Oral history interview with Tor Faegre, 2000

Biographical Note

Tor Faegre (1941-2009) was a carpenter, craftsman, and activist. Born in 1941, Faegre was raised in Chicago, Illinois and Ithaca, New York. Faegre became involved in the peace movement after attending demonstrations in New London, Connecticut. Faegre helped organize the 1960-1961 peace walk from San Francisco to Moscow before attending Roosevelt University in Chicago. Faegre was a member of Southside CORE from 1961-1965. After developing an activist community in Hyde Park, Faegre became active with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and opened Solidarity Bookshop in the Northside of Chicago. He attended Graduate School for Anthropology at Northwestern University. Faegre began making furniture at the age of sixteen. Faegre was living in Evanston, Illinois with his wife, Sue Museki Sommers, when he died of leukemia in 2009

Scope and Contents

Faegre begins by recalling his childhood in York Center, the first integrated cooperative housing development in the Chicago area. Faegre spent his summers in Ithaca, New York with his mother and stepfather, Jerry Klein, professors at Cornell University and Wells College. Faegre describes his parents liberal political views. From 1958-1959, Faegre attended the Woodstock Country School, where he read the works of pacifists Ammon Hennacy and Jim (James) Peck. Faegre's involvement in the anti-war and civil rights movements began in New London, Connecticut. Naming Robert Swann, Ammon Hennacy, and Karl Meyer as attendees, Faegre describes this experience. Faegre continued doing pacifist work by organizing the Long Island branch of the 1960-1961 peace walk. Faegre goes on to describe Roosevelt University in Chicago. He explains the political history of the school, relocating to Hyde Park, and exploring Chicago. After becoming a secretary for the Student Peace Union, he met members of CORE, including John Wright. Faegre remembers his first CORE campaign, which targeted School Superintendent Benjamin C. Willis. Also discussed is the apartment of John Stuckey and Ed (Edward Norval) Blankenheim, one of the original Freedom Riders. Faegre speaks on his transition from CORE to the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and describes moving to the Northside of Chicago with Franklin and Penny (Penelope) Rosemont and Ben Green. Along with Bernard Marszalek, Faegre opened Solidarity Bookshop. Faegre describes the literature and atmosphere of Solidarity Bookshop and an IWW attempt to organize agricultural workers in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Also discussed is: Solidarity Bookshop during the 1968 Democratic National Convention; Anti-war rallies in Washington, DC; and Faegre's decision to work as an independent craftsman. Finally, Faegre describes his protestation of the Gulf War, where he met fellow carpenter Mike (Michael) Bremmer. He describes his wife Sue Sommers involvement in Voices in the Wilderness with Kathy Kelly and reflects on his experience within the civil rights struggle

Subjects

• Civil rights demonstrations--United States.
• Civil rights movements--United States--History--20th century.
• Congress of Racial Equality.
• Faegre, Torvald--Interviews.
• Industrial Workers of the World.
• Interviews.
• Michaels, Sheila, 1939-2017, interviewer.
• Oral histories (literary works)
• Pacifism.
• Peace movements--United States--History--20th century.
• Roosevelt University.
• Solidarity Bookshop (Chicago, Ill.)
• United States--Race relations--History--20th century.