Guide to the Douglas Gordon Papers WAG.256
Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
10th Floor
New York, NY 10012
(212) 998-2630
tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu
Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Collection processed by K. Kevyne Baar, 2006
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on July 19, 2018
Description is in English using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Descriptive Summary
| Creator: | Gordon, Douglas, 1919- |
|---|---|
| Source - dnr: | Gordon, Rose Mary |
| Title: | Douglas Gordon Papers |
| Dates [inclusive]: | 1951-2001 |
| Abstract: | Douglas Gordon, stage manager and actor, joined the Actors' Equity Association in 1948. He was first elected to the Association's Council in the late 1960s and was elected again in the 1980s. More than two-thirds of his papers reflect his dual passions: social justice issues and the creation and support of a National Theatre in America. The collection includes correspondence, reports, notes, election materials, files on individual productions, files on other theatrical unions, such as the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and material on racial issues in the theater. He died on December 18th, 2009 at the age of 90. |
| Quantity: | 3 Linear Feet (3 boxes) |
| Location: | 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. |
| Language: | Materials are in English |
| Call Phrase: | WAG.256 |
Historical/Biographical Note
Born in Seattle, Washington on April 7, 1919, Douglas Gordon joined Actors' Equity on July 15, 1948 with the status of "Junior" Member. After working in summer stock for three continuous summers, he applied for and received "Senior" Classification in 1950. Four years later he joined the American Federation of Television and Radio Actors (AFTRA). He was also a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). He was elected to the Association's Council for the first time in the 1960s when he served on numerous committees, including Production Contract, Editorial Board, Agency, and Casting Information. He served during the 1970s and 1980s although he often had to run on petition, having been passed over by the nominating committee. With his passion for social justice he was active on the Ethnic Minorities committee and felt that "Equity's policy of support to [ sic] non-traditional casting must be vigorously pursued."
Gordon's greatest passion, demonstrated in his papers, was to secure a National Theatre here in the United States. To that end he served as the chairman of the National Theatre Committee for seven years, "during which time the final and complete Equity National Theatre plan was approved by Council and the membership." He considered "the National Theatre plan to be a singular accomplishment of Equity's." In 1987, having relocated back to his home state of Washington, he continued to wage "an unremitting campaign in the Council and the membership to save the plan from the possibility of revisions that would destroy the only National Theatre plan worth a tinker's dam [ sic] to the Equity membership and the American people." Sadly, his plan never came to fruition.
Scope and Content Note
The Douglas Gordon Papers consist of his personal files, reflecting his career in the performing arts and his interest in social justice, which he often found interconnected. One of the most striking aspects of his personal collection is his propensity for taking notes and annotating material he received or collected. Almost every article he clipped, letter he received or speech he wrote is covered in his handwritten comments.
Series I: Actors' Equity Association Materials, 1951-2001, is comprised of Gordon's files relevant to the Association, including general correspondence, reports, notes, clippings and other printed items and an extensive body of material on the National Theatre Committee, which he chaired for seven years.
Series II: Subject Files, 1951-1986, contains information on Gordon's other union memberships and activities (AFTRA and SAG). This series has a major focus on his fervor for equal opportunity issues, including his work with the "Committee for the Employment of the Negro Performer."
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically within each series.
Organized into 2 series:
Missing Title
- I, Actors' Equity Association Materials, 1951-2001
- II, Subject Files, 1951-1986
Access Points
Subject Names
- Grody, Don.
- Gordone, Charles.
- Burstyn, Ellen, 1932-
- Gordon, Douglas, 1919-
- Munso, Felix.
- Gordon, Rose Mary
Subject Organizations
- Committee for the Employment of the Negro Performer
- Screen Actors Guild
- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
- Actors' Equity Association
Subject Topics
- Actors -- United States.
- Actors -- Labor unions -- United States.
- Theater -- New York (State) -- New York -x History.
- Theater -- United States -- Production and direction.
- Theater -- United States -- History.
Subject Places
- New York (N.Y.)
- Los Angeles (Calif.)
- Seattle (Wash.)
Administrative Information
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 Douglas Gordon was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Douglas Gordon Papers; WAG 256; 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.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Douglas Gordon's wife, Rose Mary Gordon, in 2003. The accession number associated with this gift is 2003.007.
Container List
Series I: Actors' Equity Association Materials, 1951-2001.
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| Container 1 | Container 2 | Title | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box: 1 | Folder : 1 | Agency and Casting Issues |
1958 , 1976-1980 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 2 | American Actors Committee |
1967 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 3 | American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA) |
1950s-1960s | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 4 | Bakke (Allan) Case: Reverse discrimination |
1977-1978 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 5 | Broadway Blackout |
1960 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 6 | Caucuses and Rank & File Movements |
undated | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 7 | Clippings: Equity and theatre related |
1961-1978 , undated | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 8 | Clippings: General items that could affect theatre (most with notes) |
1957-1985 , undated | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 9 | Clippings: segregation and discrimination mostly Equity and theatre related |
1960s | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 10 | Conflict of Interest: includes Angus Duncan meeting on stage managers, Edward Weston
Letter, articles, writings and notes |
1950s-1970s | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 11 | Constitution and By-Laws: marked copies |
1955 , 1977 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 12 | Constitutional Amendment: Article !!, Section 12 of Actors' Equity Association's Constitution |
1977 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 13 | Correspondence: Gordon personal and related Equity/theatrical (includes letters from
Paddy Chayefsky and George S. Kaufman, original signatures) |
1950s | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 14 | Correspondence: Gordon personal and related Equity/theatrical |
1960s , 1974 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 15 | Correspondence: in support of Myron Fagin's play Red Rainbow |
1953 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 16 | Correspondence: to Council |
1959-1985 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 17 | Council Lists |
1980s | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 18 | Council Minutes with handwritten notes |
1962 , 1977 , 1979 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 19 | Department of Education [in Equity]: correspondence, minutes, petitions, and related
materials |
1976-1978 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 20 | Deputy: Apple Cart |
1957 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 21 | Deputy: Fancy Meeting You Again |
1951-1952 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 22 | Deputy: World of Suzie Wong |
1960 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 23 | Dues Referendum |
1980-1981 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 24 | Elections |
1956-1958 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 25 | Elections |
1960s | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 26 | Elections |
1970s | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 27 | Elections |
1980s | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 28 | Elections |
undated | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 29 | Equity Library Theatre (ELT) |
1950s-1960s | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 30 | Fouratt, James and Western Advisory Board issues |
1977-1978 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 31 | Future Ideas |
1960s | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 32 | General: Meeting Notices, Reports, Duplicated Correspondence, and related material |
undated , 1960s-1980s | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 33 | Grody, Don/ Executive Secretary: renewal of contract and related issues |
1975-1978 | |
| Box: 1 | Folder : 34 | Handwritten Materials: notes and notebooks (I) |
undated | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 1 | Handwritten Materials: notes and notebooks (II) |
undated | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 2 | Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 |
Sep 14, 1959 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 3 | League of Off Broadway Theatrical Employees and Technicians (LOBTET) |
undated | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 4 | Lists |
undated | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 5 | Man Who Never Died(a play about Joe Hill): programs, reviews, notes, Equity Newsarticle |
1958 , 1980 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 6 | Membership Meeting Transcript (partial and undated) of membership discussion period
re: chairing the Merger Committee |
undated | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 7 | Munso, Felix: correspondence (from Munso only) and Council minute notes |
1961 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 8 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): AFL-CIO Policy Resolution on the National Theatre |
Oct 1975 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 9 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): Analysis of the NTC Subcommittee Interim Report
with cover letter |
Jan 11, 1985 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 10 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): Clippings |
1980s , 2000s | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 11 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): correspondence/Jerry Brinkman (Seattle) |
2001 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 12 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): correspondence to Council (including statements
and speeches |
1983-1985 , 2000 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 13 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): correspondence to/from Gordon |
1983-1985 , 2000-2001 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 14 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): dispute re: coalition steering committee |
1982-1984 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 15 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): "Discord" |
1983 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 16 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): Federal Theatre, People v. Elitist Theatre and related
articles and materials |
1970s | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 17 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): Final Report/National Theatre Research Sub-committee |
Apr 25, 1985 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 18 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): general/minutes, member lists and related materials |
1972-1979 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 19 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): general/minutes, member lists and related materials |
1980-1984 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 20 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): general/minutes, member lists and related materials |
1985-1986 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 21 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): Interim Report |
Dec 27, 1984 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 22 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): Interim Report Reply |
Feb 1, 1985 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 23 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): mailings from/by Gordon |
Mar 2000-May 2000 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 24 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): Majority Report (6/85) and Minority Report (5/85
& 5/85) for presentation to Special Council Meeting, April 10, 1986 |
1985 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 25 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): National Theatre Conference |
May 28, 1981 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 26 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): National Theatre Conference #2 |
Nov 14, 1983 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 27 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): National Theatre Conference #3 |
Feb 27, 1984 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 28 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): notes and background material for meeting with Seattle
Councilor Barbara Calendar |
undated | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 29 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): Opposition Report/NTC version without Burstyn deletions |
Jun 1985 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 30 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): Opposition Report with Burstyn corrections |
Jun 1985 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 31 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): Other plans and comparative analysis including LORT
(League of Resident Theatres), NEA (National Endowment for the Arts), MAB (Midwestern
Advisory Board) |
1979 , 1984 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 32 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): political and economic considerations (research) |
1985-1986 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 33 | National Theatre Committee (NTC): Speech to Council |
May 6, 1986 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 34 | Notes and clippings in file labeled "Equity January Meeting" |
1962 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 35 | Oriental Actors of America Protest |
1970 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 36 | Production Contract Issues |
1977 , 1980 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 37 | Production Contract Negotiations and Strike |
1960 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 38 | Production Contract Negotiations |
1971 | |
| Box: 2 | Folder : 39 | Racial discrimination/civil rights issues including Ron Ballard and Gordon correspondence
with Equity |
1961 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 1 | Ratification of Contract Committee: resolutions, speech, and related materials |
1974-1975 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 2 | Showcase Code and 99-Seat Waiver Plan |
1976-1980 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 3 | Showcase Code Challenge |
1978 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 4 | Speeches |
undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 5 | Theatre lists by contract and related materials |
1980s | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 6 | Understudies: rules in Production Contract |
1970s | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 7 | U.S. Government Legislation: notes, articles, Equity resolutions, and related materials |
1977-1981 , undated | |
|
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Series II: Subject Files, 1951-1981.
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| Container 1 | Container 2 | Title | Date | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 8 | American Committee for Protection of the Foreign Born: speech, script, and thank you
letter |
1967 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 9 | American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA): AWARE, Inc. and other
materials on the blacklist |
1955-1981 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 10 | AFTRA: clippings |
1950s , 1970s , undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 11 | AFTRA: general (includes materials on TvA/AFRA merger and national and NY local constitutions) |
1951-1955 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 12 | AFTRA: general (includes election materials for the "Middle-of-the-Road Group" and
a resolution re: Blacklisting) |
1956 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 13 | AFTRA: general |
1957-1959 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 14 | AFTRA: general (includes charges of un-fair labor practices by Channel 13 and a 1960
anti-communist resolution) |
1960-1962 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 15 | AFTRA: general (Includes contract for The Adams Chronicles) |
1972-1977 , undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 16 | AFTRA: speeches |
1950s , undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 17 | American Theatre Wing Professional Training Program for veterans |
1951-1953 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 18 | Committee for the Employment of the Negro Performer (CENP): employment and casting
issues |
1962 , undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 19 | CENP: Equity Rule 23/Discrimination and related issues |
1961-1962 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 20 | CENP: handwritten notes and notebooks |
undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 21 | CENP: meetings, committee work, and related materials |
1962-1963 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 22 | CENP: Newsletters |
1962 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 23 | CENP: resolution presented by Charles Gordone (Chair) at Equity Membership Meeting |
1962 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 24 | Negro American Labor Council (NALC): materials, notes, clippings |
1961-1963 | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 25 | Notes, letters, and manuscript re: Report on Blacklistingby John Cogley [1956] |
undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 26 | Poem for Adultsby Adam Wazyk |
undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 27 | Resume |
undated | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 28 | Screen Actors Guild (SAG) |
1950s | |
| Box: 3 | Folder : 29 | Screen Actors Guild (SAG) |
1960s-1970s | |
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