Twentieth Century Radicalism in Minnesota Oral History Project: Interview with Robert Latz

Titles: Twentieth Century Radicalism in Minnesota Oral History Project: Interview with Robert Latz (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Robert Latz was born in 1930, the youngest son of Reuben Latz, the business agent of Cleaners, Drivers, and Laundry Workers' Union Local #183 in Minneapolis. Bob grew up in the Jewish community on the north side of the city, graduated from the public schools, and attended the University of Minnesota. He became a lawyer, specializing in labor law. From 1955 to 1958 Mr. Latz was an assistant attorney general for the state of Minnesota. In 1958 he ran for the state legislature, and served four terms (until 1966) in the House of Representatives. In 1975 he was appointed to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota, and eventually became vice-chair of that board. His term ended in 1981. Mr. Latz was married and had two children. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: The interview focuses on Mr. Latz's memories of his father's career (Reuben Latz died in 1948), and of the Jewish community in the 1930s and 1940s. Immigration of the Latz family from Lithuania, early 1900s. Homesteading in North Dakota Dry cleaning and laundry business in Minneapolis, 1920s to 1940s. Labor-management relations in the dry cleaning industry. Farmer-Labor Party rallies; Floyd B. Olson's funeral. Workmen's Circle in Minneapolis, 1930s: cultural events and political conflicts, particularly Communists versus Socialists. Center-Left coalition in the Minneapolis Central Labor Union, 1930s and 1940s. Labor's programs supporting the World War II effort. Impressions of Hubert Humphrey, 1940s. Labor Zionists in Minneapolis. Democratic Party's National Convention, 1944. Assimilation of Jewish Socialists into the Farmer-Labor Party, 1920s. Anti-Semitism in Minneapolis, 1930s; gubernatorial campaign of 1938; the Mayor's Council on Human Relations, 1945-46. Impressions of Samuel Scheiner. Memories of Nellie Stone Johnson. Differences between secular Jews and religious Jews. Activities at the Labor Lyceum: youth classes, Yiddish theater. Difficulties of documenting Jewish history. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: The interview touches on a number of subjects, though few of them in depth.

Dates

• 11/02/1988 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Latz, Robert
• interviewer: Ross, Carl
• interviewer: Schloff, Linda Mack

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 30.43
• Accession Number: AV1990.228.26
• Link to Finding Aid

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Twentieth Century Radicalism in Minnesota Oral History Project' <OH 30>

Quantity: 2 hours sound cassette 20 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 01:09:53 running time

Subjects

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