David Gordon George papers, 1919-1976 and undated, bulk 1935-1965
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Summary
- Creator:
- George, David Gordon
- Abstract:
- Resident of Richmond, Va., socialist and grassroots political activist in his early life; founder of the Southern Electoral Reform League; later sided with conservatives such as Barry Goldwater and George Wallace. The David Gordon George Papers span the years 1919 to 1976, with the bulk of the collection dated between 1935 and 1965, and are organized into the Correspondence, Personal Files, Printed Materials and Writings, Photographic Materials, and Subject Files Series. The collection consists primarily of correspondence and files related to George's involvement in a variety of political and social movements, documenting his early involvement in grassroots socialist and leftist democratic organizing and electoral reform work, decades of involvement with national and regional labor organizations, and his late-life support of anti-communist and socially conservative politics, including segregationist platforms. His complex views on the political and social status of African Americans in the South, particularly in Virginia, are documented in his writings and correspondence. Among the organizations well-represented in the collection are the Southern Electoral Reform League, the Virginia Electoral Reform League, and the United States Information Service. The papers include correspondence with a wide spectrum of national political leaders, from Socialists (Norman Thomas and Victor Berger) to Democrats (Hubert Humphrey and Estes Kefauer) to Conservatives (George Wallace), as well as staff of diverse labor organizations and a number of Virginia politicians across a broad ideological spectrum. Acquired as part of the George Washington Flowers Collection of Southern Americana.
- Extent:
- 6.9 Linear Feet (3400 items)
- Language:
- Material in English
- Collection ID:
- RL.00441
Background
- Scope and content:
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The David Gordon George Papers span the years 1919 to 1976, with the bulk of the collection dated between 1935 and 1965, and are organized into the Correspondence, Personal Files, Printed Materials and Writings, Photographic Materials, and Subject Files Series. The collection consists primarily of correspondence and files related to George's involvement in a variety of political and social movements, documenting his early involvement in grassroots socialist and leftist democratic organizing and electoral reform work, decades of involvement with national and regional labor organizations, and his late-life support of anti-communist and socially conservative politics. His complex views on the political and social status of African Americans in the South, particularly in Virginia, are documented in his writings and correspondence. Among the organizations well-represented in the collection are the Southern Electoral Reform League, founded by George primarily to campaign against poll taxes, and the United States Information Service. The papers include files of correspondence with a wide spectrum of prominent national political leaders, from Socialists (Norman Thomas and Victor Berger) to Democrats (Hubert Humphrey and Estes Kefauer) to Conservatives (George Wallace), as well as staff of diverse labor organizations and a number of Virginia politicians across a broad ideological spectrum. There are also several files of correspondence relating to George's business ventures in Mexico, particularly his interests and operations in mining in the Chihuahua region.
George's writings, including many editorials and letters to the editor, and correspondence reveal his complex and shifting allegiances to various reform organizations during particularly eventful decades for the labor movement in the U.S. His work for labor-related causes in different guises put him in at least tacit opposition to positions he had advocated earlier. He also offers often contradictory views on race, supporting local black politicians at one point but joining the segregationist Citizens Council later in his life. In addition, George's experiences during the McCarthy Era demonstrate the lasting professional consequences of the alleged Communist ties in his past.
Acquired as part of the George Washington Flowers Collection of Southern Americana.
- Biographical / historical:
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Chronology Date Event 1910 Apr. 5 David Gordon George born to David Graves George and Maria Murphy George in Danville, Virginia1926-1928 Worked for Socialist Party in Virginia and New York1927 Graduated from Chester High School, Chester, Virginia1929-1930 Attended Rand School of Social Science, New York, New York1934 Formally broke from Socialist Party1936-1940 Worker on family farm in Beaverdam, Virginia, and freelance writer for newspapers in Richmond, Virginia1939 Founded Southern Electoral Reform League1939 Ran for Virginia House of Delegates seat as an independent1941 Ran for primary for Virginia House of Delegates seat as a Democrat1942-1945 Virginia Labor Relations Representative for War Production Board1944-1945 Chairman, Richmond British Service Entertainment Committee1945 Managed Moss A. Plunkett's gubernatorial campaign in Virginia1946-1948 Lectured in Great Britain, initially with U.S. Information Agency1950 Upper South Political Action Director for Textile Workers Union of America1951-1953 Worked for Wage Stabilization Board in Richmond, Virginia1954-1958 Involved in mineral exploration venture in Chihuahua, Mexico1956 June 16 Married Ana Maria Delgado in Las Cruces, New Mexico1957 Twin daughters Ana Elizabeth and Maria Linda George born1959-1961 Worked as a labor representative as part of a United Textile Workers Union strike in Henderson, NC1962 Application for employment with U.S. Foreign Service rejected to due concerns of Communist sympathies1965-1969 Worked for United Planning Organization in Washington, DC1970-1972 Worked as a teacher and administrator at Bermuda Academy, Hopewell, Virginia1976 Died in Richmond, Virginia - Acquisition information:
- The David Gordon George Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase in May 2003, with an addition purchased in 2014.
- Processing information:
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Processed by Christian Ferney and Fuad Naeem, October 2007
Encoded by Elizabeth Arnold, Christian Ferney, and Fuad Naeem, October 2007. Correspondence Series updated by Meghan Lyon in October 2014.
Accessions 2003-0085 and 2014-0070 are described in this finding aid.
- Physical location:
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.
- Subjects:
- Tungsten mines and mining -- Mexico.
Suffrage -- Southern States
Whites -- Southern States -- Politics and government -- 20th century
Elections -- Virginia
Elections -- United States
Election law -- United States
Conservatism -- Southern States -- History
Labor -- United States
Labor and laboring classes -- Southern States
Socialist parties -- United States
Labor unions -- Southern States
African Americans -- Virginia
Political activists -- Southern States
Labor unions -- United States -- 1930-1970
Conservatism -- United States -- History
Conservatism -- Southern States
Anti-communist movements -- United States
Conservatism -- United States
Socialists -- United States -- Correspondence
Socialism -- United States
Poll tax -- Southern States
Political activists -- United States
Rhetoric -- Poltical aspects -- Southern States -- History -- 20th century
Poll tax -- Virginia - Format:
- Scrapbooks
Photographs
Ephemera
Clippings (information artifacts) - Names:
- Southern Electoral Reform League
United States Information Agency
George Washington Flowers Collection of Southern Americana
George, David Gordon
George, David Gordon, 1910-1976
Kefauver, Estes, 1903-1963
Humphrey, Hubert H. (Hubert Horatio), 1911-1978
Thomas, Norman, 1884-1968
Wallace, George C. (George Corley), 1919-1998
Berger, Victor L., 1860-1929 - Places:
- Southern States -- Race relations
Southern States -- Politics and government -- 1950-
Southern States -- Politics and government -- 1865-1950
Southern States -- Economic conditions
United States -- Politics and government -- 1933-1945
United States -- Politics and government -- 1919-1933
Virginia -- Politics and government -- 1865-1950
Virginia -- Politics and government -- 1951-
United States -- Politics and government -- 1945-1989
Contents
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[Identification of item], David Gordon George Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.