Repository

ULS Archives & Special Collections

Title

Billy Adams Papers

Creator

Adams, Billy

Collection Number

AIS.1977.26

Extent

1.25 Linear Feet

Date

1911-1942

Abstract

The Papers of Billy Adams consist of manuscript and published material relating the Pittsburgh Socialist Party, the International Socialist Lyceum, and the Unemployed Citizens League for the period 1911-1942.

Language

English .

Author

Jennifer Gage. Revisions occurred to the finding aid as a part of the encoding process on March 17, 2001.

Publisher

ULS Archives & Special Collections

Address

University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections

Scope and Content Notes

The Billy Adams Papers span the years 1911-1942, and consist largely of manuscript and published material relating to the Socialist Party, the International Socialist Lyceum, and the Unemployed Citizens League. There is also some published material on the Townsend Plan. The only item linking Billy Adams with these organizations is an autograph book containing birthday greetings from fellow Socialists on the occasion of his 75th birthday. He is not listed in any of the membership/dues books in this collection.

Although a "William Adams" is listed in the Socialist Voters Guide as a candidate for Judge of Orphans' Court on the Socialist Ticket in 1911, and someone of the same name placed an ad in a Socialist Party banquet program in 1921, the researcher should not assume that "William Adams" and "Billy Adams" are the same person. "William Adams" signed the birthday greetings book to "Billy Adams".

The researcher, if dealing with the Socialist Party, may wish to consult the following resources: Socialist Party (U.S.) Papers, 1897-1963 (Hillman, Micro Nwsp.); Allegheny County, Pa., Department of Elections Voting Records, 1926-36, 1941-1969(ais 65:10; 1,714 v.) ; Ralph Waldo Tillotson Memorial Collection, 1894-1963(ais Micro 76: 13).

The collection also includes a variety of printed material--pamphlets, booklets, periodical numbers--reflecting certain union activities (International Ladies Garment Worker Union and the International Itinerant Workers' Union), campaign issues, positions on public ownership, and other topics relevant to the Socialist Party. Among the assorted publications, a treatise on the Townsend National Recovery Plan contains annotations by an unidentified individual.

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Acquisition Information

Acquired from David Rinne via Pat Lynch in 1977.

Preferred Citation

Billy Adams Papers,1911-1942, AIS.1977.26, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Previous Citation

Billy Adams Papers,1911-1942, AIS.1977.26, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh

Billy Adams Papers, 1860-193?, 1911-1942, AIS 77:26, Archives of Industrial Society, University of Pittsburgh

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Archives Service Center staff.

Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Kate Colligan and Jared Campbell in 2001. Information about the collection title and the controlled access terms was extracted from the MARC record in the University of Pittsburgh catalog Voyager ID number: 1372049

Copyright

Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Subjects

Corporate Names

• Allegheny County Socialist Party. 18th Ward Branch (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
• Allegheny County Socialist Party
• Socialist Party (U.S.)
• Unemployed Citizens' League of Allegheny County

Personal Names

• Adams, Billy

Geographic Names

• Allegheny County (Pa.) -- Politics and government
• Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- Politics and government
• Pennsylvania -- Politics and government -- 1865-1950

Other Subjects

• Socialist parties -- Pennsylvania
• Political parties -- Pennsylvania
• Political parties -- United States
• Unemployed -- Pennsylvania
• Personal papers
• Unemployed -- Societies, etc.
• Politics
• Social action
• Labor
• Labor -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
• Labor -- Pennsylvania
• Labor -- Pennsyslvania -- Societies, etc.
• Socialists -- Pennsylvania

Container List

Series I. Socialist Party Records and Publications, 1911-1942

Scope and Content Notes

The series contains materials related to the Socialist Party of Allegheny County and includes membership lists and dues records (18th Ward), minutes, souvenir programs, voter's guide, songbook, anti-war proclamation, and a single letter. The last three items are among several originating from Socialists outside of Allegheny County.

The series also includes the minutes of the board of directors of the International Socialist Lyceum, an organization comprised of representatives from the Arbeiter Gesang Verein, Bratsvo Sing and Dramatic Club, Hungarian Workers Educational Club, I.W.W., Workers Defense League, Arbeiter Building /sic/ Verein, North Side Central Branch Socialist Party, 22nd and 25th Ward Branch Socialist Party, Workingman's Benefit Fund, Finnish Workers Club, North Side Social Club, Workingman's Singing Society, Allied Slavonic Singing Society, and the Croatian Club Bratsvo.

Socialist Party of Allegheny County, Twentieth Reunion Program, June 5, 1921

Containers

box 1, folder 1

Socialist Party of Allegheny County, 18th Ward Branch membership book, 1912-1919

Containers

box 1, folder 2

International Socialist Lyceum, Pittsburgh (North Side), board of directors, Minutes, Dec. 14, 1926-Sept. 1, 1942

Containers

box 1, folder 3

Socialist Party of America, National Executive Committee, Meeting Minutes, March 11-12, 1933

Containers

box 1, folder 4

Voter's Guide of Pennsylvania and Allegheny County for 1911

Containers

box 1, folder 5

Some Songs for Young Socialists

Containers

box 1, folder 6

Socialist Party of America, National Office, Proclamation and War Program, May 1917

Containers

box 1, folder 7

James H. Mauer, Letter to the Editor of Washington (Pa.)Observer and enclosures, January 25, 1930

Containers

box 1, folder 8

Series II. Unemployed Citizens' League of Allegheny County, 1932-1943

Scope and Content Notes

The Allegheny County Division of the Pennsylvania Unemployed Citizens' contained a 1935 constitution, membership lists, financial reports, miscellaneous manuscripts pertaining to Local #1, and a volume of financial records from Local #7.

These records, spanning the years 1935-1942, compliment other material in ais such as the Ernest Rice McKinney Papers (63:4), containing material from the Unemployed Citizens' League, and the James R. Cox Papers (69:5), documenting other activities relating to the unemployed in Pittsburgh during the same time period.

Constitution, March 1935

Containers

box 1, folder 9

Local #1, Records, 1935-1942

Containers

box 2, folder 10-13

Local #7, Records of the Financial Secretary, 1932-1941

Containers

box 2, folder 14-15

Series III. Billy Adams' 75th Birthday Autograph Book

Scope and Content Notes

A unique item representing Adams as an individual apart from these organizations is his autograph book, signed on the occasion of his 75th birthday by local Socialist Party members.

Autograph Book, Feb. 16, 1935

Containers

box 2, folder 16

Series IV. Printed Materials from Various Sources

Scope and Content Notes

The series contains printed material--pamphlets, booklets, periodicals--related to various subjects and oragnizations including the Townsend National Recovery Plan, the Public Ownership League of America, the American Association for International Conciliation, the International Ladies' Garment Worker's Union, and the International Itinerant Workers' Union. Also included in this series are two booklets by John M. Slayton, Criminology, Crimes and Criminals and The United States Constitution: A Class Document and Props to Capitalism

Publications Pertaining to the Townsend National Recovery Plan

Containers

box 2, folder 17

Publications by John W. Slayton

Containers

box 2, folder 18

Public Ownership League of America. Publications

Containers

box 2, folder 19

American Association for International Conciliation

Containers

box 2, folder 20

Miscellaneous Publications

Containers

box 2, folder 21

Scope and Contents note

Includes publications produced by International Ladies' Garment Workers, International Itinerant Worker's Union, Russian Soviet Government Bureau, and Workmen's Benefit Fund of the U.S.