Walter Macarthur papers, 1883-1944 (bulk 1913-1944).

ArchivalResource

Macarthur, Walter, 1862-1944. Walter Macarthur papers, 1883-1944 (bulk 1913-1944).

Walter Macarthur papers, 1883-1944 (bulk 1913-1944).

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/26681237

The Walter Macarthur Papers contain materials of interest to researchers of the history of seaman's rights, maritime law, and labor movements. The bulk of the collection begins with Macarthur's service as U.S. Shipping Commissioner from 1913 to 1932, including substantial materials pertaining to the implementation and interpretation of the Seamen's Act of 1915. This part of the collection includes correspondence, reports, court decisions, and clippings illustrating a turbulent period of maritime history: major issues include the protection of seamen, the opening of the Panama Canal, immigration from Asia, competition with Japan for Pacific trade, and the transition from sailing ships to steamers. The collection also contains printed matter and internal documents from the Sailors' Union of the Pacific and its umbrella organization, the International Union of American Seamen, led by Andrew Furuseth. Macarthur's writings on maritime and labor issues are represented in manuscript and print, primarily of articles written in the 1930s, as well as in correspondence with readers and publishers. Macarthur's own corrected copies of Handbook, Navigation Laws of the United States and The Seamen's Contract, 1790-1918 are also present, as are bound manuscripts of "San Francisco: A Climax in Civics" and the anthology "Papers on Seamen's Law." Macarthur's support of H.R. 2902, a bill to extend the benefits of the U.S. Public Health Service to seamen, appears in extensive correspondence with labor organizations and reports on the topic. The collection brings together extensive clippings from American and foreign newspapers on a variety of topics relating to maritime issues, labor, and World War II, as well as clippings that are personal or biographical in nature. Overall, personal material in the collection is limited to correspondence and a small number of official and manuscript documents.

Originals: 5 cartons, 1 oversize folder, 8 volumes (8.25 linear ft.)Carton 1: 1 microfilm reel (40 exposures) : negative (Rich. 90:1) and positive.

UC Berkeley Libraries