Gardner, Virginia H. (Virginia Hartwell), 1918-

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Virginia Gardner (1904-1992) was a journalist, a communist, and biographer of Louise Bryant. She was raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas graduated with a B.A. in journalism from the University of Missouri in 1924, then worked at several Midwestern newspapers before joining the Chicago Tribune in 1930. Gardner gradually became a radical, joined the Communist Party c.1937, led the small Newspaper Guild group at the Tribune, and was fired for her union activism in March, 1940. Blacklisted in Chicago, she moved to New York where she worked with the Women's Division of the Democratic National Committee. After her divorce from journalist Marion (Red) Marberry, Gardner moved to Washington, DC in 1942, and was briefly Executive Secretary of the American Council on Soviet Relations. Between 1940 and 1942 Virginia Gardner was active as a member of the Citizens Committee for Harry Bridges, serving as its Executive Secretary in 1941. From 1942-1943 she worked for the Federated Press (a labor news service), resigning over its unwillingness to criticize John L. Lewis. Gardner next worked for the New Masses, resigning in 1947 when it became a monthly.

She then moved to Los Angeles, working for the Peoples World (the CPUSA West Coast newspaper) until her dismissal in 1951, and was then briefly employed at a meat packing plant. In 1952 Gardner moved to New York where, again, her first job was at a meat plant in Jamaica, Queens, before being employed by the Daily Worker where she covered the Rosenberg case in 1953, and later wrote The Rosenberg Story, which was published in 1954. In 1959 Virginia Gardner left The Worker, and between 1960 and 1962 worked as a medical writer. From 1963 to 1971 she worked as editorial assistant to Corliss Lamont. Her Louise Bryant biography was published in 1982. Soon afterwards she began working on her own autobiography. Gardner died in San Diego on January 5th, 1992.

From the description of Papers, 1922-1990. (New York University). WorldCat record id: 477242751

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Ruuttila, Julia, 1907-1991. Julia Ruuttila Papers, 1878-2004 (bulk 1935-1970). Oregon Historical Society Research Library
creatorOf Guide to the Virginia Gardner Papers, 1913-1990 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Allen, Bill, 1914- person
associatedWith American Council on Soviet Relations. corporateBody
associatedWith Bridges, Harry, 1901- person
associatedWith Bridges, Nikki. person
associatedWith Bryant, Louise, 1885-1936. person
associatedWith Citizens Committee for Harry Bridges. corporateBody
associatedWith Communist Party of the United States of America. corporateBody
associatedWith Gardner, John. person
associatedWith Garlin, Sender. person
associatedWith Hardesty, Corrine. person
associatedWith Hennacy, Ammon, 1893-1970. person
associatedWith Hilliard, Noel. person
associatedWith Lamont, Corliss, 1902- person
associatedWith McGrath, Thomas, 1916-1990. person
associatedWith Newspaper Guild. corporateBody
associatedWith Richmond, Al, 1913-1987. person
associatedWith Rosenberg, Ethel, 1915-1953. person
associatedWith Rosenberg, Julius, 1918-1953. person
associatedWith Ruuttila, Julia, 1907-1991. person
associatedWith Sessions, Kay Hall. person
associatedWith Spector, Frank. person
associatedWith Tessitore, John. person
associatedWith Unger, Nick. person
associatedWith Williams, William Appleman. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Soviet Union
Illinois--Chicago
Subject
Collective bargaining
Communists
Journalism, Communist
Single mothers
Women communists
Women journalists
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1918

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