mums117 J. William Belanger Papers, 1932-1986 Finding aid prepared by Ken Fones-Wolf. Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA
2003

University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.

 Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Eric S. Cartier. 2003-07-21 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 mu183 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst J. William Belanger Papers, 1932-1986 Manuscript Number 117 Compiled by Ken Fones-Wolf December 1987 Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

2003 University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.

 Collection Overview Belanger, J. William, 1907-1986 J. William Belanger Papers 1932-1986 MS 117 3 boxes (3 linear ft.) Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst Union activist and leader who was the first President of the Massachusetts State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and who also served on a number of governmental agencies, civic agencies, and commissions. Includes correspondence, biographical material, writings, scrapbooks, subject files, newsclippings; and pamphlets, manuals, and other printed materials. Scrapbooks comprise the bulk of the collection and include correspondence, news clippings, photographs, postcards, and various memorabilia. English. Biographical Note

J. William Belanger was born in Newmarket, New Hampshire, in 1907 and began working in textile mills at the age of fourteen. By the time he was nineteen, he had worked in organized mills in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and in the early 1930's, had returned to New England to work as an organizer for the United Textile Workers of America. In 1934, he lead a 17-day general strike, acting as Assistant Director for New England.

In 1936 when the textile unions joined the CIO, Belanger served as Connecticut State Director of the Textile Workers Organizing Committee (TWOC-CIO), and later in Boston as the Assistant New England Regional Director of TWOC-CIO. In 1941, he was elected to the Executive Board of the Massachusetts State CIO, and made Secretary the following year. When the offices of Secretary and Treasurer were combined in 1946, Belanger was elected to the post. That same year he was chosen an International Vice President of the Textile Workers Union of America (TWUA), and in 1948, became President of the Massachusetts State CIO Council.

Belanger worked with leaders in the Massachusetts State Federation of Labor (the state branch of the American Federation of Labor) to defeat the three anti-union referenda on the 1948 state ballot. The cooperation between the two state organizations led to their eventual merger in 1958. At the merger convention held in December of that year, Belanger was elected the first President of the Massachusetts State Labor Council, AFL-CIO. He held this post until 1964, when he was appointed Director of the Massachusetts Division of Employment Security.

In addition to his union activities, Belanger served on a number of governmental agencies, civic agencies and commissions. He died in Naples, Florida, in 1986.

 Scope and Contents of the Collection

Correspondence, biographical material, writings, scrapbooks, subject files, newsclippings; pamphlets, manuals, and other printed materials; and memorabilia related to Belanger's union and election activities, and his work with various government agencies and commissions. Scrapbooks comprise the bulk of the collection and include correspondence, news clippings, photographs, postcards, and various memorabilia. Correspondents include: the U.S. Conciliation Service of the U.S. Department of Labor; the National War Labor Board; the War Manpower Commission of the Office for Emergency Management; the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts; the Council for Constitutional Reform in Massachusetts, Inc.; and The White House.

 Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into five series:

Series 1. Biography, 1944-1986 Series 2. Subject Files, 1932-1964 Series 3. Printed Matter, 1948-1978 Series 4. Scrapbooks (oversize), 1934-1986 Series 5. Plaques and Memorabilia, 1934-1986

The collection is open for research.

 Preferred Citation

Cite as: J. William Belanger Papers (MS 117). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Acquired from J. William Belanger, 1986

Related Material

More information about Belanger, and his roles in various labor organizations, can be found in the following related collections:

MS 134, Series 1 This consists of correspondence between Belanger and the Textile Worker's Union of America, New Bedford Joint Board, 1959-1964 MS 369, Series 1, Subseries C The correspondence, reports, and minutes in this subseries comprise the merger material between the Massachusetts State CIO and the Massachusetts State Federation of Labor, 1955-1958 MS 369, Series 1, Subseries D These are convention files of the Massachusetts State CIO and the Massachusetts State Labor Council, AFL-CIO. The years 1957-1964 include correspondence and speeches of Belanger.

Processed by Ken Fones-Wolf, December 1987.

 Search Terms Belanger, J. William, 1907-1986--Archives. Textile Workers Organizing Committee--History--Sources. Textile Workers Union of America--History--Sources. United Textile Workers of America--History--Sources. Labor leaders--New England--Biography. Textile workers--Labor unions--New England--History--20th century--Sources. Elections--Massachusetts--History--20th century--Sources. New England--Economic conditions--20th century--Sources. Massachusetts--Politics and government--1865-1950--Sources. Photographs. Scrapbooks. Series 1. Biography1944-1986 1 1 Biographical material 1951-1986 1 2 Writings 1944-1968 Series 2. Subject Files1932-1964 1 3 AFL Organizer's Commission 1932 1 4 Election Activities 1948 1 5 Election Activities 1958 1 6 Election Activities 1962 1 7 General Correspondence 1937-1964 1 8 Mass. AFL-CIO COPE n.d. 1 9 New England Textile Study 1957-1959 1 10 Politics 1963 1 11 United Textile Workers Organizing 1933 1 12 University of Massachusetts 1964 Series 3. Printed Materials1948-1978 1 13 AFL-CIO 1957-1958 1 14 Congress of Industrial Organizations 1953 1 15 Connecticut State Labor Council 1978 1 16 Industrial Union Dept., AFL-CIO n.d. 1 17 Northern Textile Association 1973 1 18 Textile Workers Union of America 1943, n.d. 1 19 Union Manuals 1952-1962 1 20 United Labor Committee of Massachusetts 1948 Series 4. Scrapbooks (oversize) 1934-1986 1 Vol. 1 1934-1954 1 Vol. 2 1955-1962 1 Vol. 3 1962-1963 1 Vol. 4 1964-1968 Series 5. Plaques and Memorabilia1934-1986 2 (oversize) 3 Photos 1934-1986