The W. J. Usery, Jr. Oral History Interviews were conducted over a roughly three year period of time from February 24, 1987 until March 16, 1990, with Dr. Leslie S. Hough, then head of the Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.
The earlier taped interviews center on Bill Usery's recollections of his early life as a young child, adolescent, and young man in Milledgeville, Georgia. Usery describes his older relatives, including his grandparents, in detail, and offers insights into his own interest in public service. Usery takes us through his years of service in the U. S. Navy, as a young member and leader in the International Association of Machinists, and entry into government service via his work at then Cape Canaveral in Florida. Although not delved into as greatly as his early years, Usery does discuss his federal appointments and his personal experiences and growth into each level of service. Throughout the interviews, Usery offers keen observations into his own motivations and others in his sphere of influence.
Each tape's transcript has an abstract to guide the researcher in the content available.
Usery discusses his early years and grandparents' lineage, including the intermarriage of the Deasons and Userys as well as his connection to the Mercer family, the founders of Mercer University. Both parents' (mother nee Williamson) family backgrounds were farm-related. Noted are the impact of the grandparents on his early upbringing, their financial situation, and although there was not a history of public service in the family, there was active church involvement. Both grandparents and parents provided Usery with positive examples of a willingness to help others. Usery describes paternal and maternal grandparents' homes and rural environments as well as their activities and items in those settings, including quilting, horse and buggy riding, Grandfather Usery's organ, and an early record player. The voting habits, grandmother's dislike for Northerners and Republicans, and lack of racism in the family are discussed as well as Usery's early desire to be Governor of Georgia and his first trip to Atlanta in 1935 or 1936.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 1
Usery describes visits to familial sites, cemetery cleaning, and the living arrangements of his parents. Both parents worked at the state hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia. The circumstances of deaths in the Williamson family are described as well as the hardships encountered by Usery's parents and Usery's learning from them. Usery describes both parents' personalities, compares their qualities and their approaches to life, and their influences on his own life. The state employment system of dependence on gubernatorial elections and that political effect on the Milledgeville community is discussed. Usery recounts early childhood school and community experiences, plus early thoughts concerning segregation and racial issues. His mother's hobbies and working outside the home are also detailed.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 2
Elements of Christmas preparations and his childhood home comprise Usery's earliest memories. Usery describes his sister's birth as well as their sibling relationship. Mary Alice Hall, an African-American domestic worker in the Usery home, is described in detail, and his meeting with her after his mother's funeral, many years later, is also recounted. Usery's parents and his early reactions to the Ku Klux Klan are detailed as well as his relationship with Mary Alice Hall. Both served as catalysts for his desiring change in the labor situation in the South. Teachers' influences in his early years and at the Georgia Military College are recounted, giving him an appreciation for GMC's military training and a desire to help end discrimination. Usery also recounts visits to the state hospital and ends with a description of his grandmother's craft and quilt making.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 3
Usery discusses his grandfather's blacksmith shop which afforded training in metal work and shop functioning. It also resulted in an incidental observation of his elder's disciplinary style. His attendance at the National Youth Administration's program for welding stems from experiences at his grandfather's shop. Hardwick also details the treatment of African-Americans and Jews as well as the differences between Republicans and Democrats. Mentioned is a first experience with alcohol as well as his grandmother's butter churning and quilt making and her efforts to sell these items. Local politics are discussed at length, with an emphasis on the sheriff's post as the most important office, plus the lack of job protection for state employees. Southern stagnation and the South's labor problems are discussed in this context.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 4
Usery describes meeting Georgia United States Congressman Carl Vinson, head of the Armed Forces Committee, both as a five year old and later as Secretary of Labor. As a child, Usery garnered enjoyment from watching court cases, and he describes Georgia governors' campaigns, particularly that of Gene Talmadge and county election contests. Usery describes people's modes of transportation in the context of social changes taking place between his childhood and his entry into military service. Specifically, Usery describes changes in race relations and women's roles.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 5
Usery describes first memories of his two homes, including the home of his birth. He also compares the quality of life in the Usery household to that of other families. Usery discusses the post office as a centerpiece of community life. He also recounts his childhood purchases, chores, etiquette, participation in plays, attendance at movies, friends, medical care, and the later changing community sharing of goods. Memories of his mother's seamstress work, her hobby of "watching" people, her garden, and the impact of her discipline on Usery are noted. Mary Alice Hall's role in the home is also discussed. Although neither parent had specific career expectations for Usery, he describes his mother's mission for him and the importance of the dictum, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 6
Usery continues to discuss the impact of the state hospital's environment on him. He also describes the current treatment of mental hospital patients and prison inmates and the need for improvement in this area. Tangentially, Usery mentions his concern for prompt and sufficient responses to letters received during his tenure as Secretary of Labor. Usery recalls never envying anyone for their possessions or "blessings" and describes neighbors and the closeness of the community. Usery recounts cadet life at the Georgia Military College and its influences on his future. Discussed later is Usery's involvement with the National Youth Administration's vocational training school, his skills in welding, and work at Mr. Ennis's store. Usery discusses his marriage in 1942 and his wife's family. The tape ends with a discussion of his parents' responsibilities at home and at work and the method of disseminating news throughout the town.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 7
Usery describes the first home his parents ever owned and his father's mortgage payments on them. Noted is his father's farming at the Humphrey house and Usery's chores there. After contracting malaria, Usery developed a propensity for reading, and he notes the lack of libraries at that time. Walking to the Midway elementary school, math as his favorite subject, and being reprimanded about lying are also mentioned. Usery describes an 8th grade teacher, Paul Torrence [later known as an authority on gifted children]; the Public Works Administration building of the high school; and his decision to attend Georgia Military College (GMC). Usery describes the hierarchy of social classes but also states that there was little difference between the treatment of the poorest whites and African-Americans. Usery charts his early focus on labor and equality issues, his mother's influence on his negotiationg style, and again mentions her tendency of "watching people" to understand the importance of people's interactions and behaviors, and his eventual development of "people skills."
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 8
Usery continues his discussion of work at Mr. Ennis's store and Ennis's financial responsibilities. He further recounts his experience with the National Youth Administration (NYA). The Brunswick shipyard and his work there is described, followed by Usery's description of a baseball game in Jacksonville, Florida that led to his quitting the shipyard, ending his deferment, and joining the navy. Usery describes his experiences in Chicago, Illinois and the nearby Great Lakes Naval Station. Although desiring an assignment at Bainbridge, Georgia, he was sent to the underwater welding school in San Diego, California. From there, he was assigned to the USS Tutuila, berthed in Norfolk, Virginia.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 9
Assigned to the ship's repair crew, Usery describes life aboard the ship with training and drills for fires and enemy attacks. Usery also recounts encountering German U-Boats Near the Panama Canal as well as the passage through the Canal, docking in San Diego, traveling to Pearl Harbor, crossing the international date line, the Marshall, and Solomon Islands, and the eight month stationing near the Guadalcanal. Usery describes changing a ship's propellers underwater, an accident during a welding assignment, and the prestige attached to being a diver on the ship. Usery also discusses on-shore time in the Philippines, including the feat associated with Japan's use of suicide [kamikaze] planes at the end of the war. Following the surrender of Japan, Usery describes his travels to Korea and China, and the Chinese response to seeing American troops. Usery describes the process of returning to the States from Seattle, Washington and Milledgeville, Georgia as well as "leisure" time spent creating such items as frying pans aboard the ship. Applying skills learned in the navy and making the choice to enlist in the navy rather than the army.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 10
Usery discusses his exposure to different tradesmen during the war and their reactions to each other. He describes the value of this knowledge as a leader in the navy and later in life as a mediator and labor leader. Usery's account of this war period includes descriptions of the shipboard: the spread of sickness; shared responsibilities amongst tradesmen, including the integration of welders due to the critical nature of their craft; work of machinists, battle stations, sea burials, recreation, and officers; and the overall exposure to different ethnic groups and religions on and off-shore. Usery then describes the transition back to civilian life, including his child's birth and parents' separation; hiring by Armstrong Cork Company and move to Macon, Georgia; and attendance at Mercer University. Usery describes the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) membership campaigns and the discrimination, via restrictions placed on him, that he experienced as a result of his earliest union activity at Armstrong. Also noted is Usery's election as president of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) Lodge No. 918, his assignment as chair of the bargaining committee, and the negotiations with Armstrong that led to a one-year contract with the company. Usery describes attending the State Council of Machinists in Atlanta and receiving a special assignment to participate in union trials there. In his discussion of joining the International Association of Machinists, Usery states:
"...I signed my card and by signing my card I gave a lot of other people the guts to sign theirs...And then we had a lot of skilled people who had been members of unions before, you know, craft people, and IAM is an AF of L union...So, we filed, the Machinists filed a petition for a bargaining unit of maintenance employees to carve out a unit."
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 11
Usery describes negotiating a contract for the IAM with the Armstrong Cork maintenance unit, weighing actions for the union against the company, and the possibility of strikes considering the strength of Armstrong against the union. Also mentioned are later union problems at Armstrong while Usery served as Assistant Secretary of Labor. Usery describes his career in labor relations and promoting and protecting the rights of blacks and minorities. He also discusses the importance of his involvement in WWII with his level of idealism. In describing activities outside the union, Usery mentions his Milledgeville neighbor, Tom Hall Simpson; Masonic membership; his social life in Milledgeville; his work both with a construction team and at Armstrong while in the maintenance repair group; and his time in the Mercer University Law School. With regard to his mediation duties, Usery talks openly about his development as a leader, skills as a mediator, and the problems he experienced throughout his career due to others' jealousy. Confrontations with Bill Falls and Dao Tsau Ping are mentioned along with Usery's description of establishing an embassy in China. Usery also recounts union battle strategies and a change in union negotiation tactics.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 12
Usery's involvement with the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and his various turns at mediating disputes are the focus of Tape 13. He details his development of interest in and participation within the IAM while working at Armstrong. Union rules of membership and IAM's relation to the electronics field are also outlined. The point at which Usery's involvement with IAM became full service in the union and Usery's ability to lead are discussed along with the vast range of membership in the IAM. Relating his experiences in mediation, Usery describes working with Lockheed-Georgia and Convair; the union's reasoning for sending him to mediate an aerospace dispute; feuding between Jesse McGlon and Roy Brown; the distinction between west coast and Florida disputes; and a description of west coast mediation. Al Hayes' and Jesse McGlon's feud is mentioned, as is Usery's position within it. Usery describes his duties as a union representative; his relationship with the Air Force; Roy Brown; his first major negotiation as part of a select team at Convair in California, and his second Convair negotiation in San Diego. The characteristics of good negotiators are explored, and a description of advancing technology under President Kennedy and the passing of the Landrum-Griffin Bill are also discussed.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 13
Usery's continued work with the IAM and development of the aerospace industry in the Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center area comprise the main portions of this tape. He begins by recounting personal developments, including being elected President of Local United Lodge No. 918; continued problems with others' jealousy regarding his work; and his desire to go to law school and enter politics, driving his commitment to the union. Descriptions of Frank E'Dalgo, negotiation tactics, friendships with astronauts, and the duties of union representatives toward unions are given. Other reminiscences from Usery include descriptions of the missile gap and its effects on the unions; a description of the Missile Site [Labor] Committee and its function; and Usery's difficulties during his tenure as a union leader in the aerospace arena. He discusses "the world of labor relations," speaking of an IAM strike incident and the IAM's progress from the 1950s to the 1960s. Usery offers descriptions of various aspects of the aerospace industry, including the Boeing operation and its impact on Florida's Cape Canaveral area. The environment and geography of Cape Canaveral and campaigning for unions around the area are explored. Also covered are descriptions of missiles, their capabilities, and the growth of the aviation industry. Usery's union work, specifically his arbitration duties and the criticism by others of Usery's union work, follow. A description of the climate in Florida towards unions, union efforts to build the community around Cape Canaveral, and the union's political activities are related. Usery's consideration of running for public office and his relationship with E'Dalgo end the tape.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 14
The merger between the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and the competition for AFL-CIO by international unions, as recollected by Usery, begin this tape. Dealings between unions and the U. S. Sugar Company, specifically successful negotiations spearheaded by Usery, are cited. Segregation of blacks and whites within the union is discussed, along with Usery's orchestration of an integrated meeting which he describes as the "most significant moment in [his] life to that point." Racial equity within unions and Usery's proactive works on behalf of African-Americans are discussed at length, with accounts of Usery's negotiating on behalf of two black workers and a description of a meeting in the black community. Reaction of the local union's president to the meeting in the black neighborhood and descriptions of the difficulty involved in arranging an integrated meeting are noted, along with an account of the racially mixed meeting. Ku Klux Klan opposition to the union is detailed while Usery's involvement with NASA is also covered. Military involvement with labor and NASA, Usery's work in organization and arbitration associated with the missile and NASA programs, and technological advances in aerospace are described. Usery compares the roles of union officials versus those of mediators, and he also relates his various relationships with E'Dalgo, Roy Brown, Al Hayes, Franklin Nix, Roy Siemiller and Jesse McGlon, describing the negotiation styles of E'Dalgo and Brown as well as his confrontation with Al Hayes concerning jealousy within the labor movement.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 15
A number of notable labor union leaders are noted in Usery's recollections, including Jesse McGlon, Al Hayes, Roy Brown, Red Smith, George Meany, Johnny Carlson and Paul Chipman. An altercation between President Richard M. Nixon and Red Smith is mentioned, and Usery cites Carlson and Chipman as particular influences. Union officials, their job descriptions, and the union as a movement are other topics Usery discusses. Usery's work in Florida is detailed, including his experiences with the Florida East Coast Railroad strike. He recounts the missile gap and space race as well as union involvement in both, specifically the forming of committees, the later disbandment of the Missile Site Committee, and the formation of the Cape Kennedy Labor Management Council. Usery's role in the broader context of all US missile sites is mentioned. J.B. Pate and a meeting with the Macon [Georgia] Federation of Labor and Usery's interaction with the labor movement in Florida are detailed. Negotiation tactics are explored. Usery's own tactics as well as those of George Shultz are noted along with descriptions of the institution of collective bargaining and the concept of labor vs. management. Jim Hodgson is also mentioned.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 16
Usery's impressions of NASA, his transition into a mediator, and the influence of national politics and trends on work and labor-management relations are the main topics covered on this tape. The crisis nature of NASA contracts as well as the strict secrecy of some NASA projects and their respective effects on labor relationships are discussed. Usery offers his impression of the space program's leadership and describes his experience with the fire accident at the Cape which killed three astronauts. Tragedies at the Cape and labor's reactions are similarly noted, along with cross-industry growth and modernization as a result of the space program. Usery then discusses the airline strikes of 1967 and mentions Jim Reynolds. A description of Usery's transition into mediation, including a description of a good mediator and labor negotiations are given. Larry Silberman is mentioned. Usery then notes at length the influence of national politics or trends on work and labor-management relations, while describing his work on Adlai Stevenson's campaign. The influence of Presidential transition on Usery's work is explained as is the influence of the Eisenhower administration on politics at the Cape.
On labor relations in the space program and collective bargaining:
"We've already said that President Kennedy, in the early days when he first became President, that we would land a man on the moon in this decade and return him safely.That became a goal and objective and nothing is to get in the way for us to do that. And then on the other hand, you're having some agencies who want their programs to take priority who are not as concerned about the cost of that program as others are from that point. It wasn't an easy road for management or for labor and never has been to negotiate in that environment. It's remarkable how labor and management have adjusted to that. But it's more, I think credit goes more or should go more, to collective bargaining--and I said earlier, collective bargaining can adjust to all kinds of elements if the parties will allow it."
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 17
Tape 18 continues with Usery's comments on the Eisenhower administration's influence on politics at Cape Canaveral. His evolution of position as Grand Lodge Representative which led directly to his political activity and government service, including his work on Hubert H. Humphrey's 1968 presidential campaign and involvement with the Democratic Party, is discussed. Labor philosophy is described, as are the system of upward mobility in the union, various job offers and opportunities Usery received during his tenure as a union mediator, and his thoughts of running for political office. Settling deals outside of the union, balancing offers from management with duties as a union official, and Usery's description of "making the settlement" round out this part of the tape. The events leading up to Usery's becoming Assistant Secretary of Labor are detailed, with Usery recalling Jack Garvin and the appointment of George Shultz as Nixon's Secretary of Labor. Usery's acceptance of the Assistant Secretary of Labor position, the White House's perception of him, and Usery's appointing of his staff are outlined. Work with federal unions at the Cape, specifically sugar mills and West Indies workers, is noted. Usery describes the staff in the Office of Assistant Secretary of Labor, the Department of Labor building itself, and his responsibilities as Assistant Secretary of Labor.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 18
Usery's work as Assistant Secretary of Labor is recounted here, with Usery detailing the various aspects of the Department of Labor, including the chain of command and proper protocol within the Department, the breaking down of the Department into various programs, the description of responsibilities of the office, and the length of hours involved. He also emphasizes the necessity of caution in the decision making process. The Landrum-Griffin and Len Lurry cases are explored, and Usery describes the legal side of the Labor Department. Usery mentions utilizing cautionary behavior as Secretary because of fears of false judgement by his staff, and he notes the importance of building a social foundation of interaction. Collective bargaining in the federal sector, the Mine Workers investigation, and Tony Boyle are mentioned, along with Usery's recounting of public and federal labor relations, Labor Department processes, and his relationships with George Shultz and Jim Hodgson. Usery describes the emergency board, the dock workers' strike in New York, and the Seafarers International Union. Paul Hall and Usery's meeting with him in New Orleans are noted. Usery speaks to the problems with serving subpoenas and with labor relations, describes the system of power at the Labor Department, and explains the workings of the [National] Mediation Board. Curt Counts, Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, is mentioned at some length. Usery describes his relationship with Counts, noting the process of his [Usery's] appointment as National Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 19
Usery's initial service as union representative to Nixon is discussed in Tape 20. Also noted are the processes and protocols of negotiations in labor unions. Usery's involvement with the IAM is further explored, and a trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey, is described along with an account of a trip to Detroit, Michigan on Air Force One for Walter Reuther's [former head of the United Auto Workers and then-ambassador to Japan] funeral. Usery's work with the United Auto Workers (UAW) is also recounted.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 20
Observations from Usery on occupational safety and health issues, along with an account of a mine disaster, begin this tape. Usery details the partnership between the Auto Workers and [International Brotherhood of] Teamsters, the Alliance for Labor Action, the importance of getting along with the AFL-CIO, and the details of how UAW left the AFL and the expulsion of the Teamsters. Usery describes the AFL-CIO as "the labor" organization but notes that the Department of Labor did not recognize the Alliance for Labor Action. Further descriptions of the development of the Alliance and its eventual dissolution as well as Usery's accounts of relationships with UAW, the Teamsters, and the AFL-CIO follow. With regard to the Department of Labor, Usery describes the opening relationship between the Department and unions; the Teamsters' political affiliation; the effect of the Nixon Administration on the Labor Department; and the lack of politicalization of the Department. A meeting at the White House is also mentioned. Relationships with farm and immigrant laborers and descriptions of policy development for farm laborers are described. Debate on various issues within the Department of Labor is recounted, including issues faced by agricultural laborers, occupational safety and health, and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) involvement with the Department.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 21
Detailed descriptions of Usery's work in the Labor Department continue on Tape 22, recounting his early years in Labor-Management Services and describing the task force in charge of the Executive Order 11491 for federal employees. Usery's relationship with the postal unions and a description of the Executive Order 11491 are mentioned. The federal labor sector for Labor-Management Relations and the rationale behind the work of the Department of Labor within the federal sector of collective bargaining are discussed. Usery then discusses the Taft-Hartley and Davis-Bacon Acts while recollecting his time as a mediator in the postal strike. Later, he notes the Nixon Administration's acceptance of collective bargaining as a valid mechanism in labor relations. Usery's work as a key labor advisor to President Nixon, his involvement in policy making, and his ongoing fear of entering a Republican administration are all described. Additional accounts of Usery's work in the Nixon Administration, his work on the Emergency Board of the Department of Labor, and the relationship of the Labor Department during the remainder of the Nixon Administration are given. Lastly, Usery notes growing concerned with the Teamsters' power, the change in labor relations in the United States, and the change in the nation's concern with labor issues.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 22
In this interview, Usery describes his relationships with Presidents Ford and Nixon, as well as their administrations, and his beginnings of Assistant Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor and dealings with various labor unions during his tenure. He also discusses the general political and economic landscape of the United States that influenced matters pertaining to his position. .
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 23
In this interview, Usery describes his relationships with Presidents Ford and Nixon, as well as their administrations, and his beginnings of Assistant Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor and dealings with various labor unions during his tenure. He also discusses the general political and economic landscape of the United States that influenced matters pertaining to his position.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 24
In this interview, Usery describes his relationships with Presidents Ford and Nixon, as well as their administrations, and his beginnings of Assistant Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor and dealings with various labor unions during his tenure. He also discusses the general political and economic landscape of the United States that influenced matters pertaining to his position.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 25
In this interview, Usery describes his relationships with Presidents Ford and Nixon, as well as their administrations, and his beginnings of Assistant Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor and dealings with various labor unions during his tenure. He also discusses the general political and economic landscape of the United States that influenced matters pertaining to his position.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 26
In this interview, Usery describes his relationships with Presidents Ford and Nixon, as well as their administrations, and his beginnings of Assistant Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor and dealings with various labor unions during his tenure. He also discusses the general political and economic landscape of the United States that influenced matters pertaining to his position.
Transcript and audio recording for Tape 27
In this interview, Usery describes his relationships with Presidents Ford and Nixon, as well as their administrations, and his beginnings of Assistant Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor and dealings with various labor unions during his tenure. He also discusses the general political and economic landscape of the United States that influenced matters pertaining to his position.
Special Collections and Archives
Southern Labor Archives
W. J. Usery, Jr., Papers
Phone: (404) 413-2880
Fax: (404) 413-2881
E-Mail: archives@gsu.edu
Mailing Address:
Special Collections & Archives
Georgia State University Library
100 Decatur Street, SE
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3202
In Person:
Library South, 8th floor
