Gardner Jackson Papers, 1912-1965 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Title: Gardner Jackson Papers, 1912-1965

Primary Creator: Jackson, Gardner (1896-1965)

Extent: 40.55 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: The papers are arranged in seven series: General Correspondence and Subject Files; Robert Marshall Foundation and Civil Liberties Trust; Sacco-Vanzetti Files; Financial Correspondence; Speech and Article File; Biographical Materials; and Newsclipping and Pamphlet Files.

Gardner Jackson was involved in various causes and organizations. He took leave from the Boston Globe in 1922 to work against the dismissal of President Alexander Meiklejohn of Amherst College. In 1930, he intervened on behalf of 20 scrubwomen, who had been dismissed by Harvard University in 1929. In the early 1930's, he was also involved in the cases of Tom Moony and Ray Ovid Hall. See the Sacco-Vanzetti files for material on these cases.

Jackson was fired from the Agricultural Adjustment Administration in 1935 along with Jerome Frank, Lee Pressman, and Francis Shea because of disagreements within the AAA over milk marketing policy and the treatment of sharecroppers in the cotton states. He tried to improve the living conditions of sharecroppers and other farm workers through the National Committee on Rural Social Planning and the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. He organized the Washington Committee to Aid Agricultural Workers in 1936, worked for a Congressional investigation of civil liberties infractions which led to the establishment of the Lafollette Committee in 1936, and was chairman of the Council for Pan American Democracy from 1938 to 1940. In the summer of 1935, Jackson traveled around Europe talking to landworker organization leaders.

After leaving the government, Jackson joined "The Research Associates," a scientific research and consultation organization headed by Frederick Cottrell. He was also associated with the Washington Committee to Aid Republican Spain. From 1938 to 1940, he tried to persuade the House of Representatives to abolish the Dies Committee. For material on the Dies Committee, see American Committee for Democracy and Intellectual Freedom, Christian Front, Walton Cole, Consumers, Gordon Dean, Julius Emspak, Morris Ernst, Dashiel Hammett, Frank Hook, Edward Lamb, John L. Lewis, Dorothy McAllister, Michael Musmanno, Michael Straus, Edgar Turlingto, James Wechsler, Harold Weisberg, and Muriel Williams in the General Correspondence file.

Jackson served as Special Assistant to Secretary of Agriculture Claude Wickard and Under Secretary Paul Appleby in 1941 and 1942. His principal assignment was with the Farm Security Administration.

In the fall of 1944, Jackson was attacked in New York by Jack Lawrenson, National Maritime Union vice-president, because of articles he had written for PM about Harry Bridges' future with the CIO. As a result of the attack, Jackson lost the sight of his left eye.

In September 1946, Jackson attended the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization meeting in Copenhagen and then went to France to study agricultural conditions there. In 1948 and 1949, he served as special assistant to Welch Grape Juice Company President, J. M. Kaplan.

During the 1950's, Jackson was interested in Bolivian affairs. He and James B. Carey, Secretary-Treasurer of the CIO and President of the International Union of Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers, examined the problem of communist-dominated unions in defense plants. He was associated with the American Federation of Physically Handicapped; worked for the interests of the National Congress of American Indians; and supported the Friends of Good Music in their efforts to get full-time good music broadcasting on radio station WGMS in Washington, D.C. He tried to raise funds for his projects through his involvement with the U.S. Pallett Corporation. In addition, he labored for passage of area redevelopment legislation and worked on Indian problems as an official representative of the CIO Committee to Abolish Discrimination.

Jackson was dismissed from the AFL-CIO in 1958 largely because of his vigorous campaigning to improve working conditions, particularly for agricultural workers. He continued to work for migrant labor through his associations with such groups as the National Farm Labor Union, National Farm Labor Advisory Committee, and the National Sharecroppers Fund. Correspondents on agricultural problems include H. L. Mitchell, President of the National Agricultural Workers Union; Ernesto Galarza, vice-president and research director of NAWU; and Fay Bennett of the National Sharecroppers Fund.

GARDNER JACKSON                      HISTORY

1896 Born, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

1914-17 Attended Amherst College.

1918 Discharged from United States Army.

1919 Attended Columbia University.

1919-20 With investment firm of Boetcher, Porter and Co., Denver.

1920 Reporter with Denver Times.

1920-26 Editorial writer and reporter, Boston Globe.

1926-30 Publicizer of and strategy adviser for the Sacco-Vanzetti Defense and Memorial    Committees.

1926-30 Also attended some classes at Harvard University as a "Special Student."

1931-33 Washington, D. C. correspondent for Montreal Star, Toronto Star, and Toronto Telegram.

1933-35 Assistant Consumer's Counsel in the Agricultural Adjustment Administration.

1935-37 Associated with Research Associates.

1935-36 Volunteer executive secretary of National Committee on Rural Social Planning.

1936-40 With Labor's Non-Partisan League as legislative-liaison-political aide to CIO President John L. Lewis.

1941-42 Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary of Agriculture, USDA.

1942-44 Washington bureau of the newspaper PM.

1942-44 Helped organize the Food for Freedom Committee.

1945-48 Washington, D. C. Office of National Farmers Union (re: matter affecting Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.)

1948-49 Special Assistant to J. M. Kaplan, President of Welch Grape Juice Company.

1951-58 Congress of Industrial Organizations (hired by Phil Murray in free-lance, legislative, liaison role) and kept on by AFL-CIO in organizing department after merger.

1958-60 Worked on non-pay basis with National Farm Labor Union to revive public concern in migrant farm labor problem.

1960-61 Consultant on farm policy to Chicago Board of Trade.

1962 Consultant for International Development Services, Inc.

1965 Died April 17.

Repository: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Access Restrictions: None

Use Restrictions:

Mrs. Jackson retains copyright interests in the papers for her lifetime. After her death, interests in the papers will be donated to the United States Government.  Mrs. Jackson is deceased.

Material that might constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or libel of living persons has been closed.

Acquisition Method: The papers of Gardner Jackson, consultant, government official, labor aide, newspaper reporter, researcher, and writer, were donated to the Library by his wife, Dorothy S. Jackson in three separate groups which have been integrated.

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