Neil Wesson Papers
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Abstract
Neil Wesson, nee Nathan Weisenfeld (1906-1974) fought with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War and later served as a weapons sergeant and reconnaissance scout in the United States Army during World War II. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence from Wesson to his first wife, Sarah Wesson, written during his service in World War II. The collection also includes letters to Wesson from Spanish comrades, items relating to his service in the United States Army, and writings by Wesson, both poetry and prose, which reflect his political beliefs and recall the time he spent with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in Spain.
Historical/Biographical Note
Neil Wesson, nee Nathan Weisenfeld (1906-1974) was born in Detroit, Michigan to Polish Jewish Orthodox parents. As a young adult, Wesson worked in the mailroom of the Detroit Post Office, as a lumberjack in upper Michigan, and as a chemical worker at Dow in Midland.
Wesson joined the Merchant Marine in 1932 and spent several months fighting the Japanese in Shanghai. Back in Detroit in 1933, seeing the effects of the Depression, Wesson became a dedicated Marxist. He worked as an arc welder in several factories in Detroit and was an active member of the United Auto Workers and the Communist Party before going to Spain in 1937 to fight fascism. Wesson served in Spain as a sergeant in the 15th International Brigade and fought in battles at Jarama, the Ebro River, Brunete, Teruel (the Aragon Offensive) and Madrid. He was wounded several times during his service.
Returning from Spain in 1939, Wesson found that he had been blacklisted and to find employment he changed his name from Nathan (Nate) Weisenfeld to Neil Wesson. Wesson got a job at the Packard Motor Car Company where he was an active union organizer. Wesson was accepted into the United States Army in 1942. He served as a weapons sergeant and reconnaissance scout with the 40th Engineer Combat Regiment. Wesson fought campaigns in France and Italy and during the Battle for Germany, he was among the first to reach and open the gates of the Dachau concentration camp. He was awarded the Legion of Merit for his service in World War II.
After the war, Wesson enrolled at Wayne State University where he earned a degree in Business Administration with a major in Accounting. Finding that he preferred physical labor, Wesson returned to factory work as a welder. Once again, he was an active union member. In the 1950s Wesson began writing free-verse poetry on historical and political topics. In 1970, he published a book of poetry called Man In Ferment. He died in 1974 at the age of 68.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically within each series. Within the Correspondence series, letters from Neil Wesson to Sarah Wesson are arranged chronologically.
Organized into 2 series:
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- I. Correspondence
- II. General Files
Scope and Content Note
Series I: Correspondence. This series contains several letters from Spanish comrades to Neil Wesson during the Spanish Civil War. The bulk of this series and this collection consists of letters from Neil Wesson to his wife, Sarah Wesson, written during the years 1942-1945 while Wesson was serving with the United States Army in World War II.
Series II: General Files. This series contains an unsigned biography of Neil Wesson that describes the nature and sources of his political convictions, his union activities, and his service in the Spanish Civil War and in World War II. The series also contains ephemera relating to Wesson's service with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, including a cloth insignia and a livret militarefrom the International Brigades, and a number of items relating to Wesson's service as a Sergeant the 40th Engineer Combat Regiment of the United States Army, including a recommendation for an award, a citation for a Legion of Merit, and a proposal submitted to the US Army regarding a landing-barge-cradle device that Wesson invented. Finally, the series contains writings by Wesson, including poetry from later in his life that reflects his personality and political beliefs and prose describing some of his experiences with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in Spain.
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Access Restrictions
Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives for more information and to schedule an appointment, tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Use Restrictions
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA), were transferred to New York University in November 2000 by the ALBA Board of Governors. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives. For more information, contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Collection name; Collection number; box number; folder number;
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.
Provenance
The Neil Wesson Papers were donated to the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives in 1975 by his widow Ruth Wesson. This collection came to New York University in January 2001 as part of the original acquisition of ALBA collections, formerly housed at Brandeis University.
Separated Material
Photographs from the Neil Wesson Papers have been transferred to the non-print section of the ALBA collection in the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives.
