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This collection includes the records of the West Virginia Labor Federation (WVLF), AFL-CIO as a singular organization, established in 1957, and the records of its predecessor organizations prior to their merger, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO).

Series 1 comprises records related to the West Virginia State Labor Federation, AFL's internal operation and initiatives, including presidents' files, secretary-treasurers' files, general office files, Department of Education files, and financial materials.

Series 2 comprises the records related to the West Virginia State Industrial Union Council, CIO's internal operation and initiatives, including executive secretary-treasurers' files, central office mailings, and records of the Political Action Committee.

Series 3 is reflective of the organization's operations and initiatives after the AFL-CIO merger, including files of various presidents, various secretary-treasurers, central office files, convention files, political materials, legislative files, assorted programs, and financial materials.

Series 4 is a 1978 addendum to this collection that includes additional files of the WVFL, AFL-CIO after the merger, largely featuring records of initiatives like the Political Action Committee and Women's Activities Department.

Series 5 is a 1981 addendum including mostly internal materials, like the notebooks of former organization leaders, photo albums, and copies of AFL-CIO publications.

Organizers featured prominently in the collection include Tom Cairnes, E. A. Carter, and Volney Andrews (series 1); Miles Stanley (series 3 and 5); Ben Skeen (series 1 and 3); Glen Armstrong (series 1, 3, and 5); and Pat Sleeth (series 3). WVLF initiatives featured prominently in the collection include the Committee on Political Education (series 3 and 4) and the Women's Activities Department (series 3 and 4), the Appalachian Council (series 3), the Manpower Development and Training Act (series 3), and others. There is a small amount of audiovisual material in this collection in the form of audio recordings created by the WVLF and some photographs that have been digitized for remote access. However, much of this collection is comprised of paper records, ledgers, photographs, printed correspondence, and notebooks.

The West Virginia State Industrial Union Council was formed in 1937 as the state labor federation for local unions affiliated with the Congress of Industrial Organizations. In 1958, the WVIUC merged with the State Federation of Labor to form the West Virginia Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. Included in these two accessions are the correspondence, legal papers, reports, and printed materials of the Industrial Union Council's president's office, between 1940 and 1951.

Records of the West Virginia War History Commission and the state, local, and national branches of the Office of Civilian Defense. Material within this collection documents civilian activities on the homefront during World War II in the state of West Virginia. The collection contains correspondence, publications, pamphlets, maps, posters, newspapers and clippings, radio scripts, and other material. The collection also contains 19 reels of microfilm regarding the Monongalia Office of Civil Defense. The collection includes 10 series.

Papers of William Edwin Chilton (1858-1939), a lawyer, Democratic politician, publisher of the Charleston Gazette, and U.S. Senator (1911-1917); also includes correspondence of his son William E. Chilton, Jr., editor of the Gazette. The Chiltons were a prominent Charleston family who were long-time owners of the Gazette. There are series of correspondence, legal papers, speeches and writings, and other material. Topics include state and national Democratic politics during the 1930s; family affairs; and the senator's business interests in West Virginia and Kentucky coal lands, including the Kanawha Coal Operators Association.