Series: Ben Gordon
Scope and Content Note: Feelings about leaving Mississippi in 1921; early school experiences in Beloit; father's job at Fairbanks-Morse; J.D. Stephenson; segregation in Beloit; treatment of blacks in Madison, Milwaukee, Janesville; W.S. Williams, Rev. W.E.W. Brown, and Dr. Marshall as leaders of Beloit's black community; educated young blacks leaving Beloit; absence of factionalism in Beloit community; efforts to integrate Kresge's; Lloyd Barbee and segregation at hotel restaurant; the Cosmopolitan Club; influence of the church; work at Walsh Brothers produce farm; high school recollections; reading Scottsboro Boy; segregation of swimming pool; integration of pools led by Gordy Harris; power structure in Beloit distinct from Beloit College; work at a battery-making shop; work at F-M; union involvement; sit-down strike.

Session I, 1976 April 29
Alternate Format: Audio recording of interview with Ben Gordon, April 29, 1976 available online.

Introduction

Ben Gordon's feelings about leaving Mississippi--recollections of those who remained--differences between those who stayed and those who left--Cornelius Hughes--being tied up at the commissary

“Bad ones” who came to Beloit--difficulty handling freedom--backlash against blacks in Beloit

Impressions from subsequent trips to Mississippi--the need to act deferentially--encounter with the Mississippi highway patrol

Positive reaction to Mississippi from recent trip--the South as “up and coming”

The trip from Mississippi to Beloit in 1921

First impressions of Beloit--J.D. Stephenson--early school experiences in Beloit, largely positive

Assistance from Rev. W.E.W. Brown--Rev. Brown's athletic club

Comments on Lincoln Junior High, Daisy Chapin as favorite teacher

Story about a Jewish peddler in Mississippi

Reaction to living in the city--no going barefoot--differences in food, white syrup from county relief

Session II, 1976 May 6
Alternate Format: Audio recording of interview with Ben Gordon, May 6, 1976 available online.

Introduction

Coming to Beloit during the 1921 recession--Beloit relief system

Father's job at Fairbanks-Morse--nature of the work, “plum job”--children could observe work then

Recollections of the YMCA and John D. Stephenson--Stephenson's role in Beloit, highly respected--Stephenson first came to Fairbanks-Morse as a fund raiser for Tuskegee College

Interracial relations in Beloit--blacks as a distinct community--segregation in restaurants--no problem with inter-urban, except for dirty F-M workers--F-M baseball team segregated

Early years as good years--recollection of black Scout Troop Six--camp on the Rock River, jamborees--attending University of Wisconsin football games--Madison as a “wide open” town

Few blacks accepted in Janesville--good impression of Milwaukee, wide open town

Leaders of Beloit's black community--W.S. Williams, elected as justice of the peace--Reverend W.E.W. Brown--Dr. Marshall, the Imperial Mixed Quartet--politics at the Williams barber shop--NAACP, Professors Porter and Crawford as key white members--NAACP focused on national issues, little success on local issues--F-M and Beloit Corporation as only employers of black workers, only foundry work available until 1960s

Problem of educated, young blacks leaving Beloit--failure of NAACP to deal with that problem--F-M control in Beloit--blacks always asked to wait--hearing Martin Luther King Jr.

Meaning of “progressive” as applied to local black leaders-visit by Chicago Defender editor, Robert S. Abbott--vital role of the Defender and the black press

People respected by Mr. Gordon on the national scene--Walter White and W.E.B. Dubois spoke at Beloit College--heard Marian Anderson in Milwaukee--defense of Booker T. Washington

Absence of factionalism among Beloit black people--cooperation among black churches in Beloit

Further comments concerning cooperation among black churches

Introduction to side 2 of tape 13

Recollection of effort to integrate Kresge's--Lloyd Barbee and segregation at hotel restaurant, police took Ear-bee's side--Lloyd Barbee as a “radical,” cousin of Mr. Gordon--Beloit police ignored rights of black citizens--fear of law in Beloit, as in the South

Recollection of Mr. Guy, the tailor, and his wife--the Halliards

The Cosmopolitan Club--segregation in the YWCA--Cosmopolitan Club as a response to YMCA segregation

Taking discrimination in stride

Ben Gordon and religion--joining the Baptist Church at fourteen--influence of J.D. Stephenson--church cultural programs under Celestine Smith--belonging to the church and being somebody

Work at Walsh Brothers produce farm as a youth--summer work at one dollar per day--contract with brother

Further comments on work at Walsh Brothers

Recollettions of high school--encourages to finish early as was older brother, suspicion that school was trying to deny honors to black students, both brothers were highly ranked--another ploy with Velma Bell in 1924

Involvement in high school ROTC, no black officers--Ben Gordon not permitted to see shooting scores--Colonel Kennedy as head of ROTC--absence of bitterness in face of discrimination--scholarship offer to Fisk University--went to vocational school instead, no jobs available

Ben Gordon stayed in Beloit to be near family, mother had died in 1929--aspirations--Frank Yerby at Fisk University at that time--many talented black people left Beloit

Ben Gordon's reading habits--Scottsboro Boy--lynching in Janesville--B.G. as a newsboy for the Defender--race horse handlers in Beloit--Joe Drummond--Alva Curtis

Recreation for youngsters--softball team

Segregated swimming pools in Beloit, small one for blacks--pool integrated by a group of black youths led by Gordy Harris, the son of Neal Harris--the power structure in Beloit, college distinct from the power structure--Johnny Watt as a star athlete--high school athletic program always open

Session III, 1976 October 13
Alternate Format: Audio recording of interview with Ben Gordon, October 13, 1976 available online.

Introduction

Work experience at a battery-making shop--the process of making batteries

Health hazards in the battery shop--state inspection resulted in the shop's closing

Work at the Walsh Prothers Farm--New Deal public works projects--removing wooden blocks from downtown streets--sewer line on west side--Riverside Park

Getting a job at Fairbanks-Morse in 1938--casting molds for the YLA engine--work as a chipper and grinder--hazards, “a jungle to work in”--pouring as especially dangerous work, the death of a friend

Work in the F-M brass foundry--dangers of brass fumes, brass chills--alcohol as antidote for brass chills--construction or new brass foundry--long term effects of brass fumes

The process of casting brass--pay--the hierarchy of jobs at F-M

Black workers confined to the foundry--also jobs in the power house for black workers--high noise level in power house--further comments on health hazards--effects of OSHA regulations--wearing goggles

Little done about health hazards until recent years--working overtime in “the hole,” George Hilliard--sand slinger accident

Organization of the Steelworkers local at F-M--Ben Gordon enthusiastic supporter of union--many feared losing jobs

The company union--tearing up the company union cards

Jack Davis as the union leader--sitdown--company promotion of Jack Davis

Company reaction to union after the sitdown strike--the development of Ben Gordon's interest in the union, influence of the Chicago Defender

Introduction

The union and discrimination--eventual breakdown of job discrimination at F-M, government rules for defense contractors during World War II

AFL craft unions at F-M, no black members--interracial cooperation in organising the CIO local, forced by national leadership--Neal Harris and Herron Johnson as black union leaders

Neal Harris as a grievance committee man--job classification under the union, grievances

Need for union, wages and working conditions--broke power of foremen--Ben Gordon fired, took case to Industrial Commission and won--foremen lose power

Company reaction to the union--community reaction to the union, much support--running grocery bills--exploitation by some grocers and support from others

Leaving Fairbanks-Morse for Walsh brothers Farm--George Zabel wanted B.G. to stay at F-M--pay cut at Walsh's, but free home and produce--Ben Gordon as herdsmen for prize swine--good experience for Gordon children, son became a veterinarian

The swine business--offers to Ben Gordon from other producers--purebred breeding stock, sold nationwide--B.G. as the swine manager--fellow workers

Ben Gordon made a partner in the Walsh Farm--Walshes as prosperous farmers--Gordon children at the state fair, blue ribbon winners--left farm in 1954 after first wife's death--schooling for children

Back to F-M, opposed piston division--then into the atomic energy project--subsequent work experiences

Story of half-brother James H. Gordon, hurt by foundry work in St. Louis--reason for James leaving Mississippi, refused to call a white friend “Mister,” became an issue between the families, James eventually left as a result