UAW Vice President's Office: Richard T. Gosser Records
Collection
Identifier: LR000258
Scope and Content
Some of the important subjects covered here are:
International Executive Board
Conventions and conferences
Regions of the UAW-CIO
Local Union business
Competitive Shops
Skilled Trades
Apprenticeships
Journeyman cards
Organizing Plants
Grievances
Union individuals
Agricultural Implement Dept.
Aircraft Department
Audit reports
Auto-Lite Department
Bendix Department
Borg-Warner Department
Chrysler Department
Dana Department
Die-Casting Department
Doehler-Jarvis Department
Education
Fair Practices
Ford Department
Foundry Department
General Motors Dept.
International Harvester Dept.
Kaiser-Fraser Dept.
Legal Department
Office Workers Dept.
Political Action
Publicity
Recreation Research
Social Security Dept.
Timken Department
Unemployment Compensation
Veterans
Women's Department
Wage and Hour Division
Wage Stabilization Board cases
Among the correspondents included are most of the union officers and International Representatives, and some others. Walter P. Reuther J.W. Livingston Emil Mazey Pat Greathouse Philip Murray Homer B. Moore A.J. Stromar Charles Kerrigan Brendan Sexton Norman Matthews Joseph McCusker Robert A. Carter Leonard Woodcock William T. Oliver Ernest Hebert Martin Gerber E.S. Russey A.R. Granakis Edgar Kaiser Thomas Burke Victor Riesel Raymond Berndt Harold Cranefield
Correspondence and other official files of Mr. Gosser during most of his years as vice-president of the UAW (1947-64). UAW Executive Board meetings, union regional business, competitive shops problems, apprentice- ships, skilled trades, and the various large industrial departments are discussed. Correspondents include most well-known union leaders.
Series 1: IEB Meetings, 1950-1954, Series 2: Conventions and Conferences, 1942-1954 Series 3: Regions, 1953-1957, Series 4: Local Unions, 1948-1956, Series 5: Competitive Shops, 1952-1956, Series 6: Skilled Trades, 1949-1955, Series 7: Skilled Trades Request, Reports and Itineraries, 1954-1957, Series 8: Apprenticeships and Journeyman Cards, 1953-1956, Series 9: Organization and Elections, 1949-1956, Series 10: Departments, 1949-1957 Series 11: General Files, 1949-1957, Series 12: Reading Files, 1953-1954
Among the correspondents included are most of the union officers and International Representatives, and some others. Walter P. Reuther J.W. Livingston Emil Mazey Pat Greathouse Philip Murray Homer B. Moore A.J. Stromar Charles Kerrigan Brendan Sexton Norman Matthews Joseph McCusker Robert A. Carter Leonard Woodcock William T. Oliver Ernest Hebert Martin Gerber E.S. Russey A.R. Granakis Edgar Kaiser Thomas Burke Victor Riesel Raymond Berndt Harold Cranefield
Correspondence and other official files of Mr. Gosser during most of his years as vice-president of the UAW (1947-64). UAW Executive Board meetings, union regional business, competitive shops problems, apprentice- ships, skilled trades, and the various large industrial departments are discussed. Correspondents include most well-known union leaders.
Series 1: IEB Meetings, 1950-1954, Series 2: Conventions and Conferences, 1942-1954 Series 3: Regions, 1953-1957, Series 4: Local Unions, 1948-1956, Series 5: Competitive Shops, 1952-1956, Series 6: Skilled Trades, 1949-1955, Series 7: Skilled Trades Request, Reports and Itineraries, 1954-1957, Series 8: Apprenticeships and Journeyman Cards, 1953-1956, Series 9: Organization and Elections, 1949-1956, Series 10: Departments, 1949-1957 Series 11: General Files, 1949-1957, Series 12: Reading Files, 1953-1954
Dates
- 1942 - 1957
- Majority of material found within 1953 - 1957
Language of Materials
Material entirely in English.
Access
Collection is open for research.
Use
Refer to the Walter P. Reuther Library
Rules for Use of Archival Materials.
History
Richard T. Gosser spent 23 years as an active, innovative union member. Born in Toledo, Ohio on
December 13, 1900, he was educated in Toledo schools and completed an apprenticeship as an electrician. After various employment, he worked at the Willys-Overland plant in Toledo.
In 19 34 an AFL union was organized in this plant, and Gosser was a charter member. He was discharged for active union work, but the union won his re-employment. He was a department steward and in 1937 was elected shop chairman of the Willys-Overland unit, Local 12, of the Auto Workers. In two more years he became president of Local 12, which under his leadership grew to be the largest local union in Ohio. His concern and interest in this local never waned after his promotion to higher
duties.
Gosser was elected Regional Director and member of the UAW-CIO Executive Board, in 1942, and was reelected at each convention until in 1947, when he was elected vice-president of the UAW-CIO, which office he retained for ten years.
When in Toledo he conceived and set up the first union camp for children of union members, at Sand Lake, Michigan. He also encouraged a diagnostic clinic, and participated in many forward-looking social ventures for the union. He pioneered the area Pension Plan, and wrote various pamphlets on unemployment insurance, political action, and old age.
For some time he wrote a column in the Toledo Union Journal. His responsibilities as vice-president included the Competitive Shops Department, the Skilled Trades department, Die-Casting and Foundry, as well as many huge industrial departments which are included in Series 10 of these papers. He was a skilled and forceful negotiator and the prominent part he played in these and other union
activities was highlighted by his practical, earthy union know-how as well as his long years
of union experience at all levels.
Extent
24 Linear Feet (48 MB)
Abstract
Richard T. Gosser spent 23 years as an active, innovative union member. Born in Toledo, Ohio on
December 13, 1900, he was educated in Toledo schools and completed an apprenticeship as an
electrician. After various employment, he worked at the Willys-Overland plant in Toledo.
Gosser was elected Regional Director and member of the UAW-CIO Executive Board, in 1942, and was reelected at each convention until in 1947, when he was elected vice-president of the UAW-CIO, which office he retained for ten years.
His responsibilities as vice-president included the Competitive Shops Department, the Skilled Trades department, Die-Casting and Foundry, as well as many large industrial departments.
Gosser was elected Regional Director and member of the UAW-CIO Executive Board, in 1942, and was reelected at each convention until in 1947, when he was elected vice-president of the UAW-CIO, which office he retained for ten years.
His responsibilities as vice-president included the Competitive Shops Department, the Skilled Trades department, Die-Casting and Foundry, as well as many large industrial departments.
Arrangement
Arranged in 12 series – Series 1 (Boxes 1-2), Series 2 (Box 3), Series 3 (Boxes 4-7), Series 4 (Boxes 7-10), Series 5 (Boxes 11-12), Series 6 (Boxes 13-17), Series 7 (Boxes 18-22), Series 8 (Boxes 23-24), Series 9 (Box 25), Series 10 (Boxes 26-36), Series 11 (Boxes 37-46) and Series 12 (Boxes 47-48). Folders are arranged alphabetically.
Acquisition
The Gosser papers were received from the UAW in November, 1967.
Processing History
Processed and finding aid written by Walter P. Reuther Library in June 1968.
- Title
- Guide to the UAW Vice President's Office: Richard T. Gosser Records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Walter P. Reuther Library.
- Date
- 1968-06
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Walter P. Reuther Library Repository
Contact:
5401 Cass Avenue
Detroit MI 48202 USA
5401 Cass Avenue
Detroit MI 48202 USA