Harry Laidler Papers: Harry Laidler Papers: NYU Special Collections Finding Aids

Call Number

TAM.047

Date

1902-1970, inclusive

Creator

Laidler, Harry W. (Harry Wellington), 1884-1970

Extent

18.25 Linear Feet (37 boxes)

Language of Materials

Materials are in English

Abstract

Harry Wellington Laidler (1884-1970), was an economist, author, educator and socialist activist. He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University (1907) where he was one of the founders of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society. He received a LL.B. from Brooklyn Law School in 1910 and a Ph.D. in political economy from Columbia in 1914. He was executive director of the League for Industrial Democracy (LID) from 1910 to 1957 and a frequent candidate for political office for the Socialist Party. He served on the New York City Council from 1940 to 1941, having been elected as a candidate of the American Labor Party, which he helped to found. The papers include radio scripts, book reviews, and correspondence (1906-1970) relating to the founding of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society and to League for Industrial Democracy (LID) activities and LID relations with the Socialist and American Labor parties, manuscripts of published and unpublished writings on a broad range of subjects, including the struggle within the LID caused by Laidler's retirement, an unpublished history of the LID, papers relating to Laidler's term (1940-1941) as a member of the New York City Council from Brooklyn, his campaigns for political office (1927-1941), the Socialist Party, the American Labor Party, the National Bureau of Economic Research, and the National Housing Conference. Includes correspondence of Norman Thomas.

Historical/Biographical Note

Harry Laidler, economist, author, educator and socialist activist, was born in Brooklyn, New York, February 18, 1884. He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University (1907) where he was one of the founders of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society. He received a LL.B. from Brooklyn Law School in 1910 and a Ph.D. in political economy from Columbia in 1914. He was executive director of the League for Industrial Democracy (LID) from 1910 to 1957 and a frequent candidate for political office for the Socialist Party. He served on the New York City Council from 1940 to 1941, having been elected as a candidate of the American Labor Party, which he helped to found. He was the author of many books and articles on social issues.

Scope and Contents

The papers include radio scripts, book reviews, and correspondence (1906-1970) relating to the founding of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society, experiments in industrial democracy, League for Industrial Democracy (LID) activities such as lecture tours, union organization, southern labor chautauquas, work with the unemployed, and LID relations with the Socialist and American Labor parties; manuscripts of published and unpublished writings on a broad range of subjects, including plans for the socialization of every aspect of society, criticism of the New Deal, and the struggle within the LID caused by Laidler's retirement; Pioneering in Social Education: The History of the LID, an unpublished book-length typescript plus research notes; and papers relating to Laidler's term (1940-1941) as a member of the New York City Council from Brooklyn, his campaigns for political office (1927-1941), Socialist Party (1919-1970), American Labor Party, National Bureau of Economic Research (1927-1982), and National Housing Conference (1962-1969). Includes correspondence of Norman Thomas.

Subjects

Organizations

New York (N.Y.). City Council; National Bureau of Economic Research; National Conference on Housing (U.S.); Socialist Party (U.S.); United States Labor Party; Intercollegiate Socialist Society (U.S.); League for Industrial Democracy

Genres

Manuscripts; Speeches.; Scripts (documents)

People

Thomas, Norman, 1884-1968; Laidler, Harry W. (Harry Wellington), 1884-1970

Topics

Unemployed -- United States.; Housing -- United States.; Socialists -- United States.; Right and left (Political science).

Places

New York (N.Y.).

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection, created by Harry Laidler, was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date; Harry Laider Papers; TAM 047; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.

Location of Materials

Materials stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu at least two business days prior to research visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Probably donated by John Laidler (Harry Laidler's son) circa 1971. The accession number associated with this gift is 1971.003. Additional materials were donated by the Laidler family in 1983.

Related Material at the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

Harry Wellington Laidler Photographs (PHOTOS 009)

Other Finding Aids

A more detailed folder level description is available at the Tamiment Library. However, this description does not reflect the creation of boxes 11a and 15a, and thus the folder titles are not properly aligned with the box numbers after box 11.

Collection processed by

Tamiment staff, 2010; Edited to reflect additional processing, 2010

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 16:47:51 -0400.

Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Language: Description is in English

Processing Information

Materials from box 25 were added to box 24, and box 25 has been removed from the collection. Information about the removal of box 25 was recorded in 2018.

Repository

Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives