Vladeck City Houses Dedication

Baruch Charney Vladeck, (1886-1938) American Jewish socialist labor leader, and manager of the Jewish Daily Forward.

This episode is from the WNYC archives. It may contain language which is no longer politically or socially appropriate.

Housing development's namesake (Baruch Charney Vladeck) is honored by his daughter on Thanksgiving Eve, the first day of construction. She reads poems he wrote before his recent death.

Second speaker is likewise not introduced. He honors Vladeck similarly and discusses the history of public housing in the city.

Third unidentified speaker (Mayor La Guardia) references the choir and says he's not in a good mood this evening and then dazzles the audience with a story about chasing lawyers out of his office who said he couldn't build houses. Wagner Act allowed money to be available, Federal Housing Administrator, Nathan Strauss, Red Hook Housing Unit, housing in Harlem, Queens, etc.

Additional information: NYTimes article "MAYOR HAILS WORK ON VLADECK HOMES" Nov 23, 1939 (source of date)


Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection


WNYC archives id: 69139
Municipal archives id: LT379