About this Collection
Water M. Phillips interviewed over 150 civic and political leaders on subjects related to Philadelphia city government and history between the late 1930s and the 1970s. Related collection: Walter M. Phillips, Sr. Papers (Acc. 527)
About this Interview
William G. Klenk, II, a Philadelphia attorney, recalls a number of cases he worked on. He also helped with Richardson Dilworth's campaign for governor in 1962. He talks about the people who worked on Dilworth's campaign and muses about Mrs. Ann Dilworth's skill as a politician despite her distaste for the profession. According to Klenk, there were three campaign staffs: one for Clark, one for Dilworth, and one for Clark-Dilworth. In the end, Clark won his campaign while Dilworth lost his. Klenk goes on to talk about the racial makeup of the city and the general trend toward gentrification in the 1970s. In the 1960s and early 1970s, he worked under the James "Jim" Tate mayoral administration as assistant city solicitor. Later, Klenk ran for office himself and became district attorney.
Biographical / Historical Note
Walter M. Phillips, Sr. (1912-1985) was active in Philadelphia civic and political life for over thirty years. He worked and volunteered in a variety of city and regional organizations. After retiring, Phillips initiated an oral history project, interviewing in the 1970s many individuals with whom he had worked.
Record Details
- Title:
- William G. Klenk, II Oral History, November 30, 1979
- Subject:
- Municipal officials and employees, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Narrator:
- Klenk, William
- Date:
- 1979-11-30
- Language:
- English
- Personal Names:
- Dilworth, Ann, Dilworth, Richardson, 1898-1974
- Geographic Subject:
- Philadelphia (Pa.)
- Repository Collection:
- Walter Massey Phillips Oral Histories
- Type:
- Oral Histories
- Contact:
- Contact SCRC for the audio recording corresponding to this transcript.
- Transcript Identifier:
- AOHWMPJZ2015010010
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This material is subject to copyright law and is made available for private study, scholarship, and research purposes only. For access to the original or a high resolution reproduction, and for permission to publish, please contact Temple University Libraries, Special Collections Research Center, scrc@temple.edu, 215-204-8257.
Transcript Note
This is a transcript of a tape-recorded interview. The interviewee/narrator read the transcript and made minor corrections, but the reader should bear in mind that it represents a transcription of the spoken word.
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