Merritt, Walter Gordon Papers, 1906-1953
Collection Number: 5344

Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
Walter Gordon Merritt Papers, 1906-1953
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
5344
Abstract:
Papers of attorney Walter Gordon Merritt documenting his legal work for management interests. Merritt's papers contain legal briefs and transcripts, arranged alphabetically by plaintiff name.
Creator:
Merritt, Walter Gordon
Quanitities:
1.5 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English

Biographical / Historical

Labor lawyer and author. Walter Gordon Merritt (1880-1968) was the son of a Danbury, Ct. hatshop owner. He graduated from Harvard and went to New York Law School, afterwards becoming a partner in the law firm of Windels, Merritt & Ingrahamat. Merritt had a successful career as a labor lawyer representing management; his most famous case was "Dietrich E. Lowe and Martin Fuchs vs. Martin Lawler, et al.," popularly known as the "Danbury Hatters Case." He also authored a number of articles on issues of labor relations. As might be expected, they are largely written from the management perspective.

Consist of documents relating to court cases in which Merritt represented management and reprints of articles written by Merritt. Include legal documents (briefs, transcripts, petitions, and decisions) relating to cases brought before the Superior Court of Fairfax County, the United States District Court (Connecticut), United States Circuit Courts of Appeals (Connecticut, Arkansas, and New York), the State Supreme Court of New York, and the Supreme Court of the United States. These cases include: "Dietrich E. Loewe and Martin Fuchs vs. Martin Lawler et al." ("Danbury Hatters Case") (1906-1908); "The Lundoff-Bucknell Company vs. Charles B. Smith" (1911); "D.E. Loewe vs. The Savings Bank of Danbury" (n.d); "The Auburn Draying Company vs. William Wardell" (1913); "Louis Boussert and John Boussert vs. Frederick Dhuy, etc. et al." (1911-1912); "Abro J. Newton Company vs. Henry Erickson, William O'Grady, Frederick Dhuy, Harry Lea, individually and as Business Agents of the Joint District Council, etc." (1912); "Charles H. Finley, Receivor of Coronado Coal Company vs. United Mine Workers of America" (1920-1925); "Duplex Printing Press Company vs. Emil Deering" (1917); and "Hat Corporation of America vs. United Hatters, Cap and Millinery Workers Union et al." (second Danbury Hatters case) (1953). Reprints of articles and pamphlets by Merritt include his reflections on the open and closed shop, industrial liberty, social control, industrial welfare, cooperation between management and labor, factory solidarity as opposed to class solidarity, and labor legislation (1912-1923).
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.

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Preferred Citation

Walter Gordon Merritt Papers #5344. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.

SUBJECTS

Names:
Deering, Emil
Erickson, Henry
Fuchs, Martin
Lawler, Martin
Lowe, Dietrich E.
Merritt, Walter Gordon
Smith, Charles B.
Abro J. Newton Company.
Coronado Coal Company
Duplex Printing Press Company
Hat Corporation of America
Lundoff-Bucknell Company
United Hat, Cap and Millinery Workers.
United Hatters, Cap and Millinery Workers' International Union
Subjects:
Danbury Hatters Case, 1910.
Labor-management cooperation. United States.

CONTAINER LIST
Container
Description
Date
Box 1
Consist of documents relating to court cases in which Merritt represented management and reprints of articles written by Merritt. Include legal documents (briefs, transcripts, petitions, and decisions) relating to cases brought before the Superior Court o
Box 1 Folder 1
Albro J. Newton Co. v. Henry Erickson
1912
Box 1 Folder 2
Auburn Draying Co. v. William Wardell
1913
Box 1 Folder 3
Duplex Printing Press v. Emil J. Deering
1917
Box 1 Folder 4
Finley v. United Mine Workers
1920-1925
Box 1 Folder 5
Hat Corporation of America v. United Hatters, Cap, and Millinery Workers International Union
1953
Box 1 Folder 6
Lawlor v. Loewe
Box 1 Folder 7
Lawlor v. Loewe transcript
1911
Scope and Contents
Volume 1
Box 1 Folder 8
Lawlor v. Loewe transcript
1911
Scope and Contents
Volume 2
Box 1 Folder 9
Lawlor v. Loewe transcript
1911
Scope and Contents
Volume 3
Box 1 Folder 10
Lawlor v. Loewe transcript
1911
Scope and Contents
Volume 4
Box 1 Folder 11
Lawlor v. Loewe transcript
1911
Scope and Contents
Volume 5
Box 2 Folder 1
Loewe v. Savings Bank of Danbury
1915
Box 2 Folder 2
Louis Bossert and Son v. Frederick Dhuy
1913
Box 2 Folder 3
Lundoff-Bicknell Co. v. Charles Smith
1911
Box 2 Folder 4
Wilson and Adams Co. v. Patrick D. Pearce
Box 2 Folder 5
Pamphlets
Scope and Contents
Includes: Loewe Case or Danbury Hatters' Case, The Closed Shop, Domestic Free Trade and Organized Labor, Factory Solidarity or Class Solidarity, The Open Shop and Industrial Liberty, The Four C's of Industry, Social Control of Industrial Warfare, Labor Le