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Title: Olga Madar Collection Genre: Papers Dates: 1929-1996 (Predominantly, 1950s-90s) Size : 12 linear feet Number: 203
OCLC #: Walter
P. Reuther Library of Labor & Urban Affairs
HEFA.01b.update |
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Olga
Marie Madar was born in the coal minining town of Sykesville, Pennsylvania May
17, 1915 and moved to Detroit with her family during the Depression. Because of her prowess on the softball
field, Chrysler hired her to work on the assembly line after her graduation
from Northeastern High School in 1933 and she used summer jobs at the
corporation’s Kercheval plant and the Bower Roller Bearing plant to put
herself through Michigan Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University),
graduating in 1938 with a degree in physical education.
In 1941
she traded her teaching position for a better paying job at the Ford Willow Run
bomber plant, joined nascent UAW Local 50 and organized its first community
recreation programs, programs so successful that the local hired her as
director of recreation, social services and women’s activities. In 1947 she was appointed director of
the International Union’s Recreation Department where she fought and won
the battle to integrate organized bowling leagues. From 1958 until 1966 Ms. Madar also served as a Detroit
Parks and Recreation Commissioner and was responsible for instituting
competitive promotional exams within the city’s recreation department and
for setting up innovative programs for senior citizens.
In 1966
Ms. Madar was elected to the UAW International Executive Board as a
member-at-large, the first woman to hold such office. Four years later she was elected to the first of two terms
as International Vice-President—again, the first woman to achieve such a
leadership position within the UAW—with responsibility for directing the
Departments of Conservation and Resource Development, Recreation and
Leisure-Time Activities and Consumer Affairs and servicing technical, office
and professional workers’ locals.
Ms. Madar retired from the UAW in 1974, but remained active in retiree
affairs.
Throughout
her life, Olga Madar worked tirelessly to eliminate discrimination against
women and minorities in the workplace and in the community and proved
especially adept at coalition-building.
She was instrumental in launching in 1971 the Michigan Women’s
Political Caucus and the Network for Economic Rights, which pushed for
ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and for gender equity in the
workplace, and spearheaded the formation of the Coalition of Labor Union Women
by women who felt powerless within their unions, winning election as national
president at its founding convention in March of 1974. Through service with countless civic
organizations, she sought to increase citizen participation in decision-making
in recreation, education, health care and other areas.
The
papers of Olga Madar include correspondence, reports, minutes, news clippings,
publications and other material reflecting her career with the UAW and her work
on behalf of issues of concern to women, senior citizens and other community
groups.
Civil
Rights Act of 1964--Title VII
Coalition
of Labor Union Women
Democratic
Party (Mich.)
Detroit
Public Schools
Equal pay
for equal work--United States
Equal
Rights Amendment--United States
Michigan
Democratic Party
National
Women’s Political Caucus
Network
for Economic Rights
Retirees--Services
for--Michigan
Sex discrimination
against women
Trade-unions--Environmental
policy
UAW
Conservation and Resource Development Department
UAW
Recreation and Leisure-Time Activities Department
UAW
Retired Workers Centers
UAW
Technical, Office, Professional Department
United
States. Civil Rights Act of 1964
Women
automobile industry workers
Women
labor leaders--United States
Women’s rights--Societies, etc.
Birch
Bayh
Liz
Carpenter
Caroline
Davis
Carolyn
Forrest
Douglas
Fraser
Erma
Henderson
Hubert
Humphrey
Mildred
Jeffrey
Coretta
Scott King
Margaret
Laurence
Emil
Mazey
George
McGovern
Barbara
Mikulski
Walter
Reuther
Edith Van
Horn
Myra
Wolfgang
Leonard Woodcock
A few
photographs and items of memorabilia received with the collection have been
placed in the Archives Audiovisual Department.
Additional material relating to Olga Madar may be found in the CLUW and UAW Conservation and Recreation Departments Collections and in two oral history interviews available in the Reuther Library Reading Room in which she discusses her involvement in the women’s movement.
12 storage boxes
Series
I, Personal Files,
1929-1996, Box 1 [Box1]
Series
II, United Automobile Workers Union, 1942-1995, Boxes 2-6
[Box2] [Box3] [Box4]
[Box5]
[Box6]
Series
III, Organizations and Issues, 1950-1996, Boxes 6-12
Files related to her activities with organizations other than the UAW and to her interest in issues not necessarily related to her union duties.
Contents
|
[Box1] [Box2] [Box3] [Box4] [Box5] [Box6] [Box7] [Box8] [Box9] [Box10] |
Series I
Personal Files, 1929-1996
Box 1
1. Appointment
books, day books, 1944-77
2. Biographical
sketches, 1960s-1990s
3. (Detroit) Central
Business District Association’s Top 10 Women Who Work, 1962
4. Condolences,
memorial tributes, May-Jun 1996
5-8. Correspondence, 1944-96, n.d.
9. Honorary degree;
Eastern Michigan University, 1970
10. Honorary degree; Shaw
College at Detroit, 1975
11. Honors and awards
(certificates), 1960s-1980s
12. Indian Village
Association, 1964-65
13. Madar family genealogy
14. Memorial celebration,
23 May 1996
15. Michigan Amateur Sports
Hall of Fame induction, 1974
16. Michigan Women’s
Hall of Fame induction, 1989
17-20. News
clippings (re Madar), 1950s-1990s
21. Northeastern High
School and Burroughs Intermediate School scrapbook, c. 1929-33
22. Obituaries, 1996
23. Olga Madar Senior
Center dedication, 1995
24. Reuther, Walter; tributes,
1970-95
25. Speaking engagements,
misc., 1960s-1908s
26-27. Speech
notes/drafts, n.d.
28-42. Speech
notes/drafts, 1960-84
43. (Madar) sports team
activities, 1930s-1940s
44. Teaching certificate
(Michigan State Normal College), 1938
45. “Women Are
Great” script (WJR Radio tribute), 1970
UAW, 1942-1995
Boxes 2-6
1. Community
Action Program (CAP), Michigan; corres., 1970-74
2-5. CAP, Michigan; misc., 1966-74
6-8. CAP, National, 1971-74
9-11. CAP, Southeastern Michigan; corres.,
1970-74
12. CAP, Southeastern
Michigan; financial reports, 1970-74
13. CAP, Southeastern
Michigan; meetings, 1970-74
14. CAP, Southeastern
Michigan; misc., 1970-74
15-16. CAP,
Wayne County; corres., 1971-74
17-18. CAP,
Wayne County; meetings, 1971-74
19-20. CAP,
Wayne County; misc., 1971-74
21-22. Conservation
Department; corres., 1966-74
23. Conservation
Department; Downriver Anti Pollution League, 1969-71
24. Conservation
Department; Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety Questionnaire, 1970
25. Conservation
Department; memoranda, 1969-74
26. Conservation
Department; Pollution Action Line (PAL), 1967
27. Conservation
Department; project proposal—Increasing Environmental Awareness and
Action on the Part of Industrial Workers and Their Families, 1972
28. Conservation
Department; project proposal—Training Industrial Worker Activists and
Their Families to Be Effective Environmental Leaders, 1973
29. Conservation
Department; project proposal—United Community Action for Environmental
Education of Workers and Citizens, 1974
30. Conservation
Department; publications, 1960s-1970s
31. Conservation
Department; staff meeting minutes, Apr-May 1969
32. Conservation
Department; United Action for Clear Water Conference, 1965
33. Conservation
Department; UAW National Energy Program, 1974
34. Conservation
Department; UAW resolutions/IEB action, 1970s
35. Conservation
Department; UAW/Madar public statements on the environment, 1967-73
36. Conservation
Department; UN symposium on environment, Jun 1970
1. Consumer
Affairs Department; corres. and reports, 1969-74
2. Consumer Affairs
Department; public statements/speeches on consumer affairs, 1969-73
3. Consumer Affairs
Department; publications, 1969-74
4. Education
Department, 1969-73
5. Fair Practices
Department, 1969, 1973-74
6. Family Education
Center, 1970-73
7. General Motors
Department, 1971-76
8. International
Affairs Department; Czechoslovakian trade unions, Madar visit to, 1968
9. International
Executive Board (IEB); “Better Communications Between Management and
Labor”—Madar speech, 1968
10-25. IEB;
correspondence, 1967-75
26-32. IEB;
corres.—Emil Mazey, 1968-74
33. IEB; corres./condolences—Walter and
May Reuther, 1970
34-39. IEB;
corres.—Leonard Woodcock, 1970-74
40. IEB election;
clippings, 1966
41-47. IEB
election; Committee for the Election of a Woman to the UAW Executive Board,
1964-66
1. IEB
election; corres., May-Aug 1966
2. IEB elections;
nominating speeches for Madar, flyer, 1966, 1968, 1972
3-4. IEB; meeting notes, n.d.
5-12. IEB; meeting notes, 1968-74
13. IEB; officers’
meeting notes, n.d.
14-17. IEB;
officers’ meeting notes, 1970-73
18. Legal Department,
1967-74
19. Local 50, c. 1942-43
20. Local 205 (Woodall
Industries), 1943-45
21. Local unions; corres.,
1970-73
22. Public Relations
Department, 1971-73
23. Public Review Board,
1969
24. Recreation Department;
“A Brief History of Leisure with a Case Study of Union (UAW) Leisure-Time
Involvement” by Floyd Newby, 1966
25. Recreation Department;
convention reports, 1947-57, 1964, 1966
26. Recreation Department;
corres. and reports, 1950-73
27-30. Recreation
Department; Deprived Areas Recreation Team (DART), 1966-70
31. Recreation Department;
Detroit sports stadium project, 1969
32. Recreation Department;
DSR reduced fare plan for senior citizens, 1955-58
33. Recreation Department;
Madar articles on recreation, 1956-67
34. Recreation Department;
Madar public statements/speeches on recreation, 1957-73
35. Recreation Department;
Madar public statements/speeches on recreation— National Recreation and Park Assn. 2nd National Forum address, 1968
36-37. Recreation
Department; Michigan & Southwestern Ontario CIO & UAW Recreation
Conference, 1950-51
38. Recreation Department;
Music Scholarships, 1964-69
39. Recreation Department;
publications, 1948-73
40-41. Recreation
Department; publications—”Recreation Round Up,” 1948-57
42. Recreation Department;
Vest Pocket Parks project, 1968
1. Retired
Workers Department; AFL-CIO Committee on Union Retirees, 1982-83
2-3. Retired Workers Department;
Advisory Council, 1982-93
4-5. Retired Workers Department; corres.
and reports, 1963-94
6-7. Retired Workers Department; Local
769 (Norris Industries) Retired Workers Chapter, 1978-91
8. Retired Workers
Department; Region 1A (1E) Retired Workers Council, 1969, 1982, 1985-92
9-12. Retired Workers Department; Retired
Workers Centers—AFSCME Local 1640
negotiations, 1967-69
13-15. Retired
Workers Department; Retired Workers Centers—board minutes, 1965-73
16. Retired Workers
Department; Retired Workers Centers—budget material, 1967-74
17. Retired Workers
Department; Retired Workers Centers—by-laws, 1961-71
18-21. Retired
Workers Department; Retired Workers Centers—corres. and reports, n.d.,
1956, 1961-76
22. Retired Workers
Department; Retired Workers Centers—drop-in and activities centers
proposal, 1968
23. Retired Workers
Department; Retired Workers Centers—Eastside Center (Parkside), 1967-71
24. Retired Workers
Department; Retired Workers Centers—Project Restore, 1967
25. Retired Workers
Department; Retired Workers Centers—public housing rent increase, 1968-69
26. Staff Pension Plan
Board of Trustees, 1970-74
27. Technical, Office,
Professional (TOP) Department; corres. and reports, 1967-74
28-31.
TOP; EEOC (Title VII), 1967-74
32. TOP; federal contract
compliance guidelines, 1973-74
33. (UAW) Women;
affirmative action program, 1972-73
34. (UAW) Women in
leadership, United Active Women; lists, 1970s
1. (UAW) Women;
member survey, 1972-74
2. (UAW) Women; MESC
maternity leave case, 1973-74
3. (UAW) Women;
political action, 1972-73
4. (UAW) Women from
Administration Caucus, Committee of, 1974
5. Women in the
Japanese auto industry, 1980
6. Women’s
Department; Canadian Region Women Workers Conference, 1968-73
7-10. Women’s Department; corres. and
reports, 1965-83
11. Women’s
Department; International UAW Women’s Conference, 1972, 1995
12. Women’s
Department; International UAW Women’s Resolutions, 1966-86
13. Women’s
Department; publications, 1970s-1980s
14. Women’s
Department; Regions 1-1A-1B-1E Biennial UAW Women’s Conference,
1970-71, 1973, 1987
15-16. Women’s
Department; Regions 1-1A-1B-1E Women’s Committee, 1970-73, 1977
17. (UAW) Women’s
Trip to Fort Knox, 1944
Series III
Organizations and Issues,
1950-1996
Boxes 6-12
18. American Youth Hostels, n.d.
19. Americans for the
Coast, 1980-82
20. Belle Isle vehicle
admission tax controversy, 1994
21. Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of Michigan Senior Advisory Council, 1984-90
22. Coalition of Labor
Union Women (CLUW); AFSCME Local 3309 negotiations,
1989
23-24. CLUW;
American Family Celebration, 1987-88
25-26. CLUW;
Anchorage Chapter, 1984-86
27. CLUW; Archives
Committee, 1983-87
28. CLUW; “Bargaining
for Child Care” (draft), 1985
29. CLUW; Bargaining for
Our Families Conference, 1988
30-31. CLUW;
Center for Education and Research, 1979-95
32. CLUW; Center for
Education and Research Health & Safety Project, 1981
33. CLUW; chapter status
reports, 1979-90
34. CLUW; Child Care
Seminar, 1977
35. CLUW; Committee on
Older and Retired Persons, 1983-86
36. CLUW; committees,
misc., 1979-90
37. CLUW; convention,
founding, Mar 1974
38-39. CLUW;
convention, 1977, 1979
1. CLUW; convention,
1988
2. CLUW;
convention—Madar remarks at installation of officers, 1994
3-4. CLUW; convention, 1995
5-16. CLUW; corres. and reports, 1973-96
17. CLUW; financial
reports, 1977-90
18. CLUW founding; Madar
interview, “OCAW Reporter” article, 1977, 1986
19. CLUW; history (draft),
1984
20. CLUW;
history—”Women Organizing in Unions: Formation of CLUW”
(draft), 1984
21. CLUW; Kent County
Chapter, 1977-87
22. CLUW; Macomb-Oakland
Chapter, 1981-86
23. CLUW; Meany, George,
notes on CLUW officers’ meeting with, Jan 1975
24. CLUW; member
questionnaire, 1978
25-26. CLUW;
Metro-Detroit Chapter, 1977-96
27. CLUW; Metro-Detroit
Chapter—Olga Madar Awards Dinner, 1992
28-29. CLUW;
Michigan Chapter, 1977-91
30. CLUW; Michigan
Chapter—People’s Campaign for Choice
31. CLUW; Midwest
Conference of Union Women Leaders, 1973
32. CLUW; National
Executive Board meeting minutes, Feb 1987
33. CLUW; National
Executive Board meeting minutes, May 1987
34. CLUW; National
Executive Board meeting minutes, Jun 1989
35. CLUW; National
Executive Board/Officers Council meeting agendas,
1980-90
36. CLUW; National
Executive Board and Chapter Presidents list, 1987
37. CLUW; national office
reports, 1987-90
38. CLUW; National Officers
Council meeting minutes, Feb-Aug 1987
39. CLUW; National Officers
Council meeting minutes, Jun 1988
40. CLUW; National Officers
Council meeting minutes, Aug 1989
41. CLUW; National Officers
Council meeting minutes, Oct 1989
42. CLUW; news clippings,
1975-90
43. CLUW; October League,
1974
44. CLUW; press releases,
1976-86
45. CLUW; printed material,
1977-95
46. CLUW; public testimony,
1977-94
47. CLUW; Testimonial
Dinner honoring Olga Madar, 1977
48. CLUW; Tribute to Addie
Wyatt, Madar remarks at, 1988
49. CLUW; 20th Anniversary
Gala, 1994
50. CLUW; Washtenaw County
Area Chapter, 1987-88
51. CLUW; Wayne County
Chapter, 1975-79
52. CLUW; White House
Conference on Aging, 1980-81
53. Delegation for
Friendship Among Women China trip, 1971-73
54. Detroit Charter
revision, 1971
1-2. (Detroit) Citizens’ Coalition
on the Status and Rights of Women, 1972-74
3. Detroit mayoral
campaign and Coleman Young autobiography controversy, 1993
4. (Detroit)
Mayor’s Committee on Family Center, 1963-65
5. (Detroit)
Mayor’s Senior Citizen Commission, 1972-78
6. Detroit Parks and
Recreation Commission; Madar resignation, 1966
7-9. Detroit Parks and Recreation
Department Committee on Mental Health Programs, 1966-70
10-11. Detroit
Public Schools Citizens Advisory Committee on Health, Physical Education and
Physical Fitness; corres. and reports, 1959-61
12. Detroit Public Schools
Citizens Advisory Committee on Health, PhysicalEducation and Physical Fitness;
findings and recommendations, 1960
13. Detroit Public Schools
Citizens Advisory Committee on Health, Physical Education and Physical Fitness;
minutes, 1959-60
14. Detroit Public Schools
Citizens Advisory Committee on Health, Physical Education and Physical Fitness;
state tournament competition, 1959-61
15. Detroit Public Schools
Citizens Advisory Committee on Health, Physical Education and Physical Fitness;
survey questionnaire on school program, n.d.
16. Detroit Public Schools
Citizens Advisory Committee on School Needs; “Factual
Reports—Regional Committees,” Apr 1958
17. Detroit Public Schools
Citizens Advisory Committee on School Needs; “Findings and
Recommendations of the City-Wide Committee,” Nov 1958
18. Detroit Public Schools
Citizens Advisory Committee on School Needs; “One Year After,” Dec
1959
19. Detroit Public Schools
Citizens Advisory Committee on School Needs; “Preliminary Recommendations
in the Area of Curriculum,” 1958
20. Detroit Public Schools
Citizens Advisory Committee on School Needs; “Preliminary Recommendations
in the Area of School Plant,” 1958
21. Detroit Public Schools
Citizens Advisory Committee on School Needs; Northeast Region corres., 1957-58
22. Detroit Public Schools
Citizens Advisory Committee on School Needs; Northeast Region recommendations,
1958
23. Detroit Public Schools
Citizens Advisory Committee on School Needs; Northeast Region report reference
material, 1958
24. Detroit Public Schools
Region 8 School Community Relations Committee, 1971-72
25. Detroit Recreation
Department’s Advisory Commission, 1983
26-27. Detroit
School District United States District Court Monitoring Commission, 1975-80
1-4. Detroit School District United
States District Court Monitoring Commission,
1975-80
5-11. Equal Rights Amendment (ERA); corres. and
reports, 1967-77
12. ERA; Citizens’
Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1970-75
13. ERA; Common Cause,
1973-74
14. ERA; Equal Rights
Amendment Ratification Council, 1972-74
15. ERA; Labor Committee
for ERA, 1977
16. ERA; National
Federation of Business and Professional Women, 1971-73
17-19. ERA;
National Organization for Women, 1967-82
20-21. ERA;
public statements and testimony, 1970-79
22. ERA; resource material,
1970-81
23. ERA; Senator Birch
Bayh, 1970
24-26. ERA;
states, 1971-74
27. ERA; Women United,
1971-72
1. Ethnic
Millions Political Action Committee, 1974
2. Ford Auditorium
demolition controversy, 1990
3. Girl Scouts,
1973-80
4. Huron-Clinton
Metropolitan Authority, 1957-91
5. Kelly for Senate
Committee, 1972
6. Labor for Peace
Steering Committee, 1972-73
7. Labor Law Reform
Rally; Madar speech, etc., May 1978
8. “Labor’s
Political Action Strategies and Women”; speech, article, 1992
9. Metropolitan
Retiree Service Center, 1994-95
10. Michigan Council of
Senior Citizens, 1989-94
11. Michigan Democratic
Party, 1965-90
12-15. Michigan
Democratic Party Women’s Caucus, 1970-75, 1990s
16. Michigan Department of
Labor Office of Women and Work, 1981-91
17. Michigan League for
Human Services, 1972-75
18. Michigan Pay Equity
Network; affiliates lists, 1986-91
19. Michigan Pay Equity
Network; conferences, 1985-91
20-26. Michigan
Pay Equity Network; corres. and reports, 1985-95
27. Michigan Pay Equity
Network; legislation, 1985-94
28. Michigan Pay Equity
Network; minutes, 1985-86
29. Michigan Pay Equity
Network; news clippings, 1985-94
30. Michigan Pay Equity
Network; press releases, 1985-94
31. Michigan Pay Equity
Network; resource material, 1980s-1990s
32. Michigan Pay Equity
Network; statements on comparable worth, 1984-89
33-34.
Michigan Recreation Advisory Committee; corres. and reports, 1972-74
1. Michigan
Recreation Advisory Committee; corres. and reports, 1975
2-4. Michigan Recreation Advisory Committee; minutes, 1972-75
5. Michigan
Recreation and Parks Assn. Women’s Recreation Group, 1967
6. Michigan State
University Alumni Association Democratic Trustee Selection Committee, 1970-73
7-8. Michigan Task Force on Sexual
Harassment in the Workplace, 1978-87
9. National Association of Social Workers,