Lyle Mercer papers, 1963-2011

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Mercer, Lyle, 1921-2014
Title
Lyle Mercer papers
Dates
1963-2011 (inclusive)
Quantity
19.55 cubic feet (19 boxes)
Collection Number
5147
Summary
Papers of a political activist, Seattle.
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

Open to all users.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Lyle Freeman Mercer (1921-2014) was a socialist activist who organized opposition to the House Un-American Activities Committee, fought for universal health care coverage, and was part of a diverse number of peace, freedom, and economic justice groups including the Arab American Anti-Discrimination League, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Veterans for Peace.

Mercer was born in Bellingham, Washington on July 11, 1921 and grew up in Burien, Washington. He attended Burien’s Highline High School and was chosen as one of 20 high school students for a Seattle Post Intelligencer history contest which included tickets to FDR’s second inauguration and tours of Congress, the White House, and other sites in Washington, D.C.

He attended Central Washington University for two years in the early 1940s before enlisting in the Army Air Corps after his brother Dean was wounded in the Pearl Harbor attack. As a student pilot at Central, he wanted to continue his training but was washed out of flying early. He served instead as an administrative officer and trained as a paratrooper during two years of service in Europe. However, he did not partake in any combat duty. In 1943, he met Lt. Barbara Evans, a flight nurse, at a Nebraska heavy bomber base and they were married at her Paris base in 1945.

In 1946, the two returned to the states and settled in Seattle. Financed by the GI Bill, both entered the University of Washington. Lyle received a B.A. in political science and trained to be a teacher while Barbara received her B.S.N. Politicized by his wartime experiences, Lyle served on the board of the state Young Democrats until he was expelled for criticizing President Truman’s emerging Cold War politics. After, he joined Henry Wallace’s Progressive Party as the head of the state arm and, in 1948, chaired the state Young Progressives and was a candidate for state insurance commissioner.

In 1948, Mercer helped organize the Student Organization for Academic Freedom (SOAR) to protest State Representative Albert Canwell’s Joint Legislative Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities which targeted UW professors alleged to hold communist sympathies. In the 1960s, he organized opposition to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which began hearings in Washington State in the mid-1950s. He staffed the Northwest chapter of the National Committee to Abolish HUAC and was elected to the state board of the American Civil Liberties Union, chairing its anti-HUAC committee.

While a socialist, he never joined the Communist or the Socialist Parties. However, he suffered constant FBI surveillance and job harassment. The FBI amassed a 350 page file on his activities. He was blackballed from teaching by the UW Education Department and fired from other jobs due to his political activities. Despite the surveillance and harassment, Mercer remained active in various peace, freedom, and economic justice groups including the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) where his wife Barbara also worked on housing discrimination.

Mercer was also passionate about universal health care coverage since the 1960s. He worked to help enact the Health Security Act (Kennedy-Corman bill), was elected as a trustee of the Group Health Cooperative for 21 years, and served two years on the board of the Cooperative League of the USA. He also served as the director of the People’s Memorial Association, the nation’s oldest and largest funeral services cooperative, until his 1987 retirement. Mercer died on March 27, 2014 at the age of 92 years old after choosing death with dignity.

Sources: UW Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project, obituary written by Lyle Mercer

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Correspondence and related materials from his service as Executive Secretary for the Washington Committee to Abolish HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) together with posters from his and his wife's peace activism; 1966-1987.

Articles, correspondence, board and committee materials, calendars, photographs, and other ephemera related to the life and career of Lyle Mercer including his involvement in the Washington Committee to Abolish House Un-American Activities Committee, Group Health Cooperative, Veterans for Peace, and the ACLU.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized into 2 accessions.

  • Accession No. 5147-001, Lyle Mercer papers, 1966-1987
  • Accession No. 5147-002, Lyle Mercer papers, 1963-2013

Acquisition Information

Donated by Lyle Mercer, 5/7/1999 and Jack Mercer, May, 2019.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Accession No. 5147-001: Lyle Mercer papers, 1966-1987Return to Top

2.58 cu. ft. (3 boxes)

Scope and Content: Correspondence and related materials from his service as Executive Secretary for the Washington Committee to Abolish HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee), together with posters from his and his wife's peace activism; 1966-1987.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Lyle Mercer, 5/7/1999

Arrangement: Arranged in 2 series.
  • Series 1, Washington Committee to Abolish House Unamerican Activities Committee
  • Series 2, Posters
Container(s) Description Dates
Series 1: Washington Committee to Abolish House Unamerican Activities Committee
Box/Folder Accession
1/1 5147-001
Finances: Current Bills, Expenses
1968
1/2 5147-001
Finances: Current Statements
1968
1/3 5147-001
Meeting Materials
undated
1/4 5147-001
Pamphlets
undated
1/5 5147-001
Receipt Book
1966-1967
1/6 5147-001
Finances: Bills, Receipts, Records
1967
1/7 5147-001
Finances
1967
1/8 5147-001
Correspondence Reader File
1967
1/9 5147-001
Donna Allen Tour (NW)
1967
1/10 5147-001
Crane, Sylvia, Org. Liason
undated
1/11 5147-001
Seattle HUAC Hearings
1954-1955
1/12 5147-001
HUAC Civil Rights Hearing
undated
1/13 5147-001
Ku Klux Klan Hearings
undated
1/14 5147-001
Frank Wilkerson Correspondence
1966-1967
1/15 5147-001
Sustainer and Contributor Forms
1967
1/16 5147-001
National Committee Periodicals and Reports
undated
1/17 5147-001
Donna Allen Tour
1965
1/18 5147-001
Allen-Mercer Tour-Western Region
1967
1/19 5147-001
Correspondence Reader File
1966
1/20 5147-001
Washington Committee to Abolish HUAC
1064-1965
1/21 5147-001
NCAHUAC
Prior to 1966
1/22 5147-001
Wilkinson Washington Tour
1967
1/23 5147-001
NCAHUAC Meeting, Chicago
1965
1/24 5147-001
NCAHAUC National Committee Meeting, Chicago
1966
1/25 5147-001
NCHAUAC-WRO Correspondence
1965-1966
1/26 5147-001
Correspondence
undated
1/27 5147-001
Methodist Federation for Social Action
undated
1/28 5147-001
MFSA Peace Workshop, Portland
1967
1/29 5147-001
Form Letters
1966
1/30 5147-001
HUAC Bill (H.R. 15678)
undated
1/31 5147-001
"I Was There and I Saw It Happen"
undated
1/32 5147-001
Abolish the House Committee on Unamerican Activities
undated
1/33 5147-001
"Whack HUAC"
undated
1/34 5147-001
Dear Friend-December 28, 1966
1966
1/35 5147-001
Dear Friend December 9, 1966
1966
1/36 5147-001
Dear Friend-Resolution #19
undated
1/37 5147-001
Newsclippings
undated
1/38 5147-001
News Letter #1
undated
1/39 5147-001
News Letter #2
undated
1/40 5147-001
News Letter #3
undated
1/41 5147-001
News Letter #4
undated
1/42 5147-001
News Letter #5
undated
1/43 5147-001
News Letter #6
undated
1/44 5147-001
News Letter #7
undated
1/45 5147-001
News Letter #8
undated
1/46 5147-001
August 26, 1968
1968
1/47 5147-001
Fellow Guardian Reader-November 1968
1968
2/1 5147-001
Abolition News File
1967-1968
2/2 5147-001
Allen, Donna, NCAHUAC, Washington, D.C.
1965-1968
2/3 5147-001
ACLU of Washington-HUAC
1967-1968
2/4 5147-001
Chris Buchanan Reports
1969
2/5 5147-001
WCAHUAC Correspondence
1968
2/6 5147-001
Canwell Committee
1967
2/7 5147-001
Churches and HUAC
1966-1968
2/8 5147-001
Criley, Dick, Midwest Office
1967-1969
2/9 5147-001
Emerson Mailing
1969
2/10 5147-001
False Witness-Rader
1969
2/11 5147-001
"Happy New HUAC" Mailing (plus negative comment)
1969
2/12 5147-001
HUAC Challenge (Stamler)
undated
2/13 5147-001
Clippings on HUAC
1968
2/14 5147-001
HUAC Clips-Congressional Record, National Guardian, etc.
1966-1968
2/15 5147-001
HUAC: Personnel, Releases, etc.
undated
2/16 5147-001
NCAHUAC-Abolition News
1968
2/17 5147-001
NCAHUAC National Mailings
undated
2/18 5147-001
NCAHUAC Report Back Meets
1969
2/19 5147-001
New England Office
1967-1968
2/20 5147-001
News Releases
1967-1968
2/21 5147-001
Northern Californians to Abolish HUAC
1966-1968
2/22 5147-001
Civil Rights Groups
1967
2/23 5147-001
NW Comm. Correspondence
1969
2/24 5147-001
NCAHUAC Correspondence
1968
2/25 5147-001
WCAHUAC: Officers, Sponsors
1967-1968
2/26 5147-001
WCAHUAC: Sustainers, Contributors
1968
2/27 5147-001
O'Connor, Harvey, Chairman
1966
2/28 5147-001
O'Connor, Harvey, Seattle
1969
2/29 5147-001
O'Connor Western Tour
1968
2/30 5147-001
Northwest Committee to Abolish HUAC
1967-1969
2/31 5147-001
Oregon Congressmen
1969
2/32 5147-001
S.2988 et al
1968
2/33 5147-001
Southern Californians to Abolish HUAC
1966-1968
2/34 5147-001
Southern Regional Office
1967-1969
2/35 5147-001
Washington Congressment
1969
2/36 5147-001
Wilkinson Northwest Tour
1968
2/37 5147-001
FW NW Tour
1969
2/38 5147-001
Dr. Quentin Young
1968
2/39 5147-001
NWCAHAUC Finances, Receipts, National Office
1970
2/40 5147-001
NWCAHAUC Finances, Expenses, Receipts
1970
2/41 5147-001
NWCAHAUC Finances, Statements
1969
2/42 5147-001
NWCAHAUC Finances, Expenses, Receipts
1969
2/43 5147-001
NWCAHAUC Finances, Receipts, NCAHUAC
1969
2/44 5147-001
Brock Adams-Shape Up Campaign
1971
2/45 5147-001
HISC-Vote for Funds
1972
2/46 5147-001
NW Committee Finances Monthly Statements
1972
2/47 5147-001
Wilkinson Correspondence
1972
2/48 5147-001
Wilkinson Correspondence
1972
2/49 5147-001
WCARL and NCARL Paid Bills
2/50 5147-001
Northwest Committee Letters
1972
2/51 5147-001
Northwest Committee Letters
1972
2/52 5147-001
Correspondence
2/53 5147-001
NCARL
1987
2/54 5147-001
NCARL National and Regioal
1974
2/55 5147-001
Correspondence
Series 2: Posters
Box/Folder Accession
3/1 5147-001
Silk-screened calendar by late Dick Lord, Yakima Junior College math teacher, artist
1971
3/2 5147-001
Silk-screened poster showing screaming woman holding baby and reading "Vietnam Summer 1967"
1967
3/3 5147-001
Silk-screened poster written in Greek, with hands reaching up to a globe and doves
1982
3/4 5147-001
Silk-screened poster written in Russian showing smiling female nurse with hands above her head. Written on verso: "the health of the human is the [intelligible] of the nation"
1982
3/5 5147-001
Event poster entitled "Medical Consequences of Nuclear Weapons in Society." Hosted by the Office of Medical Education, Group Health Services, Puget Sound.
1982
3/6 5147-001
Silk-screened poster written in Russian showing a woman playing a guitar and singing with a young boy. There are several country's flags on the neck of the guitar.
undated
3/7 5147-001
Poster published by "Women Strike for Peace" with a cartoon drawing of a girl picking daisies next to a photograph of an atomic bomb exploding. Text below reads "The Choice is Clear!" and text above is a quote from Lyndon B. Johnson.
undated
3/8 5147-001
Event poster for a Veteran's March for Peace and Justice in Seattle.
undated
3/9 5147-001
Poster reading "Vote for Peace, End the War"
undated
3/10 5147-001
Event poster for a Nicaragua Peace Day ceremony in Seattle
undated
3/11 5147-001
Event poster for a benefit concert for Refugee Churches and Central American Immigrants in Seattle
undated
3/12 5147-001
Poster advertising "A Six Part Radio Series: Experiments in Democracy" on KRAB 107.7 FM
undated
3/13 5147-001
Poster reading "Stop the War," published by the Seattle Coalition for Peace in the Middle East
undated
3/14 5147-001
Poster written in Spanish showing a cowboy and readign "Muerte al imperalismo"
undated
3/15 5147-001
Poster for a concert at the University of Washington featuring Holly Near and Ronnie Gilbert
undated
3/16 5147-001
Poster for Ansar: The Play shown at the Broadway Performance Hall in Seattle by Al-Masrah for Palestinian Culture and Art
1991
3/17 5147-001
Poster reading "Healthcare is for People Not for Profit" (undated)
3/18 5147-001
Poster written in Spanish showing three hands holding up weapons and reading "En el Plan 83" and "Mas productivos, mas combativos, por la defensa de la Revolucion!"
undated
3/19 5147-001
Poster for a rally celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington
1983
3/20 5147-001
Poster reading "Stop the Euro Missiles!" with a cartoon drawing of several people pushing missiles away
1983
3/21 5147-001
Poster writtten in Russian showing three smiling boys (Asian, white, and black) sitting on an arm that is pushing away a dark cloud with missiles raining down
undated
3/22 5147-001
Poster written in Spanish showing a group of smiling men and reading "cincuentenario de la guerra espanola homenaje a las brigadas internacionales"
1986
3/23 5147-001
Poster showing a man holding up a young boy with a graveyard in the background and reading "Spain 1936: Fifty Years: A Civil War Retrospective"
1986

Accession No. 5147-002: Lyle Mercer papers, 1963-2013Return to Top

16.97 cubic feet (16 boxes)

Scope and Content: Articles, correspondence, board and committee materials, calendars, photographs, and other ephemera related to the life and career of Lyle Mercer including his involvement in the Washington Committee to Abolish House Un-American Activities Committee, Group Health Cooperative, Veterans for Peace, and the ACLU.

Restrictions on Access: No restrictions on access.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Jack Mercer on May 8, 2019. The boxes were collected from the home of Lyle Mercer in May 2019.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Accession
1 5147-002
Correspondence
2 5147-002
Correspondence, WA-SPAN, CLWSA, ACLU-W, GHC, WCNHP
3 5147-002
GHC, AFL-CIO, miscellaneous
4 5147-002
Correspondence
5 5147-002
GHC, correspondence, conferences, miscellaneous coalitions
6 5147-002
Correspondence
7 5147-002
GHC, NAG, Washington Coalition for National Health Program, miscellaneous, correspondence, articles,
8 5147-002
GHC, FBI file, peace movement, correspondence
9 5147-002
Correspondence, WCNHP, Washington Coalition for a National Health Program
10 5147-002
Correspondence, articles, Veterans for Peace, Starbucks, GHC, ACLU, miscellaneous causes and organizations
11 5147-002
Correspondence, articles
12 5147-002
"Bobby's Story, Flight Nurse Association, correspondence, 69-91"
13 5147-002
Peace freedom party, WCNHP, Washington Single Payer Action Network, Puget Sound Mycological Society, correspondence, articles, publications
14 5147-002
WCNHP, Northwest Committee Against Repressive Legislation, Puget Sound Cooperative League, Washington Church/State Challenge, correspondence, articles, miscellaneous board materials
15 5147-002
Dick Lord calendar, NCARL, NW Committee- Abolish HUAC
Box/Folder
16/1 5147-002
Group Health Cooperative Data
2012
16/2 5147-002
Laurell (Dodie) letter
2012
16/3 5147-002
Letter copies
2005-2006
16/4 5147-002
Bobby and Lyle Mercer Records
1926-1993
16/5 5147-002
Real Estate Information
2012-2013
16/6 5147-002
Politics
2011
16/7 5147-002
Copies for Distribution
1916, 1976
16/8 5147-002
Human Rights, Humanitarinism
undated
16/9 5147-002
Misc. Papers
1976-2002
16/10 5147-002
Group Health Cooperative
1976-1978
16/11 5147-002
Correspondence
1995
16/12 5147-002
Nuclear Awareness Group of Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound
1983
16/13 5147-002
Misc
1966-1991
16/14 5147-002
Published Documents, Not by Mercer
2013
16/15-17 5147-002
Newspaper clippings
2011-2013
16/18 5147-002
Misc. clippings, magazine artciles, journals
1993-2013
16/19 5147-002
NCARL
1965
16/20 5147-002
Correspondence - copies
1964-1968
16/21 5147-002
Northwest Committee - Letters
1971
16/22 5147-002
John Abt - Washington
1967
16/23 5147-002
Misc. Correspondence and notes
1968-1969
16/24 5147-002
Northwest Committee - Letters
1970
16/25 5147-002
Wilkinson Correspondence
1971
16/26 5147-002
Title II Repeal Campaign
1970
16/27-28 5147-002
Harvey O'Connor NW Tour
1971-1972
16/29 5147-002
FW Tour - E. Wahington-Idaho
1972
16/30 5147-002
Northwest Committee - Letters
1970-1971
16/31 5147-002
Wilkinson Correspondence
1970
16/32 5147-002
Various Correspondence - Peace, Palestine, and Civil Rights
1999-2000s
16/33-44 5147-002
Correspondence
2000-2004
16/45 5147-002
Mercer donation records on index cards
1984-2013

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Peace movements
  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
  • Political activists

Personal Names

  • Mercer, Lyle--Archives
  • Mercer, Lyle--Archives

Corporate Names

  • United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities--History--Sources

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • Northwest Committee Against Repressive Legislation (creator)
    • Northwest Committee to Abolish the House Un-American Activities Committee (creator)
    • Washington Committee to Abolish the House Un-American Activities Committee (creator)