American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 767 records, 1920-1965; bulk 1920-1953

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Summary

Title:
American Federation of Musicians Local 767 records
Dates:
1920-1965; bulk 1920-1953
Creators:
American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada. Local 767 (Los Angeles, Calif.) and American Federation of Musicians of the United States and of Canada. Local 47 (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Abstract:
The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 767 records document the organizational, financial, and representational activities of a Los Angeles musicians' union local from 1920 to 1965, with the bulk of the collection spanning 1920 to 1953. Covering the Local's early development through its later administrative operations, the collection includes records relating to the amalgamation of Local 767 with Local 47. Materials include general and board meeting minutes, election and membership records, incoming and outgoing correspondence, financial ledgers and statements, payroll and tax records, performer and institutional contracts, municipal and recording project files, wage and regulatory materials, and claims, disciplinary, and unfair list files. The collection documents the governance of Local 767 and its role in managing labor relations, member services, employment matters, and disputes within the Los Angeles music industry.
Extent:
9.2 linear feet (21 boxes, 2 flat boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], American Federation of Musicians Local 767 records (Collection 2341). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists of administrative records, correspondence, financial and payroll records, contracts, project files, claims files, and related materials accumulated and maintained by the American Federation of Musicians Union Local 767, a Los Angeles local of the American Federation of Musicians. It documents the governance and operations of the local, including membership administration, elections, financial management, payroll and employment reporting, contractual activity, project work, and disputes involving musicians, employers, venues, and affiliated organizations.

The collection contains minutes of general meetings and board of directors meetings, voter eligibility and membership status lists, election materials, notices, flyers, and general office files. Correspondence documents communication with union officers, labor organizations, municipal and government bodies, and music industry representatives, including Leo C. Cluesmann, James C. Petrillo, and Harry J. Steeper. Financial and payroll materials include day books, ledgers, financial statements, bank statements, office expense records, payroll books, employee records, tax and withholding forms, unemployment insurance materials, and other recordings relating to compensation, accounting, and reporting requirements.

Contracts and program records include performer contracts, agreements with businesses and public institutions, municipal band project files, recording and transcription fund materials, performance records, and materials relating to wage scales, rules, and agreements. Claims, disciplinary, and enforcement materials include case files, death claims, defaulters and unfair list materials, and records documenting disputes involving musicians, employers, venues, and related parties.

The collection does not document all activities of Local 767 in equal depth, and some records are undated or lack complete contextual information.

Biographical / historical:

The American Federation of Musicians Union Local 767 was a Los Angeles-based local of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), the labor union representing professional instrumental musicians in the United States and Canada. Like other AFM locals, Local 767 represented its members in matters relating to employment, wages, contracts, benefits, membership, and professional conduct. Its activities included conducting general membership and board meetings, administering elections, maintaining membership and financial records, overseeing payroll and tax reporting, managing contracts and performance-related work, and pursuing claims, grievances, and disciplinary matters involving members and employers. The records also document regular correspondence between Local 767 and officers of the national federation, as well as with municipal agencies, labor organizations, and entities in the entertainment industry.

Local 767 operated during a period when the AFM maintained racially segregated local unions. In Los Angeles, Black musicians belonged to Local 767, while white musicians belonged to Local 47. In 1953, Los Angeles became the first AFM city in which separate Black and white locals merged, when Local 767 amalgamated with Local 47. This merger marked an important moment in the integration of AFM locals and anticipated broader desegregation efforts within the federation in the years that followed.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from the American Federation of Musicians Local 767, 2017.
Processing information:

Processed by Sadie Baldwin, in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), under the supervision of Emily Wittenberg, 2026.

Portions of the collection were re-housed for preservation purposes, including the disassembly of binders and bound volumes. Original order was preserved where discernible and original folder titles were retained where present and where they accurately reflected the contents. In some cases, titles were supplied, revised, or standardized for clarity, consistency, and description.

Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.

We are committed to providing ethical, inclusive, and anti-racist description of the materials we steward, and to remediating existing description of our materials that contains language that may be offensive or cause harm. We invite you to submit feedback about how our collections are described, and how they could be described more accurately, by filling out the form located on our website: Report Problematic Content and Description in UCLA's library collections and archives.

Arrangement:

Original folder titles and labels were generally retained where present, though materials were arranged into series and subseries during processing to improve access while preserving identifiable groupings where possible.

This collection has been arranged in the following series:

  • Series 1: Governance, Membership, and Administration
    • Subseries 1.1: Minutes and Proceedings
    • Subseries 1.2: Elections and Governing Documents
    • Subseries 1.3: Membership and Status Records
    • Subseries 1.4: General Administrative Correspondence and Office Files
  • Series 2: Financial Records (Non-Payroll)
    • Subseries 2.1: Cashbooks, Day Books, and Ledgers
    • Subseries 2.2: Statements, Receipts, Disbursements, and General Accounting Files
  • Series 3: Payroll, Personnel, and Government Reporting
    • Subseries 3.1: Payroll Records and Payroll Systems
    • Subseries 3.2: Withholding/Tax Forms and Employment Compliance
  • Series 4: Contracts and Program Operations
    • Subseries 4.1: Member Engagement Contracts
    • Subseries 4.2: Municipal/Institutional Contracts
    • Subseries 4.3: Project Recommendations and Performance Administration
    • Subseries 4.4: Scales, Regulations, and Internal/Inter-member Agreements
  • Series 5: Claims, Disputes, Discipline, and Enforcement
    • Subseries 5.1: Claims and Case Files
    • Subseries 5.2: Death Claims and Supporting Documentation
    • Subseries 5.3: Defaulters / Unfair List and Disciplinary Matters

Physical location:
Stored off-site. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid was prepared by Sadie Baldwin in the Center for Primary Research Training (CFPRT), under the supervision of Emily Wittenberg, 2026.
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-04-24 11:10:52 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Records in Series 3 were reviewed during processing for privacy concerns related to Social Security numbers; most of the named subjects were determined to be deceased, though a small number could not be conclusively verified.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], American Federation of Musicians Local 767 records (Collection 2341). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
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