CARL ROSS AND FAMILY:
An Inventory of Their Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Ross, Carl, 1913-, creator. | |
| Title: | Carl Ross and family papers. | |
| Dates: | 1911-2000. | |
| Language: | Materials in English, Finnish. | |
| Abstract: | Biographical information, family papers, correspondence, writings, print materials, newspaper clippings, and other papers of Carl E. (Rasi) Ross, a Finnish American who served as secretary of the Minnesota Communist Party (1946-1958); was later a Minneapolis businessman (1960-1973); and who, following retirement, was an independent scholar and project administrator in the fields of radical, labor, and Finnish American history. | |
| Quantity: | 1.5 cubic feet (2 boxes). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The collection contains legal papers and newspaper clippings (1911-1962) relating to Ross' parents, John Edwin and Hilda Anttila Rasi; a few early school papers of Carl Rasi (Ross) (1928-1931); correspondence files (1947-1996); articles, reviews, conference papers, grant proposals and reports, poems, statements, speeches, memorial addresses, and other items authored by Ross (1943-2000); reviews of his work (1977-1978); newspaper clippings (1933-1992); and print materials (1935-1991).
The papers include information on Ross’ family, particularly ownership of property in Michigan and Wisconsin; his activities in the Communist Party in Minnesota and the United States and his imprisonment in Washington (state); his concerns with the Minneapolis public school system, particularly relating to racial problems; his formation of the Gopher Bumper Exchange Company, a recycling company in Minneapolis; his wife Margaret’s involvement with the Powderhorn Food Community Co-op in Minneapolis; and his numerous post-retirement activities as a researcher, writer, conference organizer and participant, and speaker, as well as an administrator of documentary and cultural exchange projects involving Minnesota radicalism, labor, and Finnish American history, life, and culture, including the 20th Century Radicalism in Minnesota Project, the Minnesota Finnish American Family History Project, the United Fund for Finnish American Archives, and the Reunion of Sisters Project.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Carl Ross and Family Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession numbers: 13,941; 15,878
Processing Information:
Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, April 1988; Monica Manny Ralston, March 1999; Deborah Kahn, August 2006.
Catalog ID number: 990017353450104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| 152.L.7.1B | 1 | Biographical information, undated. | |||||||||
| Accession no. 13,941: | |||||||||||
| John Edwin Rasi papers, 1911-1949. | |||||||||||
| Hilda Anttila Rasi papers, 1933-1962. | |||||||||||
| Carl Rasi papers, 1928-1931. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence, undated, 1947-1979. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence, 1953-1955. | |||||||||||
| Contains letters written by Ross to his family while in the McNeil Island Penitentiary. | |||||||||||
| Gopher Bumper Exchange Company, 1969-1974. | |||||||||||
| Articles, manuscripts, and statements, 1943-1985. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| "Minneapolis public school, race relations," 1947. | |||||||||||
| "Minneapolis public school community level planning," 1954. | |||||||||||
| Full prosperity for agriculture, 1957-1958. | |||||||||||
| Booklet on Spanish language (draft), undated. | |||||||||||
| Newspaper clippings, undated, 1933-1976. | |||||||||||
| Political cartoons, 1949. 1 folder including 4 envelopes. | |||||||||||
| Original pen and ink drawings by Syd Fossum used in Ross' campaign for the Minneapolis public school board. | |||||||||||
| Printed materials, undated, 1935-1959. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Photographs, circa 1921-1967. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 144.I.1.10F | 2 | Accession no. 15,878: | |||||||||
| Ross family correspondence, undated. | |||||||||||
| Powderhorn Food Community Co-op, 1975-1976. | |||||||||||
| Newsletters, bulletins, position statements, and financial statements generated by Margaret Ross that relate primarily to the 1975-1976 philosophical “co-op wars” in the Twin Cities and to the revision of the co-op’s organizational structure and decision-making mechanisms. | |||||||||||
| Radicalism: | |||||||||||
| There is some overlap in content between the papers in this unit and those in the Finnish American unit, below. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence, 1977-1996. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Projects and conferences, circa 1981-1990. | |||||||||||
| Includes materials relating to Local No. 665 (Minneapolis) Oral History Project; the 20th Century Radicalism in Minnesota Project; the Roots of Northland Radicalism conference; and Voices of Dissent: The Minnesota Radical Press 1910-1920 symposium. | |||||||||||
| Writings, 1983-2000. | |||||||||||
| Print materials and clippings, 1976-1992. | |||||||||||
| Finnish American history, life, and culture: | |||||||||||
| There is some overlap in content between the papers in this unit and those in the Radicalism unit, above. | |||||||||||
| General correspondence and related papers, 1974-1989. | |||||||||||
| Writings: | |||||||||||
| The Finn factor in American labor, culture and society: promotional items and reviews, 1977-1982. | |||||||||||
| 1979-1990. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Print materials and clippings, undated, 1983-1992. | |||||||||||
| Minnesota Finnish American family history project, 1979-1988. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes materials relating to the Finnish American Historical Society. | |||||||||||
| United Fund for Finnish American Archives (UFFAA): | |||||||||||
| Includes information on the Finnish American newspaper microfilming project. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence and related papers: 1982-1990. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Carolyn Torma file, 1986-1989. | |||||||||||
| Print materials, 1983-1991. | |||||||||||
| Includes issues of Heritage Preservationist newsletter. | |||||||||||
| Conference programs and papers, 1983-1984. | |||||||||||
| Reunion of sisters project: | |||||||||||
| Conferences, 1984-1987. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Courageous enough: a photo history of Finnish American women (traveling exhibit), 1985-1987. | |||||||||||
| Women who dared: the history of Finnish American women (book), 1985-1986. | |||||||||||
| The making of Finnish America: an ethnic culture in transition (conference), 1989-1991. | |||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Communism -- United States.
- Finnish Americans -- Congresses.
- Finnish Americans -- Genealogy.
- Finnish Americans -- History.
- Finnish Americans -- Social life and customs.
- Finnish Americans -- Minnesota -- Social conditions -- 1918-
- Finnish American women.
- Food cooperatives -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.
- Labor movement -- Minnesota.
- Labor unions -- Minnesota.
- Political prisoners -- United States.
- Prisons -- Washington (State).
- Radicalism -- Minnesota.
- Recycling (Waste, etc.) -- Minnesota.
- Salvage (Waste, etc.) -- Minnesota.
- Schools -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.
- Persons:
- Doby, Velma M.
- Fossum, Syd, 1909-1978.
- Jalkanen, Ralph J.
- Rasi family.
- Ross, Margaret.
- Torma, Carolyn.
- Vecoli, Rudolph J.
- Wargelin-Brown, K. Marianne.
- Organizations:
- Communist Party of Minnesota.
- Gopher Bumper Exchange Company (Minneapolis, Minn.).
- McNeil Island Penitentiary.
- Minnesota Finnish-American Historical Society.
- Powderhorn Food Community Co-op (Minneapolis, Minn.).
- Reunion of Sisters.
- United Fund for Finnish American Archives.
- Places:
- United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945.
- United States -- Economic conditions -- 1945-
- United States -- Politics and government -- 20th century.
- Minneapolis (Minn.) -- Race relations.
- Document Types:
- Photographs.
- Political cartoons.
- Occupations:
- Finnish Americans.
- Finnish American Communists.
- Communists -- United States.
- Ex-Communists -- Minnesota.
- Radicals -- Minnesota.
- Titles:
- Heritage preservationist.
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