Title: Dismas P. Becker Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1966-1974

Creator:

• Becker, Dismas P., 1936-

Call Number: Milwaukee Mss 9

Quantity: 0.4 cubic feet (1 archives box)

Repository:

Housed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries' Archives Department / Milwaukee Area Research Center; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of Dismas P. Becker, a community organizer and former Catholic priest, who became a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. With Father James Groppi, Becker was an active participant in welfare rights activities in Milwaukee, and in demonstrations in Madison to protest the threatened cutback in funding of welfare. The collection includes fragmentary records of his work with various Milwaukee welfare groups, in particular with the Council on Urban Life (of the Milwaukee archdiocese) and the Milwaukee County Welfare Rights Organization. The papers consist of by-laws and constitutions of the organizations, membership lists, financial records, and minutes of meetings. A few personal papers are also present, including a campaign pamphlet, newspaper clippings illustrating Becker's personal involvement in the demonstrations, a small amount of correspondence, and several written reports and papers.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mil00009

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Dismas Becker, a community organizer and Wisconsin state legislator, is a native of Milwaukee, and was born there on 16 September 1936. Becker's educational background is extensive; he graduated from St. Francis Seminary, received a B.A. in philosophy from Carmelite Seminary in 1960, an M.A. in religious education from Catholic University in 1964, and an M.A. in sociology from Marquette University in 1968. He also taught at Marquette University in 1966 and 1967. Becker was ordained as a priest in the Carmelite order in 1964.

Following his ordination, Father Becker was active in a number of community and welfare rights groups in Milwaukee. The Council on Urban Life, established by the Milwaukee archdiocese in 1966, employed him as a research and program director. Among his other positions were president, Milwaukee Associates in Urban Ministries; acting director, Friends of Welfare Rights; advisor, Milwaukee County Welfare Rights Organization; and coordinator, Youth Opportunity Board (1967-1968). Becker was a member of the Citizens' Relocation Advisory Board, the Greater Milwaukee Conference on Religion and Urban Affairs, and the Midtown Neighborhood Association.

With Father James Groppi, Becker participated in welfare rights and open housing activities, and publicly defended Groppi's efforts to organize demonstrations in support of these issues. Becker was himself beaten by police while occupying the chambers of the State Assembly in Madison on 3 October 1969, during a protest of welfare funding cutbacks.

Late in 1973, after leaving his position with the Council on Urban Life, Becker became a researcher in Detroit for a project conducted by Wayne County Community College, providing technical skills to ethnic communities. At some time after that he left the priesthood, and in an October 1977 special election, won a seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 32nd Assembly District until 1988. He was assigned to legislative committees working in the areas of criminal justice, tax exemptions, and education.

The Dismas Becker papers contain few materials regarding Becker's background and activities; most of the items deal with a number of community organizations in Milwaukee with which he was associated from 1966 to 1972. His personal papers are confined to a campaign pamphlet, newspaper clippings, a small amount of correspondence, including a copy of a letter by Becker in support of Father Groppi, which was published in the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1967, and a folder of his writings. The latter consist of a research paper on the problems of religious life, an analysis of the Council on Urban Life's welfare activities, and a piece on the occupation of the State Assembly chamber in October 1979. Articles by Becker also appeared in the CUL's reports of September-October 1969 and January-February 1970.

The documents on community organizations comprise the majority of the collection, and illustrate Becker's involvement with the Council on Urban Life, the Milwaukee County Welfare Rights Organization, and others. The CUL was an organization of priests working in downtown Milwaukee. Its initial statement of purpose is included, and its activities through 1970 are described in CUL reports and funding proposals. Papers concerning the Milwaukee County Welfare Rights Organization consist of by-laws, a constitution, organizational papers, membership lists, financial records and minutes of the finance committee. There are also pamphlets and publicity materials concerning MCWRO activities, and reviews of its book, Welfare Mothers Speak Out. Virtually all of the material has been mimeographed. The history and structure of the Wisconsin Welfare Rights Organization is described in a proposal of February 1971. Its constitution, and that of the National Welfare Rights Organization, are also included. Most of the materials regarding the Public Assistance Coalition, an alliance of twenty-three groups, including the WWRO, analyze federal welfare policies. The purposes of the PAC are outlined in its news release of 8 February 1971. There are also small files pertaining to several other organizations, which primarily consist of minutes of meetings. However, several reports of the Wisconsin Indian Welfare Special Program give details of its affairs. In the reference file on welfare are newspaper articles, research papers, and a manifesto of the National Black Economic Development Conference in Detroit in 1969. There is also a paper on Catholic education in Milwaukee.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Dismas Becker, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1980. Accession Number: M80-37

Processing Information

Processed by Menzi Behrnd-Klodt and Jim Giblin, June 1980.

Milwaukee Mss 9 Box   1 Folder   1	Council on Urban Life, Reports and Proposals, 1966 February-1970 February
Box   1 Folder   2	Federation of Independent Community Schools, Minutes, Memoranda, Staff Rosters, 1971 February-September
Box   1 Folder   3	Greater Milwaukee Conference on Religion and Urban Affairs, Welfare Task Force, Minutes and Memoranda, 1971 January-1972 June
	Milwaukee County Welfare Rights Organization
Box   1 Folder   4	By-laws and Constitution
Box   1 Folder   5	Finance Committee, Minutes, Correspondence, Program, 1972 January-August
Box   1 Folder   6	Financial Reports, 1970 December-1972 September
Box   1 Folder   7	Fund-Raising and Clothing Drives, 1971-1972 Programs, Pamphlets, and Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   8	Minutes, 1971 January-1972 August
Box   1 Folder   9	Organizational Papers
Box   1 Folder   10	Reviews of Welfare Mothers Speak Out, 1972 August-November
Box   1 Folder   11	Miscellaneous Organizations, 1966-1970
Box   1 Folder   12	National Welfare Rights Organization, Organizational Papers and Proposals, 1973 July-August
Box   1 Folder   13	Personal Correspondence, 1967 February-June
Box   1 Folder   14	Personal Information, Press Clippings and Campaign Pamphlet, 1969-1974
Box   1 Folder   15	Public Assistance Coalition, Minutes, Pamphlets, Research Memoranda, 1969 October-1972 February
Box   1 Folder   16	Reference File on Welfare - Articles and Press Clippings, 1969-1972
Box   1 Folder   17	Wisconsin Indian Welfare Special Program, Minutes and Reports, 1971 September-December
Box   1 Folder   18	Wisconsin Welfare Rights Organization, Proposals and Minutes, 1971 January-1972 June
Box   1 Folder   19	Writings on Religious Life and Welfare