George W. Welsh collection

Collection

Identifier: Collection 317

Staff Only

Abstract

This is a devised collection which brings together various accessions and found materials related to George W. Welsh, a former Mayor and City Manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Welsh served first as City Manager from 1929-1932, later returning to that position briefly in 1954-1955. He held the position as Mayor from 1938 to 1950. Some of Welsh's most significant contributions came during the Depression years. As City Manager, he instituted a scrip system of wage payment, providing work and food through operations such as the municipal food store and providing housing for single men. The collection includes newspaper and magazine clippings, scrapbooks, photographs and images from an exhibit.

Dates

Circa 1940s-1970s

Biographical / Historical

George W. Welsh was a former Mayor and City Manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Welsh served first as City Manager from 1929-1932, later returning to that position briefly in 1954-1955. He held the position as Mayor from 1938 to 1950.

One of Welsh's significant achievements is considered to be during the Depression years, when with the support of the City Commission, all manner of support was provided to destitute local families and individuals, before the federal welfare systems were established. Acting as City Manager, Welsh instituted a scrip system of wage payment, provided work and food through operations such as the municipal food store or one of the other thirty work operations and provided housing for single men.

One of the projects to provide work that Welsh pushed through was the construction of the Civil Auditorium Building. With his leadership, voters passed a 1.5 million dollar bond issue for construction, Apr. 7, 1930. The Civic Auditorium, built in 1931/1932 and mostly razed in 2002, was renamed the George W. Welsh Civic Auditorium in 1974, in his honor.

During his administration as Mayor, Welsh worked to build a pipeline to Lake Michigan, in 1939-1940. He also worked with statewide lobbies to see that part of the State sales tax was returned to the local level. He was active in state politics for many years, but never won the higher offices he sought. Welsh was a power seeker and was often opposed in his bids for positions, at both the state and local level. He was outed from his mayoral position by the Citizen's Action movement, while being sought nationally and internationally at the same time, for his ideas and leadership.

Extent

3.6 Linear Feet (Six boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Accession numbers 1986.311, 1986.293

Related Materials

Coll. 029-14-48/49, Grand Rapids Typographical Union No. 39 Records. Correspondence (1944-1956) and contract with the George W. Welsh Printing Co.

Coll. 043, Morris Photo Coll. Image #1 Grand Rapids American Legion Delegation RE Conference Planning. Image includes George Welsh and Thomas Walsh. Also image nos. 471 and 497.

Coll. 046-20A-52, Chamber of Commerce Collection

Coll. 051, Grand Rapids Citizens League Papers.

Coll. 059, Hooper. Includes an image of George Welsh on a houseboat.

Coll. 067, Grand Rapids City Welfare Department. Scrip Labor Collection.

Coll. 075, Tom Walsh Collection, images of Welsh RE the airport.

Coll. 104, Dorothy Judd Collection, RE her law suit vs Welsh.

Coll. 125, various images, including those taken for articles in the Grand Rapids Herald.

Coll. 158, Helen Meade George Welsh Scrapbook

Coll. 164, GRPL Oral History Collection. Contains three different oral tapes, either presentations or interviews, including reminiscences in general, and information on annexation, and the Scrip program.

Coll. 175, GRPL Moving Images Collection. See Welsh segments on a couple of films, including “Grand Rapids presents its Mayor, George Welsh” on the Grand Rapids Film Sampler.

Coll. 185-3-30. Welsh images with copy negatives, most also found in this collection.

Coll. 203, Thomas J. Majchrzak Collection provides information on Majchrzak's experience managing the Social Center which, along with the Scrip program, were Welsh developed welfare programs during the 1930's.

Coll. 216, Welsh political ephemera.

Coll. 239-98.5, GRPL Scrapbook Collection. Welsh Recall Scrapbook.

Coll. 263, George Welsh and the ship the USS Grand Rapids.

Coll. 273, Father Dennis Morrow Coll. Image of George W. Welsh Company Building.

Coll. 303, GRPL City of Grand Rapids Collection, for city documents authored by Welsh as City Manager or as Mayor.

Coll. 326-P1, Colorama Studio Collection. Photo of Welsh seated at his desk.