Reminiscences of Colston E. Warne : oral history, 1971-1981.

Biographical Note

Economist.

Scope and Contents

Family background and education: Cornell University, B.A., 1920, M.A., 1921; University of Chicago, Ph.D., 1925; assistant professor of economics, Denver University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Chicago; professor of economics, Amherst College, 1930-1969; founding of Consumer's Research, Washington, New Jersey: strike, 1935-1936; founding of Consumer's Union [CU], 1936, president, 1936-1979: products testing, research, publications, staff, directors, policies, personalities, early growth; recollections of CU directors: Arthur Kallet, Dexter Masters, Wray Smith, Walker Sandbach, Rhoda Karpatkin: publication of "Consumer Reports": issues addressed, publication of test results, growth, reputation; attacks on CU: Dies Committee, 1939-1940, J.B. Matthews, House Committee on Un-American Activities; CU response; Warne, Kallet testimony at Committee hearings; effects on organization; anti-communism and consumers movement; McCarthyism; Jenner Committee investigation; reorganization of CU, 1957: resignation of Arthur Kallet, role of Bernard Reis and Madeline Ross; CU labor relations, founding of Newspaper Guild, union recognition, rules, regulations; relations among CU and other agencies: Consumer Federation of America, International Organization of Consumer Unions, United States Bureau of Standards; political and ideological origins of consumers movement; Thorstein Veblen, Stuart Chase, Wesley Clair Mitchell, Frederick J. Schlink; relations with labor movement, other reform organizations, the American left; growth of consumers movement, 1930-1950, 1960 revival; role of Ralph Nader; new governmental consumer initiatives, 1968-1981; political interests outside consumers movement: American Civil Liberties Union, Brookdale Labor College, League for Industrial Democracy; League for Independent Political Action, Open Road Society; Amherst College: teaching, relations with students, organization of Department of Economics; descriptions of leading figures and organizations in consumers movement.

Subjects

• American Civil Liberties Union.
• Chase, Stuart, 1888-1985.
• Consumer cooperatives.
• Consumer protection--Citizen participation--United States.
• Consumer protection--Government policy--United States.
• Consumer protection--Societies, etc.
• Consumer protection.
• Consumer reports.
• Consumers Union of United States--History.
• Consumers Union of United States--Interviews.
• Economists--Interviews.
• Goodman, Alan, interviewer.--http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/ivr
• Hewlett, Horace W., interviewer.--http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/ivr
• Interviews.
• Kallet, Arthur.
• Katz, Norman D. (Norman David), 1948- interviewer.--http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/ivr
• Kern, Paul, interviewee.--http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/ive
• Kern, Paul--Interviews.
• Labor movement.
• Lobbyists--Interviews.
• Nader, Ralph.
• Oral histories (literary works)
• Palmer, Frank.
• Schlink, F. J. (Frederick John), 1891-1995.
• Shainwald, Sybil, interviewer.--http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/ivr
• Speeches, addresses, etc.
• United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities.
• Veblen, Thorstein, 1857-1929.
• Warne, Colston E. (Colston Estey), 1900-1987--Interviews.
• Warne, Frances, interviewee.--http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/ive
• Warne, Frances--Interviews.
• Wolfe, Allis, interviewer.--http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/ivr

Access Conditions

Copyright held by The Consumers Union Foundation, Mount Vernon, New York, 1983.