Powers Hapgood
Encyclopedia
Powers Hapgood was an American Trade Union
Organizer and Socialist Party
leader known for his involvement with the United Mine Workers
in the 1920s.
canner in Indianapolis
, and his wife, the former Eleanor Page. Hapgood graduated from Phillips Academy
in Andover, Massachusetts
in 1917 and enrolled in Harvard University
, from which he earned his Bachelor's Degree
in 1921.
Even prior to graduation, Hapgood had spent time experiencing the life of the working class first hand. During the fall and early winter of 1920 he spent nearly 4 months working his way across the western United States. Hapgood worked as a miner at Hibbing, Minnesota
, on the Northern Pacific Railroad, and in a Montana
sugar beet
factory. Upon graduation, Hapgood decided to dedicate his life to mobilizing the working-class.
Hapgood went to work as an organizer for the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in 1922. Hapgood was instrumental in organizing non-union coal mines in Somerset County, Pennsylvania
during the Somerset Coal Strike of 1922-23, especially mines at Jerome
, Boswell
and Gray. Hapgood later aided Brophy in his challenge to John L. Lewis
for the leadership of the UMWA, a failed attempt which ultimately led to the ouster of both Hapgood and Brophy from the Union.
Following his ouster, Hapgood subsequently went abroad and worked himself as a miner in South Wales
, France
, Germany
, and Soviet Russia
. He finally returned to Pennsylvania again and became active in the UMWA. Hapgood was elected to the August 1927 annual convention of the UMWA as a delegate of the union's local from Cresson, Pennsylvania
. Hapgood's presence at the scene of the convention was greeted by the UMWA officialdom with physical force, in which a false telephone message lured Hapgood into a hotel room where he was met by three toughs. A brawl ensued, which was interrupted by the hotel manager, who called the police.
Hapgood refused to be bullied into retreating from the UMWA convention, but with union leader Lewis firmly ensconced in his position of power by that gathering, in the aftermath Hapgood decided to depart the Pennsylvania mine fields. Instead, Hapgood went to work as a longshoreman to support himself. In his free time, Hapgood spoke on behalf of the Sacco-Vanzetti Defense Committee in an effort to rally support in defense of two Italian-American anarchists accused of murder committed in the act of robbing a New England
shoe factory.
On December 28, 1927, Hapgood married Mary Donovan (d. Aug. 1973), the Secretary of the Sacco-Vanzetti Defense Committee. The couple had a daughter, Barta Donovan, in 1929 and adopted a son in 1930.
in 1926.
In 1928 he campaigned for his wife in her race for Governor of Massachusetts
, heading the state Socialist Party ticket.
Hapgood ran for Governor of Indiana
on the Socialist Party ticket in 1932, losing to Paul V. McNutt
.
In the early 1930s, Hapgood was an organizer for the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union.
Hapgood was the New England
secretary fro the Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO) during the middle 1930s, a position which landed him in jail for two months in 1937 for contempt of court
for his role in continuing a strike of shoe-workers in Lewiston
and Auburn
in the wake of an injunction
forbidding strike activity. Hapgood worked as an organizer for the CIO throughout the rest of the 1930s. From 1941 to 1947, Hapgood was named the CIO's regional director for Indiana. In 1948 he became an assistant to Allen Haywood, a vice president of the CIO and head of its national organization efforts.
in 1949.
German
-American
author
Kurt Vonnegut
pays homage to Hapgood in his novel
Jailbird
.
Powers Hapgood's papers are housed at the Lilly Library
at the University of Indiana in Bloomington
.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
Organizer and Socialist Party
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
leader known for his involvement with the United Mine Workers
United Mine Workers
The United Mine Workers of America is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners and coal technicians. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the United States and Canada...
in the 1920s.
Early years
Powers Hapgood was born December 28, 1899, the son of William Powers Hapgood, a ProgressiveProgressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
canner in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, and his wife, the former Eleanor Page. Hapgood graduated from Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
in Andover, Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
in 1917 and enrolled in Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, from which he earned his Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1921.
Even prior to graduation, Hapgood had spent time experiencing the life of the working class first hand. During the fall and early winter of 1920 he spent nearly 4 months working his way across the western United States. Hapgood worked as a miner at Hibbing, Minnesota
Hibbing, Minnesota
Hibbing is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 16,361 at the 2010 census. The city was built on the rich iron ore of the Mesabi Iron Range. At the edge of town is the largest open-pit iron mine in the world. U.S...
, on the Northern Pacific Railroad, and in a Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
factory. Upon graduation, Hapgood decided to dedicate his life to mobilizing the working-class.
Hapgood went to work as an organizer for the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in 1922. Hapgood was instrumental in organizing non-union coal mines in Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Somerset County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 77,742. Somerset County was created on April 17, 1795, from part of Bedford County and named for Somerset, United Kingdom. Its county seat is Somerset. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania,...
during the Somerset Coal Strike of 1922-23, especially mines at Jerome
Jerome, Pennsylvania
Jerome is a census-designated place in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,068 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Boswell
Boswell, Pennsylvania
Boswell is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,364 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
and Gray. Hapgood later aided Brophy in his challenge to John L. Lewis
John L. Lewis
John Llewellyn Lewis was an American leader of organized labor who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1920 to 1960...
for the leadership of the UMWA, a failed attempt which ultimately led to the ouster of both Hapgood and Brophy from the Union.
Following his ouster, Hapgood subsequently went abroad and worked himself as a miner in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and Soviet Russia
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
. He finally returned to Pennsylvania again and became active in the UMWA. Hapgood was elected to the August 1927 annual convention of the UMWA as a delegate of the union's local from Cresson, Pennsylvania
Cresson, Pennsylvania
Cresson is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh. Cresson is an elevated place known for its beauty. Mineral springs add to its attractions. It is above 2,000 feet in elevation. Lumber, coal, and coke yards were industries that had supported the population which numbered...
. Hapgood's presence at the scene of the convention was greeted by the UMWA officialdom with physical force, in which a false telephone message lured Hapgood into a hotel room where he was met by three toughs. A brawl ensued, which was interrupted by the hotel manager, who called the police.
Hapgood refused to be bullied into retreating from the UMWA convention, but with union leader Lewis firmly ensconced in his position of power by that gathering, in the aftermath Hapgood decided to depart the Pennsylvania mine fields. Instead, Hapgood went to work as a longshoreman to support himself. In his free time, Hapgood spoke on behalf of the Sacco-Vanzetti Defense Committee in an effort to rally support in defense of two Italian-American anarchists accused of murder committed in the act of robbing a New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
shoe factory.
On December 28, 1927, Hapgood married Mary Donovan (d. Aug. 1973), the Secretary of the Sacco-Vanzetti Defense Committee. The couple had a daughter, Barta Donovan, in 1929 and adopted a son in 1930.
Political career
Powers Hapgood joined the Socialist Party of AmericaSocialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
in 1926.
In 1928 he campaigned for his wife in her race for Governor of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
, heading the state Socialist Party ticket.
Hapgood ran for Governor of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
on the Socialist Party ticket in 1932, losing to Paul V. McNutt
Paul V. McNutt
Paul Vories McNutt was an American politician who served as the 34th Governor of Indiana during the Great Depression, high commissioner to the Philippines, administrator of the Federal Security Agency, chairman of the War Manpower Commission and ambassador to the Philippines.-Family and...
.
In the early 1930s, Hapgood was an organizer for the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union.
Hapgood was the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
secretary fro the Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO) during the middle 1930s, a position which landed him in jail for two months in 1937 for contempt of court
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
for his role in continuing a strike of shoe-workers in Lewiston
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
and Auburn
Auburn, Maine
Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan...
in the wake of an injunction
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
forbidding strike activity. Hapgood worked as an organizer for the CIO throughout the rest of the 1930s. From 1941 to 1947, Hapgood was named the CIO's regional director for Indiana. In 1948 he became an assistant to Allen Haywood, a vice president of the CIO and head of its national organization efforts.
Death and legacy
Powers Hapgood died February 4, 1949. Robert Bussel, in his biography of Hapgood, wrote that Hapgood died from a heart attack while driving his car on Feb. 4, 1949. A different source provided that Hapgood died of liver disease in IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
in 1949.
German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
pays homage to Hapgood in his novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Jailbird
Jailbird
Jailbird is a novel by Kurt Vonnegut, originally published in 1979. Its plot concerns a man recently released from a low security prison after having served time for a minor role in the Watergate scandal. The novel uses a standard memoir format, revealing Walter F...
.
Powers Hapgood's papers are housed at the Lilly Library
Lilly Library
The Lilly Library, located on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, is a large rare book and manuscript library in the United States.-History:...
at the University of Indiana in Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
.
Books and pamphlets
- In Non-Union Mines: The Diary of a Coal Digger in Central Pennsylvania, August-September, 1921. New York: Bureau of Industrial Research, 1922.
- Radio Address on "A crisis with Coal Miners." Taylorville, IL: Daily Courier Co., 1930.
- Private Ownership of Coal Mines Brings Chaos, Tyranny and Hunger. Pittsburgh: Socialist Party of Pennsylvania, 1932. — leaflet
- Slavery in the Coal Fields: What Shall We Do About It? Chicago: Socialist Party of America, n.d. [c. 1932].
- The Columbia Conserve Company, Indianapolis, Indiana: An Experiment in Workers' Management and Ownership. Indianapolis: Columbia Conserve Co., 1934.
- Report and Recommendations of Industry Committee Number 6 for the Establishment of Minimum Wage Rates in the Shoe Manufacturing and Allied Industries. Washington, DC: The Committee, 1939.
Articles
- "Workmen's Compensation — Discussion." Contributor. The American Economic Review, vol. 12, no. 1 (March 1922), pp. 153-167.
- "Hapgood Makes Hot Reply to John L. Lewis," The Daily Worker, vol. 3, no. 245 (October 29, 1926), pp. 1, 5.