Dubofsky, Melvyn, Audio-Visual Materials, 1971-1974
Collection Number: 6218 AV

4/18/1974. Run time 0:47:12. Recording begins mid-interview. Topics include Jacob Potofsky discussing his experiences with John L. Lewis in the 1930s and 1940s, the United Mine Workers, Lewis' FBI file, disagreements between Potofsky, Lewis, and Sidney Hillman, experiences with Lewis' family, W. Jett Lauck, Philip Murray, the suggestion that Lewis would resign as president of the CIO if Roosevelt was elected, the United Mine Workers breaking their affiliation with the CIO, Lewis' involvement with communists, Lewis' relationship with Jewish people. Recording ends mid-sentence.

6/4/1974. Run time 0:55:06. Recording begins mid-interview. Topics include A. H. Raskin discussing John L. Lewis in the 1940s, how they first met, changing impressions of Lewis over time, Lewis' health and career, impressions of Lewis' family, Daniel Tobin, David Dubinsky's statements about the AFL and CIO merging, Lewis' political commitments during and after WWII, anti-trust questions, his involvement with Eaton, President Truman's foreign policies, Lewis' offer to run for Vice President, Lewis in comparison to other labor leaders, his relationship with employees, his connections with coal companies, Lewis' ego and power, and how Lewis ran the CIO. Recording ends mid-sentence.

4/7-8/1971. Run time 1:03:18. Recording begins mid-interview. Topics include Leonard DeCaux discussing his approach to books on labor history and why he wrote them the way he did including the book "Labor Radical: From the Wobblies to CIO, a personal history", Dubofsky's views on labor history, errors the 'left' made during the CIO period, DeCaux's generous attitude toward Hillman and Murray, thoughts on the communist movement, Lewis' efforts to control the union and how it changed over time, Lewis as a man without philosophy class distinctions, policy making by the AFL-CIO, discovering labor leaders that had Communist ties and the conflict about how to report it, the 'players' in building the CIO and their connections, the influence of the Cold War on the labor movement, the CIO's communist purge, Lewis and the labor movement during the 1930's, Roosevelt, the New Deal, and W. Jett Lauck's influence on Lewis.

9/21/1972. Run time 0:46:45. Recording begins mid-interview. Topics include David Dubinsky discussing his first meeting with John L. Lewis, his resignation from the Executive Council, Dubinsky's efforts toward peace and reunification, his involvement with the CIO and the AFL, analysis of why Lewis rejected the agreement in 1937, Dubinsky's relationship with Lewis and with President Roosevelt, Lewis' political beliefs, his relationships with Jews, social events with Lewis or his family, Dubinsky compares Lewis with other labor leaders, Lewis' relationship with communists.

No date. Run time 0:21:17. Topics include Melvyn Dubofsky analyzing his interviews and recording verbal notes.