VINCE A. (VINCENT ALPHEUS) DAY:
An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Day, Vince A. (Vincent Alpheus), 1885-1945, creator. | |
| Title: | Vince A. Day papers. | |
| Dates: | 1906-1945. | |
| Language: | Materials in English. | |
| Abstract: | Correspondence, speeches, clippings, printed materials, scrapbooks, and other papers of Day, private secretary to Minnesota governor Floyd B. Olson (1931-1935) and a Minneapolis municipal and Hennepin County district court judge (1935-1945). | |
| Quantity: | 2.25 cubic feet (4 boxes, including 4 volumes; and 29 oversize items in 1 folder). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The materials include correspondence, speeches, news clippings, printed materials, scrapbooks, and other papers relating to the career of Vincent (Vince) Alpheus Day. Day was private secretary to Governor Floyd B. Olson (1931-1935), and a municipal and district judge in Minneapolis, from 1935 to his death in 1945. The papers include correspondence, minutes, and miscellany of the Floyd B. Olson Memorial Association (1936-1940); Day's correspondence and miscellany as chairman of the Twin City Council on Fair Employment Practices (1942-1944); and material on his activities as district court judge.
Day's papers as Governor Olson's secretary provide data on many aspects of state and national politics; third party movements; labor problems and strikes, especially the Minneapolis truck drivers' strike (1934); political patronage; the farm depression (1931); the bank holiday (1933); the American Commonwealth Political Federation; the Communist party; and the labor newspaper Austin American, and the activities and murder of Walter Liggett, its first editor. Correspondents include North Dakota Senator William Lemke, North Dakota Governor William Langer, William Mahoney, John H. Bosch, Sherwood Anderson, H. G. Creel, Dewey Johnson, O. J. Johnson, William Brown, Elmer A. Benson, John G. Rockwell, Morris Hursh, Clifford Rucker, Frank Walker, Francis Biddle, Sidney Hillman, and Senator Ernest Lundeen.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Vince A. Day papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 6086; 7403; 8112; 9516
Processing Information:
Catalog ID number: 001732060
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| 129.E.15.6F | 1 | Miscellaneous correspondence, 1931-1945. 2 folders. | |||||||||
| Selden Rodman correspondence, 1934-1935. | |||||||||||
| Seldon Rodman was the editor of Common Sense (New York), the publication of the American Commonwealth Political Federation. Much of the correspondence deals with comments on the murder of Walter Liggett; on Governor Olson's articles which were published in the magazine; and with the rumored meeting of Floyd Olson with Milo Reno and Huey Long. Also includes a news clipping giving data on Rodman and Alfred Bingham, the assistant editor of the magazine. | |||||||||||
| Robert Happ correspondence, 1935-1936. | |||||||||||
| Includes details on labor difficulties in Minneapolis. Discussed in the correspondence are the strikes in the Strutwear Company, the Flour City Ornamental Works, and repercussions from the Minneapolis Truck Drivers strike of 1934. Happ also reported on alleged Communist activities in these strikes and in the labor movement in general. A letter dated October 18, 1935 reports on a speech made by Earl Browder, Secretary of the U.S. Communist Party, in Minneapolis. | |||||||||||
| U.S. District Judgeship correspondence, March 4-July 2, 1937. | |||||||||||
| U.S. District Judgeship correspondence, April 20-June 20, 1944. | |||||||||||
| Walter Liggett and Austin American correspondence and miscellaneous, 1933-1935. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| The Austin American was a newspaper organized to provide for Austin and for Southeastern Minnesota and which would present the viewpoint of labor, the Farmer-Labor Party, and other liberal movements, to counteract the conservative philosophies of the many weekly and daily newspapers in the region. Olson and other Farmer-Labor leaders gave their backing to this enterprise. Walter Liggett was appointed as its first editor, but soon resigned because of policy disputes with Frank Prochaska, manager of the paper, and others on the board of managers. | |||||||||||
| A controversy also existed between the paper's board of directors and the Independent Union of All Workers. It was alleged that the paper rejected advertisements from union businesses in Austin; that the paper failed to give back pay to its workers; and that employees were arbitrarily fired from the paper. Correspondents include: Frank Prochaska, John A. Goldie (a Minneapolis labor attorney who attempted to mediate the dispute), Olof J. Fosso (president), Joseph Voorhees (business agent of the Independent Union of all Workers), and Ernest Lundeen. | |||||||||||
| Floyd B. Olson Memorial Association correspondence, 1936-1940. | |||||||||||
| Includes correspondence that details efforts of the Association to obtain speakers for memorial meetings and for the dedication of the Olson Monument in Minneapolis in 1940. Correspondents include: Victor E. Lawson, Charles Ward, Elmer A. Benson, Carlo Brioschi (sculptor), Lynn Frazier, Guy Stanton Ford, Robert La Follette, Jr. and Harold Stassen. | |||||||||||
| Floyd B. Olson Memorial Association miscellaneous papers, undated, 1937-1943. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes speech transcripts of the 1940 dedicatory exercises, member lists, financial reports, and news clippings. | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous papers relating to the Olson family, 1937-1941. | |||||||||||
| Twin Cities Council on Fair Employment Practices, correspondence and miscellaneous, undated, 1942-1944. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes information on the activities of committee chariman Vince Day. The committee was established at the time of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 8802, which prohibited racial or religious discrimination in industries having defense contracts with the U.S. Government. Correspondents include prominent Twin Cities political and civic leaders. | |||||||||||
| Memoranda to Floyd B. Olson, 1931-1936. 5 folders. | |||||||||||
| The memos cover a variety of subjects and reveal the many problems that were brought to the attention of Governor Olson. Foremost among these was the patronage issue. Almost every memo contains request from individuals for state employment. Also discussed are farm problems including a memo from Milo Reno of the Farm Holiday movement (1933); the gubernatorial campaign (1934); the Minneapolis truch drivers strike (1934); Walter Liggett (1934); free text books (1934); and crime in Minneapolis (1936). | |||||||||||
| Speeches, Vince A. Day, undated, 1931-1944. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Speeches, Floyd B. Olson, undated, 1931-1934. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes speeches covering a wide range of topics including: the constitution, the St. Lawrence Seaway, free textbook issue, political campaign speeches and memorial addresses. | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous speeches, undated, 1932-1934. | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous news clippings, 1916-1945. | |||||||||||
| Labour course, circa 1934. | |||||||||||
| Includes twelve mimeographed outlines for "A Course in Labor History" possibly sponsored by the State Employees Association, 1934. | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous papers, undated, 1919-1944. | |||||||||||
| Includes undated manuscripts and drafts on various topics: newspapers, state police, disarmament, Russia and religion, the economic situation and the University of Minnesota. Also included are manuscripts relating to Arthur Townley, Walter Liggett and the K. B. Birkeland case. | |||||||||||
| Printed items, 1912-1941. | |||||||||||
| Includes published materials concerning Northwestern Bancorporation, Palestine, Bank of North Dakota, Farmer-Labor Association, Floyd B. Olson and communism. Material includes booklets, campaign flyers, pamphlets, programs, speeches and hearings on various cases. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 129.E.15.7B | 2 | Scrapbooks: | |||||||||
| Volume 1, 1914-1915. | |||||||||||
| Includes information on World War I, the single tax theory, and Day's activities in Spokane, Washington, particularly in relation to the regulation of telephone rates. | |||||||||||
| Volume 2, 1931-1938. | |||||||||||
| Includes information on Day's appointment as secretary to Governor Olson; political activities; his appointment as a judge; cases tried by Day; the 1938 murder trial of William S. Brown, president of General Drivers Union local 544. Myles and Vince Dunne were principal witnesses in the case. | |||||||||||
| Volume 3, June-November 1938. | |||||||||||
| Includes news clippings, mostly pertaining to the 1938 election. Also includes a picture of the Olson monument, which is autographed by Carlo Broschi, sculptor. | |||||||||||
| Volume 4, 1935-1945. | |||||||||||
| Includes clippings on the death of Paul Olson (Floyd Olson's father) in 1939; the dedication of the Olson monument in Minneapolis in 1940; and on the death of Vince Day in 1945. Also includes correspondence from Sinclair Lewis, written from Duluth and containing Lewis' appreciation to Day for his help in getting material for Lewis' new novel. | |||||||||||
| +336 | Oversize material: | ||||||||||
| Diploma, June 14, 1906. | |||||||||||
| Bachelor of Laws from the University of Nebraska, issued to Vince Day. | |||||||||||
| Certificates, July 17, 1907 and October 8, 1925. | |||||||||||
| Issued by the State of Montana authorizing Vince Day to practice law. | |||||||||||
| Judicial appointment certificates, November 6, 1935 and December 3, 1936. | |||||||||||
| Issued to Vince Day as a judge of the Municipal Court, Minneapolis, signed by Floyd B. Olson; and as District Judge, signed by Governor Hjalmar Petersen. | |||||||||||
| Certificates of election, November 15, 1938 and November 13, 1944. | |||||||||||
| Issued to Vince Day, District Judge, Minneapolis. | |||||||||||
| Certificate of appointment, June 19, 1941. | |||||||||||
| Day's appointment as a member of the Defense Savings Committee, Minneapolis. | |||||||||||
| Newspaper pages, 1931-1944. | |||||||||||
| Includes 21 full-page newspaper articles (mostly the Minneapolis Labor Review) on various topics including: Olson's death, labor issues and similar topics. Also included is an article on the murder of Walter Liggett from the Chicago Tribune, 1936. | |||||||||||
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:
- Agriculture -- Minnesota.
- Banks and banking -- Minnesota.
- Communism.
- Depressions -- 1929 -- United States.
- Discrimination in employment.
- Elections -- Minnesota.
- Labor movement -- Minnesota.
- Minorities -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.
- Patronage, Political -- Minnesota.
- Political conventions -- Minnesota.
- Politics, Practical -- Minnesota.
- Strikes and lockouts -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.
- Truck Drivers' Strike, Minneapolis, Minn., 1934.
- World War, 1914-1918.
- Persons:
- Anderson, Sherwood, 1876-1941.
- Benson, Elmer A. (Elmer Austin), 1895-1985.
- Biddle, Francis, 1886-1968.
- Bosch, John H.
- Brioschi, Charles, 1879-1941.
- Browder, Earl, 1891-1973.
- Brown, William S., ca. 1895-1938.
- Day, Vince A. (Vincent Alpheus), 1885-1945.
- Dunne, Vincent R. (Vincent Raymond), 1889-1970.
- Ford, Guy Stanton, 1873-1962.
- Gilbert, Joseph, 1865-1956.
- Goldie, John A.
- Happ, Robert.
- Hillman, Sidney, 1887-1946.
- Johnson, Oscar John, 1870-1946.
- Langer, William, 1886-1959.
- Lemke, William, 1878-1950.
- Leonard, George B., 1872-1956.
- Lewis, Sinclair, 1885-1951.
- McDonough, John Joseph, 1895-1962.
- Newman, Cecil E., 1903-1976.
- Olson family.
- Olson, Floyd Björnstjerne, 1891-1936.
- Prochaska, F. K.
- Rodman, Selden, 1909-2002.
- Scheiner, Samuel L. 1908-
- Townley, A. C. (Arthur Charles), 1880-1959.
- Vorhees, Joseph.
- Walker, Frank Comerford, 1886-
- Organizations:
- Farmer-Labor Association of Minnesota.
- Farmer-Labor Party (Minn.)
- Floyd B. Olson Memorial Association.
- Independent Union of All Workers.
- National Farmers' Holiday Association (U.S.)
- Twin City Council on Fair Employment Practices.
- Places:
- Minnesota -- Newspapers.
- Minnesota -- Politics and government -- 1918-1945.
- Spokane (Wash.)
- United States -- Economic conditions.
- Document Types:
- Autographs.
- Occupations:
- Judges -- Minnesota.
- Titles:
- Austin American (Austin, Minn.).
- Common Sense (New York, N.Y.).
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