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 Legacy of St. Louis: A Reflection on History and Progress, 1946-04-05
Item — Box: 23, Folder: 1
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0036
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
The Major Issues in the Senatorial Contest: A Conversation with Mrs. Douglas, 1950-01-01 - 1950-01-01
Item — Box: 173, Folder: 7
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_5_173_7_0006
Overview
81st (1949-1951)
The Mysterious Letter from June 1946
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0069
The Mysterious Letter from June 1946, 1946-01-01 - 1947-12-31
Item — Box: 23, Folder: 1
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0069
Overview
79th (1945-1947)
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
The Negro in World War II: A Pictorial History
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0054
The Negro Soldier: A Contribution to Negro History Week
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_22_9_0036
The Negro Soldier: A Historical Document
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0035
The Negro Soldier: A Letter from Helen Gahagan Douglas
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0066
The Negro Soldier: A Note of Thanks
Digital item
Identifier: CAC_CC_014_2.2_23_1_0063