New York State

AMERICAN YOUTH FOR DEMOCRACY

13 ASTOR PLACE, 5th FLOOR • NEW YORK 3, N. Y. • PHONE: GRAMERCY 7-1900

Acting Officers

Co-Chairmen:

DAVID LIVINGSTON
(U.S. Army)
WINIFRED NORMAN

Vice-Chairmen:

WARREN BROWN
Buffalo

SAM FALCONE
Schenectady

BARBARA MICHAEL
Intercollegiate Division

Executive Secretary:
LILLIAN ROSS

Organizational Director:
PHILIP SCHATZ

Activities Director:
MARGARET DELEHANTY

October 26, 1944

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Ave.
New York, 30, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Hughes:

This is just a follow-up letter to let you know that the Harlem groups of American Youth for Democracy are hoping that you will be able to attend our "Tribute to Negro Servicemen" on November 2nd as we stated in our letter of October 20th.

Please let us know immediately if we may expect you and if you would be willing to read one of your poems appropriate for the occasion.

Thank you very much for an immediate reply.

WN:M
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CLUB TITO
AMERICAN YOUTH FOR DEMOCRACY

862 E. Tremont Avenue
BRONX 60 NEW YORK

January 4, 1945

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Ave.
New York, N.Y.

Dear Sir,

We are very grateful for your kindness in consenting
to address our club. We consider ourselves so fortunate
on this occasion that we are writing to confirm the
details of your speaking engagement with us in order that
nothing goes awry and deprives us of this truly signal
honor.

Your engagement with us, as confirmed by Mr. Leon
Wofsy, is scheduled for Friday evening, January 5. We
are located in the East Bronx, near the corner of Tremont
Avenue and Southern Boulevard. We should like for you to
travel to our headquarters by cab at our expense. However,
should you be unable to get a cab willing to travel to the
Bronx, as is sometimes the case, the nearest subway station
to us is 177th Street on the IRT Bronx Park line.

We shall appreciate it if you arrive at the club by
9:00 P.M. We are quite sure that we'll have a capacity
audience awaiting you, sir, and they will, no doubt be
very impatient to get on with a meeting they've been
anticipating for some time.

Clair Steigman
2622 Avenue J
Brooklyn, N.Y. 10009

MADISON SQUARE
ST.
39TH
UNITED STATES POSTAGE

January 11, 1945

Dear Carl Ross:

I had the pleasure of speaking at one of
the AYD Youth Clubs in the Bronx the other day and enjoyed
very much the enthusiastic group of youngsters there.

I certainly agree with the paragraph in
your statement regarding the post-war military training to
the effect that such training must be

"free of every vestige of undemocratic race
superiority theories and practices."

Organizations like the AYD will certainly be of great help
in bringing this real democratic American ideal into being.

My very best wishes to you for a happy
and successful New Year.

Mr. Carl Ross
AMERICAN YOUTH FOR DEMOCRACY
13 Astor Place
New York 3, New York

New York State

AMERICAN YOUTH FOR DEMOCRACY

March 16, 1945

OFFICERS:
Co-Chairmen:
DAVID LIVINGSTON
(U.S. Army)
WINIFRED NORMAN

Treasurer:
TERRY GRABEL

Intercollegiate Director:
HELEN KAMEN

Teen Age Director:
NETTIE SELLING

Young Adult Director:
LEON WOFSY

Sweethearts of Service
Director:
IRENE WHEELER

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Ave.
New York City

Dear Mr. Hughes:

We are writing to enlist your help in a project which we feel
merits your interest.

Our organization is made up of 4000 teen-age young people in
New York City of all races and religions. We, like our parents,
and our brothers in the armed forces, are most concerned with help-
ing our country build a strong international organization which will
prevent another war from happening. We wish also to work together
to build a real brotherhood among all races and religions in our
city. Educating ourselves and other young people to think will pro-
vide the strongest foundation for our country's future.

We are, therefore, conducting as part of our educational pro-
gram on international youth fellowship a competition among our
members for the best original essay and poem on the theme, "Tomorrow,
Youth's World." Because of your contribution to our culture
as a writer and your service to our country and our future, we are
requesting your help in serving as one of the judges who will make
the awards in the contest.

We have asked that all material be in by April 10. We expect
that about 100 contributions will be made from which we will screen
the five best for your selection of the winning one. We are hoping
to have the prize contributions presented at our Teen Age Convention
on April 27 and April 28 at the Washington Irving High School.

This Convention will occur when the San Francisco Conference is
in session and will be the place where our members discuss the main
problems confronting our country and how young people can back up
the proposals for world organization in the coming year. Some 700
Teen Age delegates and visitors from youth organizations will parti-
cipate.

We know that our members would be inspired by your help and
hope that we can look forward to your cooperation.

ns:j
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209

150 NASSAU STREET, ROOM 417 • NEW YORK 7, N. Y. • PHONE: WORTH 2-6458

Executive Secretary:
LILLIAN GATES

Treasurer:
TERRY GRABEL

Intercollegiate Director:
LEON WOFSY

Young Adult Director:
IRVING COHEN

Sweethearts of Servicemen
Director:
IRENE WHEELER

Sponsors:

DR. THOMAS ADDIS
HENRY ARMSTRONG
MARY McLEOD BETHUNE
DR CHARLOTTE HAWKINS BROWN
HON. JOHN M. COFFEE
BARTLEY CRUM
FRANK MARSHALL DAVIS
DANIEL DEL CARLO
HOWARD FAST
FREDERICK V. FIELD
JESSE FLETCHER
RUDOLPH GANZ
MORTON GOULD
DR. A. EUSTACE HAYDON
DONALD HENDERSON
JUDGE WILLIAM H. HOLLY
LANGSTON HUGHES
G. F. IRVINE
JOSEPH JAMES
ALBERT E. KAHN
JOHN HOWARD LAWSON
REV. EDGAR LOWTHER
REV. HAROLD P. MARLEY
PROF. KIRTLEY MATHER
PROF. F. O. MATTHIESSEN
LEWIS MERRILL
REV. A. CLAYTON POWELL
MINERVA PIOUS
WM. JAY SCHIEFFELIN
CHARLES S. SEELY, Lt. Comdr.
DR. GUY EMERY SHIPLER
DR. MAUD SLYE
FERDINAND SMITH
REV. WILLIAM B. SPOFFORD
PROF. DIRK J. STRUIK
ROBERT THOMPSON
TEDDY WILSON
JOSEPHINE TIMMS
DR. MARY E. WOOLLEY

November 5, 1945

Dear Mr. Hughes

The New York state American Youth for Democracy is conducting its Annual Convention December 14, 15 and 16 at the Hotel Diplomat.

I regard this convention as of major importance to the entire labor and progressive movement in our city and state. I am sure you will be happy to join me in signing an appeal for greetings and support to the AYD Convention. A draft copy of the proposed appeal is enclosed herewith.

The appeal will be used to get greetings from individuals and community and trade union groups. Your support will be warmly appreciated by the young people who are determined to build an effective progressive youth organization.

Please address your replies to Leon Wofsy, Convention Chairman, New York State American Youth for Democracy, 150 Nassau St. (Phone - Worth 2-6458).

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209

Treasurer:
TERRY GRABEL

Sweathearts of Servicemen
Director:
IRENE WHEELER

Sponsors:

DR. THOMAS ADDIS
HENRY ARMSTRONG
MARY McLEOD BETHUNE
DR. CHARLOTTE HAWKINS BROWN
HON. JOHN M. COFFEE
BARTLEY CRUM
FRANK MARSHALL DAVIS
DANIEL DEL CARLO
HOWARD FAST
FREDERICK V. FIELD
JESSE FLETCHER
RUDOLPH GANZ
MORTON GOULD
DR. A. EUSTACE HAYDON
DONALD HENDERSON
JUDGE WILLIAM H. HOLLY
LANGSTON HUGHES
G. F. IRVINE
JOSEPH JAMES
ALBERT E. KAHN
JOHN HOWARD LAWSON
REV. EDGAR LOWTHER
REV. HAROLD P. MARLEY
PROF. KIRTLEY MATHER
PROF. F. O. MATTHIESSEN
LEWIS MERRILL
REV. A. CLAYTON POWELL
MINERVA PIOUS
WM. JAY SCHIEFFELIN
CHARLES S. SEELY, Lt. Comdr.
DR. GUY EMERY SHIPLER
DR. MAUD SLYE
FERDINAND SMITH
REV. WILLIAM B. SPOFFORD
PROF. DIRK J. STRUIK
ROBERT THOMPSON
TEDDY WILSON
JOSEPHINE TIMMS
DR. MARY E. WOOLLEY

November 17th, 1945

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Avenue
New York City

Dear Mr. Hughes:

The New York State American Youth for Democracy is conducting its annual convention at the Hotel Diplomat, December 14th, 15th and 16th.

Approximately 500 delegates from New York State AYD clubs and fraternal delegates from unions and community organizations will attend the convention and initiate a program for the coming year. Special emphasis will be given to the fight for a democratic foreign policy, interracial and interfaith unity and a legislative program to be presented to the State Legislature.

The convention will be of major importance to the entire labor and progressive movement in the city and state. Our young people need a powerful instrument with which to combat the fascists who organize antisemitic hoodlumism and Jim Crow incitement in our schools, colleges, shops and communities. Our many returning soldiers deserve an organization in which they can find their place together with other young people, an organization which works alongside the labor and progressive movement for jobs and security, against reactionary foreign and domestic policies.

We are inviting you to act as consultant to the panel on "Interracial and Interfaith Unity" which will be held on Saturday afternoon, December 15th, from 2 - 5 P.M. Please let us know as soon as possible whether you will be able to attend the convention and assist in the panel discussion. We shall supply you with further details on topics to be covered at the panel.

209

AMERICAN YOUTH FOR DEMOCRACY
721 TITLE GUARANTY BUILDING
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

Mr. Langston Hughes
C/O Harper-Apt. D
634 St. Nicholas
New York, N. Y.

<table><tr><td>CLASS OF SERVICE</td></tr><tr><td>This is a full-rate Telegram or Cable-gram unless its de-ferred character is in-dicated by a suitable symbol above or pre-ceding the address.</td></tr></table>

WESTERN
UNION

A. N. WILLIAMS
PRESIDENT

1220

(11)

<table><thead><tr><th>SYMBOLS</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>DL = Day Letter</td></tr><tr><td>NL = Night Letter</td></tr><tr><td>LC = Deferred Cable</td></tr><tr><td>NLT = Cable Night Letter</td></tr><tr><td>Ship Radiogram</td></tr></tbody></table>

The filing time shown in the date line on telegrams and day letters is STANDARD TIME at point of origin. Time of receipt is STANDARD TIME at point of destination

ZC173 NL PD=DETROIT MICH 6
LANGSTON HUGHES= AW
634 STNICHOLAS AVE NYK=

1946 MAR 6 PM 3 14

AMERICAN YOUTH FOR DEMOCRACY INVITES YOU TO SPEAK AT RALLY
1000 YOUTHS FRIDAY APRIL 5TH TO PROMOTE INTER RACIAL
COOPERATION NEGRO AND WHITE YOUTH DETROIT, CENTER OF GERALD
L K SMITH, KLU KLUX KLAN, OTHER SUBVERSIVE FORCES NEEDS
YOUR PRESENCE TO HELP EDUCATE YOUTH IN SPIRIT OF UNITY AND
DEMOCRACY PLEASE HELP THIS WONDERFUL CAUSE BY SPEAKING

PLEASE REPLY IMMEDIATELY=

PHILIP SCHATZ STATE SECY MICHIGAN AMERICAN YOUTH
FOR DEMOCRACY 139 CADILLAC SQUARE.

1000 5 139.

THE COMPANY WILL APPRECIATE SUGGESTIONS FROM ITS PATRONS CONCERNING ITS SERVICE

<table><tr><td>CLASS OF SERVICE</td></tr><tr><td>This is a full-rate Telegram or Cablegram unless its deferred character is indicated by a suitable symbol above or preceding the address.</td></tr></table>

WESTERN
UNION

JOSEPH L. EGAN
PRESIDENT

1201

<table><tr><td>SYMBOLS</td></tr><tr><td>DL=Day Letter</td></tr><tr><td>NL=Night Letter</td></tr><tr><td>LC=Deferred Cable</td></tr><tr><td>NLT=Cable Night Letter</td></tr><tr><td>Ship Radiogram</td></tr></table>

PB 111 NL PD=PHILADELPHIA PENN 21
LANGSTON HUGHES=CARE T B HARPER

047 APR 22 AM 4 18

634 ST NICHOLAS AVE NYK=

PHILA YOUNG PEOPLE FACING SERIOUS REPRISALS AFTER HOUSE
UNAMERICAN COMMITTEE REPORT BEING DENIED RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH
AND ACTION ON CAMPUSES ALL ACTION BEING TAKEN WITHOUT RIGHT
TO TRIAL AND TO DEFEND THEMSELVES STUDENTS BEING INTIMIDATED
HOLDING MASS RALLY FRIDAY EVENING MAY 9TH TO PROTEST AND CALL
TO ACT IN DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY YOUR PRESENCE AS FEATURED
SPEAKER WOULD BE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE PLEASE WIRE COLLECT=
MARCELLA SLOANE AMERICAN YOUTH FOR DEMOCRACY 13 S. 21ST
STREET PHILA.

AMERICAN YOUTH FOR DEMOCRACY

• National Headquarters •

150 NASSAU STREET, ROOM 412 • NEW YORK 7, N. Y. • PHONE: WORTH 2-3863

OFFICERS

Co-Chairmen:

WINIFRED NORMAN
VINCE PIERI

Vice-Chairmen:

LOU BURNHAM
MAYER FRIEDEN
JOHN GALLO
FRANCES GULLOTA
RUTH JETT
MOLLY LIEBER

Executive Secretary
HERBERT SIGNER

Educational-Teen-Age Director
VIVIAN LEVIN

Inter-Collegiate Director
LEE MARSH

Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicolas Ave.
NYC, NY

May 23, 1947

Dear Mr. Hughes :

This is the simplest and honestest request that you've received in weeks. All we would like is for you to answer three short questions.

Certainly you know of the work that AYD does among youth. Its inter-racial, inter-faith activities, its cultural and sports program for youth, its political program based on the Roosevelt ideal are known thru out the nation. For years it has been in the leadership of progressive youth work.

To continue and to strengthen these activities we have founded YOUTH magazine, a magazine for all progressive youth.

The summer issue will be devoted to youth problems and their solutions and will feature a symposium on youth questions by adult leaders.

Therefore we would appreciate your answer to the three following questions.

1. What was the major problem facing you at 21?

2. How did you solve or resolve it? Did you succeed?

3. If you were 21 today and faced with the same problem how would you solve it today?

Answers need not be more than 20 to 50 words each but may be as long as you like. Please sit down and jot them off right now.

ss/mf

209

AMERICAN YOUTH FOR DEMOCRACY

• National Headquarters •

OFFICERS

Co-Chairmen:

WINIFRED NORMAN

VINCE PIERI

Vice-Chairmen:

LOU BURNHAM

MAYER FRIEDEN

JOHN GALLO

FRANCES GULLOTA

RUTH JETT

MOLLY LIEBER

May 31, 1947

Mr. Langston Hughes
c/o Atlanta University
Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Mr. Hughes,

To celebrate the Prague World Youth Festival, and in recognition of the need for youth unity, Mrs. Powell of the Lincoln Hotel in Long Beach, New York, has graciously offered us the use of her hotel for a "World Youth Festival Dinner" to be held on Friday evening, June 20th.

Today, with American Youth for Democracy one of the chief targets of the anti-progressive, anti-labor witchhunt, it is of pressing urgency that we secure the support and backing of adult groups. This dinner offers a chance to bring our appeal to a group of 400 adults and, also, the opportunity to raise a substantial sum of desperately needed money for our "fighting fund"...but we need your help, Mr. Hughes. Success depends solely upon our having outstanding progressive leaders, like yourself, appear as guest speakers and entertainers.

We would be deeply honored by and appreciative of your participation in our program. We sincerely believe that your inspiring activity on behalf of world friendship and democracy has given you a special place of high honor among all forward-looking people.

Enclosed is a self-addressed envelope for your convenience. We are eagerly awaiting your confirmation.

Thank you so much for your consideration and cooperation.

209

AMERICAN YOUTH FOR DEMOCRACY

1151 Broadway • National Headquarters • Mu 3 - 5713
150 NASSAU STREET, ROOM 412 • NEW YORK 7, N. Y. • PHONE: WORTH 2-3863

OFFICERS

Co-Chairmen:

WINIFRED NORMAN
VINCE PIERI

Vice-Chairmen:

August 6, 1947

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Avenue
New York 30, N. Y.

Dear Mr. Hughes,

Thank you for returning our much-travelled envelope
to us. It helped to save the disappointment we felt
when we received no reply from you.

If we may, Mr. Hughes, we would like to offer a
raincheck for that previous invitation. As you probably
know, during the summer months some of the adults camps
offer us the opportunity to raise funds for our organi-
zation through various functions at the camp. Experi-
ence has shown us that the results and success of these
functions depend very greatly upon the spirit and en-
thusiasm which is aroused in the audience by the guest
speakers and guest artists participating in the program.

We have planned a series of lectures and entertain-
ment programs for our week at Camp Unity, which runs
from August 26th through September 1st, culminating in a
morning lecture, entertainment program, and collection on
Sunday, August 31st. We would be delighted and honored to
have you participate in this morning program, and since we
realize that the Labor Day weekend usually means vacation
time, we would like to extend an invitation to you to spend
the whole weekend at the Camp as our guest, if this would
fit into your plans.

We would greatly appreciate hearing from you as soon
as possible, and, once more, would like to express our deep
gratitude for your help.

209

AMERICAN YOUTH FOR DEMOCRACY

• National Headquarters •

150 NASSAU STREET, ROOM 412 • NEW YORK, N. Y. • PHONE: WORTH 2-3863
1151 Broadway New York 1, N. Y. MU. 3-5713

OFFICERS

Co-Chairmen:

WINIFRED NORMAN
VINCE PIERI

Vice-Chairmen:

Executive Secretary

HERBERT SIGNER

Educational—Teen-Age Director
VIVIAN LEVIN

August 6, 1947

Langston Hughes
% Mrs. T. Harper
634 St. Nicholas Avenue
New York, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Hughes:

American Youth for Democracy is planning its
second annual fund raising campaign to begin
September 15th.

This money will be used, in the main, for the
purpose of conducting more vigorous activities in
behalf of the youth--to organize national and state
legislative actions, and similar projects. Part of
this money will also be used to continue the defense
of AYD against the attacks of the House-Un-American
Committee and similar forces who are bent on foisting
a system of thought control on America.

The success of this campaign depends on the
support we will receive from various adult sources.
We are, therefore, establishing an adult sponsoring
committee. We cordially invite you to become one of
the sponsors and to lend your name to various publicity
material that will be issued during the course of the
drive. There are no other obligations connected with
it.

We look forward to your agreement and would
appreciate receiving the enclosed post card immediately.

Thank you for your cooperation.

uopwa/16/170

209

3 CENTS 3

E. D. Siegler
Adams House C-43
Cambridge 38, Mass.

oet 6/47

Special Delivery

X

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Ave.
New York, N. Y.

Adams House C-43
Harvard College
Cambridge 38, Mass.
October 3, 1947.

Dear Mr. Hughes,

The Harvard chapter of the American Youth for Democracy is sponsoring a "Symposium on American Culture", a series of ten evenings on the leading fields in American culture--film, drama, radio, literature, jazz, classical music, folk music, the graphic arts, and the dance. In addition, we are trying to arrange an evening devoted to the special problems of the Negro people in American culture. In each evening, the leading craftsmen in the field will discuss the problems peculiar to their field. I can't furnish you as yet with a complete list of speakers because some commitments have been only tentative, but among the definite speakers will be James Go w, Howard Fast, Tom Glazer and Art Hodges. We are now negotiating to have all the talks reprinted in book form.

The general orientation of the series is contained in the somewhat pompous statement that I am enclosing. We would like very much to have you participate in the discussion on literature along with Howard Fast and possibly Angus Cameron. The meeting will be held here at Harvard on Tuesday, March 24.

Because we have to get material to the printers very soon, I would appreciate an immediate reply. My telephone number is Eliot 5920, and if you call collect, my room-mate will not accept the call if I happen to be out.

In addition to thanking you in advance for your possible participation in the "Symposium", let me take this opportunity to thank you for being a magnificent poet and an outstanding progressive.

Who are the great living American poets, painters, and musicians? Does anybody know? Does anybody care? We are not professional aestheticians, but we are vitally concerned with the state of American culture.

Consider the tremendous gap between the potential of our artistic resources and the commercialised product which passes for a genuine popular art. Consider the plight of the serious artist who has been robbed of his dignity, his standing in the community and the opportunity to earn his living by his art. Consider the subversion of popular taste and standards which has come with the transformation of culture into Big Business and the new aesthetic of the bankbook. Consider the strength of the system of censorship which is at the same time puerile and dangerous. Consider the dissipation of art into the two extremes of the Fifth Avenue Playhouse and the neighborhood movie, of the self-conscious quarterly and the Saturday Evening Post, of the Columbia Workshop and "John's Other Wife."

We believe that art has most often attained greatness when it has dealt with the central moral and human problems of its society and that, in turn, to encourage such an art in America, the people must concern themselves with the problems of the artist. As students, we ask that the universities recall that they were once in the vanguard of the nation's cultural problems. As Americans, we ask that the Government recognize its responsibility toward the solution of these problems.

Culture is not a luxury. It is an indispensable part of any vital and healthy democracy.