Douglas, Helen Gahagan, 1900-1980
Person
Biographical:
Helen Gahagan Douglas (1900-1980) began her professional career on the Broadway stage and was deemed a "star" at age twenty-two. By the 1930s, she left the Northeast and moved to California with her husband, Hollywood actor Melvyn Douglas. Although she made only one movie herself--the science fiction film, She--she soon found herself immersed in politics. She worked with the Farm Security Administration and later was elected Democratic National Committeewoman from California. In 1944, she was elected as the representative of California's Fourteenth District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was successfully reelected to this position in 1946 and 1948. A tireless New Deal Democrat, Douglas was a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and served as an alternate delegate to the General Assembly of the United Nations. In 1950, she opposed Richard M. Nixon in the general election for the U.S. Senate. The campaign was especially brutal with the Republicans quite "liberal" in their charges that Douglas was a communist. Nixon easily won the election. Though Douglas never entered the political fray again, she remained a tireless public speaker and activist.
Found in 6 Collections and/or Records:
Request for Copy of Report on African American Contribution in World War II, 1946-01-01 - 1946-12-31
Item — Box: 22, Folder: 9
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0096
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
Support for H.R. 6143: Incorporating the American Veterans of World War II, 1946-01-01 - 1946-12-31
Item — Box: 13, Folder: 18
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.1_13_18_0005
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
Thank You, Rep. Helen Gahagan Douglas: A Letter of Appreciation from the American Veterans Committee, 1946-01-24
Item — Box: 22, Folder: 9
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0012
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
The Call for History: Recognizing the Contributions of Negro Soldiers in World War II, 1946-01-28
Item — Box: 22, Folder: 9
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0024
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
The Negros' Park in World War II: Request for Copies, 1946-01-28
Item — Box: 22, Folder: 9
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0040
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
The Untold History: Negro Servicemen in World War II, 1946-01-01 - 1946-12-31
Item — Box: 22, Folder: 9
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0029
Overview
79th (1945-1947)