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Albert H. Farmer papers, 1926-1981

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Farmer, Albert H
Title
Albert H. Farmer papers
Dates
1926-1981
Quantity
.84 cubic feet (2 boxes)
Collection Number
3641 (Accession No. 3641-001)
Summary
Papers of a Washington State longshoreman, labor organizer, and charter member of Local 38-76 (Everett, Washington) of the International Longshormen's Association.
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.

Request at UW

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

Albert H. (Bert) Farmer was a labor organizer and charter member of the International Longshoremen's Association Local 38-76 (Everett, Washington), formed in 1929. During the Pacific Coast maritime strike of 1934, Bert Farmer served as squad captain of the Everett Strike Committee and also on the Joint Northwest Strike Committee.

When union members voted to accept arbitration by the National Longshoremen's Board and began returning to work, Bert Farmer was appointed as a government supervisor of hiring halls. He was the only union member on the entire coast to be appointed to such a position. Farmer's role was to encourage both workers and employers to accept NLB guidelines and to defuse disputes.

In the spring following the strike, West Coast unions formed the Maritime Federation of the Pacific Coast. Bert Farmer was present at the organizational meeting on April 15, 1935, and became a trustee.

After his retirement in 1958, Farmer and his wife, Olga, lived in the Bow Lake Trailer Town near Sea-Tac Airport. Seeing a need to protect the rights of mobile home owners, Farmer founded the nationwide Mobile Home Owners of America in 1966. He served as its first president and was reelected four times as national president of the organization. In 1969 Bert Farmer was appointed to the newly-formed Governor's Advisory Board for the Mobile Home and Recreation Vehicle Industry. He was re-appointed once, serving until 1977.

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Content Description

Farmer's papers relate primarily to the 1934 West Coast longshoremen's strike, the founding of the Maritime Federation of the Pacific, and activities of the Mobile Home Owners of America. Included are correspondence, minutes, contract agreements, newsletters, conference and convention materials, a diary, reports, and ephemera.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

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

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The papers are arranged into 6 series:

  • International Longshoremen's Association, Pacific Coast District
  • U.S. National Longshoremen's Board
  • Maritime Federation of the Pacific Coast
  • Mobile Home Owners of America
  • King County Housing Taskforce
  • Personal papers

Acquisition Information

Bert Farmer donated his papers to the University of Washington Libraries in February 1985.

Processing Note

Initial processing was completed in 1985. Additional processing of the papers was done in 1993, with further refinements of the arrangement made by Jamie Wamsley in 1998.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Homeowners' associations--United States
  • Labor leaders--Washington (State)--Archives
  • Longshoremen's Strike, San Francisco, Calif., 1934
  • Merchant mariners--Labor unions--Pacific Coast (U.S.)
  • Mobile homes
  • Stevedores--Employment--Pacific Coast (U.S.)
  • Stevedores--Labor unions--Pacific Coast (U.S.)
  • Stevedores--Washington (State)--Archives
  • Strikes and lockouts--Stevedores--Pacific Coast (U.S.)
  • Strikes and lockouts--Stevedores--Washington (State)--Everett

Personal Names

  • Farmer, Albert H.--Archives

Corporate Names

  • International Longshoremen's Association. Pacific Coast District
  • Maritime Federation of the Pacific Coast
  • Mobile Home Owners of America
  • National Longshoremen's Board (U.S.)
  • United States. National Labor Relations Board

Form or Genre Terms

  • Contracts
  • Diaries
  • Newsletters
  • Pamphlets
  • Speeches, addresses, etc
  • conferences
  • constitutions
  • correspondence
  • ephemera
  • reports

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Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)


2006 (Last modified: 4/13/2018)

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