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Communist Party of the United States of America, Washington State District Records, 1919-2003

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Communist Party of the United States of America (Wash.)
Title
Communist Party of the United States of America, Washington State District Records
Dates
1919-2003 (inclusive)
1950-2003 (bulk)
Quantity
10.79 cubic feet (11 boxes, 1 oversize box, 6 videocassettes, 2 sound cassettes)
Collection Number
4901
Summary
Records of the Washington State chapter of the Communist Party of the United States of America.
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

No restrictions on access to 4901-001 and 4901-003. 4901-002 is closed for processing.

Request at UW

Languages
English
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Historical Note

The Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), Washington State District is a local chapter of the national CPUSA, a Marxist-Leninist political organization that was founded in 1919. The Washington State District (WSD) formed in the 1920s and has participated in a number of political and social movements in Washington in the twentieth century. In the 1930s the WSD focused on organizing unemployed workers affected by the Depression, forming unemployed councils. The WSD continued to grow in the 1930s and 1940s, party members worked to unionize longshore and timber workers, served in leadership positions in the Washington Commonwealth Federation, helped found the Washington Pension Union, and supported race and civil rights efforts. From the 1940s to the 1960s, the Second World War and the Red Scare significantly reduced membership in the WSD and put a halt to many of their economic and social justice efforts. The WSD resurged in the 1960s continuing efforts to support civil rights campaigns. Since the 1970s, members of the WSD were active participants in a number of other organizations such as Seattle Women Act for Peace, Seattle People's Coalition for Justice, and Peace, and Jobs or Income Now. Additionally, in the 1970s and 1980s a number of WSD members ran for office in Washington State including Marion Kinney, Elmer Kistler, and BJ Mangaoang. While the party's influence and mission has evolved since the 1920s, the WSD remains committed to building socialism, improving living standards of working peoples, seeking equal rights for women, and advocating for civil rights.

Sources:

“About CPUSA.” Communist Party USA, March 16, 2016. http://www.cpusa.org/about-us/.

Gregory, James N., et al. “Communism in Washington State History and Memory.” Pacific Northwest Labor and Civil Rights History. Accessed February 7, 2018. http://depts.washington.edu/labhist/cpproject/history.shtml.

Washington District. “Communist Party of Washington State Brief History,” March 13, 2002. http://www.cpusa.org/article/communist-party-of-washington-state-brief-history/.

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Content Description

The Communist Party of the United States of America, Washington State District Records include subject files, administrative files, political campaign files, speeches, reports, correspondence, agendas, meeting minutes, photographs, fliers, brochures, pamphlets, audio recordings, and video recordings that document the activities of the Washington State Communist Party from 1919 to 2003. Political campaign files document campaigns of various Communist Party candidates for public office in Washington State and nationally, including BJ Mangaoang, Gus Hall, Angela Davis, and Elmer Kistler. Subject files include brochures, pamphlets, photographs, and newspaper articles about various topics such as Executive Order 9835 (also known as the "Loyalty Order"), the House Un-American Activities Committee, the Canwell Committee, labor organizing in Washington, and prominent members of the Communist Party and the Washington State Communist Party. Also included are issues of the Washington State Communist Party "Partyline" newsletter, notes, newspaper articles, and biographical features that document the activities of the organization.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Organized into 3 accessions.

  • Accession No. 4901-001, Communist Party of the United States of America, Washington State District Records, 1972-2001
  • Accession No. 4901-002, Communist Party of the United States of America, Washington State District Records, 1942-2002
  • Accession No. 4901-003, Communist Party of the United States of America, Washington State District Records, 1919-2003

Acquisition Information

Materials donated by the Communist Party of the United States of America, Washington State District, 2001, 2003 and 2005.

Processing Note

Materials processed by UW Special Collections staff.

Photographs from 4901-002 accession were relocated to the Communist Party of the United States of America Photograph Collection, PH2005-039, in 2003.

Separated Materials

Material Described Separately:

Communist Party of the United States of America Photograph Collection (PH2005-039)

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

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Subject Terms

  • Communism--United States
  • Communism--Washington (State)
  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)

Personal Names

  • Brodine, Marc
  • George, Earl, 1894-1985
  • Mangaoang, B. J

Corporate Names

  • Communist Party of the United States of America (Wash.)--Archives

Titles within the Collection

  • Partyline
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