Collections : [New York State Modern Political Archive]

This collection documents the professional and personal life of Eliot H. Lumbard.

The Albany Allied Printing Trades Council Collection contains meeting minutes of the Council dating from 1908-1990.

The Thomas E. Mulligan Papers document Mulligan's life from 1941 to 1973 including his two unsucessful political campaigns, one for Mayor of Albany and the other for assemblyman.

The Public Employees Federation (PEF) was founded in 1979 to represent members of the Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PS&T) bargaining unit of New York State. PS&T employees had formerly been represented by CSEA, the state's largest public employee union. PEF founders believed that the concerns of the PS&T unit were not adequately represented by CSEA, the majority of whose members were non-professional state employees. PEF's stated mission is to "provide the leadership necessary for PEF members to achieve employment security, higher wages, better working conditions, and improved retirement benefits." Materials in this collection document PEF activities at both the state and division level. There is extensive coverage of executive board activities from 1978 through mid-2000, annual conventions, committee meetings, and contract negotiations. Also included are files for PEF Division 169, PEF's Environmental Conservation Division. These include correspondence, agendas and minutes for labor/management meetings, material on committees, and administrative files. This collection also documents the activities of reform groups and political parties within PEF (most notably, the Statewide Coalition for a Democratic Union) and PEF's relationships with its national affiliates, the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of Teachers. Particularly strong is the collection of bulletin board postings, which includes almost everything posted on Division 169 PEF bulletin boards from 1979 through 2000. There are also official PEF publications, including a near-complete run of PEF's official monthly newsletter to members, The Communicator.

This collection contains the papers of Edward J. Bloch (1924-2014), a native of New York who served in the military between 1943 and 1946 with assignments in Okinawa during World War II and post-war North China, taught science in Istanbul, Turkey (1947-1950), and dedicated the majority of his career to labor concerns as a representative for the labor union United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (1950-1984). Edward Bloch also served as President of the Labor Action Coalition of New York (1975 to the late 1990s), Director of the Interfaith Impact for the New York State Council of Churches (1987-1995), and ran unsuccessfully for two different congressional district seats (1984, 1986, 1995-1996). Among the many honors Bloch received during his lifetime is the Purple Heart, which he was awarded for his actions during World War II.

The United Tenants of Albany is an association dedicated to improving housing situations for Albany's low to moderate income families and businesses with safe, affordable living and working space.

The Committee for Progressive Legislation records document the efforts of the group in bringing attention to issues important to many New Yorkers, especially abortion, family planning, welfare rights, and the attack on separation of church and state.

The collection documents the history of the YWCA of Albany, which was founded in 1888 by a group of women led by Mrs. Acors Rathbun in order to provide housing and recreational activities for young women searching for work. Through the years, the organization expanded to include classes, childcare, athletics, essay contests, teen issue programs, and an annual awards dinner honoring women. Strengths include the extensive photographic material and meeting minutes from the board of trustees and directors. The collection is weakest at the beginning and end of the YWCA of Albany's existence.

The collection documents the activities of the Albany Central Federation of Labor (AFL CIO) from 1983 to 2000.

The Henry M. Madej papers contain documents pertaining to his work with the Albany City Charter Revision Commission, the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association, and the Albany Tricentennial Commission. The documents in this collection include professional correspondence, newspaper clippings, meeting minutes, agendas, document drafts, press releases, newsletters, pamphlets, memorabilia, magazines, invitations, schedules, event plans, and handwritten notes as well other materials that document his involvement with the city of Albany, New York and the University at Albany community.