Papers accumulated by Aubrey Haan regarding the life and execution of Joe Hill, a folk-singer and labor union representative who was killed in Utah in 1915. Materials include correspondence, book manuscripts, and trial materials from Hill's trial.
The Correspondence Series spans 1940-1951, and much of Haan's general correspondence is with his wife, as well as with publishers regarding Haan's attempts to publish his Joe Hill manuscripts. Other correspondents include Constantine and Virginia Filigno, with whom Haan spoke regarding Hill's trial and execution. Constantine was a leader of the Industrial Workers of the World during the 1940s, while Virginia was a strong advocate for Hill's innocence. Also included are several letters with Agnes Inglis of the University of Michigan Labadie Collection.
The Research Materials Series includes materials used by Haan for his biography on Hill. Included are copies of news articles about Hill and his execution, obituaries, and trial proceeding documents, including a trial transcript.
The Manuscripts Series contains two book manuscripts one for Haan's "Pie in the Sky," and another untitled. The "Pie in the Sky" manuscript includes handwritten notes and edits.
Aubrey Haan wsa a professor of education and published multiple books throughout 1950s-1970s, during which time he produced his biography of Joe Hill, titled "Pie in the Sky" after one of Hill's more famous folk songs. Haan worked with Virginia Filigno, a defender of Hill, and her husband Constantine Filigno, who worked with Hill in the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) union.
Joe Hill (born Joel Hagglund, also known as Joseph Hillstrom) was born in Sweden in 1879. He emigrated to the United States in 1902, after which he worked a series of industrial jobs in New York, California, and Utah. Faced with the prospect of an unfulfilling career in industrial labor, Hill rose to prominence as a cartoonist and song writer for the IWW. Many of his songs were satirical in nature, and most were a call-to-action for workers to demand better conditions.
In 1914, Hill was accused of shooting and killing two men when he arrived at a doctor's office with a gunshot would. While Hill claimed his innocence in the murders, stating that he was shot in a dispute over a woman, he refused to give the specifics of his alibi and was convicted. In 1915, Hill was executed by firing squad.
Some controversy has remained over Hill's refusal to prove his innocence. Virginia Filigno, in particular was a vocal advocate for Hill, lamenting that he would not speak to save himself.