The Loretta Starvus Stack collection consists of letters, cards and drawings sent by Smith Act defendant, Loretta Stack, to her husband, Walter Stack, and children, as well as those she received from family and friends while she was detained in the Los Angeles County Jail from August to December of 1951, and during her trial in Los Angeles in 1952 (Yates, et. al v. United States Government).

Loretta Starvus Stack was born in Williamantic, Conneticut on May 2, 1913 and began working at the age of 14 in a textile factory in an effort to help support her family. Shortly thereafter, she became politically active in Boston, through the American Youth Congress. By the time she was 17, she had organized a strike of 2000 people, and although it was unsucessful, her efforts to create an awareness of unfair labor practices continued. Stack became a resident of California in 1942 after moving to Los Angeles and becoming involved in the United Electrical Union. After the death of her first husband in World War II, Stack and her son Joseph moved north to San Francisco. There she helped to organize waitresses and bookkeepers while employed at Ahrens Bakery. At the time of her first arrest, she was the California State Organizing Secretary for the Communist Party and also acted as a secretary for various units of the waterfront section in San Francisco. She was an active supporter of her husband Walter Stacks's endeavors as a Communist Party and Marine, Fireman, Oiler and Watertenders Union Member as well.

1.0 cubic feet (2 boxes)

Copyright has not been assigned to the Labor Archives and Research Center. All requests for permission to publish or quote from materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of the Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Labor Archives and Research Center as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Collection is open for research.