DeLacy, Hugh, 1910-1986

Variant names

Hide Profile

Born and raised in Seattle, Hugh DeLacy taught English from 1933 to 1937 at the University of Washington, where he helped to organize a teachers' union. He then served on the Seattle City Council for several years and became active in the Democratic Party. During World War II, DeLacy worked as a machinist in the shipyards, and in 1944 he won the First District Congressional seat that had been vacated by Warren Magnuson. Accused of being anti-American in his 1946 bid for re-election, DeLacy was defeated, whereupon he became state director of the Progressive Party in Ohio. In the mid-1950s he was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. DeLacy moved to Los Angeles in 1959 and worked as a carpenter and contractor until his retirement in 1967. He then studied philosophy at San Fernando Valley State College. After settling in Santa Cruz County, DeLacy and his wife Dorothy were invited to vist the People's Republic of China. DeLacy remained active in political and international affairs until his death in 1986.

From the description of Hugh DeLacy papers, 1938-1985. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 28410133

Civic leader, English instructor, and U.S. representative from Washington.

From the description of Papers, 1933-1985. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 154691220

Hugh Emerson DeLacy was born May 9, 1910, in Seattle. Raised in Seattle, he attended public schools on Queen Anne Hill and graduated from the University of Washington in 1932. While teaching English at the University of Washington from 1933 to 1937, he helped organize a teachers' union, Local 410 of the American Federation of Teachers, and served as its delegate to the Seattle Central Labor Council. In 1937 DeLacy ran for a seat on the Seattle City Council. Denied a leave of absence from the university, DeLacy decided to resign in order to pursue a political career. He won the election and served until 1940.

In the 1940s, DeLacy was active in the Democratic Party and the Washington Commonwealth Federation, a coalition of left-wing political organizations. After war was declared, he went to work as a machinist in the shipyards. In 1944 DeLacy ran successfully as a New Deal Democrat for the First District Congressional seat vacated by Warren Magnuson. During the 79th Congress, DeLacy was an outspoken and active member of the left wing of the Democratic Party. He was a member of the Naval Affairs Committee and took an interest in labor legislation, public housing, and U.S. foreign policy, particularly in regard to China. He took stands against the elimination of price controls and the formation of the House Committee on Un-American Activities but supported the development of the aluminum and light metals industry in his home state.

DeLacy ran for re-election in 1946 against stiff opposition from business and the Republican Party. Accused of being anti-American and a communist, DeLacy was defeated in an electoral backlash that swept most of the Democrats from the state's delegation.

After his defeat, DeLacy worked as an organizer for the Progressive Party and Henry Wallace's presidential campaign. The campaign took him to Ohio as the party's state director. DeLacy subsequently made an unsuccessful run for the Ohio state legislature as an independent candidate. In the mid-1950s he was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. During this time, DeLacy worked as a carpenter and contractor and continued in this profession after he moved to Los Angeles in 1959. In 1960 DeLacy married Dorothy Baskin Forest, previous marriages to Betty Jorgensen and Hester Sondergaard having ended in divorce.

Following his retirement in 1967, DeLacy began to study philosophy and was admitted to the graduate program in philosophy at San Fernando Valley State College in 1969. He joined the Society for the Philosophical Study of Dialectical Materialism in order to further his study of Marxist and communist theories.

In 1971 Hugh and Dorothy DeLacy relocated to the town of Soquel, in Santa Cruz County on the central coast of California, where he lived the last 17 years of his life. In 1975 the DeLacys were invited by the government of the People's Republic of China to visit that nation, which had interested DeLacy since his first visit as a young merchant seaman. DeLacy remained active in political issues and progressive causes in the Santa Cruz area and continued his interest in international affairs until his death on August 19, 1986.

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, recognizing DeLacy's considerable impact on local community affairs as well as his history of advocating peace and justice nationally and internationally, dedicated a memorial garden in his name on the county courthouse grounds. DeLacy's large collection of tools was shipped to a vocational training school in Nicaragua.

From the guide to the Hugh DeLacy papers, 1938-1985, (University of Washington Libraries Special Collections)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Gundlach, Ralph H. (Ralph Harrelson), 1902-1978. Ralph H. Gundlach papers 1918-1974 bulk 1936-1974). University of Washington. Libraries
referencedIn Eugene V. Dennett papers, 1928-1988 University of Washington Libraries Special Collections
creatorOf DeLacy, Hugh, 1910-1986. Hugh DeLacy papers, 1938-1985. ND Univ of Washington Libraries (OCLC Worldshare ILL Beta)
creatorOf Washington Commonwealth Federation. Correspondence with Theodore Dreiser, 1941. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Thomas C. Rabbitt papers, 1943-1961 University of Washington Libraries Special Collections
referencedIn Terry Pettus papers, 1927-1984 University of Washington Libraries Special Collections
creatorOf Mitchell, Hugh B. (Hugh Burnton), 1907-1996. Hugh Burnton Mitchell papers 1940-1967 (bulk 1940-1953). University of Washington. Libraries
creatorOf Brown, Archie. Fifty years after EPIC [sound recording], 1984. UC Berkeley Libraries
creatorOf DeLacy, Hugh, 1910-1986. Papers, 1933-1985. ND Univ of Washington Libraries (OCLC Worldshare ILL Beta)
creatorOf Hugh DeLacy papers, 1938-1985 University of Washington Libraries Special Collections
referencedIn Robert E. Burke collection, 1892-1994 University of Washington Libraries Special Collections
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Burke, Robert E. (Robert Eugene), 1921-1998 person
associatedWith Dennett, Eugene V., 1908- person
associatedWith Gundlach, Ralph H. (Ralph Harrelson), 1902-1978. person
associatedWith Mitchell, Hugh B. (Hugh Burnton), 1907-1996. person
associatedWith Pettus, Terry, 1904- person
associatedWith Progressive Party of Ohio. corporateBody
associatedWith Progressive Party (U.S. : 1948) corporateBody
associatedWith Rabbitt, Thomas C., 1905-1961 person
associatedWith San Fernando Valley State College corporateBody
associatedWith Seattle (Wash.). City Council. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities. corporateBody
associatedWith Washington Commonwealth Federation. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
California
Seattle (Wash.)
United States
Washington (State)
San Fernando Valley (Calif.)
China
Ohio
Ohio
Seattle (Wash.)
California
Washington (State)
United States
Seattle (Wash.)
China
Washington (State)--Seattle
United States
California, Southern
Washington (State)
San Fernando Valley (Calif.)
Ohio
Subject
Teachers
Teachers
Political campaigns
Political campaigns
City council members
City council members
Civic Activism
Civic leaders
Civic leaders
Universities and colleges
Universities and colleges
Communism
Elections
Elections
English language
Graduate students
Graduate students
International relations
Labor unions
Legislators
Legislators
Light metals industry
Light metals industry
Machinists
Machinists
Municipal government
Philosophy
Philosophy
Political parties
Political parties
Political parties hio
Progressivism (United States politics)
Scrapbooks
Seattle
Sound recordings
Washington (State)
Occupation
Teachers
City council members
Civic leaders
Graduate students
Legislators
Machinists
Activity

Person

Birth 1910-05-09

Death 1986-08-19

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60k34f9

Ark ID: w60k34f9

SNAC ID: 30604348