The papers of Paul William Preisler-biochemist, union organizer, lawyer and photographer were deposited in the University of Missouri-St. Louis Archives and Manuscripts Division by the executors of his estate in the Spring of 1972. The collection has been processed and organized; it is now open to the public.
Preisler dedicated his life to bettering his community and protecting the civil liberties of its citizens. His life included many causes and interests, ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union and his opposition to the proposed Food and Drug Act of Congress in the nineteen thirties to founding Local 420 of the American Federation of Teachers, to the political redistricting of the City of St. Louis and the State of Missouri. He was active in the campaign to change the 2/3 majority vote needed to pass school taxes. Although he was a veteran campaigner for public office, having run eleven times he never won an election.
Preisler was honored several times for his dedication and work in the community. Among his honors were the Page One Award, granted by the St. Louis Newspaper Guild, and certificates of appreciation from both the Easter and Western Chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union. In many organizations, Preisler was elected to offices such as the president or vice president or vice president. (See list at end.)
Paul William Preisler was born May 31, 1902. His father ,Ernest Preisler, was an architect and realtor in St. Louis. Many homes designed by him are still standing in South St. Louis. Martha Witter Preisler, mother of Paul, was a descendant of an old St. Louis family which owned and operated Witter's Book Store, a locally famous store and a literary salon. Preisler had three brothers and two sisters.
As a young boy, he attended Sherman Grammar School, followed by McKinley High School. During the summers, the Preisler family would vacation at Elkhart Lakes in Wisconsin. It was here that Preisler developed a life-long interest in turtles. Later as an adult, Preisler would entertain the vacationers with turtle races. In the fall of 1919, he entered Washington University. He graduated four years later with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. He continued his education receiving his Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 1927. The same year he married Doris Bausch, a botanist and physiologist. Preisler then worked as a post doctoral fellow in Washington, D.C., Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. After finishing his work on the west coast, he returned to St. Louis and was hired by the Washington University School of Medicine as instructor. He remained with the University until 1941 when he joined the army. After the war, he returned to the University staying until 1950 when he began to study law.
During the thirties, Preisler campaigned vigorously against the proposed Food and Drug Act in Congress. he gave lectures with slides (some of which are in the collection). He spoke to the academic and science community, as wall as to the general public. Preisler demanded more stringent rules for the sale of drugs, listing of the contents on cans and bottles, and the removal of quacks in the business.
In 1935, Preisler helped found the St. Louis Chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, Local 420. He was elected its first president. His first and most important task was to force the Board of Education to allow teachers to unionize, something fiercely opposed by the Board. Two years later, as the result of a court suit to force a non-partisan board election, the teachers were allowed to unionize. On the national level, Preisler became influential in the union and was elected International Vice-President for two terms (1938-1940; 1940-1942). An avid anti-Communist, Preisler was helpful in ousting three locals from the national federation for alleged Communist infiltration. However, there were repercussions from his duties with the Federation. Washington University did not endorse Preisler's union activities, but they did not wish to fire him, so they kept him at the level of instructor. (For further information please consult the Supplement to the Papers, the taped oral histories interview with Mr. Bostic Franklin, member of the AFT, and 2 part article, Walter Ehrlich "Birth Pangs of a Teachers Union: The St. Louis Story" MHR Vol. LXXIX numbers 1 and 2, 1984).
Also in the Depression decade, Preisler joined the Socialist Party. He was elected Chairman of the City Central Committee, a position held until 1952, when he resigned from the Party. One of his major concerns in the Party was that the Board of Election Commissioners refused minority parties and non-partisan candidates the right to have challengers and watchers at the election polls. As chairman, Preisler filed suit against the Board. In the early fifties, the case finally reached the Supreme Court of Missouri which ruled in Preisler's favor. Minorities could now have challengers and watchers at the polls. (For more information see the Preisler Collection, Series 4, Socialist Party, UMSL Archives and Manuscripts Division). In 1934 after the death of his father, Preisler assumed the presidency of the Preisler Realty Company, in addition to his duties as chemistry instructor, his labor activities and his socialist causes. Preisler stayed with the company until 1943 when the company was sold.
Besides all of the above activities, Preisler also ran for public office in the thirties. In 1937, two years after the St. Louis chapter of the American Federation of Teachers had been founded, Preisler ran for the Board of Education as a non-partisan. The Board refused his candidacy since, by its constitution, it was bi-partisan. In a landmark decision by the Missouri Supreme Court, the Board was forced to accept Preisler's candidacy. The court order was handed down three days before the election which meant all the ballots had to be remade. Preisler was not running to win (which he didn't) but on principle.
When World War II broke out, Preisler entered the United States Army as a captain. He was stationed at Fort Sam Houston in Texas at the Brooks General Hospital. His assignment was to the Sanitary Corps. In January 1946, he was discharged as lieutenant colonel. After the war, he returned to St. Louis. Again, he was in court. This time in 1947, he organized a suit against the Board of Education, because they did not permit married female teachers to work. Again the court ruled in favor of Preisler and women were allowed to retain their positions.
In 1950, at the age of forty-eight, Preisler entered St. Louis University School of Law. He was retained as Research Associate at Washington University with no salary. In 1969, he was awarded Professor Emeritus. he was also still active with the teachers union, but the issue consuming most of his time at this point was the one of redistricting. In 1952 while still a law student Preisler filed his first redistricting suit. It was against the Board of Election Commissioners for improper drawing of the election districts. He lost in the lower court but on second appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court, he won. St. Louis was forced to redraw her election maps.
Next he turned his attention to the United States Congressional Districts of the state. He filed in 1962, on the grounds that the districts were not as compact and "nearly equal in population as may be." In 1965, the issue was brought before the Missouri General Assembly, which was responsible for legislating the districts. The General Assembly proposed a plan and the electorate voted for it in 1965. Early in 1966, Preisler refiled the suit for he did not think that the 1965 plan was fair enough. Late in the summer of 1966, the Missouri Supreme Court declared the 1965 plan unconstitutional. By 1969, the difference in Congressional representation was less than 2000 in population per district. At the time of his death in 1971, he was involved in another redistricting suit. In 1975, the court voted against Preisler's suit. (For more information on the Redistricting Cases, please consult the Supplement to the Papers-Taped oral history interviews with Mr. David Hemenway, Mr. Charles Blackmar, Mr. David Grant. Also Series 6, Paul William Preisler Papers). As a lawyer, Preisler served gratuitously as a Counselor for the ACLU. He defended the right of students to wear long hair, hold anti-war demonstrations, and the publish uncensored newspapers. He also defended prisoners and women against discrimination.
He was also involved in municipal affairs. he filed suit against the City of St. Louis when it proposed the roadway through Shaw's Garden. Due to the vehement protest from Preisler and the other citizens, the plan was dropped. Another case was that of the License collector's job. Preisler contested it claiming it was patronage. However, he lost this case.
Often, Preisler's fight against discrimination took the form of running for office. He ran as a Socialist for the Missouri legislature in 1934 and 1936. He campaigned for the Board of Education in 1937, 1939, 1959, 1965, 1967, and 1971 as a non-partisan. In 1940 and 1957, he ran for the Board of Alderman also as a non-partisan. In 1954, Preisler ran for the United States Congress. This campaign was another one contested in the courts. The dispute revolved around the filing fee. The Secretary of State of Missouri, Walter Toberman, refused to accept the Preisler candidacy as a non-partisan; his argument was that a statute was designed to stop Communist and splinter parties from filing unless they had a substantial number of votes in the proceeding election. Preisler argued that he could run as an individual and not as a representative of a party. The case went before the Missouri Supreme Court which ruled in favor of Preisler. Preisler did not win any of these elections. However, he successfully defended the rights of other non-partisan candidates, many of whom were subsequently elected. (See Paul William Preisler Papers, Series 3).
Outside interests of Preisler included bridge playing, cooking and photography. (Please see the Preisler Photo Collection, also in the Archives of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. For further information regarding Preisler, please consult the Supplement to the Collection; taped oral interviews with various people who knew and worked with Preisler).
Preisler was a member of many organizations, both professional and non-professional. In some of them, he was elected to high office and was presented with awards for his dedication to others. Because of the many organizations and honors, it is easier to simply list them.
Professional Organizations:
American Association for the Advancement of Sciences
American Chemical Society
Counselor, 1949-1950
Secretary-Treasurer, Division of Biological Chemistry, 1948-1951
American Electrochemical Society
American Federation of Technical Engineers
American Society of Biological Chemistry
Association of Military Surgeons of the United States Engineers Club of American Societies for Experimental Biology
American Bar Association
Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
Non-Professional Organizations:
American Civil Liberties Union Counselor, 1968-1971
American Federation of Teachers, 1935-1971
President, Local 420, 1935-1942
International Vice-President, 1937-39; 1940-42; 1950
Chairman of Legislative Committee
Executive Secretary, 1965
Central Trades and Labor Union
Chairman of the Education Committee and Delegate
Federation of Economic and Political Education
2nd Vice President
Gamma Alpha
Missouri State Historical Society
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Member-Executive Committee
St. Louis Labor Education Project
National Geographic Society
National Organization on Legal Problems of Education (NOLPE)
Phi Sigma
Public Education Association
Treasurer
St. Louis Labor Council
Sigma Xi
Socialist Party
Chairman of the City Central Committee, 1934-1951
State Committee of Missouri
Workers Defense League
Awards:
1952-Appreciation from the American Chemical Society
1957-Page One Award-St. Louis Newspaper Guild
1960-Appreciation Honor from the American Federation of Teachers, Local 420
1968-ACLU Award from Easter and Western Missouri Chapters
1969-Award from the American Jewish Congress
1972-Posthumously-Meritorious Service Award from St. Louis Metropolitan New Democratic Coalition In 1971, Preisler died at his home in St. Louis.
See also:
sl 498 Paul Preisler, Addenda
sl 548 Paul Preisler, Photo Collection
FOLDER LIST
BOX 1
1. Degrees, transcripts and licenses 1902-1968
2. School yearbooks and commencement programs, 1917-1971
3. Kindergarten art book, 1908
BOX 2
4. Singers Joy: The Newest Pocket Song Book for Germans in America, 1858
5. Warrens Geography for Beginners, 1860 (In German)
6. Poesie-Buch, German Scrapbook, 1899-1927
7. Missouri Home Guard booklet, 1918
8. Socialist Party campaign handbook, 1932
9. Correspondence, 1930-1971
BOX 3
10. Membership material, 1926-1971
11. Membership cards, 1926-1971
12. Membership certificates, nd
13. Scientific papers, 1928-1959
14. Newsclippings, 1952-1959
15. Newsclippings, 1957-1971
16. Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin material, nd
BOX 4
17. Military records, 1919-1950
18. Military service material, 1942-1944
19, A Picture of America, nd
BOX 5
20. Food and Drug correspondence, 1932-1937
21. Food and Drug, reference material, 1931-1937
22. Food and Drug, reference material, 1931-1939
23. Food and Drug, reference material, 1931-1939
24. Food and Drug, newsclippings, 1931-1939
BOX 6
25. Food and Drug correspondence, reference books and pamphlets, 1931-1937
BOX 7
26. American Federation of Teachers, correspondence, 1935
27. American Federation of Teachers material, 1935-1968
28. American Federation of Teachers material, 1936-1966
29. American Federation of Teachers, newsclips, nd
BOX 8
30. American Federation of Teachers, School Board election correspondence, 1935-1937
31. American Federation of Teachers, Michigan case of dismissed teacher, 1939-1940
32. American Federation of Teachers, Married teacher case, 1944-1947
33. American Federation of Teachers, Local 5 in New York City, 1941
34. American Federation of Teachers, Newsclippings, 1935-1936
35. American Federation of Teachers, School Board newsclippings, 1940
BOX 9
36. American Federation of Teachers, St. Louis scrapbook, 1938-1942
37. American Federation of Teachers, Transcript of record, Philidelphia, 1941
38. School Board election correspondence, 1937
39. School Board election material, 1937
40. School Board election newsclippings, 1937
41. School Board election campaign material, 1939
BOX 10
42. School Board election campaign material, 1939
43. School Board election newsclippings, 1939
44. School Board appointment by Mayor, newsclippings, 1940
45. Campaign for Congress correspondence, 1954
46. Campaign for Congress newsclippings and endorsements, 1954
47. Campaign for Congress financial records, 1954
48. Campaign for Congress newsclippings, 1954
49. Board of Freeholders election case, 1956
50. Race for Board of Aldermen, 1957
51. Race for Board of Aldermen correspondence, 1957
52. Board of Education campaign, financial records, 1959
53. Board of Education campaign literature, 1959
54. Board of Education campaign, newsclippings, 1959
BOX 11
55. Board of Education campaign, scrapbook newsclippings, 1959
56. Political party literature, 1932-1964
57. Board of Education campaign correspondence, 1965
58. Board of Education campaign flyers and pamphlets, 1965
59. Board of Education campaign newsclippings, 1965
60. Board of Education campaign financial records, 1965
61. Board of Education campaign correspondence, 1967
62. Board of Education campaign conflict of interest, 1967
63. Board of Education campaign newsclippings, 1967
64. Board of Trustees for Junior College District campaign, 1969
65. Board of Education campaign, 1971
BOX 12
66. Challengers and watchers court case (Socialist Party), 1938-1951
67. Socialist Party correspondence, 1935-1953
68. Socialist Party material, 1932-1968
69. Socialist Party newsclippings, 1933-1966
70. Socialist Party Challenger and Watcher correspondence, 1936-1966
71. Non partisan candidates, correspondence, 1954-1970
72. State of Missouri vs. Walter Toberman, 1954
73. Hilsman bill material, 1951-1953
BOX 13
74. Preisler vs. Hearnes and Eagleton, 1951-1962
75. Non Partisan court case, 1951-1954
76. Non Partison (Board of Alderman, 1959
77. Non Partisan cases, 1936
78. Ruth Porter campaign, 1966
79. Correspondence with Nancy Jewell, 1966
80. Verburg case, 1968-1970
81. Non partisan candidates rights, 1958
BOX 14
82. Non partisan candidates briefs, 1957-1977
83. Non partisan candidates newsclippings, 1951-1977
84. Non partisan candidates literature, 1949-1970
85. Charles Evers, nd
86. Mississippi law brief letters, 1965-1970
87. Mississippi law correspondence, 1970-1971
88. City Charter proposal correspondence, 1938
89. City Charter proposal material, 1949-1956
90. Proportional representation, New York city, 1937-1938
91. City Charters, Toledo, Ohio (1934), Cincinnati, Ohio (1933), St. Louis (1914)
92. City Charter newsclippings, 1938-1956
BOX 15
93. Redistricting, congressional, correspondence, 1961-1971
94. Aportionment suits financial records, 1963-1968
95. Redistricting, newsclippings, 1961-1965
96. Redistricting, U.S. Supreme Court material, 1971
BOX 16
97. Redistricting resources, 1946-1971
98. Apportionment court cases, 1931-1969
BOX 17
99. Redistricting, St. Louis, 1966-1971
100. Apportionment, Municipal League statistics, 1962-1963
101. Redistricting newsclippings, 1952-1971
BOX 18
102. Redistricting, Preisler vs. Doherty, 1952-1955
103. Redistricting, Preisler vs. Hearnes, 1961
104. Redistricting suits, 1964
105. Redistricting, Preisler vs. Sec. of State of Missouri et al. 1965-1972
106. Preisler vs. Sec. of State of Missouri, 1961
107. Preisler vs. Sec. of State of Missouri, 1965-1966
108. Preisler vs. Sec. of State of Missouri, 1966-1967
109. Preisler vs. Sec. of State of Missouri, 1968
BOX 19
110. Preisler III court appearence
111. Redistricting, 1967
112. Redistricting, reference cases, 1952-1971
BOX 20
113. Reaopportionment news releases, nd
114. Perry County documents, 1971
115. Perry County redistricting case, 1971
116. Perry Countt redistricting newsclippings, 1971
117. Redistricting, Special School District, 1970 (MAP)
118. Redistricting, Supreme Court decisions, 1964-1971
119. Preisler vs. Kirkpatrick Supreme Court transcript, 1969
120. Missouri School Law, 1970
121. Election Laws of the State of Missouri, 1969-1970
122. Fair and Equal Districts, 1970
Metropolitan Representation, 1969
One Man One Vote, 1962
123. Apportionment, Cole county, 1963
BOX 21
124. Apportionmnet, Missouri Supreme Court, 1965
125. Apportionment, declaratory judgement, 1965
126. Redistricting, North Carolina case, 1965-1967
127. Redistricting, Missouri Supreme Court briefs, 1952-1962
BOX 22
128. Redistricting, U.S. Supreme Court briefs, 1966-1967
129. Redistricting, U.S. Supreme Court briefs, 1967-1968
130. Jonas, Preisler et al vs. State of Missouri, exhibits, 1964-1966
131. Wards boundry suit, 1968-1972
BOX 23
132. City ward revision newsclippings, 1968-1971
133. Senate redistricting exhibits, data and maps, 1968-1971
134. Two-thirds majority correspondence, 1969
BOX 24
135. Two-thirds majority correspondence, 1970-1971
136. Two-thirds majority speaking engagements, 1969-1971
137. Two-thirds majority financial correspondence, 1969-1970
138. Two-thirds majority resource material, 1965-1970
139. Two-thirds majority newsclippings, 1969-1970
140. County Health Center court file, 1968-1970
141. Preisler vs. Board of Education of St. Louis, 1969-1971
142. Preisler vs. Mayor of St. Louis, 1969-1971
BOX 25
143. University City school tax, 1969-1973
144. University City school tax exhibits, 1968-1970
145. Constitution and statutes, 1945-1969
146. Notes for preparing briefs, 1964-1970
147. U.S. district court briefs, nd
148. U.S. Supreme Court, Kansas City briefs, 1970
149. Kansas City cases, briefs, 1969-1970
BOX 26
150. West Virginia briefs, 1969-1970
151. West Virginia briefs, 1970
152. West Virginia briefs, 1968-1970
153. California case, 1969
154. California case briefs, 1969
BOX 27
155. Two-thirds majority, related cases, 1961-1968
156. Two-thirds majority, Washington state case, 1969-1970
157. Two-thirds majority, Bogert vs. Kinzer, 1970
158. Two-thirds majority, election contest in Illinois, 1968
159. Two-thirds majority, Iowa case, Adams vs. Fort Madison schools, 1969-1970
160. Two-thirds majority, Minnesota case, 1969-1970
161. ACLU, correspondence, 1968-1971
162. ACLU, reports, pamphlets and flyers, 1968-1970
BOX 28
163. ACLU, source cases for legal study, 1970
164. ACLU, women's rights, 1970
165. ACLU, censorship of mail by U.S. postal service, 1970
166. ACLU, double jeopardy, 1970
167. ACLU, teacher health exams, 1968-1970
168. ACLU, Green case, 1968-1971
169. ACLU, student rights, 1969-1971
170. ACLU, obsenity laws, 1969-1970
171. ACLU, discrimmination, 1970
BOX 29
172. ACLU, acedemic freedom, 1966-1971
173. ACLU, marijuana, anti-war, SANE, 1969-1970
174. ACLU, ROTC at Washington University, 1970
175. ACLU, free press at University of Missouri, 1968-1970
176. ACLU, Higher Education Coordinating Council of Metropolitan St. Louis, 1966-1970
177. ACLU, abortion, 1969-1970
178. ACLU, underground newspapers, 1968
179. ACLU, human rights, seperation of church and state, 1970
180. ACLU, taxation, 1970
181. ACLU, cases, 1970
182. ACLU, National Guard and the Constitution, 1970
183. Law articles, 1949-1953
BOX 30
184. Legislation, St. Louis schools, 1951-1952
185. School tax, 1951
186. Elections, Attorney Generals opinions, 1952-1970
187. License collector case, 1956
BOX 31
188. St. Louis Labor Education Project, 1948-1950
189. Statute code for Missouri, 1953
190. Juvinile court, 1953-1954
191. Long vs Board of Education, 1960
192. Goldmacher vs. Lorne, 1959-1961
193. Magenheim vs. Board of Education, briefs, 1960
194. Magenheim vs. Board of Education, newsclippings, 1960
195. Magenheim vs. Board of Education, recipts, 1960
196. Class suits, 1960-1962
197. Tower Grove Park suit, 1962-1965
BOX 32
198. Smoking, 1967-1970
199. Electoral College, 1966
200. Triple A Golf Club in Forest Park, 1962-1964
201. LaDriere and Baldwin vs. Padberg et al., 1969
202. Survey of initiative and referendum petitions, 1968
203. Election procedure, 1970
204. Political material, 1963-1973
205. Student voting, 1971
206. California school tax case, 1971
207. Law and the Sex Revolution, 1971
208. Preisler vs. Board of Education, 1971
209. Write-in label affixing case, 1970-1971
BOX 33
210. Write-in label affixing case, newsclippings, 1971
211. Write-in label affixing case, reference cases, 1971
212. Labor issues, 1949-1968
213. Fluoridation, 1969
214. Federation for Economic and Political Education, 1946-1948
215. Notary Public Information, 1936-1969
216. NAACP, 1962-1967
217. Kinloch, Segregation
218. St. of Missouri vs. Circuit Court of St. Louis, 1966-1967
219. Pamphlets, 1968-1971
220. "The Horror of It: Camera Records of War's Gruesome Glories." Xerox copy of publication dated 1932; Certifcates, 1916-1955; also in Oversize box
221. Photographs 235.1-235.27. Personal photos of Preisler and family members.
BOX 34
222. Finding aids with contact prints for negatives included in folder 224 (235.28-235.58)
223. Glass negatives of photographs 235.28-235.58, taken in Chicago, ca 1900
224. Glass negatives of photographs 235.59-235.93, apparently part of a Food and Drug Act slide presentation
BOX 35
v235.1 May Day Outtakes, 1934; S.P. Candidates at Union Station (16mm, B&W, silent)
v235.2a May Day 1936 &1938 (16mm, B&W, silent)
v235.2b Audiocassette to accompany May Day 1936-1938 Preisler film-by Anne Spillenkothen (16mm, B&W, silent)
v235.3 May Day, 1938-old and original movie film from the Paul Preisler collection (16mm, B&W, silent)
v235.4 Auto Workers, ILGWU Picnic (16mm, B&W, silent)-Badly damaged in beginning and warped throughout; not projected
v235.5-Banquet speakers, more women than men, all with badge (16mm, B&W, silent)
v235.6 Doug Anderson, Bob Saunders (speakers), E (S?) Butler-card tricks; lab-E. Ronzoni (16mm, B&W, silent)
v235.7 Preisler May Day Somewhere between 1934 and 1938; Strikers/ILGWU BBQ (ND), Lab Convention (probably ILGWU (ND) (VHS; from 16mm)
v235.8 Preisler Film, May Day 1934; Autoworkers ILGWU Picnic (VHS; from 16mm)
INDEX
ACLU, f. 161-182
American Federation of Teachers, f. 26-37
Board of Alderman, f. 50-51
Board of Education, f. 38-44, 52-55, 57-63, 65
Board of Freeholders, f. 49
Charter, City, f. 88-92
County Health Center, f. 140
Eagleton, Tom f. 74
Evers, Charles, f. 85
Fluoridation, f. 213
Food and Drug, f. 20-25
Forest Park, f. 200
Germans in America, f. 4, 6
Hearnes, Warren, f. 74
Hilsman bill, f. 73
Junior College District, f. 64
Juvenile Court, f. 190
Kinloch, MO, f. 217
Labor, f. 212, f. 26-37
Missouri School Law, f. 120
NAACP, f. 216
Perry County, f. 114-116
Porter, Ruth, f. 78
Preisler, Paul, f. 1-122
Redistricting, f. 93-105, 111-112, 117-118, 122-133
Smoking, f. 198
Socialist Party, f. 8, 66-70
Toberman, Walter, f. 72
Tower Grove Park, f. 197
Two-thirds Majority, f. 134-139, 155-160
University City, f. 143-144
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI RESEARCH CENTER-ST. LOUIS
222 THOMAS JEFFERSON LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
ONE UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD
ST. LOUIS, MO 63121
(314) 516-5143
whmc@umsl.edu