointed
after several
consul
Mayor
training,
for assistance.
sides
General
the former
Mayor
acting f or the g
Hanna
to Washington
Hanna
mediators
the conduct
in the hands
by the City Council
to budge
to offer hope. Yet on
the National
affect
that
doomed.
had volunteer
authorized
officials
not appropriate
then
that turned
unable
by William
any labor unrest
in 1918——federal
of the United
nothony
the federal
headed
to quell
to hatter
the cause
Sullivan
was
official. Intervention
in a strike that did not appreciably
a worried
29,1917.
of Labor
intervene
acting
of
to labor’s plight than any previous
,in addition
failed to bring the fueding
October
of help for the hatters
the Department
occassions——once
Citizens
class
a low
Proceedings
Evening
harm
Michael
“
blunt
(42)’fr)
to editor, Danbury
administration
It was
more
was
to Danbury
to editor, Danbury
a former
Board
shop
Ginty
Hatters
authorities
two
News,
board,
government
would
Patrick
live and
20,1917.
42. Ginty
Wilson
.Journeyman
popLuation
United
September
The
peacetul
that the open
people...the scum
40. Danbury
to Uanbury’s
to send
an
in China,
arrived
a
�n early cugust
to tina tnat neitner
emoarrasea
welcomed
his presence.
concluded
that it was
prolonged
the strike. In a local
in his official
However
after a series
the intransigence
report
press
would
characterized
as stubborn
that Lee and associates
was
of the war
union——United
impress
Though
the manufacturers
conciliator.”——he
43. Report
Federal
was
Mediation
Hanna
Mediation
and Conciliation
Mediation
August
to Secretary
and Conciiation
7,1917
Mediation
and Conciliation
United
he
judged
with
the
that he did “not
or open
minded
Council
Record
Wilson,
Service,
RG 280
Labor
Department,
Hatters
Servicve,
Groupn
National
280,
July 28,1917,
Federal
33/585
R G 280,
Hatters
July 24, 1917.
August
Hanna,
33/585.
Papers
7, 1917.
HRD
National
“Minutes
of
16;Mc
Strike,
September
RG 280,
33/585;
30,1917,
Federal
Evening
Danbury
7,1917.
August
45. Wells,
while
were
an impartioal
Service,
of Labor
United
of Danbury
labor as willing
to take advantage
sympathies
to Common
Service
meeting”
Wade,Adjustment
News,
Kerwin,
and
His final verdict
in trying
Wells
that
to bring an end to the strike.(45)
and Conciliation
to Hugh
unfairly
lawyer
Committee
Archives.;
McWade
and antagonistic.
as in any sense
unable
of Citizens
he portrayed
McWade’s
Hat Company
States
McWade
his departure
before
to settle the matter”
allow
had acted
emergency.(44)
of conferences
conference
“to go as far as the limits
aoor
or
of the hat manufactueres
Department
to the Labor
the owners
inanageineit
In the Matter
States
of the Danbury
Hat Company,
Hat Strike,
July 10,1918,
Memorandum
National
War
Labor
f or the
8oard,
RG 2,
File 15.
Encouraged
by McWade’s
responsible
for injecting
second
time
In October
in 191
1917
strong
words
the Labor
after another
the United
Hatters
if not his results
Department
effort
the hat union
into the local
at community
locals circulated
scene
pressure
a petition
was
for a
misfired.
urging
that
�LaDor
oarO
Although
Lianoury
i111;
federal
two
mediators
encouraged
labor was
determination
Consequently
after almost
Lee’s resolve,
the hatters
conduct
this time
of the war.
government
prevented
hatters
the open
union
finding
charged
shops
The National
in Danbury.(49)
in Washington
49O’Hara
both
on the grounds
effect
that government
iapeare.
importing
and asked
end failed to take any action
the war.
might
again
seek
disrupting
With
Labor
sides
existed
which
munitions
in
to work
Board
did consent
to file briefs but in the
that what
was
that terse
dislo
the
had few
“al ien enemies”
War
of
federal
in the Bridgeport
employment
the open
possibility
of
in Danbury,
that a blacklist
was
did not directly
shop
that the hat factories
admitting
and that management
Danbury
the strike
a victim
that the strike was
a charge
the union
to once
decided
industry
hold hearings
in ending
a year on strike and no sign of weakening
with
from
J.i1i1.
that labor was
to establish
Though
contracts
&pri
ineffective
had been
that both agreed
management’s
intervention
iews,
vening
open
happening
in
ruling the
shop
in Danbury
5’;—
to Wilson,
April
official
of the Hat Makers
Danbury
Central
Labor
16,1918,National
union
Union.
made
War
this appeal
Labor
Board.
O’Hara
as the President
,an
of the
to
�tne stri:e oe settte
union conditions.”
officials
attracted
workers
citizens.”
the argument
standard
To underscore
phrases
pressure
union
a cover
activities
with
to Danbury.
sides
was
found
the union
even
assertions”
The disgust
more
his judgement
management
and Conciliation
47.John
O’Hara
Mediation
of North
27, 1918;
O’Hara
of the
Wilson
flags over their
locked
out and
a federal
after meeting
mediator
with
For the record
of unsettled
reasons
the two
Like McWade
rigid, “so positive
advantage
of Danbury
America”
Service,
he
in their
he stated
conditions
that in
to
they are prolonging
it to
“Danbury
Service,
William
National
Report
Hatters
are in Controversy
of signatures.
with
Federal
the
Mediation
Archives.
of Labor
“Preliminary
who
l3pages
National
to Secretary
and Conciliation
48.E.E.Greenwalt,
April
John
of the community.(48)
46. “To the Hat Manufacturers
Hatters
such
of the unpatrioitic
no headway.
took
added
investigation
fly the American
the strike and f or their selfish
the detriment
are idle while
of Labor
and management
make
is
than that of Danbury
than that of his predecessor.
cooperative
that he could
Danbury
to Secretary
of E.E.Greenwalt
extreme
or
have
Americans
by tt?eir loyal workers
who were
eDI
aliens. (47). Once again, in April 1918,
came
United
to which
the manufacturer’s
a federal
who
all city
after their names.(46)
the petition
letter requesting
factories
purchased
replaced
provoke
failed to budge
forwarded
including
over fifty of the signers
“boy in army”
of the hat makers
factories
that patrioitic
unoer
by their business
that non union
are employed
as “son in army”,
Hat Makers
themselves
of living is far lower
the claim
foreigners
public
persons
“that are not of a type or class
and whose
undeserving
oe once again run
by 300
identified
who
centered
accustomed,
with
This statement,signed
and 86 people
profession,
When
anc tne cities tactories
Wilson
(no date)
Archives
33/585
of Commissioner
Summary”
June
Federal
of Conciliation”
20,1918gm
National
War
�Matter
of the Danbury
Company,
America
v.Frank
Frederic
C.Hood
and Adam
that terse
Danbury
Both
National
Wilkinson,
National
as a union
business
town
industrial
above
restrictions
The Open
to the local
Shop
press
later as 96X
(52)
Simultaneously
against
employment
Local
of the national
Labor
prospered.
that they had so
in 1919
years
members
that
satisfaction
rated
normal
the
and 25
pressure
to face reality and lift the
in open
shop
factories.
10 and the Hat Makers
executive
board
Local
of the United
In January
11
with
Hatters
1922
the
voted
to
4.5
permit
was
union
members
no longer
51. Danbury
4’1
52. Danbury
53 .Danbury
a union
to accept
in all local
News
Evening
News,
News,
April
factories.C53)
‘Th
town., /
Evening
Even ng
jobs
2,1919
December
January
of
preserve
factories
a few
union
War
might
with
local
of North
BoardS
that government
of the entire state.
Hat
16;Report
of the National
Association
in Danbury
States
HRD
Manufacturer’s
both the Hat Finishers
blessings
Hatters,
the
Hatters
hire any hatters
situation
among
United
“United
immediately
the average
mounted
Labor
disappeared.
boasted
Board;
that they would
The
applied.(5l)
War
for the United
A Section
ruling the possibil ity
Lee and McLachlan
much
Labor
War
Lee et.al.,nc day, 1918,
July 10,1918,
Board,
With
Hat Strike Memorandum
July 10,1918,
position.HIn
brief of the manufacturer’s
filed a 27 page
2,1921
4,13,1922
Danbury
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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Herb Janick Papers, MS012
Description
An account of the resource
The Herbert F. Janick, Jr. Papers spans the years 1889-2002 and consists mainly of Janick’s research for his book on the centennial history of Western Connecticut State University.
Contributor
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Janick, Herb
Has Version
A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource.
<a href="https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/findingaids/ctdbn_ms012_janick.xml">Link to finding aid.</a>
IIIF Collection Metadata
UUID
f32271cc-b16e-4921-8776-db43f2dc8a6f
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Union Stronghold to an Open-Shop Town: Danbury post-Great War
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Janick, Herbert F.
Description
An account of the resource
2 x 21 pgs
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Two versions of a draft of the article that became: From Union Town to Open Shop: The Decline of the United Hatters of Danbury, Connecticut, 1917-1922. The article was published in Connecticut History in 1990. One is incomplete and without citations.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1990
Subject
The topic of the resource
Danbury (Conn.)--History
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
ms012_15_19
IIIF Item Metadata
UUID
75144152-e1c1-41c1-b61c-7d9ebbd4cad9
Hatting
-
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/7851/ms012_09_09_hajj.mp3
5a095df2f4c78ad29a16d6b8ad3c087e
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/7851/ms012_09_09b_hajj.mp3
f0dffb92046b768208ccde739b7ba788
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Herb Janick Papers, MS012
Description
An account of the resource
The Herbert F. Janick, Jr. Papers spans the years 1889-2002 and consists mainly of Janick’s research for his book on the centennial history of Western Connecticut State University.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Janick, Herb
Has Version
A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource.
<a href="https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/findingaids/ctdbn_ms012_janick.xml">Link to finding aid.</a>
IIIF Collection Metadata
UUID
f32271cc-b16e-4921-8776-db43f2dc8a6f
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
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Title
A name given to the resource
Interview with Alfred Hajj
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Hajj, Alfred J.
Janick, Herbert F.
Description
An account of the resource
Cassette, 45mins and 15mins
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Hajj was a WestConn graduate, teacher, and WestConn Administrator. He was of Lebanese descent and talks about that community in Danbury from the time his father moved there around 1930. Father worked in the leather industry, successful in Worcester, MA, strikes, Americanization, school, church, stresses.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1987
Subject
The topic of the resource
Lebanese Americans
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
ms012_09_09_hajj
IIIF Item Metadata
UUID
0dd28342-3b7f-4690-a2e3-29bfc8e65c43
-
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Truman_A._Warner_Papers_MS026/7770/ms026_12_59_002.pdf
95a2188a1e64791e631d7f508359e717
PDF Text
Text
I
Truman:
This is a very
hasty
draft of the proposal for a paper at the
conference at F1astern. ra1:e ny changes of fact or style that
you feel ±
I1c2x3ax
are necessary. 3ecause we have to have it
in by the midd’e of next week why not call me and we can talk about
changes on the pkone. I will type up the final
what hap ens.
CTII)
we wil see
�ideas and fac
anbury during the depresion( a compilation of
L
based on a reading of the Danbury Levi-Times)
17(S7
3
y
There were many indications that the depression did not hit Dan’bu
rity
in 1929. Construction alone attests to the contiruation of prospe
at the end of the decade of the 20’s. 1.3 million dollars in
the
building permits were issued. Luch of the new building was in
form of residences (69 along with five new apartments. Three
new homes, each valued at more than 50,000, were constructed on
Deer Ei]J
Avenue.
new
i*any
the borders of the city
in
homes were built in that year outside
areas still served by city water and
sewer facilities, although others, such as the 40 Acre Mountain
development, were as much as four miles from the center of the
boom
city lured to the north by Candlewood lake. This]construction
continued into 1950. A new facade addition and modernization of
the City Wational Dank to keep pace with its larger neighbors
was bugun in 1950 and completed the following year.
i’s c—I-4
Yet even in
terms
of construction many public concerns had not
been addressed during the 1920’s. Water supply had not been
neglected but, particularly in the eyes of the hat manufacturers,
ials
rirogress had not been made. In order to by—pass the town offic
uctant to spend more money the Republican controlled
who were
1 established an independent Water Jorks
$enator
Charles lec,
0oqaision, headed by former
state legislature in 1D2
aproverf1ent
and had given the commission authority to sell 1 million dollars
in
bonds
to
finance
a
new
reservoir.
However
it was not until
19;2 after much squabblingonstruction of the i-argarie Reservoir
was beDun. Opposition to bpending this amount of money in the
cony
years
of the depression became the key issue of the city
�2
an anti.-Nargarie candidate,
elections in 1931. C.Jalter iorgan4in an unprecedented sweep
of all four wards defeated former 1vayor Homer Fillow, a member
of the )anbury iater 7orks Iinprovment Commission, by 2,000 votes4
in a contest where 8O of the electorate participated.
Norgan
immediately appointed a Gitizens Committee, with
Republican hat manufacturer Harry NcLachlan as Chairman, to
investigate the need for the reservoir. Even a positive report
by this body failed to budge the Common Council (dominated by
Democrats whofargued not only that the reservoir was too expensive
but that the ‘1Nargarie 3wamp’ was by engineering standas a poor
ihis stance was approved by a town meeting in May of 1931.)
location.4Ultimately the ‘Jater Commission ignored the Common
and the town meeting
the zeservior in 1932. To
CouncilAand began construction of
heckmate the only hold the Council had on the operation,the
Jater Commission received from the state legislature power of
eminent domain needed to condemn certain pthees of property
n& in the water basin, an action that irked the politicans.
Other issues were not so easily resolved. Pollution of the Still
River was an increasingly severe problem allied to the watjier
question. The highest per capita consumption ofwater in the
state put heaj pressure on an antiquated sewer system that
combined storm water with
industrial and residential waste.
The city was not allowed to forget this problem by the. Beaver
rook Heighhorhood .ssociation who engaged Alfred Ievitt as their
and the
attorney and brought a series of suits against the city,
State Tater Commission that
:
most polluted body of water in the state.
Dornmission engineers to]d the
the
the Stilifliver
oard of Estimate in 1930 that the
the4
over the nevt five years to bring
s,
standards General Sandford Jadham
filtrat’on D1nt u to minnm
city shoud spena
150,
000
—
-
—
�3
the head of the State .1ater Commission pointed out at the same
time that the present filtration system had been installed thirty
years before to serve a city of 12,000 people. Ruilt to accornodate
an annual flow of 750,000 gallons it was groaning under a load of
over 2 million gallons a year.
Layor G-.Jalter Norgan, whose grandfather had been one of the leaders
of the 1895 protest that had forced Danbury to build a sewage treatment
plant, was syathetic terming the pollution of the Still iver one
of the cities most pressing problems. Yet he recognized that the
city had no money to improve the sewers or modernize the treatment
plant. ilor could it antagonize the hatmanufactueres, who insisted
that they did not contribute to the problem. “The hat industry”, the
1ayor lamented “is the very life of Danbury.” He estimated that it
would cost each large hat factory about $40,000 to treat its waste
before discharge, an amount they could or would not spend during a
depression. Compromise was necessary, he felt, because “Danbury is
absolutely dependant on the hat factories for sustenance.”
No new elementary schools had been built in the city since the 19th
century and the residents of eaver l3vook and South Street were
Pressing for new facilities. Although a new high school had,been
built in the midtwenties it had already passed its maxmum capacity
of 1200 students. Despite periodic grurnhli9from citizens Danbury had
refused to invest in public parks. Indeed the only functioning playground
at Osborne and Locust was funded and operated by the lions Club. Take
Candlewood lapped Danbury on the north but as yet there was no public
acess. No action had been taken on Cephas Rogerst offer of an exchange
of 22 acrs of swamp land that he owned on South and Lain that could
1w ]u1 for s rrk
for for
Ireneee of’
flTh n h2
-‘s
�4
One contention of this paper that will be documented in subsequent
pages is that the depression, lnie opportunity for
wCk,
federal funds gave Janbury an opportunity to build an infrathtructure
of iiublic amenities that it had slighted up to this point. The lure
of federal dollars from the series of unemployment relief agencies:
The CJA,
P,
1ThA Thihi
ic
Wnrlcs Administration of the
Department of Interior overcame the local entipathy to federal
control. The federal government set the priorities and the timetable
for this building program. Up to this point Danbury was proud of its
local autonomy and its ability to handle problems on a voluntary
bath. The IJew Deal increased tremendously the role of the federal
government in the affairs of the community. Instead of looking first
to their o’:n resources Thnbury looked immediately to Washington for
funds and was willing to play by federal rules, a necessary part of
the bargain. The action that symbolizes this change of emphasis comes
at the end of the decade when in August of 1959 the Associated
uharities, for fifty years the citizens organization responsible for
care of the poor, passed out of e:istence its role assumed by the
federal government.
The derression appeared for the first time in Danbury
during the
winter of 15Q—51. The annual report of the Associated
Charities
iseueo
in
October,
191 ias troubling
L..hq EL
President Charles Iallory
ointe out that the case load of the agency had doubled
in’the
past year. The Common Council the next month authorized
the establishment
of a Committee on Unemnnloyment to investigate the
condition but Mayor
nthony underand reacted with the caution that
“lersonally I think
Danbury is not so hadoff as other pIaces.’ Yet in January 1951
the iayor was tne first to purchase a special discount
ticket for
autoobi1e servicea local comany would turn over double
�5
the value of the ticket to unemployment relief. HElP THE UiI1PCYED
I .3C5J UCLT
0E:iD claimed the company advertisement. Heavy nw
storms in January ircvided an orportunity to put 125 unemploed
men to work shoveling snow. Still,
believed,
ll newspaper coverage can be
the most ireva]ent reactioan to the depression in these
early months was the fear that it
WaS
a Communist plot. Speakers
at the American Legion, the Lions Club, and the K of C
made
this charge, and certain auditoriums such as city hall, the Syrian—
4N
morican flub, nc1 t1ae lish— neriacn Club were cI to Communist
soeshars
iJanoury’s first response to tie depresion as typical]y a private
one
In Jui,
1951
the FotrJ, ions and
3usinessmans jssociation
joined forces to set up a iree Unemployment Office in City Hall.
fter two weeks of operation it had registered 148 ajpiicants fñnding
jobs for 20 of them.
Ehen, suddenly, prosperity returned to the
hatting industry. Lilliners who had delayed placing new orders
for women’s felt hats because oi concern about the economy began
pla±ng to demand large quantithies of the latest fad the Empress
Zugthnie hat.
During
June,
July, and lugust Danbury factories turned
out 120,000 hat bodies a day. Some factories worked three full shifts;
others put in a full day on Saturday. This spurt, which was in decline
by september,
brought the city unwonted publicity as a havei for those
seeking work. First Selectman Dliah Sturdevant, who will be defeated
in Cctober as the I)emocrats swe the town election for the first time
since 1919,
told desprate people to stay away and at the same time
made some percetive cornments about Danbury’
economy. IDanbury for
the most part is a community of home owners and skilled workers’.
Roward the end of
ast winter peole of that class began to apply
�6
to us for relief, having used up their saviry. So this sudden
prosperity was badly needed
.
The boon] was also short lived. The Danbury Unemjployment
Committee under the chairmanship of businessman Frank Hanson
sought to raise 2O,OO0 in donations
so that the unemployed could be hired for public improvement
projects. The response was generous. The Ilallory Compy contributed
:1 ,000; Frank Tee sent a personal check for 4)500. Employees of hat
factories who were working contributed a portion of their salary.
Foyt—Iessinger employees, for example, pledged 300 d week over a
si:: week period. Foiicemen and fireman contributed a portion of
their ray.
Froa Pecember i9i
to Fayi952 the Unemployment Committee kept men
at work on a variety of projects. The ?almforth School yard was
graded, more than 16,000 trees were planted at the iestlake Reservoir,
cindar sidewalks were built (an American Legion project for veterans)
in outlying areas, and first work was begun on a public park on Lake
Oandlewood leased from Cland P. The most dramatic project was a clean—
up of the
3till River where teams of men in high rubber boots trudged
through the river channel with forked sticks and rakes picking up
debreis. 3-till it was a hand to mouth operation that could place only
a fraction of those who applied even by reducing work from three to
two days a week. In late January, 1932 the Committee said it only
had enough
Cash
to give work to fifty men at a time, about 10% of
the need.
ai a-
pQ c
c
�‘7
Cf even greater concern to the newspaper and possibly to the citizens
was
the
financai distress of’ the city. The city grand list was down
by almost a quarter million dollars due primarily to the decline
in car purchases. Dy the start of 1932 it was estimated that almost
;500,000 was owed in back taxes. Added to this was the existence of
a large floating debt accumulated to finance road improvement in
COpC*flH P I#11N
palmier times.
an antiquated tax
collection]schedule that did not coincide with the city’s fiscal
year. Taxes were due November 1 while the fiscal year began July 1
requiring the city to borrow in anticipation of taxes. This wasteful
bystem aa not devastating until the four local banks refused to
1t
loan any money for this purpose as they did in August 1933k panic
set in.
audit of the city books demanded by the banks revealed
that anbury was operating in the red. en the first snow fell
in heember 1932 the city of Danbury had no funds to pay to Jplow
it away.
City government,
now
controlled by the Democrats, attempted to ppt
its house in order. when auto assesments were increased more than
200 angry citizens stormed city hall. In P1arch, 1952’he Board of
‘innce cut 92, COO
from the budget
rby
ceLarrlng payment on tae b:sl :or paving ‘1est Street.
5tii
more etre e rieure crc rçuirs
toatic er]y pay increases
not to be reinstated for almost four years
for teachers ‘ere eluijnateo. and,&±txtx at the start of
-
——
classes in September, 1952 it was decided that teachers wages would
be
by
10,
a4aotin that a ronth earlier affected firement,
policemen, and other city employees. As a matter of fact
city
employees went from July to 1ovember in 1932 without pay, the longest
of several pay interruptions suffered during the early years of the
depression.
�8
I
-.
—
—
-.
-
3uch painful measures
———
—
were mere7tpga1fl the opinion of many a total
restructuring of city finances was necessary. On July 2 about 70 representatiVes
ofciviC roups, goaded by the Rotary Club, met at St.JarneS Church and took
mntterc into their own hands by appointg_a Committee of 25made up of banners
--v
headed by A.E.Tweedy, head of th Tweedy Silk Company and recentl
y
elected president of the City National Bank, to scrutinize
the
city’s financial affairs. A few months later
in Cctober this movement was broadened into the Danbury Civic
ssociation which became the spearhead of tax reform and an advoca
te
of consolidation. Bven in the midst of such confusion Judge
of Probate
Bartin Cunningham, a future ayor and presently a member of
the Committee
of 25 could renort to the Rotary that the”depression has been
a good
thing because it made Danbury put its financial house in order.
The depression might make the balance sheets of the bankers more
tidy but as the winter of 1952—33 approached the number of unemp
loyed
skyrocketed. This year there was no fashion boom to help the hatting
industry. 2ran1: i.ee found it harder to live up to his pledge, made
the previous year,
to hire all the unemployed hatters in Danbury by
stretching out the avAlable
work.
The ‘Share the Work
P1aui”
advocated so confidently by hatting officials, was stymied by
inadequate work to share. Jeremiah Scully, President of the Danbury
Hat aRers Pssociation, wet up the city’s first soup kitche—the
Danbury Unemployment Restaurant—— on Crosby Street in January 1933.
Suprorted by private donations of money and labor the restaurant
provided breakfast ,and lupper to an average of 250 people a day
until liIy 1. In February the soup kitchen began to serve lunch to
over 100 students from the D3almforth and New Street schools, a practice
that continued through the summer. One indication of the bias of the
�9
newspaper hat w absorbed during 1953 with the coverage, and
‘
advocacy,
of financial reform1t
was
&
monon the continued
activities of the Panbury Unemployment Relief Commission.
The Common Council,
stung by criticiris of the citys financial
mess--State Sax Commissioner Slodgett revealed that Danbury led
tie state in percentage of increase of long term debt—— hired
Sew York consultant Serbort Swan, who in. the 19201s had prepared
the city’s soiling regulations, to prepare a finacial reform bill
that wouc. be submitted to the General Assembly. Swan startled the
stattg dkat a 21 mill tax was necessary to wipe out the
debt accumulated over the past forty years and recommended fundamental
revision of the charter to provide more cooperation between the city
and town. She urgency of his recommendations was underscored when
in april i93 the city was no longer able to borrow money and
municipal employees again went without pay checks.
Desperate,the
city issued Sa:•scayers Anticipation Notes wMch gave property owners
who paid taxes immediately rather than wait until November 1 a 6ç
discount. Saile the disappointinsmall amou collected by this
device did take care of city wayrolls it made no dent in the combined
city and town debt that Swan predicted would hit almost 2 million
dollars by 15/-.
lacked
by the Civic issociation consultant Swan, an engineer
who respected the values of efficiency, rationality, and professionalism
presented to the Common Council a bill with sweeping changes in
the city charter. According to the proposal desigied to eliminate
a unicaneral
partisan politics
city jcouncil would he reduced to 7 members
.
elected at large every 4 years with the daily operations of the
�10
city in the hands of a professional city manager. This radical
Droosai touched off a heated debate. A mass meeting of the Civic
Association entusiastically endorsed the changes and voted to send
reoresentatives to Hartford to
testify for the bill, On
the other hand the politicans were adanantly oppossed. Tom heating,
too expensive,
the liemocratic party chairman, termed it too
and did not reflect the wishes of the citizens. Hhether this was
true or not the Common Council refused to submit it to a referendum
±:w±d -confined
and instead voted to back a more modest bill
to financial changes. The battle was joined in Hartford on Hay 12,
155 in a three hour meeting of the Cities and ]3oroughs Committee
of the G-eneral Assembly. Attendance was so large that the proceedings
had to he shifted frba a hearinl: room to the House Chambers. Thomas
Hwen, who had earlier told a Civic Association rally that this
was a fight between the politicans and the people”, Judge Cunningham,
and ynn Hilaon,
the editorial writer of the Hews Times testified
for the Owan bill. Alderman, Councilmen, and Corporation Counsel
heating were among the more than 100——twice the number in favor——
who spoke for -t less drastic bill whose major provision was to
make taxes due at the start of the fiscal year.
This mild
aoiDroach was ultir:iately approved by the legislature and along with
that eventually added almost 500 buildings to the tax rolls
evaluation of to-:n 21d city property4 voted by a town meeting
in i9;, consttutec. the city’s move toward fiscal responsioility.
The Cctobeiweep of the town elections by the Taxpayers Leagueay
T1. Lsk LS o’$ D
usual.
as
he a judgement on politics
•$d.I
.
Heanxihile the d:ression worsen in human terms. Ihile the
newspaper manageã to ignore much of this, even cheerily reassuring
readers that Panhury is not as badly off as other places, still
�11
distress is evident, labor unrest surfaces. In July, 1935 George
kclachlan’s shop on Howan Street was the target of pikceting and
violence in protest of the discharge of union rkers. State police
had to be called when a crowd of 500 slashed tires and hurled stones
at the cars of workers who remained at their machines. In September
1000 fur workers
the United
z::y,--rnost of them Iebanese, organized into
,Fur Workers of Danbury by Father Hicolas Wehby of
St.George’ s intiochian Orthodox Church on Elm Street, walked out of
1 6 fur shops in Danbury and Dethel in a disagreement over 1’1RA wage
guarantees.
year later in June, 1934 unrest among fur workers
erupd into violence that shocked Danburians. On June 5 about 1000
strikers stoned and wrecked three taxis carrying scabs
fru fway from the Imerican Fatters and Furriers Facthory on
iver Street. Crowds of Syrians clashed with the police sending
Eleven
strikers,
several including the police chief to the hospital.
including sereral women, were arrested and lectured by Judge Henry
.Tilson that we do not want this type of disturbance in Danbury.1
harsh Ismer,
the Dresident of the United Fur Workers, complained
in broken knglish that
this money earned by sweating of the brow
is denied them, yet they are not even allowed to yell and complain.11
In an open letter to the Danbury Dusineesmens Association Asmer
that his 1500 members needed money to support their families. In
1:
p
all the fur workers spent 14 weeks on strike during 1934 but failed
etitwi
to e+ recomton 0 t’aeii union
cct de44 CF M
i-1 ow
tl%
h*I 4)MLSV1.
In
i1-e COO
WcJaL
U Lfr(
be-4w 4kIffL._.
The spectre of unemployment affected more than Syrians. As the
winter of 1.33—34 began the Danbury Umemployment Committee once
again began to solict funds for their relief operation. The Salvation
irmy in
hovember
was feeding 75 persons a day. At the start of
�12
1954 Associated Charities had to add 21
more families to their
overburdedned case load. At this critical juncture
the presence
of the federal government began to intrude on the
local scene soon
becoming the almost e:clusive source of relief and
the eagerly
sought font of funds for public works project
hat had been ignored
for years. A succession of Hew Deal relief agen
cies: the Civil Jorks
..driizistration, the 2edral merg’ency Relief Adm
inistration, and the
Jorl:s Progress Administration
provide4 jobs for thousands of
men on a range of projects from constructing Lake
Candlewooci Park,
raising the graée of the airport, constructing
l3eaver i3rook school,
and giving anbury its first Park——Rogers Park.
The Public Jorks
Administration financed an almost ‘2million moderniz
ation of the
sewage treatment system, the construction of an eigh
t room addition
to he oua •.treoc ;D.;hool, aria an even larger addi
tion to the high
school. En 1950 the decision to construct the Fede
ral Correctional
Institution in Danbury brought more jobs and a large
r federal presence
in the area.
The first workers on the federal payroll were hired
in December 1955.
Arant danson,
the Chairman of the Danbuvy CiA put over 500
men to work e.t 50d per hour imaroving the filtration
beds at the
plant in Leaver Drook. Later the sne mont another 200
men began to fill in the airport so that it would be level
with the
adj siring high’;ays. The terms of these grants were simi
lar to’ those
of all the agencies whose primary purpose was unemployment
relief.
:orhers had to be tahen from the rolls of the unemployed——1500
had
registered in Danbury by January 194——, federal funds
would take
care of wames, while the city was required only to supp
ly equipment
and supplies. Ly the time the CJA ended its Jy ltempora
ry
�13
existence in
pi± on .iprii 1, 1954
nicirr it had spent over 3125,OOO
in Danbury, 94,4CC thf it in federal money.
flthough the winter emergency was over stubborn unemployment
iT3uaded the hew Deal to remain involved in relief. The PERA was
established in .iprii, 1954 hdt continued to fund the work at the
and sewage plant
airport and add hired 250 more men to repaint the firehouse, I3road
view
harm and the lormal 3chool. Danbury had already come to rely on
this helm as is evidenced by a personal visit of layor I. rgan and
:ndrew Jones, who had replaced Zanson as the Director of the hera,
1 Lj4$
to hlcanor Little state head of
to seek increased funding for
the local community.
(ne of thi r:Juable projects to be funded by the hERA was a survey
oh trahhic on rain Ctreet1 long a concern of the community. The
Cain Ctroet
Cml
between lest and ‘Jooster Street.he funnel for
twc major federal highways and four state highwayshad been the
scene of massive traffic jams. lany unprofessional estimates had
been made of the voume including one done by a Hew—Times reporter
in
:ugust,
1954 that concluded that 50,000 cars
traveled that
stretch on a summer weekend. in the fall of 1954 the hERA conducted
a cia week traffic study that utilized 50 people to get 24 hour
counts atAcritical points. The final report made
to
a oint mcctLng o: the iotary, J.:lons ana .susiness Lens issociation
at tao .oeel C:-reen in aebruary i95 said 15,000 cars pas through
tue city on a normal weekday ano. recomrnenaed suchdimprovements as
:idenina the street in several spots,
eliminating diagonal parking,
and proposing a series of by pass routes. The citys efforts to
c
i:aolenent these recommendations which include a ludicrous abolishing,
reLnstatsng
i: sris of- merchants, and then abolishing again
“
�does foreshadow Iost world war II urban planning
-‘.p
JLO1
L,D.
‘hen the 2Z ended its one year life in the Spring of 1955 it
too was immediately replaced by the
an organization designed
to be a continuing federal agency. Prom 1935 through 1940 the IPA
funded numerous local projects including tho fii’, the construction
and finishing the city park on Lake Candlewood
of the Deaver Drooh school. It was the PPA that enabled the city
to estaclish ts iirst central pan: although the route to the
dedication of ogers Darl: in 1940 was not smooth.
It began in
Povomber 1Q5 with a complaint from REv..0 Coburn the founder and
the noise from the
W9
frustrated by its
:irsort wh commercial sossibilities
headmaster at the jooster Scioo].
IN$ I
location and
Lri’
couplcd :11th a
t
-o a ‘landing field’ for student pilots,
;3UfgeStIOfl
athletic parl. The
that the airsort would make an ideal
Pews Elmes, sympathetic to Coburn, pushed hard
for the idea. Phat followed was a ‘1dssraceful and confused town
imectin-: that was so well attended that it had to be adjourned to
the high school auditorium where speakers jeered and hissed each
other for more than three hours before agreeing
The referendum on December 6,
of the 4th
war
that
nullified
a referendum.
1555, on the strength of the opposition
narrow favorable margins in the other
three wards, rejected the idea.
Lo:iever what this ill natured
accomplished was to focus
attention on the need for playgrounds end oarks. The ‘axpayers Pho
Paver Eetter 3chcols an ardent lobbying group, argued that the
available federal money Lor schools and recreational facilities should
be spent ‘there would be of more benefit to the public.
:: Eollowin this loic the Lions Club reactivatthd the
roposal of Sephas Logers, a local industrialist hard hit by the
�15
depression, to have his back tax debt of 6,O00 canceled by
ction
the city appronimately 20 acres of land he owned at the interse
l1d
of Lain and :;outh :LreeJc
The lions persuaded the
apply
j
to accept Rogers proposal and
Council
the hA for funds to drain the swampy land,
to
to
construct
an
access roads and to build the athletic facilities. With the city
providing originally only 915,000 in equipment 200 laborers began
to reclaim the land in 1957. Desrite the cutbacks
WPA funding
in
in the latr 3D’s thw work on Rogers lark moved ahead. When finished
of which the city paid
in mid i9-D the project cost abouti75,00Q
a little over 332,020.
2aralieling the worD of the
We’•i
agencies
Deal
just
described
the a.ctiviy of the ublic Works Administration (PWA)
WAD and administered by tIe 3nterir Department.
IDajor capital projects this
agency
up
set
Lore
cone
was
by
the
erned with’
of the
usually provided about
cost of each wroject leaving the city to finance generally by bond
issues
the
paying
contractors
largesse
lorD
balance.
was
going
was
done
not
wages.
The
by
major
unemployed
beneficiary
the wøfA antiquated sewer system. Dy
boasted a modern
reservoir
treatment
plant was state of- the
had been made on improvin the ewer
dollars
of
one
was
of
mid
by private
federal
1956 Danbury
system with up to date puibpbing stations
and filter plants that rrovided 5,000 gallons
DDe se.!a•’e
but
borne
by
system.
more
art
Half
and
of
than
daily
requirement
substantial
the
total
progress
cost
Washington.
million
Another
151W
proje
ct1
the
construction
of
a
major
addition
to
the :outh Street school, illustratea the way in which Danbury had
oecone c. epenc sat os.
‘DL
era] ilo’aey ana lso the lingering local
�16
ed
resistance to federal control. In September 1956 the P1A approv
Sd of Finance
quickly
of a crant of 52,600 for the school addition. The
Rere trouble began. Icting on the
authorized the balance 64,500.
ended
sXvice of the State Soard of Sducation the IhA officials recomm
structure
that the new building be built not adjacent to the present
on South Street but a short distance away on Triangle Street where
exhorbitant
it would not be necessary to aequire private land at possibly
costs. Residents rebelled claiming the new location
eaposed students to traffic danger and was unhealthy because o± the
fumes from a nearby
fUr
fac IDry. The school board dispatched Judge
.LOCS Ivea to ashngton to eJariiy the issue.
Then the nudge returned
le
his message was blunt: if you want government money bu.1d on Triang
y
.treet, Ignorins this edict an acririonious town meeting on Januar
26, 1957 voted to locate the school on the original South Street
the cost
location. Sorced to condemn adacent mroaertv and increase
to
oi construction beceuze of cTaripy Yountion the city, thanis
ercnL’on od’ 2eastor
te
s’ oaey ao
Loneran sna Congressman
r did
Fhillis, je stil able to get RJS. funding. The whole affai
spark local rumhling hi
lishted by a Rotary Club debate on the
pitfaas of federc aia.
ust as prosperity seemed to be on the horizon anbury along
wit
hit in
the rest of the nation was rocked by the recession that
1
1157 nc coii( to r 19S
of
avci1bs: 19—’I, 119 7 rsvc’-’ec
pee:] c hose either ue
elef rol’
ea
t
;1
is
census taien during the week
rj’t a stcgeri11g total of 5G7’
o ntec, oner errployecl or
re
i
cc
tzt thi
1
ready on government
urvey was not conuctea
L—
1%
ation to the government
by sofessSonals but relied onssnain in inform
was a 30 ,error
via the tails the scvernments own admission that there
a
‘e
more serious
sccton of un1erreportng .ic1 es the problem even
f
�17
Dy January 158 the town was providing relief services for 550
families, a
record high, on a budget that had been reduced to
,70,COO in anticipation of better times. Free food staples were
distributed to the unemployed from a store room in City Hall
basement. less than five months into the fiscal year the entire
annual budget for outdoor relief had been expended, and the city
was again reduced to borrowing from a local bank.
Jhen First
Selectman larcus Schiitter proposed levying a special 1
mill
tax to repay this loan the scheme was rejected at another storm
town meeting that was so well attended that the audience spilled
out of city lall onto the sidewalk. Oe proident was quoted by
the ns;.paIer as saying this was the “ugliest assembly he had
encountereci in 55 year ot attending town meetings. As a. substitute
the to.m, undertook an agressive campaign to collect more than
,5D0,00; in back taxes that would be sppnt on the unemployed,
a decision that was endorsed by at a ‘standing room only town meeting
meeting of 1 200 in the high school audithDrium. The ‘1:Danbury disaster’1
attracted much attention from the press in the state who ernphacized
that Danbury did not even have enough cash to pay their small share
of
projects.
The feo.era government was again ±ooked to as a savior in this
crisis. layor 0uminDiam and Selectman Schiitter conferred with
Conlresman Phillips about ways of pumping more federal money into
the city. The ‘SPa approved additional support for existing projects
like logers Park and new ones like mosquito control by draining
swenpy areas of the city. The FJA approved of the high school
addition anO glans were made for the construction of a new state
�18
trade school on the land behnd the Normal School. Also in 1958
it was announced that retiring Attorney General Homer Cummings
hon. ecitrcJ th first feciera prison in I ew ngland for the
outskirts of Danbury. Initial local fear gave way to anticipaiton
of increased employment and bussiness brought to the community
by this two million dollar facility. Additional PWA grants and a
Department of Justice loan
enabled the city to extend water and sewer lines to the new
Federal Correctional Institute that opened in 1940. Shortly
after the announce ment that Danbury was the lucky city to get
thixdal a huge federal institution the News Times proclaimed
in a hes.dline
:)RJ UfEDS ARE POURING IN”
fhen the economy
becan an upturn in late 1938 local officials complained to
ashington about projected cuts in the 1JPA budget First Selectman
3chlitter in a letter to federal officials indicated that
reductions in federal spending would be
concern’
!!
a matter of grave
to the people of Danbury indicates the shift in thinking
that had affected the community in the decade. The Annual town
Report for 195—40
of federal funds
‘ias even more explicit in stating the power
when it concluded 11although extremely reluctant
to incur any additional. obligations, this administration felt that
the town should avail itself of every opportunity to obtain its
share of federal erants in connection with needed and useful
improvement.
�/
1
ILdd
•
LOTB: Two issues were not adequately treated in this hasty
summary. Cne was the labor situation. The fur workers were in
turmoil during the entire decade. The Hat a1cers union went on
strike almost every year when a new bill of prices was drawn up.
George Lclanhans shops seem to have been particularly unruly.
The other issue was the effort of the State Department of Edcucation
to consolidate the kormal schools in New Britain by phasing out
the other tirce branc-le3
chool ornriisioner Bennett as the
primary force behind this move and justified it on grounds of
efficiency. Ne first tried to directly eliminated Danbury, ‘;Jillirnantic,
and New Eaven, and when frustrated here tried to make
ew Britain
e four year school while keeping t he others as three year institutions
requiring aJ teachers to finish their rrograrns at New Britain.
anbury resicents took the lead in frustrating these plans. Danbury
Norward a coalition of about 70 local organizations ce together
end provided delegations at legislative hearings in opposition to
this scheme and jDressure on legislators. In fact it was Nathan Spiro,
a local legislator, who sponsored the bill making all fonr schools
four year colleges that lassed in 1937. The community unity and
lobbying is consistent with the way that Danbury has supported the
school over the years and the reliance on voluntary organizations
to dea
with problems is also a typical local response.
-L
�
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Truman A. Warner Papers, MS026
Description
An account of the resource
Warner spent 37 years as a teacher and administrator and was also a board member and former president of the Scott-Fanton Museum, now known as the Danbury Museum and Historical Society. During his tenure, he supervised and contributed to numerous museum exhibits. The Warner Collection consists of writings, photographs, miscellanea, research notes and papers documenting Warner’s life as a World War II medic, author, historian and historical researcher. The bulk of the collection contains an extensive series of newspaper clippings and printed materials relating to local and state history, several boxes of personal papers, and several boxes that contain information on Western’s faculty, administration, and events concerning the school’s history beginning in the 1940s and continuing through to the late 1990s.
Has Version
A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource.
<a href="https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/findingaids/ctdbn_ms026_warner.xml">Link to finding aid.</a>
IIIF Collection Metadata
UUID
3dc6b291-3261-430c-849f-d3e5eb379917
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Public Works Administration and New Deal Era Danbury (proposed article)
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Janick, Herbert F.
Description
An account of the resource
20 pgs, typescript
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
A discussion of Depression Era fiscal challenges in Danbury and the use of Federal Funds to alleviate them. Mentioned is the building of F.C.I Danbury, sewer and reservoir improvements.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1970
Subject
The topic of the resource
Danbury (Conn.)
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
ms026_12_59_002
IIIF Item Metadata
UUID
5fd4da69-5762-41f5-a552-b421293aaeb1
F.C.I. Danbury
Great Depression
Water issues
-
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/4399/ms012_12_74_002.mp3
5f6014074a24ae3f53742c937a40dffb
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/4399/ms012_12_74_001.mp3
62d721d97ceab051303c59d29458a2c3
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Herb Janick Papers, MS012
Description
An account of the resource
The Herbert F. Janick, Jr. Papers spans the years 1889-2002 and consists mainly of Janick’s research for his book on the centennial history of Western Connecticut State University.
Contributor
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Janick, Herb
Has Version
A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource.
<a href="https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/findingaids/ctdbn_ms012_janick.xml">Link to finding aid.</a>
IIIF Collection Metadata
UUID
f32271cc-b16e-4921-8776-db43f2dc8a6f
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview.
Tammy Thiboutot; Nancy Andreasen
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed.
Frances Travoska
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
~60 min
Time Summary
A summary of an interview given for different time stamps throughout the interview
(Side A):
0-10 min: Background; came to Danbury State Teacher's College in 1936; had been teaching in Brooklyn, but wasn't happy there; heard about position at DSTC and applied; Dr. Jenkins; was president of college at time; great man and worked for him; Dr. Haas; she was the Dean under Jenkins; set up program and interviewed students; she took over as acting president when Jenkins died; later permanent; Inauguration of Haas was a great ceremony done on a Sunday afternoon; she was very popular; Working w/ Haas; she came to her and said she needed her help because she knew nothing about business (which was Travoska's background); worked w/ her a lot on budgets; she was great to work for; kept Dr. Haas well informed and conferred w/ her about things; explained to her about insurance and retirement issues; worked under Dr. Haas until about three years before she retired; Working under Dr. Robinson; Vice President of Student Affairs; she worked under him for three years;
10-20 min: He was difficult to work for; Male enrollment; 1936 was first significant enrollment; girls were happy to see men come in; Mr. Durgy was the custodian at time; not thrilled about it; dipped during WW II, but increased after war; did well in studies; Marriages between students; wasn't problem; many of male students were or did get married; when she felt began, few women were married; some districts required women to stay single; Housing problems; men weren't allowed to stay on campus; had five living in her home at one time, did this for two years;
20-30 min: Growth of the school; tuition was $10 per semester, which was hard for some students during the Depression; parking has always been a problem and run into many hassles; students resented paying fines for illegal parking; faculty had assigned spaces for parking; faculty had own classrooms, but as student body increased they had to share rooms; Interaction between state schools; felt all got along nicely; she was the only woman at the meetings; Closing WestConn; the state attempted to close both Western and Eastern at various times; since both were the smallest, they were the targets; Physical growth of college; bought about six houses where Litchfield Hall now is; some were moved across from athletic field, which are still there; moving the houses was expensive;
30-40 min: Westside; purchased before she retired; Campus expansion; just Old Main and Fairfield in beginning; Higgins Hall came later; White Hall; was Danbury High School; opened in 1928; she was part of first class that went there all four years; high school had been on Main Street prior to that; Faculty; didn't go to faculty meetings; Relationship w/ Dr. Haas; great person and talked w/ her about every morning; got along great; every once in a while she did something she didn't agree w/ but everything would get back to normal; Dr. Janick; was one of her favorite faculty members; wish they were all like him; Retirement; she decided to go and wrote letter of resignation; she gave it to Dr. Haas; Dr. Haas didn't want her to go, but she eventually accepted it; Dr. Haas retired not long after; Reason for retirement;
40-50 min: changes at the college (faculty, students, etc.); her age also a factor; Changes in faculty/students; seeing facial hair on faculty was shocking; changes in clothing styles; Dr. Haas initially didn't allow it in beginning; reprimanded a girl once for wearing pants; Men in dorms; before Dr. Haas allowed it, she wrote to the parents about it; most were against it, but it eventually happened; Curfew for girls in dorms; doesn't remember too much about it; Student problems; most of them were financial problems; (Side B):
0-10 min: Dealing w/ school funds; much more easier when school was smaller; Accounting role; had to do it for the school right up to just before she retired; Financial difficulties; would try to work something out for students who had difficulties paying; Dr. Haas and budgets; used all if at all possible; sometimes would send un; used money back; Expansion of the school; had most significant impact on college; from one building to where they are now; felt they should have expanded into city, not country; it made it more difficult for students to get back and forth; Dr. Haas felt the same way; final decision to expand was by state; Danbury; city and school were separate; very few students in beginning; state had own procedures that prevented Danbury from benefiting from the college being there; Male housing; many lived in homes in Danbury area; Growth of school; wasn't bad; Dr. Haas supported growth
Dublin Core
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Title
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Frances Travoska (Interview)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Travoska, Frances
Description
An account of the resource
~60 min; 1 cassette
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Janick, Herbert F.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Herb Janick Papers; MS012
IIIF Item Metadata
UUID
ef039f60-cc12-42e3-a2f4-d71215b384c5
Danbury Normal School
Oral History
Ruth Haas
Western Connecticut State College
-
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/4398/MS012_12_73.mp3
e5006bf396897c6e96532192de46640d
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Herb Janick Papers, MS012
Description
An account of the resource
The Herbert F. Janick, Jr. Papers spans the years 1889-2002 and consists mainly of Janick’s research for his book on the centennial history of Western Connecticut State University.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Janick, Herb
Has Version
A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource.
<a href="https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/findingaids/ctdbn_ms012_janick.xml">Link to finding aid.</a>
IIIF Collection Metadata
UUID
f32271cc-b16e-4921-8776-db43f2dc8a6f
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview.
Jason Nesbitt and Richard Butler
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed.
Don Thoren
Location
The location of the interview.
Old Main Building
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
~25 min.
Time Summary
A summary of an interview given for different time stamps throughout the interview
0-10 min: Background; Pacific University in California; came to WestConn in 1973; worked for Pitney Bowes and for a New Rochelle hospital before WestConn; began as an accountant at WestConn; Computers; first terminal at WestConn was about 1979; did everything by hand; FRS; Client Server will be the future; WestConn involvement; had worked for Pitney Bowes Alpex, which closed in 1973; they found jobs for all who lost jobs; Campus; talk was about a new campus at Westside; owned it at time, but nothing there for a while; Name change; was known as Western CT State College when he first came; 1983 becomes Western Connecticut State University; Student population; was smaller; Campus changes; the Quad is perhaps the biggest change; Dr. Haas; she retired in 1975; she was very nice and knew everybody who worked at WestConn; Athletic Field; wasn't here in beginning; games played on Osborne Street; built not too long ago; Roberts Ave School; WestConn owned it for many years; turned it over to the city of Danbury; trained teacher's there; Westside; two campuses always will exist; Fairfield Hills; would have been perfect for a college campus; Improvements at WestConn; many in beginning didn't know it was a 4 year college; Dr. Feldman; got WestConn name in newspapers;
10-20 min: Major programs; school began as Danbury Normal School in 1903; has evolved over the years; His job; spending plans for the college; State support; has kept going down over the years; has almost become self-sufficient; Tuition; in 1973, $150 per semester; higher tuition has brought down state support; Distribution of money; most goes for salaries; rest goes to supplies, etc.; Money for improvements; comes from public works (not from student fees); Salaries; Unions; 5; 6 unions at WestConn; AAUP the teacher's union (he was in an administrators only union); WestConn qualities; affordable; top teachers; Student response to world events; Protests; few on campus in early 1970s; remembers streaking; main protests have been students going to Hartford; no major social protests; Commuters; school involvement is effected due to college being commuter school; Financial aid; increased over the years; Student Center; supposed to open in May (1998); Governor Rowland going to be here;
20-30 min: Old Main; plan is to put all student affairs (registration, financial aid, etc.) on 1st floor; University Hall; the president will have office there; Alumni Hall; houses child care center; Feelings about WestConn; great place to work; less stress than private sector; WestConn relation w/ Danbury and other schools; good relationship overall; competition between the two year schools, but not major; Variety among students; coming from various places
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Don Thoren (Interview)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Thoren, Don
Description
An account of the resource
~25 min; 1 cassette
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Janick, Herbert F.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Herb Janick Papers; MS012
IIIF Item Metadata
UUID
61b4b2a4-c600-4897-8f20-045e407ebc75
Oral History
Ruth Haas
WestConn
Western Connecticut State College
Western Connecticut State University
-
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/4397/MS012_12_88_[Side_A].mp3
b11d0b09ea3501919b6a5d756b10d66a
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/4397/MS012_12_88_[Side_B].mp3
a8b1fc836872e49f07e60c0cf5728ff3
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Herb Janick Papers, MS012
Description
An account of the resource
The Herbert F. Janick, Jr. Papers spans the years 1889-2002 and consists mainly of Janick’s research for his book on the centennial history of Western Connecticut State University.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Janick, Herb
Has Version
A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource.
<a href="https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/findingaids/ctdbn_ms012_janick.xml">Link to finding aid.</a>
IIIF Collection Metadata
UUID
f32271cc-b16e-4921-8776-db43f2dc8a6f
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview.
Jennifer Dellasala and Genevieve Zottola
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed.
Dr. Kenneth Young
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
~50 min
Time Summary
A summary of an interview given for different time stamps throughout the interview
(Side A):
0-10 min: Beginning at WestConn; came in 1966; Area of specialty; American Diplomacy in Asia and Chinese Culture; Level of student interest; better in smaller classrooms; most take his classes because they are interested in subject; Propaganda; Educational philosophy of the 1960s; Vietnam; pro; war student body; Changes in faculty and students; Transformation of Danbury in 1970s; went from a quiet city to more active;
10-20 min: Professionalism of teaching; students should have confidence in their teachers; this existed in the History department; Teachers as experts; School as a factory; teachers (part; time) are workers; students as customers; Part time teachers; some lack passion and qualifications; Importance of education; parking and cafeteria seem more important than education; Dr. Janick;
20-30 min: Books; choice should be best found by teachers; reading should be inspirational; Technology; influence on teaching; Importance on education; value of an "A" grade; Grading; considers it the worst job for teachers; hates to judge a students because it’s not fun; Papers; believes they require in; depth research; Student life; varied over the years; School newspaper; The Echo flourished during the 1980s; student were like reporters; news was thought; provoking, not cute or glossy; now it’s all about football; Beginning of Student Movement; began in 1970s; "Freedom in the Air"; many students expressed freedom of speech and beliefs; believed that marijuana would be legalized; questioned "truth" about pregnancy and drugs;
30-40 min: Questioned "truth" about pregnancy and drugs; Library; "bunker style"; doesn't fit it campus atmosphere; Parking; Students are viewed upon like just a number; administration seems to be business-like;
40-50 min: Teachers; Communication w/ other universities; rarely talks w/ faculty from other departments at WestConn; forgets all the presidents of WestConn; Campus make; up; most classes were in Higgins and Berkshire in 1966; shared an office w/ over 16 other professors; White Hall in process of being renovated; eventually expanded (Haas Library, annex of Berkshire, Westside)
(Side B):
0-10 min: Memories of WestConn; assigned to be advisor of 1966 freshmen class; told them advising meant if they needed help ask, if not don't bother him; weekdays there was a curfew of 12:30 AM for the dorms in the beginning; Conservative atmosphere; the Puritan atmosphere (he was agnostic); Dorms; Fairfield Hall followed by Litchfield and Newbury; Cafeteria; coffee is disgusting; food is appalling; beginning the atmosphere was fun, now its business; like atmosphere; "Big Brother"; Media; sex and violence is all over; feels embarrassed by the amount of it
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Kenneth Young (Interview)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Young, Kenneth
Description
An account of the resource
~50 min; 1 cassette
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Janick, Herbert F.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Herb Janick Papers, MS012
IIIF Item Metadata
UUID
7c09a3cc-611d-4e30-acd1-836279bc85d3
Football
Sports
WestConn
Western Connecticut State College
-
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/4384/ms012_12_84.mp3
865f56bc43f3471204de692ddeaeebbb
https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/files/original/Herb_Janick_Papers_MS012/4384/ms012_12_84_Side_B.mp3
8604ba6cde08a41f98479600c3b6d9cd
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Herb Janick Papers, MS012
Description
An account of the resource
The Herbert F. Janick, Jr. Papers spans the years 1889-2002 and consists mainly of Janick’s research for his book on the centennial history of Western Connecticut State University.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Janick, Herb
Has Version
A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource.
<a href="https://archives.library.wcsu.edu/findingaids/ctdbn_ms012_janick.xml">Link to finding aid.</a>
IIIF Collection Metadata
UUID
f32271cc-b16e-4921-8776-db43f2dc8a6f
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview.
Marc Garrety; Andy Davidson
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed.
Dr. Robert Wolsch
Time Summary
A summary of an interview given for different time stamps throughout the interview
(Side A):
0-10 min: Background; traveling salesman; Navy before that; decided to go to college to become a teacher; speech and hearing therapist in elementary schools in NY; received PhD in language arts; Moved to CT; he and his wife wanted to work together; WestConn; interviewed by Adam Atchinson; communication department was part of English department; was impressed w/ WestConn and plans for the future; Westside; initially planned to be built where the Ethan Allen Inn is; Atchinson called it "Gateway to New England"; CTA programs; 1st language arts person to go into this field; help start many of the CTA programs at WestConn; Dr. Haas
10-20 min: Dr. Haas; sent his daughter a stuffed animal when she was sick in the hospital; admired her; great woman; Commuting; lived in Long Island when first hired; commuted back home in non; winter months; family eventually moved to CT; English/Communication; always tradition in the country to place the two together; specialization of communication lead to split from English; Changes at WestConn; competition between the schools (CSU system); less interaction lead to hostility; two campuses
20-30min: Haas made the staff feel like family; Increasing interaction; His office; initially in Berkshire Hall; when his office needed to be painted, nothing was done so he placed old copies of the NY Times on his wall; told it was a fire hazard; moved to Higgins Hall after he requested a new office; found the move beneficial in opening lines of communication; asked later to move White Hall, but denied; Recommendations for interaction; get involved w/ clubs; began the Thomas Jefferson Society;
30-40 min: Jefferson and Danbury; 1802 letter to Danbury Baptists when they asked for more rights; explained the importance of separation of church and state; something Madison wrote for the U.S. Constitution; during Danbury's Tercentennial, he was able to get that letter shown; told to make 35 copies to have distributed among the Danbury schools; Political events while teaching; Vietnam War; felt compassionate towards grading as failing meant subject to draft; came up w/ ways to avoid failing any student;
40-50 min: Change of attitude in people; more interaction, the better; the egg story and committee of different academic departments; enjoys meeting people of different backgrounds; encourages students to take courses outside their major; Changes in students; saw students grow and mature
(Side B):
0-10 min: Committees; knew Dr. Janick from time on environmental committee; Campus changes; seems every 5 years Old Main was being refurbished; expelling of Memorial Hall contractor; on original committee to design buildings for Westside; his idea was to have a "pie; shaped" building; nothing done at Westside for 10 years; Berkshire Hall Theater; poor conditions it was in; story of rain falling on fuse box w/ someone placing wood board over it and nothing else before a show and told if he cancelled it, the theater department might he shut down;
10-20 min: Problems w/ individuals; competition between people lead to disagreements; Student body changes; social and attitude changes; more easy to flunk a student in past; Society today; NY, for example, was safer then; Retirement; had to because he would lose 1/3 medical insurance and needed it; he and his wife had been experiencing health problems; recap
20-30 min: Substitute teaching; society now and then; New York; NYU in the 40s; Starting discussions; Ellis Island quotas; Test skewing and fast tracking; Book writing; Immigration; Catholic oppression; Separation of Church and State; Religious competition
30-40 min: American customs; Writing editorials during retirement; Racial segregation experience; Asian girl bullied racially; Becoming Catholic Chaplain; last Chaplain to do graduation; Demonstrations at WestConn; International students; No rallies at WestConn; People sent kids there because there was nothing disrupting their studies
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Dr. Robert Wolsch (Interview)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Wolsch, Robert A.
Description
An account of the resource
~85 min; 1 Cassette
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Janick, Herbert F.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Herb Janick Papers; MS012
IIIF Item Metadata
UUID
4e7289fe-e311-40a2-a5c1-cc17fa141272
Ruth Haas
WestConn
Western Connecticut State College