Riesel, Victor

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Victor Riesel (1917-1995) was a nationally syndicated labor journalist, and an advisor to labor leaders and politicians. A product of New York's Lower East Side Jewish community, Riesel graduated from City College, and from its progressive political milieu to become a knowledgeable and militantly anti-communist social democrat. After work for a news service and writing for various publications, including a stint as managing editor of the New Leader (a social democratic weekly), in 1946 he began his syndicated daily labor column, which appeared in hundreds of newspapers over the next three decades. He also appeared regularly on radio and television. His exposure of labor racketeers is thought to have led to his blinding in 1956, by a man who flung acid into his eyes. Riesel traveled to some fifty countries, interviewing their labor and political leaders. Riesel's politics became more conservative, and in the early 1970s he became an unofficial, but important advisor to the Nixon administration on labor matters and on Republican outreach to the labor community and to white working class voters, meeting with cabinet level officials.

From the guide to the Victor Riesel Papers, Bulk, 1940-1980, 1929-1994, (Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive)

From the guide to the Victor Riesel Papers, Bulk, 1940-1980, 1929-1994, (Bulk 1940-1980), (Tamiment Library / Wagner Archives)

Victor Riesel (1917-1994) was a nationally syndicated labor journalist, and an advisor to labor leaders and politicians. A product of New York's Lower East Side Jewish community, Riesel graduated from City College, and from its progressive political milieu to become a knowledgeable and militantly anti-communist social democrat. After work for a news service and writing for various publications, including a stint as managing editor of the New Leader (a social democratic weekly), in 1946 he began his syndicated daily labor column, which appeared in hundreds of newspapers over the next three decades. He also appeared regularly on radio and television. His exposure of labor racketeers is thought to have led to his blinding in 1956, by a man who flung sulphric acid into his face. Riesel traveled to some fifty countries, interviewing their labor and political leaders. Riesel's politics became more conservative, and in the early 1970s he became an unofficial, but important advisor to the Nixon administration on labor matters and on Republican outreach to the labor community and to white working class voters.

From the description of Papers, 1929-1994 (bulk 1940-1980). (New York University). WorldCat record id: 477073391

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Series 1, Subseries 1, Sub-subseries 2. Moe Foner interview Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives
creatorOf International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers. President's Office. Subject files of President James B. Carey, 1936-1965 (bulk 1950-1964). Rutgers University
referencedIn Boris Souvarine papers, 1915-1984 (inclusive), 1940-1984 (bulk). Houghton Library
creatorOf Wingate, John,. Interviews [sound recording], 1957. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Papers, 1925-1972 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Riesel, Victor, 1917-. Letter, 1941, to Lewis Mumford. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen, and Helpers of America. Records, 1904-1952. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Lovestone, Jay. Jay Lovestone. Papers, 1929-1983. Cornell University Library
creatorOf Bohn, William Edward, 1877-. Letters, 1940-1958, to Lewis Mumford. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Guide to Victor Riesel Papers, 1929-1994 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
referencedIn General Records of the Department of Justice. 1790 - 2002. Class 51 (Offenses against Public Justice, Bribery and Perjury) Litigation Case Files National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Guide to Victor Riesel Papers, 1929-1994 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
referencedIn Earl Browder Papers, 1879-1990 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Committee to Secure Justice for Morton Sobell. Committee to Secure Justice for Morton Sobell records, 1946-1969. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
creatorOf Riesel, Victor. Papers, 1953-1967. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Guide to the Sam Reiss Photographs, circa 1930-1975 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
referencedIn Frank, Adelaide Schulkind. Papers, 1925-1972 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Guide to Victor Riesel Papers, 1929-1994 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
referencedIn J. B. Matthews Papers, 1862-1986 and undated David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
referencedIn Record, Wilson, 1916-1998. Wilson Record papers, 1946-1990. Emory University. Special Collections and Archives
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Beck, Dave, 1894-1993. person
associatedWith Browder, Earl, 1891-1973 person
associatedWith Committee to Secure Justice for Morton Sobell. corporateBody
associatedWith Dulles, Allen Welsh, 1893-1969. person
associatedWith Eastman, Max, 1883-1969. person
associatedWith Frank, Adelaide Schulkind. person
associatedWith Goldberg, Arthur J. person
associatedWith Goldberg, Arthur J. person
associatedWith Hook, Sidney, 1902-1989. person
associatedWith Hoover, J. Edgar (John Edgar), 1895-1972. person
associatedWith Humphrey, Hubert H. (Hubert Horatio), 1911-1978. person
associatedWith International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen, and Helpers of America. corporateBody
associatedWith International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers. President's Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968. person
associatedWith Khrushchev, Nikita Sergeevich, 1894-1971. person
associatedWith Levenstein, Aaron, 1910-. person
associatedWith Lovestone, Jay. person
correspondedWith Matthews, J. B. (Joseph Brown), 1894-1966 person
associatedWith Meany, George, 1894-1980. person
associatedWith National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees. corporateBody
associatedWith Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994. person
associatedWith Record, Wilson, 1916-1998. person
associatedWith Reiss, Sam. person
associatedWith Russell, Bertrand, 1872-1970. person
associatedWith Schulberg, Budd. person
correspondedWith Souvarine, Boris. person
associatedWith Thomas, Norman, 1884-1968. person
associatedWith Wingate, John, person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States |x Politics and government |y 1969-1974.
United States
United States
United States |x Politics and government |y 1969-1974.
Subject
Anti-communist movements
Communism and motion pictures
Communism and motion pictures
Labor journalism
Labor leaders
Labor policy
Labor policy
Labor unions
Labor unions
Labor unions and communism
Labor unions and communism
Third parties (United States politics)
Working class
Working class
Working class
Occupation
Activity

Person

Active 1929

Active 1994

English

Information

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