Title: Harvey Kitzman Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1938-1972

Creator:

• Kitzman, Harvey, 1906-1977

Call Number: Mss 725; Micro 1110; Tape 1050A; PH 4045

Quantity: 0.4 c.f. (1 archives box), 4 reels of microfilm (35mm), 16 tape recordings, and 86 photographs (1 archives box)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

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

Abstract:

Papers of Harvey Kitzman, a national officer of the United Auto Workers and leader in the Wisconsin Democratic Party, primarily consisting of microfilmed scrapbooks, recorded political and labor speeches (mainly 1966-1972), photographs, and memorabilia documenting his labor and political activities and various UAW local strikes at the J.I. Case Company in Racine and the Kohler Company. In addition to Kitzman's speeches the collection includes recordings of Hubert Humphrey, Gaylord Nelson, Walter Reuther, and Leonard Woodcock. Unfilmed additional photographs relate to several UAW strikes and miscellaneous material concerns Democratic politics and other activities.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00725

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

Harvey Kitzman, well-known labor and Wisconsin Democratic Party political leader, was born on a farm near Big Falls in Waupaca County, Wisconsin in 1906. After finishing the eighth grade Kitzman went to work on the farm and at age seventeen began a career as a baseball pitcher for the Norfolk team in the Nebraska State League. This developing career ended, however, two years later after Kitzman broke his arm in an automobile accident.

Kitzman returned to Wisconsin where he went to work at the Ajax Automobile Co. plant in Racine. In January 1929 he went to work at the J.I. Case Company plant. Kitzman's experiences at this plant, which was unorganized and adamantly anti-union, led him to a prominent role in the Wisconsin labor movement and to leadership of some of the longest and most bitter strikes in Wisconsin history.

During the Depression years from 1930 to 1932 Kitzman was unemployed and active in the Racine County Workers Committee which was concerned with improving the relief situation. Later he helped reorganize this committee into the independent Wisconsin Industrial Union. After a brief affiliation with the AFL, this union affiliated with the United Auto Workers in 1936. In 1937 Kitzman organized UAW Local 180 at J.I. Case Co., and he was elected the local's president, a position which he continued to hold for the next decade.

In 1939 at the suggestion of Walter Reuther, Kitzman ran for president of the Wisconsin CIO in an attempt to counter its Communist-dominated leadership. He served two terms in this post but did not run for re-election in 1941. Kitzman also served two terms as president of the Wisconsin UAW District Council No. 1. In 1947 he resigned from his state and local positions to establish the UAW Farm Implement Department in Chicago. In 1949 he was elected director of the newly-formed UAW District 10 which encompassed Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Montana, and Wyoming and which represented over 50,000 members. At the same time Kitzman also served on the International's executive board.

During the 1950s the strike against the Kohler Company, which lasted from 1954 to 1960, took much of Kitzman's time. Legal disputes arising from that strike continued for five more years.

In addition to his union activities, Kitzman was active in Wisconsin Democratic politics, serving as a delegate to the 1948 meeting at which the new Wisconsin Democratic Party was organized and as a member of the Administrative committee for many years. Kitzman was selected as a delegate to several national Democratic conventions and he was an associate and friend of many national Democratic Party leaders. He was also active in the community, serving on the Vocational School Board and as chairman of the Racine Fire and Police Commission during the time of his residence in that community.

Harvey Kitzman died on August 1, 1977 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. He was survived by four children and by his wife Norma.

The papers documenting the career of Harvey Kitzman, one of the most powerful and influential labor leaders in Wisconsin, consist primarily of twelve microfilmed scrapbooks dated approximately 1938-1972 and containing biographical clippings, photographs, and memorabilia, and additional volumes documenting various strikes, 1937-1960, of UAW Local 180. In addition, there are 16 tape recordings of Kitzman speeches. Unfilmed holdings include additional photographs of various UAW strike activities and miscellaneous material documenting political and labor activities by Kitzman during the later stages of his career.

The biographical SCRAPBOOKS were compiled by Kitzman and his family and consist of numerous clippings (primarily from the Racine Labor News) which refer to Kitzman's labor and political activities, photographs, and other biographical material. Also included here is a transcription of a 1963 oral history interview of Kitzman by Jack Skeets of the Wayne State Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations. In the scrapbooks are numerous photographs of Kitzman and people in various settings. A large number document UAW conventions and conferences and Democratic Party activities. The photographs are interspersed among the newspaper clippings and they both follow the general chronological arrangement. Also on microfilm are volumes of uncertain provenance concerning strike activities of Local 180. These volumes contain clippings, broadsides, letters from Case to its employees, and contracts. All volumes were filmed without a counter. After filming, the original biographical scrapbooks were returned to the Kitzman family.

The unfilmed PHOTOGRAPHS document several strikes at the J.I. Case Company in Racine, 1934-1936 and 1960. Included are images of picketers, police, and activities surrounding the strikes.

The MISCELLANY consists of subject folders on various political and labor activities. The file on Forum for Progress contains material pertaining to a panel discussion in which Kitzman participated in 1972 on national health care issues. Filed with miscellaneous publications are some propaganda documents (1934 and 1955) issued by the Kohler Company. Also included are a few pamphlets and manuals published by the UAW and other organizations.

The SOUND RECORDINGS are arranged chronologically. Except for remarks to rallies of the striking Kohler workers in 1954, the tapes primarily document the period 1966-1972. Included are many oral reports by Kitzman to Region 10 and CAP conferences, and speeches in behalf of various Democratic political candidates. In addition to recordings of Kitzman speeches, there are tapes of Hubert Humphrey, Gaylord Nelson, Walter Reuther, and Leonard Woodcock.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Harvey Kitzman, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1972, and Nicholas Burckel, Kenosha, Wisconsin, September 28, 1979. Accession Number: M72-168, 192, 265, 309, 316, 317 and M79-388

Processing Information

Processed by Sandra Whitney and Carolyn J. Mattern, 1987.

Micro 1110	Series: Scrapbooks Note: Reel 1 is positive film only.
Reel   1 Segment   1	Volume 1, 1938-1954
Reel   1 Segment   2	Volume 2, 1957-1965
Reel   1 Segment   3	Volume 3, 1965-1966
Reel   1 Segment   4	Volume 4, 1967
Reel   1 Segment   5	Volume 5, 1968, Labor activities
Reel   1 Segment   6	Volume 6, 1968, Political activities
Reel   1 Segment   7	Volume 7, 1969
Reel   1 Segment   8	Volume 8, 1969
Reel   1 Segment   9	Volume 9, 1970
Reel   2 Segment   1	Volume 10, 1970
Reel   2 Segment   2	Volume 11, 1971-1972
Reel   2 Segment   3	Volume 12, Portraits, awards, political correspondence, 1966-1972 (Mainly with Hubert Humphrey)
Reel   2 Segment   4	Volume 13, UAW Local 833 Kohler strike
	Volume 14
Reel   2 Segment   5	Reuther memorial
Reel   2 Segment   6	Kitzman retirement
Reel   2 Segment   7	, 1963 Oral history interview
Reel   2 Segment   8	, 1960 Kitzman testimonial
	UAW Local 180 strike scrapbooks
Reel   4	1960
Reel   3 Segment   1	1960
Reel   3 Segment   2	1954
Reel   3 Segment   3	1937-1950
PH 4045	Series: Photographs, 1934-1936, 1960	⇧
Box 1 Folder 1	Strikers in front of J.I. Case Co., Racine, 1934
Box 1 Folder 2	Strikers prevent J.I. Case Co. employees from entering, Racine, Feb. 28, 1934
Box 1 Folder 3	Tents and huts on J.I. Case Co. property near tractor works, March 6, 1934
Box 1 Folder 4	Strikers in front of J.I. Case Co. Engineering Division, March 13, 1934
Box 1 Folder 5	Employees entering J.I. Case Co. Engineering Building, March 13, 1934
Box 1 Folder 6	Strikers around J.I. Case Co. Engineering Building door, March 15, 1934
Box 1 Folder 7	Automobile associated with J.I. Case Co. strike, 1935
Box 1 Folder 8	Police and engineers attempt to enter J.I. Case Co., May 13, 1935
Box 1 Folder 9	Strikers and Police outside J.I. Case Co., May 13, 1935
Box 1 Folder 10	Strikers at J.I. Case Co. near tractor plant, April 9, 1935
Box 1 Folder 11	Strikers prevent advertising dept. from entrance to J.I. Case Co., May 17, 1935
Box 1 Folder 12	Photographs of strikers at J.I. Case Co., May 20, 1935
Box 1 Folder 13	Bench at State St. and Douglas Ave. entrance to J.I. Case Co., after gates were removed, May 27, 1935
Box 1 Folder 14	Employees with groceries at labor headquarters, Jan. 23, 1936
Box 1 Folder 15	Strikers blocking entrance to Huron St., Nov. 4, 1936
Box 1 Folder 16	Donation plea during strike with J.I. Case Co. with Local 180, 1960
Box 1 Folder 17	UAW Local 180 strikers list negotiation demands for justice, 1960
Box 1 Folder 18	Russell Kruk speaks at Purdue University requesting donations for strikers, August, 1960
Box 1 Folder 19	Shelter for strikers at Mead St. gate, Sept. 18, 1960
Mss 725	Series: Miscellany	⇧
Box   1 Folder   1	, 1972 Democratic convention correspondence and mailings
Box   1 Folder   2	Forum for Progress on Health Care, 1972
Box   1 Folder   3	Miscellaneous resolutions, programs, and UAW material
Box   1 Folder   4-6	Miscellaneous publications
Tape 1050A	Series: Sound Recordings	⇧
Tape No./Side   1/2 - 2/1	Speech by Kitzman and others to striking Kohler workers, April 25, 1954
Tape No./Side   1/1	Speech by Kitzman to Kohler workers, April 31, 1954
Tape No./Side   2/1 Segment   2	Comments by Kitzman concerning the settlement of the Kohler strike, December 15, 1965
Tape No./Side   2/2	Comments, continued
Tape No./Side   3/1&2 - 4/1	Report by Kitzman to Region 10 conference on negotiations and plans for election; followed by a speech by Irv Bluestone, February 12, 1966
Tape No./Side   7/1 Segment   2	Speech by Kitzman to 6th District Democratic meeting for John Race, May 5, 1968
Tape No./Side   7/2 Segment   1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   4/2 Segment   3	Speech by Kitzman to retired workers picnic, September 14, 1968
Tape No./Side   5/1 Segment   2	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   5/1 Segment   3	Speech by Kitzman to CAP conference on the threat to unionism if Nixon is elected, September 22, 1968
Tape No./Side   5/2 Segment   1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   5/2 Segment   2	Speech by Kitzman to Local 879 Ford Motors, St. Paul, concerning the history of the union and the threats to it by the coming election, September 22, 1968
Tape No./Side   6/1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   6/2 Segment   3	Speech by Kitzman to CAP conference, Milwaukee, October 2, 1968
Tape No./Side   7/1 Segment   1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   6/2 Segment   1-2	Speech by Kitzman and Gaylord Nelson to UAW Women's conference, October 5, 1968
Tape No./Side   4/2 Segment   2	Speech by Kitzman about 1968 election issues in Racine, October 11, 1968
Tape No./Side   5/1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   7/2 Segment   2	Speech by Kitzman to Region 10 conference, Minneapolis, December 7, 1968
Tape No./Side   8/1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   8/2 Segment   1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   8/2 Segment   2	Speech by Pat Greathouse to Region 10 conference, December 7, 1968, on the state of the UAW and economic issues
Tape No./Side   9/1 Segment   1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   4/1 Segment   2	Speech by Kitzman in behalf of Jay Schwartz, Democratic candidate for attorney general, 1968
Tape No./Side   4/2 Segment   1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   9/1 Segment   2	Speech by Kitzman to Fair Employment Practices conference, January 17-18, 1969
Tape No./Side   9/2 Segment   1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   9/2 Segment   2	Speech by Kitzman to Oshkosh Leadership Conference, February 21, 1969
Tape No./Side   10/1 Segment   1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   10/1 Segment   2	Speeches by Kitzman and Walter Reuther to striking Local 261, General Electric, December 3, 1969
Tape No./Side   10/2 Segment   1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   10/2 Segment   2	Speech by Leonard Woodcock to Region 10, circa 1970, June
Tape No./Side   11/1 Segment   1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   11/1 Segment   2-3	Speeches by John Conway (speech contest winner), and Kitzman to UAW Summer School on the role of education in the UAW, circa June 1970; Kitzman introduces an unidentified speaker
Tape No./Side   12/1 Segment   3	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   14/2	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   15/1	Speech, continued
Tape No./Side   14/1	Press conference held by Leonard Woodcock, July 26, 1971
Tape No./Side   16/1&2	Speeches by Kitzman and Hubert Humphrey to CAP conference, October 29, 1971
Tape No./Side   13/1&2	Report by Kitzman to CAP conference on state of UAW, and review of domestic and foreign policy issues, October 29, 1972