Manuscript Group 086: Andrew Surma (1921-1990) Collection

Collection

Identifier: MG086

Staff Only

Dates

Majority of material found within 1969 - 1973

Extent

3 boxes Linear Feet (A coal miner his entire life, Andrew Surma (November 13, 1921-December 11, 1990) lived and worked in the town and mines of Lucerne Mines, near Homer City, in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Paul and Anna Surma, and he was born in Iselin, Pennsylvania. During World War II, Andrew Surma served in the U.S. Army, and he married Irene M. Pelo. Andrew Surma was employed by the Rochester & Pittsburgh (R&P) Coal Company. Beginning in the late 1960s Andrew Surma was not only an active member in his UMWA Local Union 1412 in Ernest, Pennsylvania, but also in the broader political arena of UMWA District 2, serving as a district board member at the union headquarters in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. Surma was a member of St. Louis Roman Catholic Church in Lucerne Mines. He owned and operated Brush Creek Kennels and was a member of the Beagle Club of Indiana County. The Andrew Surma Collection is housed in three archival boxes. The bulk of the collection includes routine office correspondence, arbitration cases, various committee's meeting minutes, wage agreements, elections, and black lung legislation. The materials date from 1969-1973, ending shortly before Surma's death. Interspersed among these materials are important documents relating to MFD (Miners for Democracy). In addition, the collection contains a small but significant group of items recording Surma's attendance at the 1969 International Convention and newspaper articles relating to the murder of Joseph "Jock" Yablonski, Sr. and his family. Yablonski opposed W.A. (Tony) Boyle in an election for President of the UMWA in 1969 and lost, but was in the process of disputing the validity of the results, requesting the U.S. Department of Labor to investigate for fraud. The collection was donated by Andrew Surma’s daughter Karen Surma who has regularly made donations of archival material. For more information about Pennsylvania Coal Culture, visit: https://www.iup.edu/archives/coal/)