|
|
|
September 2007 Teamsters Give $2 Million to Establish Labor Archive at GW
GW will now be the home of one of the nation’s most preeminent collections of labor history memorabilia. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has contributed $2 million to the University to create an endowed archivist position at GW and to establish an exhibition of its archives for public display to enhance research on 20th-century U.S. labor relations. The Teamsters archives, which date back to the early 1900s, will reside at GW on permanent loan. The funding is the first part of a comprehensive Teamsters education and archives project in cooperation with the University. The archives include presidential papers from James R. Hoffa and James P. Hoffa, autographed political cartoons from the early 20th century, and several hundred photographs and memos from the labor and civil rights movements, such as a photo of Hoffa with Martin Luther King Jr. and telegrams from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The archives also contain a 1930s-era wire recorder believed to be one of the few remaining in the world. Many of the documents, letters, and photographs in the archives have never before been seen by the public. The archivist position will be responsible for cataloging the archives and acquiring additional important historical labor documents through GW’s Gelman Library System. “This important agreement now ensures that future generations of Teamsters have access to the real story of how workers joined together as Teamsters to build unprecedented power for working men and women in the United States,” says James P. Hoffa, general president of Teamsters, which is one of the world’s largest unions with 1.4 million members. “I am proud that the true history of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters will live on in our nation’s capital at The George Washington University.” Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, GW president emeritus, says, “GW is honored to have the responsibility of managing the Teamsters’ archives and ensuring that it is available to students, scholars, journalists, and the public.” “GW is most appreciative of the financial and intellectual commitment from the Teamsters,” says Laurel Price Jones, vice president for advancement. “The gift brings a new dimension to the resources at the University. We are pleased to accept this outstanding contribution.”
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu |
|
||
