Frances Wheeler Sayler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frances Wheeler Sayler
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Sayler, 1944
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Frances Lee Wheeler
December 18, 1916 |
| Died | April 27, 1957 (aged 40) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | civil rights activist, labor organizer, and government worker |
| Years active | 1937–1957 |
Frances Wheeler Sayler (born December 18, 1916 – died April 27, 1957) was an American activist. She worked for fairness and workers' rights. She helped investigate unfair employer practices and worked for the government to support women. Later, she became an organizer for a big union called the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America. Frances was a key part of the early civil rights movement. She fought to end segregation (keeping people apart based on race) in places like movie theaters. She also worked to get rid of the poll tax, which made it harder for some people to vote.
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Early Life and Education
Frances Lee Wheeler was born on December 18, 1916, in Butte, Montana. Her parents were Lulu M. and Burton K. Wheeler. She was one of six children in her family. Her father was a lawyer who became a US Senator. Frances went to Mount Holyoke College. She finished her studies at Connecticut College in 1937.
Working for Change
Frances Wheeler started her career working for the United States Women's Bureau. In the mid-1930s, she joined the La Follette Committee. This government group looked into unfair actions by employers against workers. In 1938, she began working for the National Labor Relations Board.
Frances was very active in the movement to end the poll tax. This tax made it harder for some people to vote. In the early 1940s, she became an executive secretary for the National Committee to Abolish the Poll Tax. She used her connections to help the committee get office space.
On August 15, 1941, Frances married Allen Sayler. He was also a government worker. Her parents had different political views from Frances and Allen.
Fighting for Civil Rights
Frances and Allen Sayler lived in Maryland. They were both active in the early civil rights movement. Frances worked to end segregation in movie theaters and restaurants. She focused on areas like Bethesda and Rockville. Allen also worked to promote education for all races.
After leaving government work in 1942, Sayler joined the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America union. This union was part of the Congress of Industrial Organizations. She helped connect unions with the government. She also joined committees to improve relationships between different industries.
Labor Organizing Work
In 1945, Sayler moved to Detroit. There, she worked as a labor organizer. She helped lead a two-week strike in 1946 at the Whyte Electric Company. This strike made news across the country. She continued working with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America until 1950. She left her job when her first daughter, Diana, was born. Three years later, she had a second daughter, Gloria.
In 1955, Frances Sayler was called to answer questions from a government committee. This committee was called the House Un-American Activities Committee. They questioned her because they thought she might have ties to communism. Her father, who was a lawyer, helped her. She wanted to refuse to answer questions. However, her father convinced her to answer and state that she was not against America.
Later Life and Legacy
Frances Sayler passed away on April 27, 1957. She died from a brain tumor in Bethesda, Maryland. In 1946, Sayler started writing a book about her father's life. She could not finish it before she died. However, in 1962, Paul F. Healy used her research. He used it to write his book, Yankee from the West.
