HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID
RG3703.AM: Eric Hass, 1905-1980
Papers: 1938-1977, n.d.
Lincoln, Lancaster County, Neb.; Chicago, Ill.; Costa Rica: Editor, author, political activist
Size: 2.3 cu. ft.; 3 boxes
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska on March 4, 1905, Eric Hass attended public school and, for a time, was a student at the University of Nebraska. He worked as a waiter, cook, railroad brakeman, engine-wiper, and newspaper reporter. While working as an advertising salesman in 1928, Hass came into contact with the Socialist Labor Party. In 1930, he went on speaking tours for the Party, and in 1932, he became a National Organizer. In 1938, Hass was called to be the Editor of the Weekly People, which was the official paper of the Socialist Labor Party. He was re-elected to this office in 1940 and served as Editor until 1968 when he resigned. A year later he also resigned from the Socialist Party. Hass was the author of many pamphlets on Socialism and of a volume on the history of the Socialist Labor Party and the Internationalists.
During his time in the Socialist Labor Party, Hass was the Socialist’s nominee for the President of the United States in 1952, 1956, 1960, and 1964. In 1956 and 1960, he received over 46,000 votes. Other offices he ran for on the Socialist Labor Party ticket included governor of New York, United States senator from Oregon, United States senator from New York, and mayor of New York City.
Following his resignation from the Socialist Labor Party, Hass joined the staff of Trinity Church in New York in 1969. Five years later he moved to Costa Rica with his wife Tillie. There they lived on a small farm and Eric free-lanced in travel and natural history subjects for many magazines. After living in Costa Rica for three years, they moved to Santa Rosa, California. Eric Hass died of a heart attack on October 2, 1980.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
This collection is arranged in four series: 1) Socialist Labor Party, correspondence; 2) Socialist Labor Party, publications; 3) Personal; and 4) Subject files.
Series 1 includes correspondence with other members of, and matters concerning, the Socialist Labor Party. The series includes correspondence regarding the works of Daniel De Leon, who was a leading voice and active member of the Socialist Labor Party. Other correspondents represented in the collection include Arnold Petersen who was the National Secretary from 1914-1969, and Nathan Karp, also a National Secretary from 1969-1980. Matters dealing with his resignation, involvement within the Party, and work as Editor of Weekly People can also be found in this series.
Series 2, Publications, includes printed material by Eric Hass about the Socialist Labor Party. Also included in this series are newspaper clippings about his political campaigns. Most of the clippings date from the early to mid 1960s.
The personal materials in Series 3 include correspondence with John “Jigs” Gardner. The letters date from 1969-1977 and provide personal thoughts from Eric Hass about life and views on various topics. The letters discuss personal issues as well as thoughts about Hass’ earlier life in Nebraska. Other miscellaneous letters included in this series relate to Hass attempting to gain employment with a nature center, trying to make corrections on his birth certificate, and when his portrait was on display in the National Portrait Gallery. The series also includes Nissen family genealogical materials.
Series 4 consists mainly of articles and publications relating to various topics that Hass was interested in. Most of the subject files relate to nature and travel.
Note: Additional Eric Hass papers are held by the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, Stanford University in Stanford, California.
INVENTORY
Series 1 – Socialist Labor Party, correspondence
Box 1
Folder
- 1940-1965
- 1966, Mar.-Oct.
- 1966, Nov.-Dec.
- 1967
- 1968
- “Capital” by Marx, 1963, 1967
- Commune, 1956
- Cuba, 1960-1961
- De Leon, Daniel (on reform), 1909-1913, 1962
- De Leon, Mrs. Bertha, 1938-1950
- Karp, Nathan, 1952, 1966-1967
- Long, Robert, 1968-1972
- Lowy, Tom, 1967
- Lynch, David M. and Timm, John, 1956, 1969
- Orange, Aaron M., 1941-1942, 1959-1960
- Petersen, Arnold, 1940-1968
- Post Editor concerning resignation, 1966-1974
- Presidential and mayoral candidate material, 1960-1961
- Press Committee, 1946-1953
- Press Committee, 1954-1965
- Reviews and correspondence while Editor, 1944-1945, 1962-1968, 1970, 1976
- SLG conference, 1970
- Special committee for membership activity, 1964-1966
- Steinmetz, Charles P., 1961, 1968-1969
- Taylor, A. J., 1953, 1959
- Teichert, Emil, 1959, 1964, 1967
- Tumbeff, Gordon, Estate, 1970-1971
- White, Leslie, 1949, 1959-1960
Series 2 – Socialist Labor Party, publications
- Publications
- Publications
- Publications, National Convention
- Articles about campaign
- Articles about campaign
Series 3 – Personal
- Correspondence, John “Jigs” Gardner, 1969-1974
- Correspondence, John “Jigs” Gardner, 1974-1977
Box 2
Folder
- Correspondence, nature center employment, 1968-1969
- Correspondence, birth certificate corrections, 1973
- Correspondence, National Portrait Gallery, 1971-1972
- Nissen Family research
- Miscellaneous
Series 4 – Subject files
- Blackfoot Indians
- Costa Rica
- Costa Rica
- Costa Rica, property and government
- Gallup
- Golden State Mobilehome Owners League and “Small Talk” Newsletter
- Insects and spiders
- Inwood Park
- Ireland
- Ireland, maps
- Ireland, pamphlets
- Linnaean Newsletter-Birds
- Mammals, fossils, and fungi
- Medicine
- Nature sanctuaries (New York, Coast Rica)
- Snakes, reptiles, and turtles
- Science and economy articles
- Trees, orchids, and plants
Box 3
Folder
- Tropics and miscellaneous nature
- Weather
- Wrestling
- Yugoslavia
- Yugoslavia, cities and sites
Subject headings:
Hass, Eric, 1905-1980
Socialist Labor Party
Socialism — United States
Fascism — United States
Labor movement — United States
Weekly People
Petersen, Arnold, 1885-1976
De Leon, Daniel, 1852-1914
Karp, Nathan
Gardner, John “Jigs”
10-25-2005 HP/AW/tmm
