Tappes, Shelton, 1911-1991

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Shelton Tappes was born in Omaha, Nebraska on March 27, 1911 and came to Detroit in the late 1920s. A UAW member since 1937, Mr. Tappes was particularly active in the organization of the Production Foundry Unit at the Ford Rouge plant in 1941. He was a part-time organizer for the Foundry Unit, the first Foundry Unit chairman, and a member of the negotiating committee that secured the UAW's first contract with Ford Motor Company in 1941. He served as recording secretary of Local 600 from 1942 through 1944. Defeated for a fourth term, he later went to work on the staff of Ken Bannon, where he was recognized as a top authority on contract interpretation and grievance procedure. From 1954 until his retirement in 1976, Mr. Tappes served as an international representative for the UAW in the Ohio area. He was active throughout his life in a number of civil rights organizations and was one of the UAW's most vocal advocates for African-American representation on the UAW executive board. Mr. Tappes died in 1991.
Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Sheffield, Horace,. Oral history interview with Horace Sheffield, 1968. Wayne State University. Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs
referencedIn J. B. Matthews Papers, 1862-1986 and undated David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
referencedIn Mason, Hodges. Oral history interview with Hodges Mason, 1967. Wayne State University. Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs
creatorOf Tappes, Shelton, 1911-1991. Shelton Tappes papers, 1949-1970. Wayne State University. Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs
creatorOf Tappes, Shelton, 1911-1991,. Oral history interview with Shelton Tappes. 1961. Wayne State University. Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs
referencedIn Battle, Robert, 1917-. Oral history interview with Robert Battle, 1969. Wayne State University. Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs
creatorOf Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations (University of Michigan-Wayne State University). Unionism in the Automobile Industry Project. Unionism in the Automobile Industry Project interviews, 1959-1963. Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations (University of Michigan-Wayne State University).Unionism in the Automobile Industry Project, 1959-1963 Bentley Historical Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Place Name Admin Code Country
Omaha NE US
Detroit MI US
Subject
Archival resources
Automobile industry and trade
Automobile industry workers
Automobile industry workers
Civil rights
Collective bargaining
Depressions
Discrimination
Interviews
Labor
Labor movement
Labor unions
Labor unions
Labor unions
Minorities
Oral history
Race discrimination
Racism
Skilled labor
Strikes and lockouts
Strikes and lockouts
Wages
Working class
Occupation
Automobile industry workers
Union Leader
Activity

Person

Birth 1911-03-27

Death 1991

Male

Americans

English

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