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 7 Collections and/or Records:
Contribution for Negro History Week
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0059
Dr. Taylor urges President Nixon to uphold water distribution laws.
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_8.12_9_53_0012
Empowering the World: Northwestern College's Commitment to Training Skilled Individuals
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0065
Letter of Appreciation for Recognition of the Valor of the Negro Soldier in WWII
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0032
Request for Copy of Recent Speech on the Negro Issue
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0081
Request for Information on American Negro Servicemen in WWII
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0038
The National Advisory Committee on Farm Labor promotes farm labor welfare through research and activities.
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_8.12_9_53_0001