Scope and Contents:
John Hunter Walker (1872-1955) was an Illinois labor leader and politician, whose positions included President of the Illinois Federation of Labor (1913-30); President of District 12 (Illinois); United Mine Workers of America (1906-13 and 1931-33); and International Secretary of the United Mine Workers of America, Reorganized (1930-31). Walker also served as political advisor to Frank O. Lowden, Len Small, Louis L. Emmerson, Charles S. Deneen, William Hale Thompson, and Frank L. Smith. The papers in this collection concern Walker's personal, political, and business life, with a lot of material relating to Walker's political contacts. Among many correspondents are Clarence Darrow, Felix Frankfurter, Adolph Germer, Samuel Gompers, Mary Harris ("Mother") Jones, John L. Lewis, and Norman Thomas.
The Walker Papers were donated to the University in 1955 and transferred to the Survey in 1966. The collection finding aid was published in 1980 and is available digitally in HathiTrust at the link below, as well in the library [UIUC: 331.880924 W152c].
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