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Guide to the Ira Cross: California labor notes, 1815-1960
BANC MSS C-R 12  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
Consists of notes and research materials which were gathered by Ira B. Cross and his research assistants primarily for his book, History of the labor movement in California. Contains the original typescript from 1909-1932, including manuscript corrections, illustrations, and all footnotes as they were written by Cross, only a fraction of which were retained in the published edition.

Research notes contain correspondence, including exchanges with various labor organizers and their families, most notably Astaroth and Burnette Haskell, Frank Roney, and Paul Scharrenberg, along with fan mail and critical analyses of the book by Cross' colleagues. Also contains biographical sketches, including testimonies, clippings, and interviews taken by Cross or his assistants.

Research notes on the history of labor include sections with references to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the U.S. Commission on Migratory Labor, as well as sections on the Building Trades Council of San Francisco, The Federated Trades Council of San Francisco, and the Maritime Trades Council of San Francisco. A card file of newspaper citations arranged by subject and scattered issues of labor newspapers (on microfilm) and clippings includes a variety of California publications and materials from several western states and Canada.
Background
Ira B. Cross was born December 1, 1880, in Decatur, Illinois, the son of a working man. Due to the influence of a high school teacher, he decided to go to college, and earned his own way through the University of Wisconsin. He graduated with honors in economics, receiving his A.B. in 1905, and completing his M.A. in the same field in 1906. While he was a student there, he joined the Socialist Party and served as assistant secretary of the National Convention of the Socialist Party in Chicago in 1904.
Extent
Number of containers: 5 cartons, 3 boxes, 8 oversize folders Linear feet: 8
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library 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.
Availability
Collection is open for research.