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 560 Collections and/or Records:
The Importance of Water and Power in California's Future, 1949-04-23
Item — Box: 171, Folder: 3
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_5_171_3_0040
The Importance of Women in Public Life: A Discussion by Honorable Helen Gahagan Douglas, 1950-02-20
Item — Box: 172, Folder: 9
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_5_172_9_0032
Overview
81st (1949-1951)
The Importance of Women in Public Life: A Discussion by Honorable Helen Gahagan Douglas, 1950-02-20
Item — Box: 171, Folder: 3
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_5_171_3_0012
The Importance of Women's Responsibilities in The 1944 Election: A Speech By Helen Gahagan Douglas
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_5_151_1_0016
The Importance of Women's Votes in the 1944 Election, 1944-10-29
Item — Box: 4, Folder: 37
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_8.10_4_37_0007
Overview
78th (1943-1945)
The Indispensable Philosophy: Address by Mrs. Helen Gahagan Douglas, 1944-10-18
Item — Box: 171, Folder: 3
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_5_171_3_0023
The Integration of Lockbourne Army Air Base: A Controversial History, 1946-01-01 - 1946-12-31
Item — Box: 22, Folder: 9
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0006
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
The Integration of Lockbourne Army Air Base: A Controversial History
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0006
The Legacy of John P. Altgeld: A Forgotten Hero of Justice, 1944-05-01
Item — Box: 4, Folder: 37
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_8.10_4_37_0004
Overview
78th (1943-1945)
The Legacy of St. Louis: A Reflection on History and Progress
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0036