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Remley, Zita Donegan (audio interview #5 of 6)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This fifth of six interview with Zita Remley was conducted after a hiatus of 16 months. It is a continuation of the life history project originally initiated in the summer of 1976 for a women's oral history class. 12/7/1977
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- 2021-03-18
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- Notes
- SUBJECT BIO - Zita Donegan Remley was an influential figure in California Democratic party politics, and was called upon regularly to organize and coordinate election campaigns. One of eight children, Remley was born in North Platte, Nebraska to a family who engaged actively in political discussions and participated regularly in Chautaquas. Her mother was an advocate of women's rights and typified progressive era reform women activists. After her Catholic school education, Remley attended the University of Nebraska. During a summer break, she met a group of school teachers who were selling Chautaqua desks and, in short order joined them, working as a traveling saleswoman. She rose in the ranks of the company and transferred herself to Los Angeles in 1925 in order to be close to her future husband. Remley became involved in politics in 1925 while living in Carlsbad, working hard for the election of Al Smith and then, in 1934, both for John Steven McGroarty, an advocate of the Townsend Plan and for Upton Sinclair. When she moved to Alhambra in 1936, she volunteered for Jerry Voorhees and became his district manager after he won the election. She worked for Voorhees until his defeat by Richard Nixon in 1946; organized the 12th District Council, which became the model in 1958 for the California Democratic Council (CDC); and was elected to serve on the Democratic Party County Committee, State Committee and Executive Board. In 1950, Remley ran Helen Gahagan Douglas's unsuccessful campaign for Senate; and in 1958 worked on the campaigns of Alan Cranston and Stanley Mosk and was recruited by the AFL/CIO State Federation to organize the campaign to defeat a "Right to Work" ballot measure. After following her husband to San Francisco in 1960, she was called on to serve as the secretary-treasurer of the Adlai Stevenson campaign in California. In addition to these campaigns, Remley worked for local Long Beach politicians while she lived there and organized the Democratic club there. Among her other organizing activities and accomplishments, Remley co-founded and chaired the Democratic Women's Forum, an organization devoted to supporting women's participation in politics and running for office. TOPICS - working on political campaigns, strategies and tactics; Remley appointments: Alhambra postmaster appointment; election to county committee;Democratic party committees and boards; Helen Gahagan Douglas senate campaign; Archbishop McIntyre's support for Nixon; Jimmy Roosevelt campaign; move to Long Beach; Stevenson campaign; and family life;Kennick campaign; hiring of political consultant; campaign strategy; voter apathy; working for Adlai Stevenson work; and getting votes; Stanley Mosk; and Jerry Brown appointment of Rose Bird;Glenn Anderson campaign;
- *** File: refzremley9.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-7:50)... Note: the first two minutes of the tape are incomprehensible. The remaining five minutes focus on electing Jimmy Roosevelt state chairman of the Democratic party, a topic discussed fully earlier and again later. (7:50-14:49)... Remley discusses the role of women in the California Democratic party, maintaining that women had more party offices than men. There were women's northern and southern division chairs and a women's State chair. She comments that if they integrated the men's and women's offices, less work would be accomplished because women do the work. There was never had another women State chair since Elizabeth Snyder. Earlier, money was raised by having small groups in homes and women provided the food. Subsequently, money was raised by big fundraisers, which makes people feel less involved than in the old days of raising Dollars for Democrats. Since committees were becoming confusing, conferences were being held to change the party structure and Remley talks about the current changes and a plan that was not adopted by most other states. (14:49-16:46)... Remley believes that the "McGovern guidelines" that require representation of minorities, unions, age groups, etc should be abolished. She recalls an occasion when a "cute" 23-year-old teacher showed up campaigning to be a delegate, and had to be elected because she was the only one who fit the age requirements. She went to the convention with her boyfriend, missed the most crucial vote, and after returning did nothing. Age requirements also meant that Cora Cox and Remley were almost out of compliance to remain delegates. Remley complains that there were people who had worked hard and were dying to be delegates but couldn't because of this requirement. (16:46-18:37)... In the early days, Remley couldn't be a delegate because she couldn't afford to pay her own way. Sheridan Downey got her the job of postmaster In Alhambra, with some help, she believes from Mike Fanning, the LA postmaster. A troublemaker in the LA post office lived in Alhambra and wanted the job, but they didn't want him. (18:37-23:50)... Remley worked for Truman in 1948 but wasn't able to do too much. She was still employed as Postmaster. Her district had the first council movement in the state. Richard Richards was from her district, and she feels that the Democrats lost a great guy when he was defeated for state Senate. She never knew anyone who could talk on his feet like Richards. Jerry Voorhees' district was very large and had many clubs. He urged formation of one council representing all the clubs, and it became the 12th District Council. When Cranston called a meeting of all councils in Sylmar the 12th district rules became a model for the others. In 1952 Remley moved to Long Beach. [Interviewer backtracks here for a couple of minutes to obtain dates of senate terms and Remley's campaign dates.] (23:50-30:22)... By 1938 Remley was appointed by Hugo Noren to State committee, then by Richards, then by Voorhees. She also ran for County committee and was elected, but Kennick wanted her to quit and be his appointment to the State committee. She recounts in detail the machinations for the appointment of a Congressional candidate, involving the brother of Mayor Wade and and Kennick. End of tape. *** File: refzremley10.mp3 (0:00-7:08)... Remley was on the State committee and State Executive Board. She notes that the annual conventions were just for show. In her district Zeta and Louie Warshaw, Carmen's husband, were co-chairs. It was nice because he provided money. They tried fund raising but were no good at it. That was the problem before CDC, i.e. the party never raised money for the candidates and they had to go to the lobbyists for it. Remley had differences with Jesse Unruh because he told the lobbyists to give him the money and that he would funnel it. The CDC changed that by raising money and distributing it to the slate. That put the Democrats on the map, and they won in 1958. It was a shame CDC lost favor. The young delegates would stay up all night and wear out the oldsters, who went to bed. Then resolutions were adopted that were too liberal, so the candidates repudiated CDC. The resolutions were proven right, but it was too bad they were ahead of the times. (7:08-16:08)... Helen Gahagan Douglas was brave to go against an incumbent. She ran an individual campaign for US Senate in 1950, and Remley received $55/week to work full time for her. Remley describes just one day in the campaign, starting with a breakfast in South Pasadena, two house meetings in the mornings, big luncheon in San Marino, two afternoon house meetings and a big evening affair in El Monte. Remley spent every day at the headquarters they set up at the Rosslyn Hotel in LA. She handled the phones, mailings, and produced a weekly newsletter. There were five or six paid workers and lots of volunteers, including Roz Weiman who later became an LA City Council member. Cardinal McIntyre, who was strongly advocating for Nixon tried to have one of the volunteers fired from Loyola, where he taught. [Editor's note: starting at 12:55, Remley repeats the account she gave earlier of her publicly proclaiming that State Sen. McAteer supported Helen Gahagan Douglas.] (16:08-18:52)... Jimmy Roosevelt campaigned from a bus, and Remley had fun riding it occasionally. She never understood why he lost to Earl Warren in 1950. Warren was so popular, and although he was honest he was lackadaisical. The legislature was run by lobbyists and some of the most crooked things passed. She recounts writing Warren, opposing the one-district, one-Senator law, pointing out her vote was worth one-fourth of what it would be if she lived across the street, in Pasadena. In his memoirs Warren admitted it was a completely political decision, partly because only LA county was unhappy. After he got on Supreme Court, he saw how it disfranchised so many people nationwide and corrected it. He made wonderful decisions on Supreme Court; it will take the Berger court a hundred years to undo it all. (18:52-30:48)... Note: the interviewer recaps Remley's Long Beach activities in this segment: During campaigns, Remley worked from early morning until late at night, not seeing much of her family. CDC was only in her district. Her husband's job with the Board of Education brought them to Long Beach in 1952. She hated the move, never liking change. Their son Joe was in high school, Edgar was married, and Noel was a night manager at Clock Restaurant in Maywood. At that time, she was on Executive Committee working for Adlai Stevenson, who ran twice, and worked for Kennick. She went to Asilomar for Cranston's first meeting. Long Beach had an active and enthusiastic Council, composed of many Ph.D's and teachers from Long Beach State and City College. However, once the Stevenson campaigns were over, she never saw them again. Men formed a Long Beach Democratic Club; Kennick's name had just been announced as running so he was made president for publicity purposes. She comments that this was not the democratic way to do things. *** File: refzremley11.mp3 (0:00-3:45)... Remley didn't like the paid public relations consultant, Johnny Johnston, that Kennick hired because he would work for anyone who would hire him, Republican or Democrat. Kennick was selected to run for assembly because he seemed like the only candidate who could win. He devised a clever system getting names of those who would sign up for the campaign at a big party and then writing each requesting the names of two others and repeating the process with those names. At the halfway point they had over half the Democrats in a card file and concentrated their mailings to that list, which was more current than the party lists. And even though they called everyone on election day to vote, Kennick still lost. (3:45-8:00)... Remley's job was always mainly organizing and running offices. She'd be at the office on Orange in Signal Hill practically all night, with just her big dog, and never worry about it. She comment that apathy is the big problem. If the committees had done their job, there'd have been no need for CDC. But you'd elect people to committees and never hear from them again. With Democrats holding almost all the offices now, you'd expect interest. She used to get two hundred people to an event, but not they had only 56 people to an event for a candidate. Her annual picnic for Voorhees attracted 2,000, many just to hear Voorhees. She contends only a rock group could get people out. It takes a lot of hounding to get people to work and commit. (8:00-16:30)... Adlai Stevenson was like a fresh breeze, but people claimed that his speeches went over the listeners' heads. Remley worked hard for him in San Francisco in 1960 and became the secretary-treasurer of a club, with a Prudential executive named McIlhenny as the president. They didn't have a cent of money, so Remley put an ad in the Chronicle personals: "Californians for Stevenson, call (her number)." She had also listed her address and she was flooded with mail from all over northern California. Money poured in. They got blue and gold stamps, "Vote Democratic." Fifty to a sheet and sold for a dollar a stamp, all over the country. (16:30-19:19)... In l960, still working for Stevenson in San Francisco, they made the biggest sign ever. With no headquarters, Remley set up a card table on the street and got a lot of money. She recounts the exchange with the manager of Macy's when she asked if she could store the table there. Although he ultimately okayed it, he would come by every day and growl at the card table. (19:19-22:18)... Peter Drucker's young son was sent out to work with them, probably paid from Washington. He and Remley came back to southern California where they set up at a store at the Paramount theater building, selling Stevenson paraphernalia, with great success. Berkeley was strong for Stevenson, but everyone was very discouraged at the convention. Bloc voting required delegations to vote for Kennedy on the first ballot and there wasn't a second. The whole effort was probably futile. Stevenson didn't come out until late. He had been defeated twice and maybe lost heart. But nobody could have defeated Eisenhower. The slogan "I like Ike" was worth a million dollars-or ten million. It was electrifying, and Ike was the father figure who would fix everybody's problems. (22:18-26:12)... Remley notes that the hardest campaigns on which she worked were in 1958, managing Cranston's and Mosk's, among others, as well as working for AFL/CIO against Prop 14, the right to work proposition. She persuaded the union to finance headquarters in about twenty cities, instead of giving money to candidates. The union also paid her a salary. She covered a large area: Gardena, Redondo, Hermosa, Paramount as State Chairman for AFL/CIO No on 14. Democrats won every state office that year except for Lopez. While he ran a good campaign, the state may not have been ready for a minority then. (26:12-30:53)... Stanley Mosk was attorney general while Pat Brown was governor. He was one of the great men of the state and Remley couldn't understand why Jerry Brown didn't make him Chief Justice instead of Rose Bird. He was getting old and would have retired In her favor before long. The Bird appointment caused "an awful uproar". She may have been brilliant, but Mosk had made a terrific contribution on the court. Remley didn't get into finance work. It takes big contributions, personal solicitations, and she didn't have those connections. She put on house parties, but they were mostly talking to themselves, the crowds didn't come out. Dan Lundgren's whole campaign was house parties, but of course, he had thousands of dollars behind him. End of tape. *** File: refzremley12.mp3 (0:00-1:35)... Remley talks about house parties becoming the acceptable way to raise money and campaign, but notes that she did something new in San Francisco for Glenn Anderson's lieutenant governor campaign. She organized ten-minute meetings. Someone would get everyone in an apartment building together, and Anderson would come for ten minutes and then be off to another one. He'd meet a lot of people in a day. End of tape.
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