International Workers Order (IWO) Records
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Abstract
This collection consists of the records of the International Workers' Order (IWO). Papers include many items related to Socialist, Communist and radical activities.
Dates
- 1915-2002
Language of Materials
Collection material in English, Spanish, Yiddish, Russian, Polish, Croatian, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Italian
Conditions Governing Access
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference archivist for access to these materials.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and Procedures for Document Use.
Biographical / Historical
The International Workers Order (IWO) was an insurance, mutual benefit and fraternal organization founded in 1930 and disbanded in 1954 as the result of legal action undertaken by the state of New York in 1951 on the grounds that the organization was too closely linked to the Communist Party. At its height in the years immediately following World War II, the IWO reached nearly 200,000 members and provided low-cost health and life insurance, medical and dental clinics, and supported foreign-language newspapers, cultural and educational activities. The organization also operated a summer camp and cemeteries for its members.
Extent
42.44 cubic feet
Quantity:
42.4 linear ft.
Forms of Material:
Records (documents) .
General
- Contact Information:
- Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives 227 Ives Hall Tower Road Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-3183 kheelref@cornell.edu https://catherwood.library.cornell.edu/kheel/
- Compiled by:
- Kheel Staff, August 30, 1986
- EAD encoding:
- Elizabeth Parker, March 10, 2022
Processing Information
The Liquidation Bureau of the State of New York Insurance Department transferred International Workers' Order (IWO) records to Cornell University in 1961. Records documenting the Jewish Peoples Fraternal Order of the IWO were donated by the Saltzman Schwartz family to the Cornell University Library in 1984.
- American Committee for Yugoslav Relief
- American Committee of Jewish Writers, Artists and Scientists
- American Jewish Assembly
- American Jewish Congress
- American Jewish Labor Council
- B'nai B'rith
- Communism -- United States
- Distributive, Processing, and Office Workers of America
- German-American Committee on Spanish Relief
- Hebrew Sheltering of Immigrant Aid Society of America
- Hellenic American Society
- Illinois. Department of Insurance
- International Union, United Automobile, Aircraft, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America
- International Workers Order
- National Conference of Christians and Jews
- National Urban League
- New York (State). Insurance Department
- New York (State). Legislature. Joint Legislative Committee on Charitable and Philanthropic Agencies and Organizations
- Pennsylvania. Insurance Department
- Russian Mutual Aid Society
- Socialism -- United States
- United Office and Professional Workers of America
- Yiddish Cooperative Book League
- Title
- International Workers Order (IWO) Records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Compiled by Kheel Staff
- Date
- March 10, 2022
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Revision Statements
- 02/23/2024: This resource was modified by the ArchivesSpace Preprocessor developed by the Harvard Library (https://github.com/harvard-library/archivesspace-preprocessor)
Repository Details
Part of the Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives Repository