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 267 Collections and/or Records:
Supporting Equality and Justice: A Letter to Congresswoman Douglas, 1946-01-01 - 1946-12-31
Item — Box: 22, Folder: 9
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0009
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
Supporting Equality and Justice: A Letter to Congresswoman Douglas
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0009
Supporting H. R. 6143: A Letter from Helen Gahagan Douglas
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.1_13_18_0003
Supporting Veterans: A Call for HR 6340
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.1_13_18_0002
Teacher seeks guest speakers, including Mrs. Douglas, for political course.
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_8.12_9_24_0023
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)
Thank You, Rep. Helen Gahagan Douglas: A Letter of Appreciation from the American Veterans Committee
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0012
Thank You Tribute to Congresswoman Helen Gahagan Douglas
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0026
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 Call for History: Recognizing the Contributions of Negro Soldiers in World War II
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0024