Louis Waldman papers

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Description: Louis Waldman (1892-1982), a prominent labor lawyer of New York City, was born in the Ukraine. Following his emigration to America in 1909 he became a garment cutter, attended evening school and earned a civil engineering degree from Cooper Union and a law degree from New York Law School. Elected as a Socialist to the New York State Assembly, he was illegally expelled (1920) by a Republican majority. While in the Assembly he sponsored a social insurance bill which foreshadowed the social welfare legislation of the 1930s. He served as state chairman (1930-1936) of the Socialist Party and was three times (1928, 1930, 1932) its candidate for governor. In 1936 he broke with the Party over the issue of communist infiltration and became state chairman of its right-wing offshoot, the Social Democratic Federation, and founder of the American Labor Party. During this period Waldman became known as an indomitable fighter for social welfare legislation and civic reform. As a lawyer in private practice he acquired great distinction as counsel for many powerful trade unions including the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, the United Hatters, Cap and Millinery International, and the International Longshoremen's Association. He was also known as an able defense attorney in criminal cases. In what was characterized as the "American Dreyfus case" he secured the acquittal of Cpl. Robert Osman. Waldman's autobiography, Labor Lawyer, was published in 1944. Papers reflect Waldman's career as labor lawyer, politician, civic reformer, lecturer and author. Approximately one-third of the collection consists of correspondence and collateral papers relating to Waldman's civic, political, and professional interests including municipal reform, city charter revision, labor relations, and city and state politics. Included is his correspondnce as state chairman of the Socialist Party and as chairman of the Social Democratic Federation, and papers reflecting the gubernatorial campaigns of 1928, 1930, and 1932. Included are addresses and speeches made before bar associations, union conventions, and legislative committees, and papers reflecting his membership in bar associations including his chairmanship of the committee on American citizenship of the American Bar Association. Records of legal cases include correspondence and court papers, papers relating to U.S. v. Osman and other cases involving civil liberties and immigration matters including the case of Walter G. Krivitsky, a former official of Soviet military intelligence who was allegedly assassinated by Stalin's secret police. Also, scrapbooks of press clippings providing extensive documentation of his career.
Names: Waldman, Louis, 1892- (Creator); Waldman, Louis, 1892- (Former owner)
Dates / Origin: Date Created: 1917 - 1971
Library locations: Manuscripts and Archives Division; Shelf locator: MssCol 3202
Topics: Bar associations -- New York (State) -- New York; Labor unions -- New York (State) -- New York; Law -- Cases; Lawyers -- Political activity -- New York (State) -- New York; Practice of law -- New York (State) -- New York; Socialist parties -- New York (State); Socialists -- New York (State) -- New York; Lawyers; New York (N.Y.) -- Politics and government -- 1898-1951; New York (State) -- Politics and government -- 1865-1950; American Bar Association; Brooklyn Bar Association; Social Democratic Federation; Socialist Party (U.S.)
Genres: Correspondence; Documents; Speeches; Press releases; legal documents; Ephemera; Scrapbooks; Clippings
Notes: Biographical/historical: Louis Waldman (1892-1982), prominent labor lawyer of New York City, was born in the Ukraine into a Jewish family of modest means. In 1909 he emigrated to America, settled on the Lower East Side and found employment as a garment cutter. Attending evening school he earned a degree (1916) in civil engineering from the Cooper Union Institute. In 1922 he graduated from the New York Law School and was admitted to the bar the following year. As a socialist he was twice elected (1917 and 1919) to the New York State Assembly, but his career as a legislator was cut short when, in 1920, he and four other socialists were expelled from the State Assembly by the Republican majority. This wholly illegal expulsion brought Waldman considerable public exposure and notoriety. While in the Assembly Waldman introduced a social insurance bill which had the distinction of being the first of its kind to be proposed in the Assembly and which foreshadowed the old age and unemployment insurance legislation of the 1930s. Continuing his affiliation with the Socialist Party Waldman served as its state chairman (1930-36) and was three times (1928, 1930, 1932) its candidate for governor. In 1936 he broke with the party over the issue of communist infiltration, became state chairman of its right-wing offshoot the Social Democratic Federation and a founder of the American Labor Party. During this period Waldman became known as an indomitable fighter for social welfare legislation, civic reform, honest government, and the elimination of graft and corruption from city government. As a lawyer in private practice he acquired great distinction in the practice of labor law, representing many powerful New York City unions including the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, the United Hatters, Cap and Millinery International, the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the International Longshoremen's Association, and the Newspapers and Mail Deliverers Union of New York and Vicinity. He also achieved a reputation as a defender of civil liberties and as an able defense attorney in criminal cases. In what was characterized as 'the American Dreyfus case' Waldman in a dramatic demonstration of legal skill secured the acquittal of Corporal Robert Osman who had been convicted of espionage by a court martial in the Panama Canal Zone. In another case involving freedom of the press and which attracted great publicity Waldman defended Nelson Rounsevell, a newspaper editor in the Canal Zone against the charge of criminal libel brought against him by high-ranking military officers. Waldman was a member an officer of the American Bar Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the Brooklyn Bar Association, the New York County Lawyers' Association, and the New York State Bar Association. He was the author of Labor lawyer (N. Y., E. P. Dutton, 1944), an autobiography, lectured widely and published numerous articles on the law, social, political and civic affairs. At his death he was survived by his wife, Bella Bernstein Waldman, a lawyer, and his sons Seymour Waldman and Paul Waldman also lawyers who were associated with him in the firm of Waldman and Waldman.; Content: Approximately one-third of the collection consists of correspondence followed by Socialist Party papers, addresses, speeches and press releases, bar associations, legal cases, writings, personal miscellany and ephemera, and scrapbooks of clippings. There is also one carton of papers (mainly legal and bar association papers) which have been damaged by mildew.; Acquisition: Mar. 11, 1970; July 6, 1972, Received from Louis Waldman May 13, 1971; May 14, 1971
Physical Description: Extent: 34 linear feet (34 boxes) ; 7 microfilm reels
Type of Resource: Text; Still image
Identifiers: NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b11343718; MSS Unit ID: 3202; Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 553d50f0-85a7-0139-8863-0242ac110002

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Louis Waldman papers

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