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:
Urgent Request for Passport: Washington D.C., 1946-01-01 - 1947-12-31
Item — Box: 23, Folder: 1
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0008
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
UT Knoxville inviting Helen Gahagan Douglas to speak, seeking dates and honorarium.
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_8.12_9_24_0009
Western 1201: Class of Service Symbols, 1946-01-01 - 1946-12-31
Item — Box: 22, Folder: 9
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0077
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
Western 1201: Class of Service Symbols
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0077
Western Symbols Class of Service: Telegrams and Cablegrams, 1946-01-01 - 1947-12-31
Item — Box: 23, Folder: 1
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0013
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
William invites Helen and Melvyn to attend opening night at Billy Rose Theatre.
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_8.12_9_24_0013
Yale Liberal Party invites and praises Helen Gahagan Douglas's speech.
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_8.12_9_24_0014