The development of the Washington State Communist Party began in 1919, when the Socialist Party of America divided, producing the Communist Party of America and the Communist Labor Party. The two parties coexisted in the Northwest until their merger in 1921. At that time, Washington and Oregon became the 12th District of the Communist Party of the USA with headquarters in Seattle. In 1939, Communist Party membership in the 12th district peaked at approximately three-thousand members. Active in civil-rights, environmental, and labor cases throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the SPUSA Washington turned its attention to electoral politics and jobs, among other issues.
The collection consists of photographs depicting political campaign activities, demonstrations, marches, and other events organized by the Washington chapter of the Communist Party of the United States of America. It includes images of Elmer Kistler engaging in campaign activities during his 1984 run for Washington 37th District Representative, as well as images of B.J. Mangaoang engaging in campaign activities during her 1985 run for Mayor of Seattle and her 1988 run for Governor of Washington. The collection also includes some images of Angela Davis at a rally for the Black Panther Party in 1970, and images of student protesters demonstrating against Davis' incarceration. Also contains individual and group shots of Communist Party members.
Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries’ Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
Restrictions might exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Donor: Marc Brodine; received February 14 and August 12, 2003.
Processed by Odile Dumbleton, 2010, Kevin Bicknell, 2013, Sara Cordes, 2017
The photographs were relocated from the Communist Party of the United States of America (Wash.) Records, Accession No. 4901-002, in the repository in 2003.
Gregory, James Noble. Communism in Washington State History and Memory
Project. Seattle: Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, University of
Washington, 2002. <http://faculty.washington.edu/gregoryj/cpproject/>
These materials form part of the Communist Party of the United States of America (Wash.) Records; a finding aid is available in the repository.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
The Tule Lake internment camp, located in Tule Lake, California, was a former Civilian Conservation Corps camp used for the incarceration of Japanese-American civilians from May 27, 1942 until March 20, 1946. In 1952, the federal government considered reopening a portion of the camp to house Communist subversives; the local American Legion protested this decision due to the camp's proximity to an elementary school.
Caption on opposite page: Tule Lake. Six 80-foot guard towers
mark the boundaries of Federal Prison Camp 38 near Tulelake, California. The
camp is one of several being "rehabilitated" for U.S. anti-fascists [
Caption on opposite page: Tule Lake. This fence, topped with barbed wire, runs along the eastern limits of Federal Prison Camp 38. Authorities announce they intend to replace this fence with a "higher and stronger" barrier.
Caption on opposite page: Interior view of barracks building, slated to be quarters for inmates for America's first concentration camp to jail ideas. Note the wood-coal stove in center, the only source of heat in these frame shacks. Beyond the partition are toilet facilities.
Caption on opposite page: Panorama view of Federal Prison Camp 38 taken from "The Peninsula", rocky promontory overlooking camp from across State highway 139. Buildings include army-type barracks, mess halls, store rooms, office structures, and apartments to house administrative and guard personnel.
Caption on opposite page: Guard tower, symbol of oppression, looms high over southwest corner of Federal Prison Camp 38, Near Tule Lake, California, on Highway 139. Tower overlooks camp where 20,000 Japanese were interned in World War II, now slated to become concentration camp for American anti-fascists and peace advocates. Mess Halls used during World War II are in center background.
Caption on opposite page: One of two mess halls at Federal Prison Camp 38, scheduled for renovation to feed McCarran Act political prisoners. Hall shown here and the other like it were used to service military personnel who guarded Japanese during World War II.
Caption on opposite page: These are typical barracks buildings, slated to be quarters for inmates of America's first concentration camp for the jailing of ideas.
Caption on opposite page: An outside view of a typical frame barrack at Federal Prison Camp 38. The crude construction of these barracks is pointed up by the foundation, which is open at the bottom.
Caption on opposite page: A panorama view of Federal Prison Camp 38 showing the full extent of the camp site. The buildings in the foreground are administrative. The total area of the camp is roughly marked by the edges of the picture. The open area behind the administrative buildings is the ground formerly covered with thousands of frame barrack shacks.
The article, taken from the January 20, 1952 edition of
William Z. Foster, known also as Bill Foster, was a prominent member of the Communist Party during the late 1930s through the 1950s. In 1948 he was indicted for subversive activity, but never brought to trial due to health issues. Foster died on September 1, 1961 in Moscow.
Benjamin J. Davis Jr. was an African American Communist Party leader elected to New York City Council in 1943. He was reelected in 1945, and in 1949, was one of 11 Party leaders convicted of attempting to overthrow the United States government. This sentence placed Davis in custody for three years and four months in the federal prison at Terra Haute, Indiana. At the end of his sentence, Davis was sentenced to two more months in a prison in Pittsburgh, PA for refusing to provide authorities with the names of Communist Party members.
Cacchione was a Communist Party, USA leader elected to the New York City Council in 1941.
Henry "Heine" Huff, was one of the "Seattle Seven"; a group of Seattle Communist Party members indicted under the Smith Act in April, 1953.
Charlene Mitchell was chosen as the Communist Party's presidential candidate in 1968.
Eulogy written on verso. Morris Rapoport was born in Czarist Russia in 1892. He emigrated to Canada, and then the US, and became a founding member of the Communist Party USA.
The two men in conversation are Benjamin Davis (left) and Bill Foster (right)
Some of the people pictured are: Frank Batterson (left), Larry Gossett (second to left), Margaret Furst (third to left), Kathleen Brodine, John Fawcett (rear)
Larry Gossett was one of three men sentenced to six months in prison on July 1, 1968 for organizing a sit in at Seattle's Franklin High School on March 29, 1968. In 1993, he was elected as the District 10 representative on the King County Council.
Written on accompanying note: Y. P. E. L., l. to r., Laurel Robel, ? hidden, Joanna Batterson, David Wimple, Duwayne Rader, ? back to camera
Spokane Attorney Carl Maxey also pictured.
In the summer of 1976, over 2000 Seattle area nurses, representing 10 hospitals, went on strike. They listed a number of demands including, but not limited to, an increase in salary and mandatory registration in the Washington State Nurses Association. Those on strike from Group Health Cooperative settled their dispute after 23 days, signing a contract that increased wages and increased their participation in planning and assignments.
Signs read: Ballard; On Strike
Signs read: ITT+CIA = Chile Today; People not Profits; The Third World is Getting Angry
From November 9-13, 1977, Seattle's Kingdome played host to the 1978 International Auto Show. The protesters rallied in support of the auto mechanics' strike that had been going on for several months prior to the show. The strike revolved around issues of wages, fringe benefits, and union security.
In the spring of 1976, Seattle Central District teachers went on strike in protest of the decision by Seattle School Board to transfer teachers of minority race and replace them with whites in compliance with federal regulations requiring minority race teachers to be evenly distributed around the city.
Poster reads: Here lies the project built on lies. B-1 Bomber. Rest in pieces.
Banner reads: Bring the troops home now
Banners read: Stop the War Now, Seattle United Women's Contingent; Radical Women
Radical Women is a socialist feminist group that tackles issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, and labor exploitation.
Signs read: Where are the other 500,000; Bring them all home; What about the other 500,000?
Man's hat reads: Vets for Peace in Vietnam.
Sign on podium reads: Unity, Solidarity, Peace
142a is the cropped photo, 142b is the full photo
Written on cropped photo: 'Nixon Youth,' N.C.L.C., Univ. Christian Church.
The National Caucus of Labor Committee (NCLC) is a political organization founded in 1968 by political activist, Lyndon LaRouche. The group was originally part of the organization, Students for a Democratic Society. Since its founding, the group has met opposition from both left and right leaning political parties, and has been responsible for a number of violent attacks on rival party members.
Sign reads: 6 Hr. Day 30 hour Week.
Constructed in 1911, the Frye Hotel is now a Seattle landmark and a part of the Pioneer Square Historic District. Today, the hotel serves as low income housing.
The corners of Occidental and S. Washington in downtown Seattle marks the Free Speech Corner, akin to the famous Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, London.
Banners read: NU-WRO Literature Sale; Manning for Mayor; NU-WRO
Banner reads: International Socialists for immediate withdrawal from E. Asia, jobs for all, end the arms economy, free all GI's & all other political prisoners, end sexism and racism.