Hugh DeLacy papers, 1938-1985

Overview of the Collection

Creator
DeLacy, Hugh, 1910-1986
Title
Hugh DeLacy papers
Dates
1938-1985 (inclusive)
Quantity
4.87 cubic feet (11 boxes, 1 map tube, 1 package)
Collection Number
3915 (Accession No. 3915-001)
Summary
Papers of civic leader, politician, and United States representative from Washington State.
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

The papers are open to all users.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Hugh Emerson DeLacy was born May 9, 1910, in Seattle. Raised in Seattle, he attended public schools on Queen Anne Hill and graduated from the University of Washington in 1932. While teaching English at the University of Washington from 1933 to 1937, he helped organize a teachers' union, Local 410 of the American Federation of Teachers, and served as its delegate to the Seattle Central Labor Council. In 1937 DeLacy ran for a seat on the Seattle City Council. Denied a leave of absence from the university, DeLacy decided to resign in order to pursue a political career. He won the election and served until 1940.

In the 1940s, DeLacy was active in the Democratic Party and the Washington Commonwealth Federation, a coalition of left-wing political organizations. After war was declared, he went to work as a machinist in the shipyards. In 1944 DeLacy ran successfully as a New Deal Democrat for the First District Congressional seat vacated by Warren Magnuson. During the 79th Congress, DeLacy was an outspoken and active member of the left wing of the Democratic Party. He was a member of the Naval Affairs Committee and took an interest in labor legislation, public housing, and U.S. foreign policy, particularly in regard to China. He took stands against the elimination of price controls and the formation of the House Committee on Un-American Activities but supported the development of the aluminum and light metals industry in his home state.

DeLacy ran for re-election in 1946 against stiff opposition from business and the Republican Party. Accused of being anti-American and a communist, DeLacy was defeated in an electoral backlash that swept most of the Democrats from the state's delegation.

After his defeat, DeLacy worked as an organizer for the Progressive Party and Henry Wallace's presidential campaign. The campaign took him to Ohio as the party's state director. DeLacy subsequently made an unsuccessful run for the Ohio state legislature as an independent candidate. In the mid-1950s he was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. During this time, DeLacy worked as a carpenter and contractor and continued in this profession after he moved to Los Angeles in 1959. In 1960 DeLacy married Dorothy Baskin Forest, previous marriages to Betty Jorgensen and Hester Sondergaard having ended in divorce.

Following his retirement in 1967, DeLacy began to study philosophy and was admitted to the graduate program in philosophy at San Fernando Valley State College in 1969. He joined the Society for the Philosophical Study of Dialectical Materialism in order to further his study of Marxist and communist theories.

In 1971 Hugh and Dorothy DeLacy relocated to the town of Soquel, in Santa Cruz County on the central coast of California, where he lived the last 17 years of his life. In 1975 the DeLacys were invited by the government of the People's Republic of China to visit that nation, which had interested DeLacy since his first visit as a young merchant seaman. DeLacy remained active in political issues and progressive causes in the Santa Cruz area and continued his interest in international affairs until his death on August 19, 1986.

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, recognizing DeLacy's considerable impact on local community affairs as well as his history of advocating peace and justice nationally and internationally, dedicated a memorial garden in his name on the county courthouse grounds. DeLacy's large collection of tools was shipped to a vocational training school in Nicaragua.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The papers consist of writings, correspondence, campaign material, newsletters, class notes, tape recordings, and autobiographical materials from 1938 to 1985.

DeLacy's notes and writings as a graduate student in philosophy have been gathered into the Philosophy papers series. The Personal papers series includes autobiographical and other writings, materials documenting DeLacy's later political interests, and papers that did not belong with any other series. The bulk of the papers date from DeLacy's later life, after he left the state of Washington. Although not voluminous, DeLacy's congressional papers provide useful documentation on his campaigns and term in office but include none of his congressional correspondence. DeLacy's first autobiography, which primarily concerns his term in the House of Representatives, provides much detail about his activities as well as events and issues of the 79th Congress. The later autobiography also concentrates on his early life. Additional biographical details can be found in the tape recorded interviews with David A. Williams of Long Beach State University.

DeLacy's papers include little from his presidency of the Washington Commonwealth Federation. Researchers interested in this subject should consult the Robert Burke Collection (Accession No. 4128-001), which consists of the records of the Washington Commonwealth Federation.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The creator's literary rights have been transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Preferred Citation

Hugh DeLacy Papers. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Seattle, Washington.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The DeLacy papers have been arranged into nine series reflecting DeLacy's activities. Within these series, papers are arranged in chronological order.

  • Seattle City Council
  • Washington Commonwealth Federation
  • Congressional campaign
  • United States House of Representatives
  • Re-election campaign
  • Progressive Party of Ohio
  • American Committee for Protection of Foreign Born, Los Angeles
  • Philosophy papers
  • Personal papers

Acquisition Information

Gift of Dorothy DeLacy of Soquel, California (Hugh De Lacy's widow), 1987.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Seattle City Council, 1938-1939Return to Top

Regarding the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and the rehabilitation of the Municipal Railway and transportation systems.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
General correspondence
1/2
Ordinances and bills
1/3
Miscellaneous

Washington Commonwealth Federation Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/4
Report to the Washington Commonwealth Federation Convention by De Lacy
1941
1/5
Investigating Committee regarding the suspension of N.P. Atkinson
1942

Congressional campaignReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/6
Mailing lists and other material
1944
1/7
Petitions of minor party nominating conventions
1944
1/8
Incoming letters: endorsements and congratulations
1944 August-November
1/9
Outgoing letters: thanks for support
1944 November-December

United States House of Representatives, 1945-1946Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/10-11
"Letter from Your Congressman"
1/12
Congressional newsletters
1945 February-1946 June
1/13
Bills introduced by De Lacy
1945 February-1946 July
1/14
Speeches in the Congressional Record
1945 January-1946 August
1/15
Speeches and news releases
undated
1/16
Outgoing letters to Senator Thomas Rabbitt
1945
1/17
Articles regarding De Lacy and activities
1945
1/18
Miscellaneous
undated
package
12
Scrapbook of clippings
undated
Box/Folder
1/19-2/2
Clippings
undated
Subject files
Aluminum and light metals industry
Box/Folder
2/3
Letters with statements
1945
Hearings-Small Business Committee
Box/Folder
2/4
February-March 1945
1945
2/5
April 10, 1945
1945
2/6
May 14, 1945
1945
Box/Folder
2/7
Information
undated
2/8
News releases, clippings, speeches by De Lacy
undated
Committee on Un-American Activities
Also called the Wood-Rankin Committee.
Box/Folder
2/9
General correspondence
1945-1946
2/10
Reports from hearings
1946
2/11
Related material regarding radio censorship
1945-1946
Box/Folder
2/12
Office of Price Administration, Price Controls
1945-1946

Re-election campaign, 1946Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2/13-15
Radio and other speeches
2/16
Voting records and statistical pamphlets, 79th Congress
2/17-18
Campaign materials
Mailings, pamphlets, banners, lists, and data on ethnic minority, labor, and community support.
3/1
Court complaint regarding libelous anti-De Lacy publication
Includes offending material.
1946 October
3/2-3
Letters of appreciation and endorsement
1946 April-October
3/4
Political endorsements (non-correspondence)
3/5
Election results
3/6
Post-election correspondence
1946 November-December

Progressive Party of OhioReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
3/7
Mailings and letters
1951
3/8
Steering Committee minutes
1951
3/9
The Independent Weekly Newsletter
undated
3/10
Legislative newsletters
1951, 1954-1955
3/11
Policies and platforms
1951-1954
3/12
Analyses
1951, undated
3/13
Speeches by De Lacy
1949
3/14
Manuscript: "Isn't It about Time?"
undated
3/15
Miscellaneous
Subject files
Box/Folder
3/16
Henry Wallace for President
Campaign materials and a court complaint.
1948
3/17
De Lacy campaign for Ohio State Representative
1951
House Committee on Un-American Activities
Box/Folder
3/18
Fact sheets
1948
3/19
Transcript of Hugh De Lacy/Don Rothenberg radio talk
1954

American Committee for Protection of Foreign Born, Los AngelesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
3/20
Correspondence, newsletters, and announcements
1962-1967
3/21
Conferences
1965-1966, undated

Philosophy papersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
General correspondence
Box/Folder
3/22
Ankeny, Barbara, regarding Der Junge Hegel
1974-1976
3/23
Philips, Herbert Jo "Scoop"
1964-1973, undated
3/24
Somerville, John
1974-1975, 1983
3/25
Regarding philosophy
1968-1981
Writings by DeLacy
Alphabetical by subject.
Includes manuscripts, notes, and articles by others.
Box/Folder
3/26
Ajdukiewicz, Kazimierz
undated
4/1-2
Colletti, Lucio
undated
4/3
Ethical studies
undated
4/4
"Heraclitus of Ephesus"
Includes published manuscript.
1968
4/5
Lange, Oskar
undated
4/6-10
Lukacs, Georg, Der Junge Hegel, translated by Hugh De Lacy and Elena Baskin
undated
4/11
"The Revolution in Physics Begins"
1983
4/12-14
Wald, Henri, "Introduction to Dialectical Logic"
undated
5/1
Whitehead, Alfred North
undated
5/2
Miscellaneous notes
undated
Course materials
Includes class notes, handouts, and papers.
Box/Folder
5/3
Philosophy 7
1967 Summer
5/4
Philosophy 440: Wittgenstein
1968 Spring
5/5
Philosophy 201: Presocratics Influence on Plato and Aristotle
1968 Summer
5/6
Philosophy 335: British Empiricism
1968-1969 Fall/Winter
5/7-8
Philosophy 440: Philosophy of Science
1969 Spring
5/9-10
Philosophy 501-E: Essentialism
1969-1970 Fall/Winter
5/11-12
Philosophy 501-C: Paper on Foundations of Marxist Social Theory-May, October
1970 May, October
5/13-14
Philosophy 501-E: Ontology & Metaphysics
Includes writings by Charles Crittenden.
1971 Spring
6/1
Philosophy 435: Kant
1971 Spring
6/2-3
Philosophy 190-B: Hegel's Phenomenology of the Mind
1972 Fall
6/4
Miscellaneous notes
undated
Box/Folder
6/5-7
Bibliographies
undated
6/8
Clippings
1965-1977, undated
Subject files
Box/Folder
6/9
Marcuse, Herbert
undated
6/10
Marxism
undated

Personal papersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Biographical information
Box/Folder
6/11
Clippings
1976-1978
6/12
Obituaries and memorial service
1986 August-September
Box
11
Videotape of memorial service
1986 September 6
School transcripts
Box/Folder
6/13
University of Washington
1926-1936
6/13
San Fernando Valley State College
1968-1971
Box/Folder
6/14-15
Autobiography-original manuscript and copy
circa 1948-1950
6/16
Autobiography
1985
Box
11
Tape-recorded interviews with David Williams
1981
General correspondence
Box/Folder
7/1-5
Miscellaneous
1947-1986, undated
7/6
Castle, Del
Includes writings.
1973-1978
7/7
Healy, Dorothy
Includes writings.
1973-1975, undated
7/8
Panetta, Leon & Sylvia
Representative for California, 16th District.
1977-1985
7/9
Pelto, Richard, regarding Seattle politics and history in the 1930s and 1940s
1982
Box/Folder
7/10
Speeches by De Lacy
1948-1981
Writings by De Lacy
Box/Folder
7/11
Academic papers
1930s-1940s
7/12-14
Poems
1930s-1980s
7/15
Miscellaneous stories and essays
undated
7/16
Miscellaneous papers regarding politics
undated
7/17
Manuscripts regarding United States foreign policy in the 1940s
undated
7/18
Manuscripts regarding the Korean War
1950s
8/1
Manuscripts and notes on international relations
undated
8/2
Book review of Vito Marcantonio: Radical in Congress, published in People's World
1967
8/3
"Frightened Bigots"
Chapter 9 of DeLacy's autobiography, with letters to publishers.
1969-1970
8/4
"A Frightened Europe"
With letters to publishers.
1981-1982
Notes
Box/Folder
8/5
Northwest labor history references
undated
8/6
Notes from lecture and forum
1975, 1978
8/7
Miscellaneous
undated
tube
13
Outline for course taught by De Lacy on Marxist economics
1974
Writings of others
Box/Folder
8/8
Fog, Kristi, paper on the Washington Commonwealth Federation
1981
8/9
Fritchman, Reverend Stephen, "Sermon of the Month"
1964, 1966
8/10
MacCaffrey, Frank, "Campus Memories: A Sentimental Stroll through the U.W. Campus with Professor Edmond Meany"
1933
8/11
Somerville, John, paper on the problem of first use of nuclear weapons
1978
Box/Folder
8/12
Bibliographies on American and labor history
undated
Trips
Trip to China
Box/Folder
8/13
General correspondence
1974-1976
8/14
Notebooks
1974-1976
8/15
Notes and diary
undated
8/16
Speeches and writings
undated
Trip to Spain and Portugal
Box/Folder
8/17
"Notes on Spain," publication by Santiago Carrillo
1977
8/18
Notes and writing on Portugal, interview with Helena Costa, text of a Portuguese law
1977
Box/Folder
8/19
Trip to Nicaragua: Notebook containing letters, diary, and notes
1985
Box/Folder
8/20
Political activities and invitations
1962-1967, undated
Clippings
Box/Folder
8/21
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearings in Seattle, Eugene Dennett testimony
1955
8/22
De Lacy and politics
1962-1971
8/23
Miscellaneous
1950-1978, undated
Box/Folder
9/1
Photograph
[1945?]
9/2
Miscellaneous
undated
Subject files
China
Box/Folder
9/3
Notes on Sino-Soviet split
undated
9/4
Committee for a Democratic Far Eastern Policy, analyses
1948-1950
9/5
U. S.-China People's Friendship Association publications and newsletters
1975-1977
9/6
Peking Review
1975 January-April
9/7
Articles and papers
undated
9/8-9
Clippings
1975, undated
Czechoslovakia
1968-1969
Box/Folder
9/10
Collected correspondence of Jerry Tyler
9/11
Statements and information regarding Czech/Soviet relations
9/12
Communist Party material and publications
9/13-14
Publications regarding Czech situation: Political Affairs, Marxism Today, New World Review
9/15-16
Clippings from People's World and others
Dulles, John Foster
United States foreign policy and connections with German financiers.
1939-1950
Box/Folder
9/17
Memoranda, writings, and a notebook
10/1-3
Manuscripts, notes, and information
10/4
Publications regarding United States/Nazi relations
1947
10/5
Clippings regarding Dulles's relations with Nazi Germany
1939, 1944-1950
Eurocommunism
Box/Folder
10/6
Correspondence regarding De Lacy's review and translation of Santiago Carillo's Eurocommunism and the State
1977
10/7
Notes and reviews on critiques of Eurocommunism and the State
Includes articles by Henry Winston and in the New Times.
1977
10/8
Manuscripts: review and translation by De Lacy of Eurocommunism and the State
1977
Articles and clippings
Box/Folder
10/9
Portugal: socialist revolution and aftermath
1976-1978
10/10
Spain: Santiago Carrillo and Eurocommunism
1977
10/11
Germany: writing, notes, and clippings
1985
Box/Folder
10/12
International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union: arbitration award and union employment book
1942, 1943
10/13
Office of Price Administration and prices
Includes Federated Press clippings.
1947
10/14
Pettus, Terry
1978, 1982
10/15
Seattle Totem Pole
1938-1940
10/16
Southeast Asia
1976-1979
10/17
Soviet Union
undated
10/18
U.S. foreign policy and U.S.-Soviet relations: speeches and newsletters
1947-1948

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • City council members--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives
  • Civic leaders--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives
  • Communism
  • Elections--Washington (State)
  • Graduate students--California, Southern--Archives
  • Legislators--United States--Archives
  • Light metals industry--Washington (State)
  • Machinists--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives
  • Philosophy--Study and teaching (Graduate)--California, Southern
  • Political campaigns--Washington (State)
  • Political parties--United States
  • Political parties hio
  • Progressivism (United States politics)
  • Teachers--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives

Personal Names

  • DeLacy, Hugh, 1910-1986--Archives

Corporate Names

  • Progressive Party of Ohio
  • San Fernando Valley State College--Curricula
  • Seattle (Wash.). City Council
  • United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities

Geographical Names

  • China--Description and travel
  • Ohio--Politics and government--20th century
  • Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government--20th century
  • United States--Politics and government--20th century
  • Washington (State)--Politics and government--20th century

Form or Genre Terms

  • Campaign literature
  • Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
  • Interviews
  • Newsletters
  • Publications
  • Sound recordings
  • Speeches, addresses, etc
  • articles
  • autobiographies
  • correspondence
  • notes
  • papers (document genres)
  • writings

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • Labor Archives of Washington (University of Washington) (creator)

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)