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Title: MERCEDES NELSON COLLECTION Genre: Papers, Date : 1935-197l (Predominantly, 1937-1939) Size : 1 linear foot ID #: 685 OCLC: ©Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs HEFA.01c.update |
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Scope & Contents
The papers of Mercedes Nelson were placed in the Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs in October of l974 by Dr. Nelson and were opened for research in October of l984.
Mercedes Nelson was born in Henning, Minnesota and after completing high school attended the University of Minnesota where she earned a B.S. in physical education in l922 and a M.A. in l940. She received her Ed.D. in l95l after attending New York University for several summers.
Dr. Nelson began teaching in the Minneapolis Public Schools in l922 and joined the Minneapolis American Federation of Teachers Local 59 in l924. In l935 she was appointed by Governor Olson as the first teacher to serve on the Minnesota State Board of Education In l936 she was elected as a Vice-President of the AFT and represented the region of Wisconsin-Minnesota until l939. In l936 Dr. Nelson and Ralph Ahlstrom, both AFT Vice-Presidents, called a conference of all AFT locals in Minnesota and formed the Minnesota State Federation of Teachers. Dr. Nelson was appointed Chairman of the Council Committee on Arrangements for the l937 AFT National Convention and in l939 she served on the editorial board of The American Teacher. During the l940's, Dr. Nelson served as chairman on various AFT state and local committees and in l946 was appointed Assistant-Principal of Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, a position she held for 22 years. In l947 and l948, Dr. Nelson served as secretary of the "Independent Caucus" of the AFT which advocated more active organization of teachers and elimination of the AFT no-strike policy
Dr. Nelson retired in June of l968. In addition to her educational work she served as Director of the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union, was on the Board of Family and Children's Services, and a member of the Foreign Policy Association, the United Nations Association, the World Federalists, the NAACP, and the Urban League.
The papers of Dr. Nelson consist mainly of correspondence and reflect primarily her work as a national AFT Vice-President and organizer.
Academic Freedom
William Card Case
Independent Caucus
Organizing l948 Strike
Tenure
Academic Freedom
William Card Case
Independent Caucus
Organizing l948 Strike
Tenure
One photograph relating to the l939 Convention at Niagara Falls has been placed in the Archives Audio-Visual Collectioons. Several AFT newspapers received with this collection are available in the Archives Library.
Series I
General Files, l935-l97l
Correspondence, minutes, reports and clippings covering the union activities of Mercedes Nelson. There is also information on the Independent Caucus, AFT Local 59, the l948 strike, and the WPA Local of the AFT. There are several folders devoted to a hearing of William Card, an AFT organizer, and the events which surrounded the case. Files are arranged alphabetically by subject or type of material.
Box l
l-5. AFT Executive Council Meetings, l937-39
6. Executive Council Meeting, 28-30 Dec l959
7. William Card; Executive Council Investigation, Aug-Dec l938
8-l0. William Card; Hearing, 9 Dec l938
ll. William Card; Letters Opposing, May-Dec l938
l2. William Card; Letters of Support, l938-39
l3-l5. William Card; Organizing Reports, Sept - Dec l937
l6-l7. Correspondence, AFT Activities, l942-52
l8-l9. Correspondence, AFT Vice-President, l936
Box 2
l. Correspondence, AFT Vice-President, l937-l939
2-3. Correspondence, l937 AFT Convention, Feb-Aug, l937
4. Correspondence, American Teacher, l937-39
5. Correspondence, Jerome Davis, l937-50
6. Correspondence, Honors, l968-7l
7. Letters from Notables, l936-64
8. Independent Caucus of the AFT, l947-48
9. Local 59, AFT, l948 Strike, l948-5l
l0. Local 59, AFT, Tenure Fight, l942-43
ll. Minnesota State AFT Meetings, l959, l965, l966
l2. Organizational Work, Iowa, l938-39
l3. Organizational Work, North Dakota,, l937-39
l4. Organizational Work, South Dakota, l936-38
l5. Organizational Work, Wisconsin, l936-39
l6. Programs Dr. Nelson Participated In, l939-67
l7-l8. Reports to Irvin Kuenzli, l937-39
l9-20. Speeches and Articles by Dr. Nelson, l935-63
2l. State Board of Education Appointment, l935-38
22-23. Works Project Administration, Teachers Union, l936-40
Axtelle, George E., l:7, l:ll, 2:4
Berger, Joseph G., l:7
Bergman, W., l:l9, 2:6
Card, William, l:ll-l5, 2:4
Conway, Helen, M., l:ll
Cozen, Charles, 2:6
Davidson, Ben, l:l8
Davis, George, l:l8
Davis, Jerome, l:7, l:l9, 2:l-2,
Eck, Michael J., 2:l
Eklund, John, 2:6
Elder, Arthur, l:7, 2:3
Freeman, Orville L., l:l7
Grossman, Mary F., l:l8, 2:4
Hanson, Alice, l:l6, 2:l0
Hendley, Charles J., 2:2-3
Herrick, Mary J., l:7, l:l9
Humphrey, Hubert H., l:l7, 2:7
Kuenzli, Irvin, l:ll, l:l6-l7, 2:l-2, 2:8, 2:l2, 2:l7-l8, 2:22-23
Lewis, Celia, l:l8-l9, 2:4
Lowry, Raymond, l:l8
Mann, Allie, 2:3, 2:7
Megel, Carl J., l:l7
Mondale, Walter F., 2:7
Olson, Floyd, 2:7, 2:2l 2:5, 2:2l, 2:23
Parsons, E. Dudley, 2:8
Rood, Florence, l:l8
Rud, Christine, l:7, l:ll
Seidman, Joel, 2:l2, 2:22-23
Smith, Nancy Lea, 2:2
Starr, Mark, l:l6
Wier, Roy W., l:l7