Nelson H. Cruikshank papers, 1927-1989

Author / Creator

Cruikshank, Nelson H

Available as

Physical

Summary

Papers of Cruikshank, director (1944-1965) of the AFL and the AFL-CIO Social Security Department where he was involved in much of the Social Security legislation of the 1950s and in the creation of...

Papers of Cruikshank, director (1944-1965) of the AFL and the AFL-CIO Social Security Department where he was involved in much of the Social Security legislation of the 1950s and in the creation of Medicare. His papers document his participation in the 1960 White House Conference on Aging, the National Advisory Council on Social Security Financing, and the AFL-CIO's Social Security Advisory Committee. Primarily reflecting his activities prior to 1961, his role in Medicare after that date is not well represented. Cruikshank also exercised general oversight of health and welfare programs of all AFL-CIO internationals and state federations. Particularly well documented are the California State Federation of Labor and the Laundry Workers International Union, as well as his participation in the investigation of alleged mishandling of union welfare funds.

After retiring from the AFL-CIO in 1965 Cruikshank was a national leader on issues pertaining to health care and aging, serving as a member of the Health Insurance Benefits Advisory Council, as president of the National Council of Senior Citizens, and as advisor to President Jimmy Carter on aging issues. The collection includes some documentation on these topics.

The papers consist of correspondence and memoranda, speeches and writings, and minutes and meeting files for the Federal Advisory Council on Employment Security and the advisory committees mentioned above. Prominent correspondents include Wilbur Cohen, Aime Forand, Dan Goldy, Wilbur Mills, and Matthew Woll. Correspondence and draft materials relate to the publication of his memoirs by Alice Cruikshank Hoffman as part of the Save Our Security (SOS) Education Project.

The processed portion of this collection is summarized above and described in the register. There are additional accessions which are described below.

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