John Wiita (1888-1984) was born in Ylistaro, Finland. After attending folk school, he came to the United States at the age of 17. He settled in Superior, Wisconsin, where he worked as a longshoreman and railroad car repairman and was active in the Superior Chapter of the Finnish Socialist Federation. He also attended and taught at the Work People's College in Duluth, Minnesota. In 1916, he moved to Detroit, Michigan and later to other places, always remaining active in Socialist organizations, particularly with the Finnish American and Finnish Canadian labor press, including Toveri, Socialisti, Tyomies, Vapaus and Eteenpäin. After the 1921 split within the Finnish Socialist Federation, Wiita became a functionary within the Finnish Federation and Worker's Party of America; however, by 1945, when he moved to Brooklyn, Connecticut, he had dropped his Communist Party membership. He became a realtor, helping to found the Northeastern Board of Realtors.

AMDigital Reference: IHRC2841, Box 1, Folder 17.

Reproduction of: John Wiita Papers [Cultural Life of the Finnish American Labour Movement] 1976-1978.

Immigration History Research Center Archives, University of Minnesota

Text in English, Finnish.