Elmer Miller papers, 1922-1972

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Miller, Elmer, 1898-1978
Title
Elmer Miller papers
Dates
1922-1972 (inclusive)
Quantity
8.8 cubic feet (23 boxes) plus 6 sound cassettes
Collection Number
1086 (Accession No. 1086-001)
Summary
Educator, labor organization officer
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access.

Records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.

Additional Reference Guides

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Elmer Miller, born in 1898, was a teacher, political activist, and trade unionist. Miller grew up in Adams County, Washington, attended Washington State College, and started teaching high school history in Pasco, Washington in 1926. He taught at Queen Anne High School in Seattle from 1930 until his retirement in 1963. He was active in local politics and in teachers' organizations. Miller was active in affiliates of the American Federation of Teachers, including the Washington State Federation of Teachers (WSFT), the Seattle Federation of Teachers (Local 200 of the AFT), and related organizations. He served as President of the WSFT in 1947-1948 and of the Seattle Federation of Teachers, 1952-1957. Miller died in 1978 in Seattle.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Correspondence, subject files, press clippings, reports and ephemera related to Miller's activities in politics and teachers organizations. Included are records created in the course of his work in organizations affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers. A major subgroup of records reflects Miller's work in various roles in the Seattle Federation of Teachers, Local 200 of the AFT, including correspondence (1935-1966) and newsletters. A second major subgroup derives from Miller's activism in the Washington State Federation of Teachers and its short-lived predecessor, the Washington Joint Council of Teachers. This includes correspondence, Executive Board minutes, and convention records (1937-1966). Major subject areas represented in the Elmer Miller papers are Seattle School Board election campaigns, school district finances, teacher salaries, Washington State law concerning funding of education, collective bargaining in the schools, and the competition between the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers affiliates to represent teachers in Washington State. The papers include cassette tape recordings, with accompanying transcript, of a 1967 interview by Richard C. Berner and Steven Uthoff of Miller, describing Miller's early years in politics and the teaching profession in Seattle. There are also 6 sound cassettes of recorded interviews.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Processing Note

After processing completed, accession 0808-001, 1086-001, 1086-002 and 1086-003 were merged into 1086-001, June, 2016.

Acquisition Information

Elmer Miller, September 01, 1967, November 19, 1967, and February 10, 1969; Roger Miller, August 13, 1981

Preservation Note

Records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

RECORD GROUP 1 :   ELMER MILLER PERSONAL PAPERS1922-1972 Return to Top

Container(s): Box-folder 1/1-11/10, 23/1-10

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
SERIES I : INTERVIEWS
1967
Box/Folder
Tapes 36-41
Tape recorded interview conducted by Frank Morris, 1967.
1967
1/1
Transcript of interview with Elmer Miller by Richard Berner with Steven Uthoff
1967
1/2-4/10, 23/1-2
SERIES II : CORRESPONDENCE
1931-1965
Box/Folder
1/2
Outgoing correspondence
Undated
1/3
Outgoing correspondence
1931-1947
1/4
Outgoing correspondence
1948-1950
1/5
Outgoing correspondence
1951-1956
1/6
Outgoing correspondence
1957-1965
2/1
A.F.L.-C.I.O. Committee on Political Education. King County
1958-1961
2/2
Seattle Central Labor Council
1945-1962
2/3
A
1946-1963
23/1-2
American Federation of Teachers
1947, 1953-1957
2/4
Frank Behm
1947
2/5
Arnie Bergh
1964
2/6
Better Schools Council
1943-1950
2/7
Homer T. Bone
1939
2/8
Genette Brockhausen
1947
2/9
B
1938-1958
2/10
John A. Cherberg
1959-1963
2/11
C
1938-1961
2/12
Zetta Dalton
1946-1947
2/13
May Darling
1947-1954
2/14
Victor F. DeGarmo
1958-1961
2/15
D-E
1937-1963
2/16
Clayton Farrington
1949-1956
2/17
F
1959-1963
2/18
G
1932-1965
2/19
Andrew Hess
1948-1963
2/20
H
1937-1962
2/21
I
c. 1940
2/22
Henry M. Jackson
1947-1950
2/23
Joint Labor Lobby
1945-1964
2/24
Homer R. Jones
1947-1948
2/25
J
1943-1960
2/26
K
1932-1957
2/27
L
1943-1956
2/28
Hugh B. Mitchell
1949-1950
2/29
M
1932-1958
2/30
N
1931-1964
2/31
John J. O'Connell
1963-1965
2/32
W. J. O'Connell
1961-1962
2/33
O
1937-1963
2/34
P
1937-1965
2/35
Q
1960-1961
3/1
Albert D. Rosellini
1952
3/2
R
1942-1964
3/3
Seattle Association of Classroom Teachers
1937-1958
3/4
Seattle Teacher's Association
1958-1964
3/5
Seattle Public Schools
1926-1949
3/6
Seattle Public Schools
1950-1959
3/7
Seattle Public Schools
1960-1965
3/8
S
1927-1960
3/9
T
1939-1964
4/1
Mon C. Wallgren
1945-1948
4/2
Governor's Advisory Committee on Teachers Retirement
Undated
4/3
Washington State Superintindent of Public Instruction
1945-1966
4/4
Washington Education Association
1939-1962
4/5
Washington State Federation of Labor
1935-1956
4/6
Washington State Labor Council
1958-1967
4/7
Washington State Federation of Labor, Labor's Educational, Political League
1947-1953
4/8
Noel Hugh Wynne
1945-1949
4/9
W
1937-1961
4/10
XYZ
1965
5/1-8/1, 23/3-8
SERIES III : SUBJECT FILES
1922-1972
Box/Folder
5/1
Education: merit pay for teachers
1942-1965
5/2
Education: Seattle Queen Anne Junior-Senior High controversy
1960-1962
5/3
Education: Teacher Retirement Act of 1947
1945-1951
5/4
Education: teacher retirement
1951-1963
5/5
Seattle High School Teachers' League
1922-1936
5/6
Seattle Public Schools: Junior Achievement
1958-1963
5/7
Seattle Public Schools labor management relations
1962-1965
5/8
Seattle Public Schools newsletter
1929-1958
5/9
Seattle Public Schools newsletter
1961-1962
5/10
Seattle Public Schools Professional Growth Advisory Committee (part 1 of 2)
1961-1963
5/11
Seattle Public Schools Professional Growth Advisory Committee (part 2 of 2)
1961-1963
5/12
Seattle Public Schools: minutes
1934-1957
5/13
Seattle Public Schools: educators' opinion inventory
1956-1959
6/1
Initiative 130 Campaign
1938
6/2
Interviews conducted by Political Direction Committee
1959-1960
6/3
Labor - church and community relations
1951-1960
6/4
Labor education
1941-1961
6/5
Labor-education Day
1954
6/6
Labor: legislative session
1945
6/7
Labor / Right-to-work campaign initiative 198
1956
6/8
Labor / Right-to-work campaign initiative 202
1958
6/9
Labor scholarship contest
1952-1962
6/10
Washington State Federation Labor
1950-1953
6/11
Politics: Washington State election
1950
6/12
Politics: Washington State election
1962
6/13
Politics: Seattle School Board
1932-1958
6/14
Politics: State Socialist Party convention
1936
6/15
Politics: State and local government
1962-1963
6/16
Bremerton Federation of Teachers: collective bargaining
1960-1965
23/3
Resolution on the no-strike policy: draft
undated
23/4
Seattle Federation of Teachers
1951-1966
23/5
Seattle Federation of Teachers chronological highlights
circa 1965
7/1
Seattle School District No. 1 budget
1949-1954
7/2
Seattle School District No. 1 budget
1954-1959
7/3
Seattle School District No. 1 budget
1959-1961
7/4
Seattle School District No. 1 budget
1961-1963
7/5
Seattle School District No. 1 budget
1963-1965
7/6
Seattle School District No. 1 budget
1966-1968
7/7
Facts and figures about your Seattle Public Schools
1951-1960
7/8
Seattle Public Schools: financing and operation
1944-1960
7/9
Seattle Public Schools: Booz, Allen Hamilton report
Undated
8/1
Seattle Public Schools: reports
1935-1962
23/4
Washington State Council of Public Employees financial records
1951
23/5
Washington State property tax
1930-1934
23/6
Washington State property tax
1962-1972
8/2-10/10, 23/9-10
SERIES IV : PRESS CLIPPING FILES
1927-1972
Box/Folder
8/2
New York City teachers
1962-1963
8/3
John Birch Society
1961
8/4
Labor
1943-1947
8/5
New Order of Cincinnatus
1934-1935
8/6
University of Washington Metropolitan Tract
1945-1952
8/7
School levies
1944-1963
8/8
Politics - 1952 election
1952
8/9
Pearl Wanamaker
1956-1957
8/10
Seattle School Board election
1945
8/11
Seattle School Board
1932-1950
9/1
State legislative session
1965
9/2
Seattle High School Teachers Union, Local 200 A.F.T.
1927-1928
9/3
Seattle Federation of Teachers, Local 200 A.F.T.
1945-1962
9/4
Washington State Federation of Teachers
1946-1960
9/5
Washington State Federation of Teachers
1946-1965
9/6
Washington State Federation of Teachers, salary schedules
1959-1961
9/7
Washington Education Association
1952-1965
9/8
Natonal Education Association
1947-1964
9/9
Unclassified clippings
1932-1945
23/9
Washington State property tax
1933-1972
9/10
Unclassified clippings
1932-1947
9/11
Unclassified clippings
1932-1954
9/12
Unclassified clippings
1934-1965
10/1
Unclassified clippings
1945-1946
23/10
Unclassified clippings
1947
10/2
Unclassified clippings
1947-1955
10/3
Unclassified clippings
1948
10/4
Unclassified clippings
1950-1956
10/5
Unclassified clippings
1953-1959
10/6
Unclassified clippings
1956
10/7
Unclassified clippings
1958
10/8
Unclassified clippings
1959
10/9
Unclassified clippings
1960
10/10
Unclassified clippings
1961-1963
10/11-11/10
SERIES V : PUBLICATIONS AND EPHEMERA
1930-1967
Box/Folder
10/11
Politics - 1952 election
1952
11/1
Politics
1938-1967
11/2
Education
1944-1967
11/3
Labor
1933-1965
11/4
Labor
1951-1965
11/5
National Education Association
1930-1964
11/6
Washington State Federation of Teachers
1945-1965
11/7
Washington State Federation of Teachers
1963-1965
11/8
Washington State Federation of Teachers - retirement
1936-1947
11/9
Unclassified
1940-1962
11/10
Unclassified
1962-1963

RECORD GROUP 2 :   AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, LOCAL 2001922-1966 Return to Top

Container(s): Box-folder 12/1-15/15

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
12/1-13/14
SERIES I : CORRESPONDENCE
1933-1966
Box/Folder
12/1
General correspondence
Undated
12/2
Incoming correspondence
1935-1942
12/3
Incoming correspondence
1944-1949
12/4
Incoming correspondence
1950-1952
12/5
Incoming correspondence
1953
12/6
Incoming correspondence
1954-1955
12/7
Incoming correspondence
1956-1959
12/8
Incoming correspondence
1960-1964
12/9
Outgoing correspondence
1933-1939
12/10
Outgoing correspondence
1940-1944
12/11
Outgoing correspondence
1945-1946
12/12
Outgoing correspondence
1947
12/13-14
Outgoing correspondence
1948
12/15
Outgoing correspondence
1949
13/1
Outgoing correspondence
1950-1951
13/2
Outgoing correspondence
1952
13/3-4
Outgoing correspondence
1953
13/5
Outgoing correspondence
1954-1955
13/6
Outgoing correspondence
1956
13/7
Outgoing correspondence
1957
13/8
Outgoing correspondence
1958
13/9
Outgoing correspondence
1959
13/10
Outgoing correspondence
1960
13/11
Outgoing correspondence
1961-1962
13/12
Outgoing correspondence
1963-1964
13/13
Outgoing correspondence
1965-1966
13/14
American Federation of Teachers news releases
1935-1945
14/1-15/5
SERIES II : SUBJECT FILES
1940-1965
Box/Folder
14/1
Salaries
1959-1965
14/2
Salaries
1953-1964
14/3
Salaries
1941-1965
14/4
Social Security
1942-1956
14/5
Teacher tenure
1940-1956
14/6
Discipline
1954-1960
14/7-8
Collective bargaining
1957-1965
15/1
Health and welfare
1954-1962
15/2
Teacher rating - Seeschaaf case
1957-1959
15/3
Sachs case
1952
15/4
Drafts and speaking notes
c. 1940-c. 1960
15/5
Financial records
1949-1953
15/6-15/15
SERIES III : ORGANIZATIONAL RECORDS
1928-1965
Box/Folder
15/6
Membership lists
1943-1958
15/7
Local 200 News Bulletin
1941-1960
15/8
Minutes of Executive Board and general membership meetings
1943-1964
15/9
Meeting notices for general membership meetings
1952-1962
15/10
Minutes of SFT meetings with Seattle School District representatives
1960-1965
15/11
Report of committee on City Employees' Trades Council
1945
15/12
Seattle Federation of Teachers chronological highlights
c. 1965
15/13
Local 200 constitution
Undated
15/14
Ephemera
1928-1963
15/15
Photographs
1948, Undated

RECORD GROUP 3 :   AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS1936-1964 Return to Top

Container(s): Box-folder 15/16-18/4, 23/11

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
15/16-15/17
SERIES I : ORGANIZATIONAL RECORDS
1936-1960
Box/Folder
15/16
American Federation of Teachers constitution
1936-1960
15/17
American Federation of Teachers Executive Council records
1947
15/18-16/4, 23/11
SERIES II : CONVENTION RECORDS
1940-1964
Box/Folder
15/18
Roll call of delegates
1958-1964
16/1
Convention call
1940-1953
23/11
Convention documents
1947
16/2
Reports to convention
1954-1955
16/3
Reports to convention
1958-1964
16/4
Reports of Vice-Presidents
1948-1964
16/5-17/5
SERIES III : REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS
1942-1964
Box/Folder
16/5
Reports
1942-1958
16/6
Manual for locals
1959
17/1
Publications
1959-1962
17/2
Publications
1960-1962
17/3
Publications
1959-1963
17/4
Brochures and leaflets (part 1 of 2)
1930s-1964
17/5
Brochures and leaflets (part 2 of 2)
1930s-1964
17/6-18/4
SERIES IV : AFT AND AFFILIATES' CIRCULARS, NEWSLETTERS AND EPHEMERA
1938-1966
Box/Folder
17/6
Circulars (part 1 of 4)
1938-1966
18/1
Circulars (part 2 of 4)
1938-1966
18/2
Circulars (part 3 of 4)
1938-1966
18/3
Circulars (part 4 of 4)
1938-1966
18/4
Ephemera
1952-1965

RECORD GROUP 4 :   WASHINGTON CLASS ROOM TEACHERS' LEAGUE1931-1932 Return to Top

Container(s): Box-folder 18/5

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
18/5
Correspondence
1931-1932

RECORD GROUP 5 :   WASHINGTON STATE FEDERATION OF TEACHERS1935-1966 Return to Top

Container(s): Box-folder 18/6-22/10

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
18/6-19/5
SERIES I : CORRESPONDENCE
1937-1966
Box/Folder
18/6
Incoming correspondence
1937-1939
18/7
Incoming correspondence
1940-1942
18/8
Incoming correspondence
1945-1948
18/9
Incoming correspondence
1952-1966
18/10
Outgoing correspondence
1937-1939
19/1
Outgoing correspondence
1940-1944
19/2
Outgoing correspondence
1947-1949
19/3
Outgoing correspondence
1951-1966
19/4
Outgoing correspondence
Undated
19/5
Miscellaneous correspondence
1939-1947
19/6-21/2
SERIES II : SUBJECT FILES
1937-1966
Box/Folder
19/6
Salary survey
1957-1962
19/7
Salary schedules (part 1 of 3)
1944-1965
19/8
Salary schedules (part 2 of 3)
1944-1965
19/9
Salary schedules (part 3 of 3)
1944-1965
19/10
Teachers' retirement
1937-1959
19/11
Tenure bill
1942, Undated
19/12
Salary schedules: legislation
1947-1960
19/13
Legislative sessions
1937-1948
19/14
Legislative sessions
1942-1945
19/15
Legislative sessions
1947-1951
19/16
Legislative sessions
1955-1959
20/1
Legislative session
1961
20/2
Legislative session (part 1 of 2)
1963
20/3
Legislative session (part 2 of 2)
1963
20/4
Legislative session (part 1 of 2)
1965
20/5
Legislative session (part 2 of 2)
1965
20/6
Legislation
Undated
20/7
Building representative speech kit
Undated
20/8
Proposed 1964 platform of Washington State Democratic Party
1964
20/9
Congressional newsletter
1945-1946
20/10
Amicus petition in Spokane censorship case
Undated
20/11
Power of public employees to strike
Undated
20/12
Questionnaires
Undated
20/13
School funding: news clippings
1961
20/14
Notes (part 1 of 2)
1930s-1950s
20/15
Notes (part 2 of 2)
1930s-1950s
21/1
Reports
1944-1962
21/2
Retirements: reports
1943-1963
21/3-21/15
SERIES III : ORGANIZATIONAL RECORDS
1935-1966
Box/Folder
21/3
WSFT Constitution
1935-1954
21/4
Financial records
1938-1965
21/5
Bulletins
1959-1965
21/6
Newsletters
1945-1961
21/7
News releases
1945-1965
21/8
Directory
1949-1952
21/9
Executive Board Minutes
1937-1939
21/10
Executive Board Minutes
1940-1941
21/11
Executive Board Minutes
1942-1946
21/12
Executive Board Minutes
1947-1949
21/13
Executive Board Minutes
1950-1958
21/14
Executive Board Minutes
1959-1963
21/15
Executive Board Minutes
1964-1966
22/1-22/10
SERIES IV : CONVENTION RECORDS
1937-1966
Box/Folder
22/1
Proceedings and resolutions
1937-1939
22/2
Proceedings and resolutions
1940-1941
22/3
Proceedings and resolutions
1943-1944
22/4
Proceedings and resolutions
1945-1946
22/5
Proceedings and resolutions
1947
22/6
Proceedings and resolutions
1948-1953
22/7
Proceedings and resolutions
1956-1958
22/8
Proceedings and resolutions
1959-1962
22/9
Proceedings and resolutions
1963-1966
22/10
Resolutions
Undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Collective bargaining--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Education--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Labor movement--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Labor unions--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Labor--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Teachers' unions--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Teachers--Washington (State)--Seattle

Personal Names

  • Miller, Elmer, 1898-1978--Archives
  • Miller, Elmer, 1898-1978--Interviews

Corporate Names

  • American Federation of Teachers. Local 200 (Seattle, Wash.)
  • Seattle Public Schools
  • Washington State Federation of Teachers

Form or Genre Terms

  • Ephemera
  • Interviews
  • Newsletters
  • Personal correspondence
  • Photographs
  • Sound recordings

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • Citizens' Legislative League (creator)
    • Labor Archives of Washington (University of Washington) (host institution)
    • Washington State Council of Public Employees (creator)

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)