University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives Department.

Groppi, James, 1930- .

Papers, 1964-1978.

Milwaukee Manuscript Collection EX and Milwaukee Tape 5

7.5 cubic ft. (16 archives boxes, and 1 oversize box) + 1 audio cassette tape

ABSTRACT: Papers, largely correspondence, of a Roman Catholic priest and prominent Milwaukee civil rights activist. Most of the correspondence is unsolicited responses to Father Groppi's 1967-1968 civil rights activities, making the collection more useful for research on public attitudes towards civil rights, than for a study of Groppi's life and work. Of particular interest in the collection are the legal materials, which offer more information about Groppi's civil rights activities than any other files in the collection. The collection contains two recordings of speeches concerning the role of the church in racial and social issues. Also, located within the collection is an unfinished manuscript of his autobiography, scrapbooks, and newsclippings.

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

SCOPE AND CONTENT: The collection provides information about the activities and writings of one of the 1960s leading civil rights activists. It consists primarily of correspondence, largely which are unsolicited responses to Father Groppi's civil rights activities. Most of the unsolicited responses occured during 1967-1968, when Groppi became a controversial national figure because of his activism in support of racial integration. Therefore, the papers may be a more valuable resource for research in public reaction to civil rights activists, than simply to study of Groppi's life and work. The collection is arranged in seven series: Correspondence, Personal Material and Writings, Activities, Printed Material, Essays by Various Authors, Scrapbooks, and Newspaper Articles.

The Correspondence is divided into twelve subseries. The first three subseries Supportive, Criticism, and Hate, are useful for understanding public opinion. In the Supportive file are telegrams from Jesse L. Jackson (28 February 1968), Martin Luther King, Jr. (4 September 1967), and a letter (26 February 1968) from Walter Mondale. While some of the correspondence is in support of Father Groppi, most is not. Some letters opposing Groppi's ideological stance and actions are thoughtful, reasoned criticism--but far more of them are Hate mail. Copies of form letters signed by Groppi from 1969 are included within the Supportive correspondence. The next subseries, Donations correspondence, includes letters sent to Groppi for the sole purpose of donating money to support his civil rights activities. The subseries, Personal correspondence and Correspondence to Archbishop W. E. Cousins contain the only responses in the collection written personally by Father Groppi. Also included in Personal correspondence are birthday cards, letters from friends and associates, and a letter from Sheed and Ward Publishers (5 May 1967), suggesting Groppi write his autobiography. The Personal subseries has a critical letter by Father Groppi, where her responds to an article by syndicated columnist, Andrew Greeley. This is the only place in the collection where he discusses the incident at the Alexian Brothers Monastery. The Speaking Engagements correspondence includes initial requests of Groppi to address meetings, contractual arrangements, and responses to lectures by sponsoring organizations. The Grade School Compositions are letters written to Father Groppi by parochial school children for class projects. Most of the General correspondence files consist of personal requests to Father Groppi.

The Personal Material and Writings series, which is fragmentary, separates Groppi's personal life from his civil rights activities. A partial draft of his autobiography is included, as is a biographical essay by an unidentified author covering Groppi's years at St. Veronica Church. Although items relating to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee provide insight into the responsibilities of a Roman Catholic priest in the diocese, they are limited in scope and barely mention Groppi's relationship with the predominantly black St. Boniface parish of the diocese. His involvement as advisor to the Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council, which was the basis of support in his early civil rights activities, is only sketchily documented in the Correspondence series.

The Activities series spans 1966 through 1972, but is an incomplete testimony of all the activities Groppi was associated with. It does contain records of legal proceedings against Father Groppi and this gives more details about his civil rights activities than any other single file. The file marked Statements, Proposals, and Resolutions holds papers which were sent to Father Groppi regarding the civil rights issue. They are not statements made by Groppi himself. Some of the clippings in the Scrapbooks and Newspaper Articles series offer more information concerning Groppi's activities than the manuscripts in the Activities series.

The Printed Material is a sampling of items sent to Father Groppi with some regularity. Some material is religious, such as the published words of the Lady of Fatima. The remaining, mostly social commentary, is unfavorable to African Americans. The series Essays by Various Authors is a group of papers submitted to Father Groppi dealing with him or the civil rights movement.

The Scrapbooks consist of newspaper articles from 1967, which were mounted into blank books by Father Groppi. The Newspaper Articles are probably a continuation of Groppi's scrapbooks, but the articles were never organized as such. They have been kept in the order received and Groppi's file titles have been retained. Clippings from the Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Sentinel newspapers have been retained in the original as Father Groppi clipped them. Clippings from other newspapers and magazines have been photocopied to assure better preservation of the text of the articles.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Father James Edmund Groppi, Roman Catholic priest and civil rights activist, was born in Milwaukee. He was one of twelve children of Italian immigrants, Giocondo Groppi and his wife. He attended Mount Calvary Seminary in Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, from 1950 to 1952; and St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee from 1952 to 1959. In June 1959 he was ordained to the priesthood. He began his duties as a priest at St. Veronica Church, Milwaukee, in 1959. In 1963, Father Groppi was transferred to St. Boniface Church, a predominately Black parish in the inner city of Milwaukee. It was while serving at St. Boniface that he received national attention for his work in the area of human rights. After leaving St. Boniface in 1970, Groppi was assigned to the pastoral team of St. Michael Church, Milwaukee. Here he began looking for new outlets for his intellectual energies, applying to graduate schools in political science and law. In 1970, he was accepted at the Antioch School of Law, but dropped out in 1972 with one year of training left; that same year he also left St. Michael Church. From 1975 to 1976, he worked for the Tri-County Voluntary Service Committee, where he was responsible for recruiting and supervising VISTA volunteers in Racine, Kenosha and Walworth Counties. He rose again to public attention when he joined Marlon Brando to mediate the clash between the Menomonee Indians and the Alexian Brothers at the Alexian Monastery in Gresham, Wisconsin, in 1975.

Groppi's early civil rights activity included participation in the 1963 "March on Washington," work with the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) movement in Mississippi during the summer of 1964, participation in the "Selma-Montgomery March" in March 1965, and work with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference voter registration project, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., during the summer of 1965. That same year he became the advisor to the Milwaukee chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Youth Council and began protesting segregation in Milwaukee public schools. In his capacity of NAACP advisor, he organized an all Black male group called the Milwaukee Commandos. They were formed to help quell violence during the "Freedom Marches" and, with the NAACP Youth Council, mounted a lengthy, continuous demonstration against the city of Milwaukee on behalf of fair housing. Two of the Commandos eventually became bodyguards to Father Groppi. While assistant pastor to Reverend Eugene Bleidorn at St. Boniface, Groppi was also second vice president of Milwaukee United School Integration Committee (1965-1966), advisor to the Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council (1965-1968), and organizer of the "Welfare Mothers' March on Madison" (1969).

From 1967-1969, Father Groppi rose to national fame with such actions as picketing the home of circuit court Judge Robert C. Cannon to protest his membership in the white-only Fraternal Order of Eagles, and participating in "Freedom Marches." Later Groppi joined demonstrations at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. He received both physical and moral support from human rights activists like Dick Gregory and Martin Luther King, Jr. Though he was denigrated and arrested on numerous occasions for standing firm in his beliefs, he was instrumental in dramatizing the segregated housing situation in Milwaukee. This led to enactment of an open-housing law in Milwaukee. Groppi also raised the consciousness of many to other inequities as well.

On 22 April 1976, Groppi married Margaret Rozga, who had been his secretary while at St. Boniface. Holding a doctorate in English, she was later to teach English at a Milwaukee university. The couple would have three children. Since he could no longer remain a Roman Catholic priest, Groppi attended the Virginia Theological Seminary (Episcopal) in Alexandria, Virginia, during the fall of 1978. Beginning in January 1979, he continued preparations for the Episcopal priesthood by working for St. Andrews Church, an inner-city parish in Detroit, Michigan. His lifelong commitment to Roman Catholicism led him to contemplate whether it was spiritually possible to continue conversion to the Episcopal priesthood, Groppi returned to Milwaukee and resumed his former position as a Milwaukee County transit bus driver in the summer of 1979. He died on November 4, 1985.

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

Groppi, James, 1930- . Papers, 1964-1978. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection EX and Milwaukee Tape 5. Wisconsin Historical Society. Milwaukee Area Research Center. UWM Libraries. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

RELATED COLLECTIONS:

Aukofer, Frank A., 1935- . Meeting interview, 1967. (UC538A)

Barbee, Lloyd A., 1925-2002. Papers, 1953-1982. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 16 and Milwaukee Micro Collection 42)

Becker, Dismas, 1936- . Papers, 1966-1974. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 9)

Bleidorn, Eugene. Papers, 1965-1966. (Milwaukee Small Collection 92)

Duncan Group, Inc. Through One City's Eyes interview transcripts, 1998-1999. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 202)

Milwaukee (Wis.). Mayor. Records of the Henry W. Maier administration, 1960-1988. (Milwaukee Series 44)

Olson, David J. Meeting interview, 1967. (UCM92-258)

ACQUISITION: Father James Groppi donated the collection in 1978 (accession number M78-407).

PROCESSING: Tony LaValliere, Jan Heininger, and Joanne Hohler processed the collection in May through November 1979. The Milwaukee Urban Archives modified the finding aid in April 1994. The finding aid was modified again in November 1998 at the Milwaukee Urban Archives.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:

Catholic Church--Wisconsin--Milwaukee--Clergy.
African Americans-Civil rights--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
Discrimination in housing--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
Milwaukee (Wis.)--History--Sources.

MILWAUKEE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION EX MILWAUKEE TAPE 5	BOX	FOLDER
Activities, Campaign Against Allen-Bradley Company, 1969	15	9
Activities, Cartoons, Flyers, and Magazine Articles about Groppi, 1966-1975	15	10
Activities, Editorials, WITI-TV, 1967-1969	15	11
Activities, Legal Documents, 1968-1972	15	12
Activities, Police Brutality and Harassment, 1966-1969	15	14
Activities, Statements, Proposals, and Resolutions, 1967-1969	15	13
Correspondence, Archbishop W. E. Cousins, 1971	13	3
Correspondence, Chain Letters Sent to Groppi, 1967-1969	14	6
Correspondence, Criticism, 1965-1966	5	6
Correspondence, Criticism, 1966	6	1 -6
Correspondence, Criticism, 1967-1968	7	1 -6
Correspondence, Criticism, 1969-1972, undated	8	1 -2
Correspondence, Donations, 1967-1968	11	3 -5
Correspondence, General, 1965-1967	13	11 -13
Correspondence, General, 1967-1968	14	1 -4
Correspondence, General, 1969-1973	14	5
Correspondence, Grade School Compositions, Sacred Heart, 1967	13	8
Correspondence, Grade School Compositions, St. Agatha, 1969	13	6
Correspondence, Grade School Compositions, St. Alphonsus, St. Elizabeth, and Unidentified, 1966-1967	13	10
Correspondence, Grade School Compositions, St. Augustine, 1967	13	7
Correspondence, Grade School Compositions, St. Boniface, 1967	13	5
Correspondence, Grade School Compositions, St. Mary's, 1967	13	9
Correspondence, Hate, 1965-1967	8	3 -6
Correspondence, Hate, 1967	9	1 -6
Correspondence, Hate, 1967-1968	10	1 -6
Correspondence, Hate, 1969-1975, undated	11	1
Correspondence, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center, 1971-1973	13	4
Correspondence, NAACP, 1967-1970, undated	11	2
Correspondence, Personal, 1966-1978, undated	11	6
Correspondence, Re: Speaking Engagements, 1965-1968	12	1 -6
Correspondence, Re: Speaking Engagements, 1968	13	1 -2
Correspondence, Supportive, 1965-1967	1	1 -6
Correspondence, Supportive, 1967	2	1 -6
Correspondence, Supportive, 1967	3	1 -6
Correspondence, Supportive, 1969	4	1 -6
Correspondence, Supportive, 1969-1975	5	1 -5
Essays by Various Authors, undated	15	16
Newspaper Articles, Biographical, 1974, 1978	16	13
Newspaper Articles, "Budget," c. 1969	16	10
Newspaper Articles, "Civil Rights," c. 1967, c. 1974	16	1 -9
Newspaper Articles, "Pentagon Arrest," 1972	16	12
Newspaper Articles, "Welfare," 1969	16	11
Personal Material and Writings, Applications to Post-Secondary Institutions, 1970-1973	14	10
Personal Material and Writings, Appointment Books and Calendars, 1968-1970	14	11
Personal Material and Writings, Archdiocese of Milwaukee, 1967-1972	15	1
Personal Material and Writings, Autobiography and Biographical Essay, undated	14	7
Personal Material and Writings, Awards, Citations, and Membership, undated	15	2
Personal Material and Writings, Class Picture, St. Boniface School, 1968	15	3
Personal Material and Writings, Correspondence Checklists, 1969, undated	15	4
Personal Material and Writings, Interviews, Lectures, and Speeches, 1964-1976, undated	15	5
Personal Material and Writings, Job Applications, 1976	15	6
Personal Material and Writings, Marriage Certificate, 1976	14	9
Personal Material and Writings, Resume' and Selected Bibliography on Groppi, 1972, undated	14	8
Personal Material and Writings, Sermons, 1969	15	8
Personal Material and Writings, St. Boniface Church Council, 1967	15	7
Printed Material, c. 1966-1969	15	15
Scrapbooks, Newspaper Clippings, c. 1967	17	1 -4
Tape Recordings, "The Church in Black and White," Role the Church Plays in the Black Community and Social Christian Action, Racism, and Integration, undated [Milwaukee Tape 5, side 1]
Tape Recordings, Speech at University of Arizona by Father Groppi, Welfare and Racism, 1972 [Milwaukee Tape 5, side 2]