Daly, Victor

Victor Reginald Daly was born in New York City and educated in public schools there. He was a member of the Class of 1919 at Cornell University, attending Cornell from 1915 to 1917. In 1917, he joined the U.S. Army and trained at Fort Des Moines, along with 639 other African-American men. He was appointed a 1st Lieutenant in the 367th Infantry Regiment, and was decorated with the Croix de Guerre for his service in France. In 1919, he married Adelaide Helen Cook (Cornell University Class of 1918). They had two daughters, Millicent and Peggy. He worked for the Urban League in New York after his discharge from the Army and came to Washington, DC in the 1920s to serve as business manager of The Journal of Negro History. In 1932, he published a novel, Not Only War: A Story of Two Great Conflicts. In 1934, he became an interviewer for the U.S. Employment Service in D.C. When he retired in 1966, he was Deputy Director in charge of the Manpower Development Program, which had begun in 1962 under his leadership. Over the years he worked tirelessly to persuade downtown retail stores to hire African-Americans in sales and clerical positions. He was instrumental in the 1950s in helping the Capitol Transit Co. and the union to agree to hire African-American bus drivers and street car operators. In 1956, he received the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor conferred by the U.S. Dept. of Labor for his efforts in eliminating discrimination in hiring practices.

From the description of Victor R. Daly papers, ca.1890-1940. (Cornell University Library). WorldCat record id: 64691563

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