Meyer London Papers
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Abstract
Meyer London (1871-1926) was a Socialist, labor lawyer and the first Socialist ever elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing New York City's Lower East Side (1915-1917, 1919-1921). The papers contain correspondence, speeches, handbills, press clippings, scrapbooks of London's congressional speeches, and photographs, chiefly relating to his political career. There are also materials relating to the Meyer London Memorial Committee, the dedication of the Meyer London public school (P.S. 2) on the Lower East Side of New York, and a personal tribute by Lena Morrow Lewis.
Historical/Biographical Note
Meyer London (1871-1926) was a Socialist, a labor lawyer (a graduate of New York University Law School, and later the counsel for the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union), and as a Socialist Party candidate, was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing New York City's Lower East Side, serving two terms, 1916-1918 and 1920-1922. As a Congressman, he opposed U.S. entry into World War I, and introduced numerous labor legislation bills. Upon his death, the library of the Rand School of Social Science (1906-1956), a workers' school in New York City, associated with the Socialist Party, named its library the Meyer London Memorial Library, and in in 1959 an elementary school on the Lower East Side was named in his honor (the Meyer London Public School, also known as P.S. 2).
Arrangement
The collection is organized into two series: I, Papers (arranged alphabetically); II, Fragile Originals.
Scope and Contents
The papers contain correspondence, speeches, handbills, press clippings, scrapbooks of London's Congressional speeches and resolutions introduced, and photographs, chiefly relating to his political career. Most of the correspondence to London relates to bills he introduced or positions he took, such as his 1916 call for Federal unemployment insurance. Includes correspondence relating to Socialist Party affairs; speeches concerning World War I neutrality and amnesty and Puerto Rican rights; Records of the Meyer London Memorial Committee, relating to the dedication of the Meyer London public school (P.S. 2) on the Lower East Side of New York; messages of condolence to Mrs. London; and a personal tribute of Lena Morrow Lewis.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Materials in this collection created by Meyer London are in the public domain. Other materials in this collection are expected to enter the public domain in 2080. The Tamiment Library is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Meyer London Papers; TAM 028; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transfered from the Rand School Archives in 1963. There is no earlier provenance information. The accession number 1960.003 is associated with this collection.
