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Pierson and Alice Ostrow Papers

Call Number

TAM.288

Dates

1928-1993, inclusive
; 1930-1948, bulk

Creator

Ostrow, Pierson, 1914-1967
Ostrow, Alice Scardino, 1915-2001
Gammel, Dani Danzig (Role: Donor)

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

Pierson Ostrow (1914-1967) and Alice Scardino Ostrow (1915-2001) were socialist and progressive activists. Both were born and raised in Philadelphia, and they met there as students. They joined the Young People's Socialist League (YPSL) and became members of the Socialist Party by the early 1930s. After marrying they moved to Newark, New Jersey. In 1948 Alice Ostrow ran on the Socialist Party ticket for New Jersey's 12th Congressional district. Mr. Ostrow was a philatelic dealer and real estate appraiser, and in the latter capacity was active in the campaign for Vermont's fair housing law, passed in 1967 (the Ostrow's had moved to Vermont in 1955). In Newark, Alice Ostrow worked for the IRS and was legislative representative of the Federation of Federal Employees. She also worked for the Communications Workers of America and organized New Jersey Tenants for Rent Control. After her husband's death, Ms. Ostrow moved to New York City where she was active in the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples, the Workers Defense League, and Americans for Democratic Action. The collection contains unpublished writings of Pierson Ostrow (student essays, poetry, political essays, and a play), files (containing internal documents, printed ephemera and publications) on the Socialist Party and YPSL, both nationally and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Newark, New Jersey (including one on Alice Ostrow's Congressional campaign), files on the American Youth Congress, Camp Arcola (a Federal Emergency Relief Administration camp fro unemployed women in Arcola, PA), the Junior International League of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the Pennsylvania Committee for Total Disarmament, a scrapbook (clippings and writings), and individual letters to Pierson Ostrow from Harry Laidler, Upton Sinclair and Girolamo Valenti.

Historical/Biographical Note

Pierson Ostrow (1914-1967) and Alice Scardino Ostrow (1915-2001) were socialist and progressive activists. Both were born and raised in Philadelphia, and they met there as students. They joined the Young People's Socialist League (YPSL) and became members of the Socialist Party by the early 1930s. After marrying they moved to Newark, New Jersey. In 1948 Alice Ostrow ran on the Socialist Party ticket for New Jersey's 12th Congressional district. Mr. Ostrow was a philatelic dealer and real estate appraiser, and in the latter capacity was active in the campaign for Vermont's fair housing law, passed in 1967 (the Ostrows had moved to Vermont in 1955). In Newark, Alice Ostrow worked for the IRS and was legislative representative of the Federation of Federal Employees. She also worked for the Communications Workers of America and organized New Jersey Tenants for Rent Control. After her husband's death, Ms. Ostrow moved to New York City where she was active in the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples, the Workers Defense League, and Americans for Democratic Action.

Scope and Content Note

The collection contains unpublished writings of Pierson Ostrow (student essays, poetry, political essays, and a play), files (containing internal documents, printed ephemera and publications) on the Socialist Party and YPSL, both nationally and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Newark, New Jersey (including one on Alice Ostrow's Congressional campaign), files on the American Youth Congress, Camp Arcola (a Federal Emergency Relief Administration camp fro unemployed women in Arcola, PA), the Junior International League of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the Pennsylvania Committee for Total Disarmament, a scrapbook (clippings and writings), and individual letters to Pierson Ostrow from Harry Laidler, Upton Sinclair and Girolamo Valenti.

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by Pierson and Alice Ostrow, the creator of this collection, were relinquished and transferred to the public domain in 2014 by Dani Ostrow Danzig Gammel. These materials are governed by a Creative Commons CC0 license, which permits publication and reproduction of materials accompanied by full attribution. See, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Dani Ostrow Danzig Gammel in 2002 and 2014. The accession numbers associated with this collection are 2002.019 and 2014.148.

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

Pierson and Alice Ostrow Photographs (Photos 276)

Collection processed by

Tamiment staff

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 16:28:18 -0400.
Language: Description is written in: English, Latin script.

Repository

Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

Container

Box: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012