Description
Contains a transcript and sound recording of Lucille Kendall's interviews with Clemmie Shuck Barry, an interview history,
and scattered personal papers documenting Barry's activities as a labor organizer for the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of
America (ACWA) in the 1930s, particularly during the 1934 strike at Sam Finkelstein & Sons in Norfolk, Virginia, and the 1936
strike at Friedman-Harry Marks Clothing Co. in Richmond, Virginia. Also documents Barry's involvement in the Communist party
in San Francisco in the late 1930s and 1940s, and her efforts to integrate housing in Marin County in the 1950s.
Background
Clemmie Shuck Barry was born on August 24, 1901, in Edgar, Nebraska. She was the first person in her family to attend college,
graduating from the University of Denver in 1927. After college, Barry directed educational programs for the Young Women's
Christian Association (YWCA) in West Virginia and New York. In 1934, Barry resigned from the YWCA and accepted a position
as organizer with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA). Between 1934 and 1937, she organized clothing workers
in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Georgia. Notably, she participated in the 1934 strike at Sam Finkelstein
& Sons in Norfolk, Virginia; and acted as chief organizer during the 1936 strike at Friedman-Harry Marks Clothing Co. in Richmond,
Virginia, which led to the 1937 Supreme Court case upholding the National Labor Relations Act (Labor Board v. Friedman-Harry
Marks Clothing Co.).
Extent
Transcript and papers: 2 folders (0.2 Linear feet);
Tapes: 9 audiocassettes
Restrictions
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Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) and may not be used without permission of California Historical Society. Use may be restricted by terms
of CHS gift or purchase agreements, privacy and publicity rights, licensing terms, and trademarks. All requests to reproduce,
publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of the Library and
Archives, North Baker Research Library, California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Restrictions
also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational
purposes.
Availability
CHS is not taking appointments for research at this time. Please check the Library's website updates: https://californiahistoricalsociety.org/collections/north-baker-research-library/