CITRINE, Walter Mclennan, 1887-1983, 1st Baron Citrine, trade unionist

Scope and Content

Citrine's diaries and diary notes, and original shorthand diaries; reference notebooks; correspondence and papers; general files and correspondence relating to the Trades Union Congress; papers relating to the National Coal Board and the Industrial Relations Bill, 1970; material relating to Citrine's honours and eminent contemporaries; press cuttings and printed material; and photographs.

Administrative / Biographical History

Walter McLennan Citrine, 1887-1983, left school at 12 to work in a flour mill. He soon became an electrician holding a variety of jobs. He joined the Electrical Trades Union in 1911, becoming Mersey District Secretary, 1914-1920, and General Secretary of the Electrical Trades Union, 1920-1923. He was Assistant Secretary of the TUC, 1924-1925, and General Secretary, 1926-1946. From 1928 to 1945 he was President of the International Federation of Trade Unions. He was also a Director of the Daily Herald Ltd, 1929-1946. During World War Two, Citrine was a member of the National Production Advisory Council, 1942-1946 and 1949-1957, and a trustee of the Imperial Relations Trust, 1937-1949,and the Nuffield Trust for the Forces, 1939-1946. He was also a member of the Cinematograph Films Council, 1938-1948, and served on the Executive Committee of the Red Cross and St John War Organisation, 1939-1946. He was chairman of the Production Committee on Regional Boards (Munitions)in 1942. After the war, he returned to the electrical industry, becoming President of the British Electrical Development Association, 1948-1952, Chairman of the Central Electricity Authority, 1947-1957, and President of the Electrical Research Association, 1950-1952 and 1956-1957. He was also a member (and President in 1955) of the Directing Committee, Union Internationale des Producteurs et Distributeurs d'Energie Electrique. He was a part time member of the Electricity Council, 1958-1962, and a part time member of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, 1958-1962.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 12 sections:
1. Diaries and diary notes, 1924-1982.
2. Original shorthand diaries, 1924-1928.
3. Reference notebooks, 1926-1945.
4. Correspondence and papers, 1912-1966.
5. TUC general files, 1916-1957.
6. TUC correspondence, 1934-1935.
7. National Coal Board papers, 1946-1947.
8. Industrial Relations Bill, 1970.
9. Honours, 1936-1940.
10. Eminent Contemporaries, 1928-1971.
11. Press cuttings and printed material, 1936-1980.
12. Photographs, 1923-1965.

Access Information

OPEN

Other Finding Aids

Printed handlist and online catalogue available.

Archivist's Note

Output from CAIRS using template 14 and checked by hand on July 15, 2002.

Conditions Governing Use

COPYRIGHT IS HELD BY THE LIBRARY

Custodial History

The Citrine papers were received in 5 instalments. The first two instalments were donated by Lord Citrine himself in 1973 and 1978, a further instalment was sold by the second Lord Citrine to McMaster University who generously ceded it to LSE, and two instalments were transferred by the TUC Library in 1979 and 1995. All parts have now been catalogued as a single collection.