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Sylvia Hall Thompson Papers

Call Number

TAM.639

Date

1940-1985, inclusive

Creator

Thompson, Sylvia, 1924-2012

Extent

3 Linear Feet in 3 record cartons

Language of Materials

Materials are in English

Abstract

This collection contains the papers of union organizer and Communist Party member Sylvia Hall Thompson (1924-2012). Thompson's papers primarily consists of Freedom of Information Act release files related to Federal Bureau of Investigation surveillance of Hall throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The collection also contains a small portion of material related to Sylvia's first huband Samuel Hall as well as material related to her second husband Robert George Thompson and the Thompson v. McNamara case.

Historical/Biographical Note

Sylvia Hall Thompson (1924-2012) was born Sylvia Bernard in San Antonio, Texas. As a young woman, she joined the Communist Party and helped launch the Civil Rights Congress in Texas. In 1947, she traveled to North Carolina where she spent more than a year organizing electrical workers to join the union. It was there that she met her first husband, Sam Hall, a district organizer for the Party. The young couple moved to Birmingham, Alabama where, as open communists, they endured constant surveillance, threats and break-ins.

After Hall's death, Sylvia moved to New York City where she went to work for the State Party office and met her second husband, Robert G. Thompson in late 1957. Bob Thompson had been a battalion commander with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in Spain, and went on to receive one of the highest medals for valor – the Distinguished Service Cross – for his heroic actions in the Pacific Theater in World War II.

When he died in 1965, Sylvia sought and received permission from the Army to have his ashes interred in Arlington National Cemetery. However, when publicity about Bob's previous imprisonment as a Smith Act defendant surfaced, the Army reversed itself and denied the widow's request. Sylvia contested the Army's decision and in 1968, a federal appeals court ordered the Army to inter Bob Thompson's ashes.

In subsequent years, Sylvia became a mainstay in the New York office of the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, working with veterans and organizing the annual reunions. Sylvia Thompson passed away in 2012.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into thrree series as follows:

Series I: Samuel Hall and Robert George Thompson Materials

Series II: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) FBI Files on Sylvia Thompson

Series III: Thompson v. McNamara Trial Materials

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains the papers of union organizer and Communist Party member Sylvia Hall Thompson. The majority of this collection relates to Sylvia's efforts to have her second husband Robert George Thompson interred in Arlington National Cemetery. A large portion of the collection also consists of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) FBI Files on Sylvia Hall Thompson. See Series level scope and contents notes for further descriptions.

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive has no information about copyright ownership for this collection and is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials from it. Materials in this collection, which were created in 1940-1985, are expected to enter the public domain in 2105.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date; Sylvia Hall Thompson Papers; TAM 639; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.

Location of Materials

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

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Materials found in collection; provenance is unknown. The accession numbers associated with this collection are 1950.142 and 2013.047.

Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures

Access to audiovisual materials in this collection is available through digitized access copies. Researchers may view an item's original container, but the media themselves are not available for playback because of preservation concerns. Materials that have already been digitized are noted in the collection's finding aid and can be requested in our reading room. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.

Appraisal

No materials were separated from this collection.

Collection processed by

Heather Mulliner and Giana Ricci

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 16:39:44 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English

Processing Information

At the time of accessioning, materials were moved into archival housing, and a collection-level finding aid was created to describe these materials. No physical processing or arrangement was done at this time. The order in which these materials were sent to the Tamiment Library has been maintained. In 2014, the materials were found in repository and additional archival processing and description was completed. The Robert George Thompson Papers (previously TAM 075) were incorporated into this collection as Series III. A file level finding aid was created at this time.

Repository

Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012