UMWA Labor Chautauquas at Hastings

Between nineteen twenty-four and nineteen twenty-six, the United Mine Workers of America ran an unusual educational experiment in the bituminous coalfields of western Pennsylvania. They called them Chautauquas, borrowing the name from the popular traveling lecture circuit, and they brought nationally prominent speakers, educators, and local entertainers to mining towns throughout the region. District President John Brophy led the effort.

The Hastings gathering in nineteen twenty-five drew the largest attendance of any location in the program. The events received national press coverage and drew recognition from progressive activists across the country. It was an attempt to bring intellectual life into the coalfields, to treat miners not just as workers but as citizens with a right to ideas.