Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2021 September 23

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September 23

Andrew Jackson Allison (???)

Need help identifying the subject of an article in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1926-1947). The article seems to provide a lot clues, but they lead nowhere: a different person was in charge of the Boy Scouts, there are no traces of "the Conference of Youth Organizations", no viaf records for prolific author of articles, etc.

Here is the translation of the article: "Allison, Andrew Jackson, American public figure, b. 1892; from 1924 -- a member of executive committee of the Conference of Youth Organizations, from 1925 -- the director of Central Council of Social Agencies. Son of a hairdresser, Allison was, in turn, a butcher, a fitter, an assistant bacteriologist at experimental station of the Department of Agriculture, a teacher, a community activist. Graduated from a university. One of the energetic fighters for the rights of Afro-Americans; organizer of several labor unions of Afro-American workers. From 1922 to 1925 he was in charge of the Boy Scouts. Author of many articles, mainly on labor participation of Afro-Americans."

And here is Russian version: "АЛЛИСОН (Allison), Эндрью Джексон, америк. обществ, деятель, род. 1892; с 1924 член исполнительного комитета конференции юношеских организаций, с 1925 директор Central Council of Social Agencies. Сын парикмахера, А. был поочередно мясником, литейщиком, монтером, помощником бактериолога на опытной станции Департамента земледелия, педагогом, коммунальным деятелем. Окончил университет. Один из энергичных борцов за свободный допуск негров ко всем отраслям труда, в профсоюзы и т. п.; организатор нескольких профсоюзов рабочих-негров. В 1922—25 руководил организацией бой-скоутов. Автор многих статей, преимущественно по вопросам цветного труда."

Any help is greatly appreciated! Cheers, Henry Merrivale (talk) 08:42, 23 September 2021 (UTC).

Does this seem like the right one?[1] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:19, 23 September 2021 (UTC)

The Boy Scout thing seems dubious, as the head of the Boy Scouts of America at that time was James E. West. The leader of the World Organization of the Scout Movement at the time was Hubert S. Martin. He may have been involved in the scout movement, but he was not "in charge" of any significant national or world organization, near as I can tell. --Jayron32 12:34, 23 September 2021 (UTC)

Also of note, this rather straightforward google search turns up bubkis. You'd think if he were that involved in such a major organization, something would turn up. --Jayron32 12:37, 23 September 2021 (UTC)

Here is a reference describing the 1925 wedding of the Andrew Jackson Allison that Baseball Bugs refers to (in later life the alumni secretary at Fisk University) [2]. After the florid description of the minutiae of the event itself, the groom is described thus: "The groom is a young man of remarkable attainments. Only 33 years of age he is a graduate of Frisk, has read law at both Harvard and Yale, has been principal of the high school at Albany, Ga., professor mathematics at the State College at Savannah, president of Zeta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha at Yale University, an organizer of industrial unions among our people in the East, a government employe [sic] in the Department of Agriculture, a community worker and an author of newspaper and magazine articles on industrial conditions in Harlem, New York City. He has been identified with Urban League work and is now executive secretary of the Hartford Council of Social Agencies." No mention of any Scouts affiliation, but otherwise he seems to broadly match the Soviet Encyclopaedia's subject. 115.166.7.124 (talk) 13:55, 23 September 2021 (UTC)

"Employe" is a recognised spelling, no need for [sic]. The most recent citation in OED is from the Ukiah Daily Journal, a Californian publication, in 2007. DuncanHill (talk) 14:14, 23 September 2021 (UTC)

[source] says the (pro-communist) Conference of Youth Organizations met in 1920 and 1921, but like the Central Council of Social Agencies, it is unclear if these organizations are the same as the ones you refer to. DOR (HK) (talk) 21:44, 23 September 2021 (UTC)

The Conference of Youth Organizations, established in Bern in 1915, was an umbrella of youth organizations that were part of the revolutionary socialist movement and denounced the "imperialist" World War. When Komsomol was founded after the October revolution, it became one of the members.^[3] I bet this is all the same organization.  --Lambiam 22:07, 23 September 2021 (UTC)

• Thank you all very much! Grave and the notes in the Sphinx indeed seem to refer to the same person who, in turn, matches the information in the Soviet Encyclopedia quite well. "Central Council of Social Agencies" seems to be (according to the Sphinx) just "Hartford Council of Social Agencies". I guess it's the same story with the Boy Scouts, he probably was in charge of some regional branch. In the end, one is left to wonder what made the editors include him in the Encylopedia? (The article is not in any subsequent edition). I understand that they tried to create an image of the great multitude of "socialist public figures" all over the world, but this is really scrapping the barrel. Cheers, Henry Merrivale (talk) 02:00, 24 September 2021 (UTC).

• It seems that there is an obituary for Andrew J. Allison on page 6 of "Atlanta Voice", Saturday, March 31, 1979. If any one has access to it, a copy is greatly appreciated. Henry Merrivale (talk) 02:35, 24 September 2021 (UTC).

I clipped the obituary in newspapers.com. It does mention in passing his connection to the Boy Scouts. Clarityfiend (talk) 04:08, 24 September 2021 (UTC)

Thank you! Henry Merrivale (talk) 06:18, 24 September 2021 (UTC).

The entry in Russian just says "In 1922-25 led organization of boy scouts." The Russian language does not have articles, so there's no "the" or "a" to tell you whether we're talking about the highest post in the top-level organization, or some ordinary adult leadership role in a local troop, district, etc. (Or perhaps even "led in organizing boy scouts" rather than "an organization".) There's also no capitalization of "boy scouts", so it's worth noting that there were various scouting groups in the United States active at that time, in addition to the Boy Scouts of America. The English version of the entry makes it "the organization" and "Boy Scouts", which seems to say he was head of the BSA, but the Russian version does not imply this. --Amble (talk) 17:42, 24 September 2021 (UTC)