Peter B. Vogel Papers

Provenance

On the death of Peter B. Vogel in 1986 his papers remained with his partner Don Castellanos. After the death of Castellanos in 1997, the papers were donated to the Center Archive by Don’s brother, James.

Scope and Content

The Peter B. Vogel Papers contain some of his writings, including testimony on bathhouse closures in San Francisco, research for his education dissertation, and a 1982 journal of his trip to Italy. It also contains professional correspondence and letters from Governor Mario Cuomo to Vogel in his various capacities within the Cuomo administration. Four folders deal with the 1983 founding and early days of the LGBT Community Center in New York. The papers include many condolence letters, as well as materials related to State Senator John Marchi’s attempt to stop the legislature from issuing a resolution in Peter’s honor after his death in 1986. There are a number of photo allbums, both Peter’s and earlier Vogel family albums from the 1930s and 40s.

The Vogel papers also include older materials from his Aunt Helen, Uncle Franz, and most importantly his mother Lily . Lily Vogel was an active Zionist and member of Hadassah. Included are speeches and articles by her. Also there is a folder of correspondence from her 1940s effort to get her father, Dr. Michael Ringal out of Russia and into Palestine.

History or Bio

Born in 1945, Peter B. Vogel was one of the founding members of Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn, a club which he served four terms as President. As the founding Co-Chair of the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Democratic Clubs, he was instrumental in the formation of the first nationwide confederation of gay-identified political clubs in a major American political party. He was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center of New York City (now the LGBT Community Center). As the founding Co-chair of the New York State Governor’s Task force on Gay Issues, he headed one of the few governmental bodies in the U.S. to study discrimination based on sexual orientation.

He took pride both in being gay and in being a politician. The skill with which he worked within the system was reflected in his own many achievments. At various times he was a delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention, chair of the Gay and Lesbian Caucus at the 1984 convention, Vice-Chair of the New York State AIDS Advisory Council, Deputy Exexcutive Director of ther Workers’ Compensation Board of New York State, and Dean of Students at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Peter B. Vogel’s died on February 24, 1986, from HIV related pneumonia.

Folder List