WAUMillerElmer0808_1086.xml Guide to the Elmer Miller Papers 1922-1972 Miller (Elmer) Papers Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries ©2012 (Last modified: 4/17/2018)
Allen Library BOX 352900 Seattle, Washington 98195-2900 Business Number: 206-543-1929 speccoll@uw.edu http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-04-07. Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries Elmer Miller papers Miller, Elmer, 1898-1978 1086 8.8 cubic feet 23 boxes plus 6 sound cassettes 1922-1972 Educator, labor organization officer Collection materials are in English.

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.

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

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.

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

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Miller, Elmer, 1898-1978--Archives Miller, Elmer, 1898-1978--Interviews Citizens' Legislative League Washington State Council of Public Employees American Federation of Teachers. Local 200 (Seattle, Wash.) Washington State Federation of Teachers Seattle Public Schools Labor Archives of Washington (University of Washington) Washington (State) Seattle Teachers--Washington (State)--Seattle Teachers' unions--Washington (State)--Seattle Education--Washington (State)--Seattle Collective bargaining--Washington (State)--Seattle Labor unions--Washington (State)--Seattle Labor--Washington (State)--Seattle Labor movement--Washington (State)--Seattle Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington) Labor Unions Labor History Elementary and Secondary Education Colleges and Universities Personal correspondence Sound recordings Interviews Ephemera Newsletters Photographs Record Group 1, Elmer Miller Personal Papers, 1922-1972 Series I, Interviews, 1967 Tape recorded interview conducted by Frank Morris, 1967. 1967 1086-001 Tapes 36-41 Transcript of interview with Elmer Miller by Richard Berner with Steven Uthoff 1967 1086-001 Box 1 1 Series II, Correspondence, 1931-1965 Outgoing correspondence Undated 1086-001 Box 1 2 Outgoing correspondence 1931-1947 1086-001 Box 1 3 Outgoing correspondence 1948-1950 1086-001 Box 1 4 Outgoing correspondence 1951-1956 1086-001 Box 1 5 Outgoing correspondence 1957-1965 1086-001 Box 1 6 A.F.L.-C.I.O. Committee on Political Education. King County 1958-1961 1086-001 Box 2 1 Seattle Central Labor Council 1945-1962 1086-001 Box 2 2 A 1946-1963 1086-001 Box 2 3 American Federation of Teachers 1947, 1953-1957 1086-001 Box 23 1-2 Frank Behm 1947 1086-001 Box 2 4 Arnie Bergh 1964 1086-001 Box 2 5 Better Schools Council 1943-1950 1086-001 Box 2 6 Homer T. Bone 1939 1086-001 Box 2 7 Genette Brockhausen 1947 1086-001 Box 2 8 B 1938-1958 1086-001 Box 2 9 John A. Cherberg 1959-1963 1086-001 Box 2 10 C 1938-1961 1086-001 Box 2 11 Zetta Dalton 1946-1947 1086-001 Box 2 12 May Darling 1947-1954 1086-001 Box 2 13 Victor F. DeGarmo 1958-1961 1086-001 Box 2 14 D-E 1937-1963 1086-001 Box 2 15 Clayton Farrington 1949-1956 1086-001 Box 2 16 F 1959-1963 1086-001 Box 2 17 G 1932-1965 1086-001 Box 2 18 Andrew Hess 1948-1963 1086-001 Box 2 19 H 1937-1962 1086-001 Box 2 20 I c. 1940 1086-001 Box 2 21 Henry M. Jackson 1947-1950 1086-001 Box 2 22 Joint Labor Lobby 1945-1964 1086-001 Box 2 23 Homer R. Jones 1947-1948 1086-001 Box 2 24 J 1943-1960 1086-001 Box 2 25 K 1932-1957 1086-001 Box 2 26 L 1943-1956 1086-001 Box 2 27 Hugh B. Mitchell 1949-1950 1086-001 Box 2 28 M 1932-1958 1086-001 Box 2 29 N 1931-1964 1086-001 Box 2 30 John J. O'Connell 1963-1965 1086-001 Box 2 31 W. J. O'Connell 1961-1962 1086-001 Box 2 32 O 1937-1963 1086-001 Box 2 33 P 1937-1965 1086-001 Box 2 34 Q 1960-1961 1086-001 Box 2 35 Albert D. Rosellini 1952 1086-001 Box 3 1 R 1942-1964 1086-001 Box 3 2 Seattle Association of Classroom Teachers 1937-1958 1086-001 Box 3 3 Seattle Teacher's Association 1958-1964 1086-001 Box 3 4 Seattle Public Schools 1926-1949 1086-001 Box 3 5 Seattle Public Schools 1950-1959 1086-001 Box 3 6 Seattle Public Schools 1960-1965 1086-001 Box 3 7 S 1927-1960 1086-001 Box 3 8 T 1939-1964 1086-001 Box 3 9 Mon C. Wallgren 1945-1948 1086-001 Box 4 1 Governor's Advisory Committee on Teachers Retirement Undated 1086-001 Box 4 2 Washington State Superintindent of Public Instruction 1945-1966 1086-001 Box 4 3 Washington Education Association 1939-1962 1086-001 Box 4 4 Washington State Federation of Labor 1935-1956 1086-001 Box 4 5 Washington State Labor Council 1958-1967 1086-001 Box 4 6 Washington State Federation of Labor, Labor's Educational, Political League 1947-1953 1086-001 Box 4 7 Noel Hugh Wynne 1945-1949 1086-001 Box 4 8 W 1937-1961 1086-001 Box 4 9 XYZ 1965 1086-001 Box 4 10 Series III, Subject Files, 1922-1972 Education: merit pay for teachers 1942-1965 1086-001 Box 5 1 Education: Seattle Queen Anne Junior-Senior High controversy 1960-1962 1086-001 Box 5 2 Education: Teacher Retirement Act of 1947 1945-1951 1086-001 Box 5 3 Education: teacher retirement 1951-1963 1086-001 Box 5 4 Seattle High School Teachers' League 1922-1936 1086-001 Box 5 5 Seattle Public Schools: Junior Achievement 1958-1963 1086-001 Box 5 6 Seattle Public Schools labor management relations 1962-1965 1086-001 Box 5 7 Seattle Public Schools newsletter 1929-1958 1086-001 Box 5 8 Seattle Public Schools newsletter 1961-1962 1086-001 Box 5 9 Seattle Public Schools Professional Growth Advisory Committee (part 1 of 2) 1961-1963 1086-001 Box 5 10 Seattle Public Schools Professional Growth Advisory Committee (part 2 of 2) 1961-1963 1086-001 Box 5 11 Seattle Public Schools: minutes 1934-1957 1086-001 Box 5 12 Seattle Public Schools: educators' opinion inventory 1956-1959 1086-001 Box 5 13 Initiative 130 Campaign 1938 1086-001 Box 6 1 Interviews conducted by Political Direction Committee 1959-1960 1086-001 Box 6 2 Labor - church and community relations 1951-1960 1086-001 Box 6 3 Labor education 1941-1961 1086-001 Box 6 4 Labor-education Day 1954 1086-001 Box 6 5 Labor: legislative session 1945 1086-001 Box 6 6 Labor / Right-to-work campaign initiative 198 1956 1086-001 Box 6 7 Labor / Right-to-work campaign initiative 202 1958 1086-001 Box 6 8 Labor scholarship contest 1952-1962 1086-001 Box 6 9 Washington State Federation Labor 1950-1953 1086-001 Box 6 10 Politics: Washington State election 1950 1086-001 Box 6 11 Politics: Washington State election 1962 1086-001 Box 6 12 Politics: Seattle School Board 1932-1958 1086-001 Box 6 13 Politics: State Socialist Party convention 1936 1086-001 Box 6 14 Politics: State and local government 1962-1963 1086-001 Box 6 15 Bremerton Federation of Teachers: collective bargaining 1960-1965 1086-001 Box 6 16 Resolution on the no-strike policy: draft undated 1086-001 Box 23 3 Seattle Federation of Teachers 1951-1966 1086-001 Box 23 4 Seattle Federation of Teachers chronological highlights circa 1965 1086-001 Box 23 5 Seattle School District No. 1 budget 1949-1954 1086-001 Box 7 1 Seattle School District No. 1 budget 1954-1959 1086-001 Box 7 2 Seattle School District No. 1 budget 1959-1961 1086-001 Box 7 3 Seattle School District No. 1 budget 1961-1963 1086-001 Box 7 4 Seattle School District No. 1 budget 1963-1965 1086-001 Box 7 5 Seattle School District No. 1 budget 1966-1968 1086-001 Box 7 6 Facts and figures about your Seattle Public Schools 1951-1960 1086-001 Box 7 7 Seattle Public Schools: financing and operation 1944-1960 1086-001 Box 7 8 Seattle Public Schools: Booz, Allen Hamilton report Undated 1086-001 Box 7 9 Seattle Public Schools: reports 1935-1962 1086-001 Box 8 1 Washington State Council of Public Employees financial records 1951 1086-001 Box 23 4 Washington State property tax 1930-1934 1086-001 Box 23 5 Washington State property tax 1962-1972 1086-001 Box 23 6 Series IV, Press Clipping Files, 1927-1972 New York City teachers 1962-1963 1086-001 Box 8 2 John Birch Society 1961 1086-001 Box 8 3 Labor 1943-1947 1086-001 Box 8 4 New Order of Cincinnatus 1934-1935 1086-001 Box 8 5 University of Washington Metropolitan Tract 1945-1952 1086-001 Box 8 6 School levies 1944-1963 1086-001 Box 8 7 Politics - 1952 election 1952 1086-001 Box 8 8 Pearl Wanamaker 1956-1957 1086-001 Box 8 9 Seattle School Board election 1945 1086-001 Box 8 10 Seattle School Board 1932-1950 1086-001 Box 8 11 State legislative session 1965 1086-001 Box 9 1 Seattle High School Teachers Union, Local 200 A.F.T. 1927-1928 1086-001 Box 9 2 Seattle Federation of Teachers, Local 200 A.F.T. 1945-1962 1086-001 Box 9 3 Washington State Federation of Teachers 1946-1960 1086-001 Box 9 4 Washington State Federation of Teachers 1946-1965 1086-001 Box 9 5 Washington State Federation of Teachers, salary schedules 1959-1961 1086-001 Box 9 6 Washington Education Association 1952-1965 1086-001 Box 9 7 Natonal Education Association 1947-1964 1086-001 Box 9 8 Unclassified clippings 1932-1945 1086-001 Box 9 9 Washington State property tax 1933-1972 1086-001 Box 23 9 Unclassified clippings 1932-1947 1086-001 Box 9 10 Unclassified clippings 1932-1954 1086-001 Box 9 11 Unclassified clippings 1934-1965 1086-001 Box 9 12 Unclassified clippings 1945-1946 1086-001 Box 10 1 Unclassified clippings 1947 1086-001 Box 23 10 Unclassified clippings 1947-1955 1086-001 Box 10 2 Unclassified clippings 1948 1086-001 Box 10 3 Unclassified clippings 1950-1956 1086-001 Box 10 4 Unclassified clippings 1953-1959 1086-001 Box 10 5 Unclassified clippings 1956 1086-001 Box 10 6 Unclassified clippings 1958 1086-001 Box 10 7 Unclassified clippings 1959 1086-001 Box 10 8 Unclassified clippings 1960 1086-001 Box 10 9 Unclassified clippings 1961-1963 1086-001 Box 10 10 Series V, Publications and Ephemera, 1930-1967 Politics - 1952 election 1952 1086-001 Box 10 11 Politics 1938-1967 1086-001 Box 11 1 Education 1944-1967 1086-001 Box 11 2 Labor 1933-1965 1086-001 Box 11 3 Labor 1951-1965 1086-001 Box 11 4 National Education Association 1930-1964 1086-001 Box 11 5 Washington State Federation of Teachers 1945-1965 1086-001 Box 11 6 Washington State Federation of Teachers 1963-1965 1086-001 Box 11 7 Washington State Federation of Teachers - retirement 1936-1947 1086-001 Box 11 8 Unclassified 1940-1962 1086-001 Box 11 9 Unclassified 1962-1963 1086-001 Box 11 10 Record Group 2, American Federation of Teachers, Local 200, 1922-1966 Series I, Correspondence, 1933-1966 General correspondence Undated 1086-001 Box 12 1 Incoming correspondence 1935-1942 1086-001 Box 12 2 Incoming correspondence 1944-1949 1086-001 Box 12 3 Incoming correspondence 1950-1952 1086-001 Box 12 4 Incoming correspondence 1953 1086-001 Box 12 5 Incoming correspondence 1954-1955 1086-001 Box 12 6 Incoming correspondence 1956-1959 1086-001 Box 12 7 Incoming correspondence 1960-1964 1086-001 Box 12 8 Outgoing correspondence 1933-1939 1086-001 Box 12 9 Outgoing correspondence 1940-1944 1086-001 Box 12 10 Outgoing correspondence 1945-1946 1086-001 Box 12 11 Outgoing correspondence 1947 1086-001 Box 12 12 Outgoing correspondence 1948 1086-001 Box 12 13-14 Outgoing correspondence 1949 1086-001 Box 12 15 Outgoing correspondence 1950-1951 1086-001 Box 13 1 Outgoing correspondence 1952 1086-001 Box 13 2 Outgoing correspondence 1953 1086-001 Box 13 3-4 Outgoing correspondence 1954-1955 1086-001 Box 13 5 Outgoing correspondence 1956 1086-001 Box 13 6 Outgoing correspondence 1957 1086-001 Box 13 7 Outgoing correspondence 1958 1086-001 Box 13 8 Outgoing correspondence 1959 1086-001 Box 13 9 Outgoing correspondence 1960 1086-001 Box 13 10 Outgoing correspondence 1961-1962 1086-001 Box 13 11 Outgoing correspondence 1963-1964 1086-001 Box 13 12 Outgoing correspondence 1965-1966 1086-001 Box 13 13 American Federation of Teachers news releases 1935-1945 1086-001 Box 13 14 Series II, Subject Files, 1940-1965 Salaries 1959-1965 1086-001 Box 14 1 Salaries 1953-1964 1086-001 Box 14 2 Salaries 1941-1965 1086-001 Box 14 3 Social Security 1942-1956 1086-001 Box 14 4 Teacher tenure 1940-1956 1086-001 Box 14 5 Discipline 1954-1960 1086-001 Box 14 6 Collective bargaining 1957-1965 1086-001 Box 14 7-8 Health and welfare 1954-1962 1086-001 Box 15 1 Teacher rating - Seeschaaf case 1957-1959 1086-001 Box 15 2 Sachs case 1952 1086-001 Box 15 3 Drafts and speaking notes c. 1940-c. 1960 1086-001 Box 15 4 Financial records 1949-1953 1086-001 Box 15 5 Series III, Organizational Records, 1928-1965 Membership lists 1943-1958 1086-001 Box 15 6 Local 200 News Bulletin 1941-1960 1086-001 Box 15 7 Minutes of Executive Board and general membership meetings 1943-1964 1086-001 Box 15 8 Meeting notices for general membership meetings 1952-1962 1086-001 Box 15 9 Minutes of SFT meetings with Seattle School District representatives 1960-1965 1086-001 Box 15 10 Report of committee on City Employees' Trades Council 1945 1086-001 Box 15 11 Seattle Federation of Teachers chronological highlights c. 1965 1086-001 Box 15 12 Local 200 constitution Undated 1086-001 Box 15 13 Ephemera 1928-1963 1086-001 Box 15 14 Photographs 1948, Undated 1086-001 Box 15 15 Record Group 3, American Federation of Teachers, 1936-1964 Series I, Organizational Records, 1936-1960 American Federation of Teachers constitution 1936-1960 1086-001 Box 15 16 American Federation of Teachers Executive Council records 1947 1086-001 Box 15 17 Series II, Convention Records, 1940-1964 Roll call of delegates 1958-1964 1086-001 Box 15 18 Convention call 1940-1953 1086-001 Box 16 1 Convention documents 1947 1086-001 Box 23 11 Reports to convention 1954-1955 1086-001 Box 16 2 Reports to convention 1958-1964 1086-001 Box 16 3 Reports of Vice-Presidents 1948-1964 1086-001 Box 16 4 Series III, Reports and Publications, 1942-1964 Reports 1942-1958 1086-001 Box 16 5 Manual for locals 1959 1086-001 Box 16 6 Publications 1959-1962 1086-001 Box 17 1 Publications 1960-1962 1086-001 Box 17 2 Publications 1959-1963 1086-001 Box 17 3 Brochures and leaflets (part 1 of 2) 1930s-1964 1086-001 Box 17 4 Brochures and leaflets (part 2 of 2) 1930s-1964 1086-001 Box 17 5 Series IV, AFT and Affiliates' Circulars, Newsletters and Ephemera, 1938-1966 Circulars (part 1 of 4) 1938-1966 1086-001 Box 17 6 Circulars (part 2 of 4) 1938-1966 1086-001 Box 18 1 Circulars (part 3 of 4) 1938-1966 1086-001 Box 18 2 Circulars (part 4 of 4) 1938-1966 1086-001 Box 18 3 Ephemera 1952-1965 1086-001 Box 18 4 Record Group 4, Washington Class Room Teachers' League, 1931-1932 Correspondence 1931-1932 1086-001 Box 18 5 Record Group 5, Washington State Federation of Teachers, 1935-1966 Series I, Correspondence, 1937-1966 Incoming correspondence 1937-1939 1086-001 Box 18 6 Incoming correspondence 1940-1942 1086-001 Box 18 7 Incoming correspondence 1945-1948 1086-001 Box 18 8 Incoming correspondence 1952-1966 1086-001 Box 18 9 Outgoing correspondence 1937-1939 1086-001 Box 18 10 Outgoing correspondence 1940-1944 1086-001 Box 19 1 Outgoing correspondence 1947-1949 1086-001 Box 19 2 Outgoing correspondence 1951-1966 1086-001 Box 19 3 Outgoing correspondence Undated 1086-001 Box 19 4 Miscellaneous correspondence 1939-1947 1086-001 Box 19 5 Series II, Subject Files, 1937-1966 Salary survey 1957-1962 1086-001 Box 19 6 Salary schedules (part 1 of 3) 1944-1965 1086-001 Box 19 7 Salary schedules (part 2 of 3) 1944-1965 1086-001 Box 19 8 Salary schedules (part 3 of 3) 1944-1965 1086-001 Box 19 9 Teachers' retirement 1937-1959 1086-001 Box 19 10 Tenure bill 1942, Undated 1086-001 Box 19 11 Salary schedules: legislation 1947-1960 1086-001 Box 19 12 Legislative sessions 1937-1948 1086-001 Box 19 13 Legislative sessions 1942-1945 1086-001 Box 19 14 Legislative sessions 1947-1951 1086-001 Box 19 15 Legislative sessions 1955-1959 1086-001 Box 19 16 Legislative session 1961 1086-001 Box 20 1 Legislative session (part 1 of 2) 1963 1086-001 Box 20 2 Legislative session (part 2 of 2) 1963 1086-001 Box 20 3 Legislative session (part 1 of 2) 1965 1086-001 Box 20 4 Legislative session (part 2 of 2) 1965 1086-001 Box 20 5 Legislation Undated 1086-001 Box 20 6 Building representative speech kit Undated 1086-001 Box 20 7 Proposed 1964 platform of Washington State Democratic Party 1964 1086-001 Box 20 8 Congressional newsletter 1945-1946 1086-001 Box 20 9 Amicus petition in Spokane censorship case Undated 1086-001 Box 20 10 Power of public employees to strike Undated 1086-001 Box 20 11 Questionnaires Undated 1086-001 Box 20 12 School funding: news clippings 1961 1086-001 Box 20 13 Notes (part 1 of 2) 1930s-1950s 1086-001 Box 20 14 Notes (part 2 of 2) 1930s-1950s 1086-001 Box 20 15 Reports 1944-1962 1086-001 Box 21 1 Retirements: reports 1943-1963 1086-001 Box 21 2 Series III, Organizational Records, 1935-1966 WSFT Constitution 1935-1954 1086-001 Box 21 3 Financial records 1938-1965 1086-001 Box 21 4 Bulletins 1959-1965 1086-001 Box 21 5 Newsletters 1945-1961 1086-001 Box 21 6 News releases 1945-1965 1086-001 Box 21 7 Directory 1949-1952 1086-001 Box 21 8 Executive Board Minutes 1937-1939 1086-001 Box 21 9 Executive Board Minutes 1940-1941 1086-001 Box 21 10 Executive Board Minutes 1942-1946 1086-001 Box 21 11 Executive Board Minutes 1947-1949 1086-001 Box 21 12 Executive Board Minutes 1950-1958 1086-001 Box 21 13 Executive Board Minutes 1959-1963 1086-001 Box 21 14 Executive Board Minutes 1964-1966 1086-001 Box 21 15 Series IV, Convention Records, 1937-1966 Proceedings and resolutions 1937-1939 1086-001 Box 22 1 Proceedings and resolutions 1940-1941 1086-001 Box 22 2 Proceedings and resolutions 1943-1944 1086-001 Box 22 3 Proceedings and resolutions 1945-1946 1086-001 Box 22 4 Proceedings and resolutions 1947 1086-001 Box 22 5 Proceedings and resolutions 1948-1953 1086-001 Box 22 6 Proceedings and resolutions 1956-1958 1086-001 Box 22 7 Proceedings and resolutions 1959-1962 1086-001 Box 22 8 Proceedings and resolutions 1963-1966 1086-001 Box 22 9 Resolutions Undated 1086-001 Box 22 10