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 401 Collections and/or Records:
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
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 Challenge of THE NEGRO SOLDIER: A Call to Action
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0026
The Challenge of THE NEGRO SOLDIER: A Call to Action, 1946-03-11
Item — Box: 23, Folder: 1
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0026
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
The Church With a Warm Welcome: A Letter of Appreciation
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0014
The Contribution of Negroes in World War II: A Navy Perspective
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0084
The Contribution of the Negro Soldier: An Introductory Statement by Helen Gahagan Douglas
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0043
The Correspondence of Ernest Kirschten with Helen Gahagan Douglas
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0046
The Correspondence of Ernest Kirschten with Helen Gahagan Douglas, 1946-02-06
Item — Box: 22, Folder: 9
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0046
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
The Debate Over Identity: A Letter Exchange
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0016