Finding Aid to the Morris R. Evenson Papers,
1942-1988(Bulk, 1960-1987)
Prepared by Labor Archives and Research Center staff
Labor Archives and Research Center
San Francisco State University
1630 Holloway Ave
San Francisco, CA, 94132-1722
(415) 405-5571
larc@sfsu.edu
© 1999, revised 2014
Title: Morris R. Evenson papers
Date (inclusive): 1942-1988
Date (bulk): 1960-1987
Collection number: larc.ms.0044
Accession number: 1985/027; 1987/056; 1988/062; 1991/06
Creator:
Evenson, Morris R.
Extent:
3.5 cubic ft.
(9 cartons)
Repository:
Labor Archives and Research Center
J. Paul Leonard Library, Room 460
San Francisco State University
1630 Holloway Ave
San Francisco, CA 94132-1722
(415) 405-5571
larc@sfsu.edu
Languages: Languages represented in the collection:
English.
Abstract: The Morris R. Evenson Papers contain biographical material, personal correspondence, and writings, as well as records of the
International Brotherhood of Painters & Allied Trades (IBPAT) Bay Area Local Unions (including correspondence, election records,
news clippings, and administrative and legal documents). The collection documents Evenson's roles as IBPAT Local 4's Business
Representative and Recording Secretary and his work to amalgamate separate Painters' locals in San Francisco. Union events,
particularly the IBPAT hearing of Local 4 official Dow Wilson, Wilson's assassination in 1966, the subsequent murder trial
of Carl Black and Max Ward, and the administration of the Bay Area Painters Trust Funds, are also documented. The collection
includes copies of
The Rank and File Voice (1986-1987),
The Bay Area Painters News (1965-1970),
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers (1970-1987), convention proceedings from the California State Conference of Painters (1956-1965), publications of the IBPAT,
and a cloth banner from Local 1158 of the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators, and Paperhangers.
Location: Collection is available onsite.
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
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.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Morris R. Evenson Papers, larc.ms.0044, Labor Archives and Research Center, San Francisco State
University.
Acquisition
The materials in this collection were acquired in four separate donations, from Morris R. Evenson (in 1985 and 1987) and from
his widow Jill Evenson (in 1988 and 1991). Accession numbers 1985/027, 1987/056, 1988/062, and 1991/06.
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Carol Cuenod, 1997.
Biography/Organization History
Biography of Morris R. Evenson
Morris R. Evenson was born in Wisconsin in 1920, but spent his childhood school years in St. Paul, Minnesota. He dropped out
of school in the ninth grade. Later he wrote, "It took both his hands to count the unions he had been a member of--Teamos,
Seamen, Electrical (Workers) in a radio factory, a busboy in the Culinary Workers, a switchman in the Railroad Brotherhood,
a coffin maker in the Carpenters Union, and a plastic molder in the Machinists..." in addition to the Painters Union (Evenson).
He claimed that it was his life as a merchant seaman in the National Maritime Union (NMU) which continued his education, teaching
him about unions and different political points of view. It was as a merchant seaman in the NMU that he served his country
during World War II. By 1948, Evenson had identified himself with the "left-wingers" in the Union, and became a victim of
the purge of communists and their sympathizers by NMU President Joseph Curran. He was in New Orleans when he was expelled
from the NMU. Evenson moved to San Francisco in 1948 and, in 1952, joined the Painters Union Local 1158.
Evenson was elected Business Representative of Painters Union Local 1158 in 1961. He also became a member of a rank-and-file
caucus working to amalgamate the two separate locals in San Francisco- Local 1158 and Local 19. This was accomplished in 1963,
forming Painters Local Union 4- the largest Painters Local in the country. Evenson was elected its first Business Representative.
He worked closely with Dow Wilson, who served as a Business Representative in Local 19. Wilson was elected the first Recording
Secretary of Local 4.
When Wilson was assassinated in 1966, Evenson stepped in to continue Wilson's work as Local 4 Recording Secretary. He was
also elected a trustee of the Bay Area Painters Trust Funds and served for 10 years as its chairman.
When he retired, Evenson focused his attention on the Bay Area Painters Trust Funds and also published a newsletter called
The Rank and File Voice. He died in 1988.
Biography of Dow Wilson
Dow Wilson's life had many parallels with Evenson's. He was born in 1926 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Like Evenson, his formal
education ended in the ninth grade. In 1942, at age 16, he also went to sea as a member of the National Maritime Union. Like
Evenson, he was charged by the NMU leadership of being a communist; however, he successfully fought the charges while acting
as his own attorney. Wilson left the NMU in the early 1950s, became a house painter and a member of Painters Union Local 19
in San Francisco. Wilson and Evenson had known about each other in the NMU, but did not meet until they became union brothers
in the San Francisco Painters locals. Wilson was elected a business representative in Local 19 and was also in the caucus
working for the amalgamation of the two painters locals. When the amalgamated local was chartered, Wilson was elected the
first Local 4 Recording Secretary- the Local's most important officer.
Dow Wilson was assassinated three years later in 1966. A month later, Lloyd Green, an official of the Painters Union Local
127 in the East Bay, was also killed. A significant motive for these assassinations was the fight waged by Wilson and his
supporters against the misuse and embezzlement of the Painters Union Trust Funds. Evenson was elected Recording Secretary
to replace Wilson during the period of turmoil and fear following the deaths of Wilson and Green.
Bibliography
Evenson, Morris.
The Brotherhood of Blood and Allied Crimes.
Arrangement
The Morris R. Evenson Papers are divided into six series.
Scope and Content
In addition to manuscripts and documents generated by Morris Evenson himself, the collection contains a large amount of originals
or copies of the Bay Area
Painters Union records covering the years when Evenson was an official and after his retirement.
Series I contains records relating to Evenson's early life, his personal interests outside the Painters Union, and his friends.
Additional biographical information can be found in Series III in Evenson's manuscript
The Brotherood of Blood and Allies Crimes.
Series II contains records of the Bay Area Painters Unions, including correspondence, election records, circulating letters
to the membership, copies of news articles about the Union, records of political activity, some negotiating files, and Union
Constitution and Bylaws.
Series III documents Evenson's association with Dow Wilson. It includes Evenson's manuscript
The Brotherhood of Blood and Allied Crimes , a fictionalized account of Wilson's life and murder. Series III also includes the murder trial transcript, notes taken by
Evenson, and contemporary newspaper accounts.
Series IV contains records relating to the Bay Area Painters Trust Funds, documenting Evenson's fight for honest administration
of these Funds and his efforts to
improve members' benefits under them. It includes a case file on Douglas Page, a Trust Fund attorney, whom Evenson accused
of illegally signing Trustees' names and
notarizing them.
Series V holds a run of
The Rank and File Voice (1986-1987) which Evenson published, as well as the records generated by its publication--drafts of articles, cartoons, a collection
of publications from the League for Industrial Democracy, a group which fought
corruption in unions. There are flyers from different "rank and file" groups in Local 4 and other unions. Also present is
Dow Wilson's defense testimony from his
1965 International Brotherhood of Painters & Allied Trades hearing, which includes a detailed description of collective bargaining
for painters in the San
Francisco Bay Area.
Series VI contains Local 4's newspapers which Evenson prepared for deposit in the Archives. Included are
The Rank and File Voice (1986-1987),
The Bay Area Painters News (1965-1970),
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers (1970-1987), convention proceedings from the California State
Conference of Painters (1956-1965), and publications of the IBPAT.
A banner from Local 1158, Evenson's first Local when he joined the Painters Union in San Francisco, is also part of this collection.
Related Archival Material
For additional sources in the Labor Archives on Morris Evenson and the Bay Area Painters Union, see:
Title:
Organized Labor
Note
See columns "Painters News-Local 19" by Dow Wilson, mid-1955 to 7/22/63, "1158 Painters" by Morris Evenson, 1/14/63 to 7/22/63,
"Painters News-Local 4" by Dow Wilson, 8/12/63 to 10/11/65)
Identifier/Call Number: larc.pho.0054
Title: Morris Evenson Photograph Collection
For additional sources in the Labor Archives on Dow Wilson, see:
Identifier/Call Number: larc.ms.0139
Title: San Francisco Building Trades Council records, 1907-1986
Indexing Terms
Evenson, Morris R.
Wilson, Dow.
International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades.
Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators, and Paperhangers of America.
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.
Labor unions--California--History.
Labor unions--California--Periodicals.
Trials (Murder).
Series I:
Morris Evenson
1942-1988
Physical Description:
Extent: 7 folders
Scope and Contents
Biographical materials, including obituaries, are present. Here also are correspondence, clippings and general items, with
people and institutions not connected with the Painters Union.
Box-folder 1/3
Clippings (includes Jill Evenson & Kim Evenson)
1983-1987
Box-folder 1/4
Friends, Clippings & Correspondence
1966-1986
Note
Correspondents include:
- "Fort Point Gang"
- Bill Bailey
- Miriam Johnson
- James Kendall
- Jack Olson
- Joe Passen
- Al Richmond
- Lewis Goldblatt
- Fred Harris
- Warren Hinckle
- Dave Jenkins
- Stan Koppel
- Lewis Weinstock
- George R. Stewart
Box-folder 1/5
Letters to Editors
1983-1987
Box-folder 1/6
General (includes material from Radical Education Project, SDS)
1968-1987 and undated
Box-folder 1/7
General-Consultation, A. Glendenning case
1986
Series II.
Int'l Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Workers Bay Area Locals and District Councils
1958-1987
Physical Description:
Extent: 11 folders
Scope and Contents
This series includes union records from the period when Evenson was an officer of Local 1158 and Local 4. Folders include
correspondence, constitutions, bylaws, agreements, negotiation case files, and case files of disputes with companies.
Separated Material
Pamphlets on Safety have been relocated in the Ephemera Files under: OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH and OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
& HEALTH-CAL/OSHA
Box-folder 1/8
IBPAT-Constitutions
1980
1985
Box-folder 1/9
Painters Union Local 4-By-Laws
1978-1987
Box-folder 1/10
Bay Counties District Council of Painters-By-Laws
1985-1986
Box-folder 1/11
Bay Area Painters-General
1958-1964
Box-folder 1/12
Bay Area Painters-General
1965-1984
Box-folder 2/1
Bay Area Painters-General
1985-1987 and undated
Box-folder 2/2
Bay Area Painter-Agreements 1947,
1971-1986
Box-folder 2/3
Painters & Decorators Joint Council, Inc. of San Francisco, Marin & Sonoma Counties
1980-1981
Box-folder 2/4
Bay Area District Council of Painters, Nos. 8, 16, 33-Drywall Negotiation & Agreements
1967-1986
Box-folder 2/5
Painters Union Local 4-Cases-Fess Paint Co.
1985-1986
Series III:
Dow Wilson Assassination
1965-1967
Physical Description:
extent: 19 folders
Scope and Contents
This series includes a transcript (3 volumes) of the IBPAT Hearing on charges against Dow Wilson in November 1965; a 145-page
manuscript by Evenson,
The Brotherhood of Blood and Allied Crimes ; extensive news clippings from the
San Francisco Chronicle and
Examiner and other newspapers on the Dow Wilson and Lloyd Green killings and the arrests of Carl Black, Norman Call, Max Ward and
others; and transcripts of the murder trial State of California vs. Carl Black and Max Ward.
Box-folder 3/1
IBPAT Hearing-Charges Against Dow Wilson-Transcript, Vol. I,
1965-11-08
Box-folder 3/2
IBPAT Hearing-Charges Against Dow Wilson-Transcript, Vol. II,
1965-11-09/11
Box-folder 3/3
IBPAT Hearing-Charges Against Dow Wilson-Transcript,
1965-11-10/11
Box-folder 3/4
"The Brotherhood of Blood and Allied Crimes," ms by Morris Evenson
undated
Box-folder 3/5
Evenson's notes--Call & Rasnick trial
1966-1967
Box-folder 3/6
Petition to Mayor John F. Shelley
1966
Box-folder 3/7
Dow Wilson-copy of photograph
undated
Box-folder 3/8
News Reports-Bay Area Painters News
1966
Box-folder 4/1
News Reports-
Washington Post
1966-04-24/25
Box-folder 4/2
News Reports-Photocopies of articles from SF Examiner and Chronicle
1966-1967
News Reports-
San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Chronicle
Box-folder 4/7
1966-05-14/18, 1967-01-07
Box-folder 4/8
News Reports-Memorials to Dow Wilson
1967, 1987
Box-folder 4/9
News Reports-(incomplete articles-jumps missing)
undated
Box-folder 4/10
The People of the State of California vs. Max Ward and Carl Black, Transcript
1966-11-15
Box-folder 4/11
The People of the State of California vs. Max Ward and Carl Black, Transcript
1966-11-16
Series IV:
Bay Area Painters Trust Funds
1963-1987
Physical Description:
17 Folders
Scope and Contents
Contains annual reports, actuarial valuations, summary plan descriptions, financial statements, booklets and correspondence.
The Trust Funds include the Pension, Welfare and Death Benefit Funds. There is also a case file on charges against Douglas
Page, the Trust Fund attorney.
Box-folder 5/1
Bay Area Painters Pension Trust Fund-Summary Plan Descriptions, Medicare Handbook
1979, 1982
Box-folder 5/2
Bay Area Painters Pension Trust Fund-Actuarial Report
1963
Box-folder 5/3
Bay Area Painters Pension Trust Fund-Actuarial Valuation & Review
1981, 1983
Box-folder 5/4
Bay Area Painters Pension Trust Fund-Annual Report
1966
Box-folder 5/5
Bay Area Painters Pension Trust Fund-Annual Reports & Summary Annual Reports
1983-1985
Box-folder 5/6
Bay Area Painters Pension Trust Fund-Reports to Federal Government
1981-1984
Separated Material
Copy of the Labor-Management Reporting & Disclosure Act of 1959 has been relocated in the Ephemera Files under LABOR LEGISLATION-LABOR-MANAGEMENT
REPORTING & DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959.
Box-folder 5/7
Painters Union Local 4-Cases-Berger Benson
1977-1980
Box-folder 5/8
Bay Area Painters Pension Trust Fund-Cases-Douglas Page
1980-1982
Box-folder 5/9
Bay Area Painters Pension Trust Fund-Cases-Douglas Page
1983
Box-folder 5/10
Bay Area Painters Pension Trust Fund-Cases-Douglas Page-Deposition
1981-05-05
Box-folder 5/11
Bay Area Painters Pension Trust Fund-Cases-Douglas Page-Minutes
1980-1982
Box-folder 5/12
Bay Area Painters Pension Trust Fund-Cases-Douglas Page
undated
Box-folder 6/1
Local Union & District Council Pension Fund (from Int'l Union)-Financial Statements
1980-1981
Box-folder 6/2
Bay Area Painters Death Benefit Trust Fund-Annual Report, Report of Examination
1981-1982
Box-folder 6/3
Bay Area Painters Welfare Funds-Report of Examination, Annual Report, Semi-Annual Report
1965, 1983
Box-folder 6/4
Bay Area Painters Welfare Funds-Booklets of Benefits
1978-1985
Box-folder 6/5
Bay Area Painters Trust Funds-Correspondence
1981-1986
Box-folder 6/6
Booklets on Pension Trust Funds
1976-1980
Series V:
Rank and File Activity
1962-1987
Physical Description:
7 folders
Scope and Contents
This series contains material created by Evenson after his retirement as well as leaflets written and distributed by various
rank and file groups. It holds copies of
The Rank and File Voice and some of the working drafts used in its preparation. There are issues from two serials by the League for Industrial Democracy
(
Union Democracy in Action and
Union Democracy Review), and one folder on Nat Weinstein, a member of the Socialist Workers Party active in Local 4.
Box-folder 6/10
Newsletter-Painters Local 4
Rank and File Voice
1986-1987
Box-folder 6/11
Newsletter-
Union Democracy in Action
1963-1973
Box-folder 6/12
Socialist Workers Party-Nat Weinstein
1970-1981
Series VI:
Publications
1956-1987
Physical Description:
24 folders
Scope and Contents
IBPAT publications include one Convention Proceedings (1984) and five issues of the
Painters and Allied Trades Journal. There are Convention Proceedings of the California State Conference of Painters from the years 1956 through 1965. All other
publications are newspapers for Bay Area painters locals:
Bay Area Painters News(1965-1970) and
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers (1970-1987).
Box-folder 7/1
IBPAT-Proceedings, 25th Convention
1984
Painters and Allied Trades Journal Convention issue
1984
Box-folder 7/2
Painters and Allied Trades Journal
1971-04, 1981-05, 1985-10, 1987-02
Directory of Secretaries & Business Representatives
1982-1983
Box-folder 7/3
California State Conference of Painters
Convention Proceedings-20th to 23rd
1956-1959
Box-folder 7/4
California State Conference of Painters Convention Proceedings-25th, 27th, 29th
1961-1965
Box-folder 7/5
Bay Area Painters News, Vol. 1
1965-1966
Box-folder 7/6
Bay Area Painters News, Vol. 2
1966-1967
Box-folder 8/1
Bay Area Painters News, Vol. 3
1967-1968
Box-folder 8/2
Bay Area Painters News, Vol. 4
1968-1969
Box-folder 8/3
Bay Area Painters News, Vol. 5
1970
Box-folder 8/4
Bay Area Painters News, Vol. 5, #8 (1 issue)
1970
Box-folder 8/5
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 1
1970
Box-folder 8/6
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 2
1971
Box-folder 8/7
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 3
1972
Box-folder 8/8
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 4
1973
Box-folder 8/9
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 5
1974
Box-folder 8/10
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 6
1975
Box-folder 9/1
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 14
1980
Box-folder 9/2
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 15
1981
Box-folder 9/3
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 16
1982
Box-folder 9/4
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 17
1983
Box-folder 9/5
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 18
1984
Box-folder 9/6
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 19
1985
Box-folder 9/7
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 20
1986
Box-folder 9/8
THE VOICE of Painters, Tapers and Paperhangers Vol. 21
1987
