When Allan Nevins organized the Oral History Research Office in 1948 the influence of western man, so to speak, was measured by his position in elite society, the number of books written by or about him and his membership in associations.  Over the past 52 years the Oral History Research Office has collected more than 7,500 interviews with many people who fit that profile, and some who exceed it.  One of those who exceeded it was Frances Perkins, who when she was named Secretary of the Department of Labor became the first female cabinet member in United States history. Her interview, conducted in 1955, ran to 5,566 pages.  That interview opened the door to new ways of thinking about the impact of an individual on society well before the dawning of a new consciousness about history.

As the dust settled from the political and social movements of the 1960s and 1970s, and oral history emerged as a field focused on social change and social process, the impact of American leaders was measured in new terms by Columbia oral historians.  These terms included the changes individual people brought about through their activities in union halls as well as boardrooms, and in the public spaces of rallies, demonstrations and marches.  Gradually, and without much public fanfare, a new understanding of American leaders emerged in tapes collected by the Oral History Research Office.  That understanding embraces the work of women and men who do not necessarily gain prominence in the pages of history writ large, but whose work in communities, service and educational institutions makes an immeasurable difference in the daily lives of all they serve.

Moe Foner was such an American.  His unswerving leadership of Local 1199, established as a pharmacist’s union in 1932, led to organizing hospital workers at Montefiore Hospital in the 1950s and 1960s.  His proudest achievement, founding Bread and Roses as the cultural project of 1199 in 1978, has taken his work to national and international prominence and helped change the way that people think of themselves in history.  Andor Skotnes, assistant director of the Oral History Research Office in 1986, had the wisdom to invite Moe Foner to sit still long enough to recount his life story.   The interviewer, Robert Master, skilled and knowledgeable, captured a story that is far more than a biography. It is a portrait not only of Moe Foner, but of America’s radical past.

The Reminiscences of Moe Foner is the first in a series of oral histories with American leaders that will be published by the Oral History Research Office to stimulate new conversations about American history, culture and politics.

Mary Marshall Clark
Director

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A full transcript of the interview, lightly edited, is available on this web site. The interview may be consulted in full at the Oral History Research Office. There is a current story on Moe Foner, with excerpts from the interview, on Fathom.com. It is necessary to contact the Oral History Research Office for permission to cite and quote from the interview.

Thanks: Without work of Jennifer Macellaro, the Oral History Research Office; Kate Scott, Fathom.com; Betsy Wade, the New York Times and Richard Magat, independent historian, the publication of this interview and related stories would not have been possible.  Most of all, we thank Moe Foner, who has given us two important gifts. The first is the telling of his story. The second is his willingness to disseminate it in a public forum.