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Labor Leader Politicians in Illinois


  George Becker (1928-2007) — of Allison Park, Allegheny County, Pa.; West Deer, Allegheny County, Pa. Born in Madison, Madison County, Ill., October 20, 1928. Son of George Becker and Frances Becker. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict; steelworker; president, United Steelworkers of America, 1993-2000; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1996, 2000. Member, United Steelworkers of America. Died, of prostate cancer, in West Deer, Allegheny County, Pa., February 3, 2007 (age 78 years, 106 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Married 1950 to Jane Goforth.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Max Bedacht (1883-1972) — of Manhattan, New York County, N.Y.; San Francisco, Calif.; Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Munich (München), Germany, October 13, 1883. Communist. Barber; president, Swiss National Barbers' Union, 1907; Workers candidate for U.S. Senator from Illinois, 1928; candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 19th District, 1930; candidate for U.S. Senator from New York, 1934. German ancestry. Expelled from the Communist Party in 1948 over factional differences. Died July 4, 1972 (age 88 years, 265 days). Burial location unknown.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Image source: Marxists Internet Archive
  Eugene Victor Debs (1855-1926) — also known as Eugene V. Debs — of Terre Haute, Vigo County, Ind. Born in Terre Haute, Vigo County, Ind., November 5, 1855. Son of Daniel Debs and Marguerite (Betterich) Debs. Locomotive fireman on the Terre Haute and Indianapolis Railroad; secretary-treasurer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen in 1880-93; member of Indiana state house of representatives, 1885; founder in 1893 and president (1893-97) of the American Railway Union; arrested during a strike in 1894 and charged with conspiracy to commit murder; the charges were dropped, but he was jailed for six months for contempt of court; became a Socialist while incarcerated; candidate for President of the United States, 1900 (Social Democratic), 1904 (Socialist), 1908 (Socialist), 1912 (Socialist), 1920 (Socialist); in 1905, was a founder of the Industrial Workers of the World ("Wobblies"), which hoped to organize all workers in "One Big Union"; convicted under the Sedition and Espionage Act for an anti-war speech he made in 1918, and sentenced to ten years in federal prison; released in 1921. Member, Knights of Pythias; American Civil Liberties Union. Died in Lindlahr Sanitarium, Elmhurst, DuPage County, Ill., October 20, 1926 (age 70 years, 349 days). Interment at Highland Lawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Ind.
  Relatives: Son of Daniel Debs and Marguerite (Betterich) Debs; married, June 9, 1885, to Katherine 'Kate' Metzel (step-sister-in-law of Bertha Baur).
  Cross-reference: Victor L. Berger — William A. Cunnea
  See also NNDB dossier
  Books about Eugene V. Debs: James Chace, 1912 : Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft and Debs : The Election that Changed the Country — Charles W. Carey, Jr., Eugene V. Debs : Outspoken Labor Leader and Socialist (for young readers)
  Eugene Dennis (1905-1961) — also known as Francis Xavier Waldron — Born in Seattle, King County, Wash., August 10, 1905. Communist. Union organizer; fled to the Soviet Union in 1929 to avoid prosecution; General Secretary, Communist Party, 1946-59, and Chairman, 1959-61; arrested in 1948, along with other party leaders, and charged with advocating the violent overthrow of the United States; convicted in 1949, and sentenced to five years in prison. Died January 31, 1961 (age 55 years, 174 days). Interment at Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Ill.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (1890-1964) — also known as "Rebel Girl" — of New York. Born in Concord, Merrimack County, N.H., August 7, 1890. Communist. Speaker and organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World ("Wobblies") in 1906-16; one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which later expelled her for being a Communist; candidate for U.S. Representative from New York, 1942 (at-large), 1954 (24th District); convicted under the anti-Communist Smith Act, and sentenced to three years in prison; released in 1957; became National Chair of the Communist Party U.S.A. in 1961. Female. Irish ancestry. Member, American Civil Liberties Union; Industrial Workers of the World. Died in Russia, September 5, 1964 (age 74 years, 29 days). Interment at Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Ill.
  See also Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  William Z. Foster (1881-1961) — of Bronx, Bronx County, N.Y. Born in Taunton, Bristol County, Mass., February 25, 1881. Communist. Labor organizer; helped lead steelworkers strike in 1919; candidate for President of the United States, 1924, 1928, 1932; candidate for Governor of New York, 1930; arrested after a demonstration in 1930, and jailed for six months; indicted on July 20, 1948 under the Smith Act, and charged with conspiring to advocate the overthrow of the government; never tried due to illness. Irish ancestry. Died, in a sanatorium at Moscow, Russia, September 1, 1961 (age 80 years, 188 days). Interment at Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Ill.
  Relatives: Married to Esther Abramovitch.
  Joseph Germano — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Democrat. Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1948 (alternate), 1952 (alternate), 1956, 1960, 1964. Catholic. Member, United Steelworkers of America. Director of District 31, United Steelworkers of America; president, Illinois Industrial Union Council. Still living as of 1964.
  Adolph Germer (1881-1964) — of Manhattan, New York County, N.Y. Born in Wehlau, East Prussia (now Znamensk, Kaliningrad Oblast), January 15, 1881. Socialist. Miner; union official in various capacities for the United Mine Workers of America, 1906-16; candidate for Illinois state house of representatives, 1912; candidate for U.S. Senator from Illinois, 1914; National Executive Secretary, Socialist Party of America, 1916-19; indicted in Chicago, 1918, along with former U.S. Rep. Victor L. Berger, and three others, for making speeches that encouraged disloyalty and obstructed military recruitment; tried and convicted; sentenced to twenty years in prison; the conviction was later overturned; candidate for New York state assembly from New York County 16th District, 1921. Member, United Mine Workers. Died in Rockford, Winnebago County, Ill., 1964 (age about 83 years). Burial location unknown.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Arthur Joseph Goldberg (1908-1990) — also known as Arthur J. Goldberg — of Illinois; New York; Washington, D.C. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., August 8, 1908. Democrat. Lawyer; major in the U.S. Army during World War II; general counsel, Congress of Industrial Organizations; helped merge that group with the American Federation of Labor to form the AFL-CIO, 1955; alternate delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1960; U.S. Secretary of Labor, 1961-62; Justice of U.S. Supreme Court, 1962-65; U.S. Representative to United Nations, 1965-68; candidate for Governor of New York, 1970; U.S. Ambassador to , 1977-78. Jewish. Member, American Jewish Committee; Americans for Democratic Action. Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1978. Died of coronary artery disease, in Washington, D.C., January 19, 1990 (age 81 years, 164 days). Interment at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.
  Relatives: Married, July 18, 1931, to Dorothy Kurgans.
  Cross-reference: Stephen G. Breyer
  See also NNDB dossier — Internet Movie Database profile
  Gus Hall (1910-2000) — also known as Arvo Kustaa Halberg — of Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio; Yonkers, Westchester County, N.Y. Born in Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn., October 8, 1910. Communist. Steelworker; union organizer and one of the leaders of the steelworkers' strike in 1937; candidate for mayor of Youngstown, Ohio, 1937; served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; indicted in 1948, and convicted in 1949, under the Smith Act, of conspiring to teach the violent overthrow of the U.S. government; fled to Mexico; arrested in 1951 and sent back; spent eight years in prison; candidate for President of the United States, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984. Finnish ancestry. Died, of complications from diabetes, in Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, New York County, N.Y., October 13, 2000 (age 90 years, 5 days). Interment at Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Ill.
  Relatives: Married 1935 to Elizabeth Turner.
  See also Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier
  Frank J. Hayes (b. 1882) — of Idaho Springs, Clear Creek County, Colo. Born in Mt. Olive, Macoupin County, Ill., May 4, 1882. Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, 1937-39. Member, United Mine Workers. President of United Mine Workers in 1918; noted orator and poet. Burial location unknown.
  Andrew Lafin — of Illinois. Socialist. Labor organizer; delegate to Socialist National Convention from Illinois, 1920; candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois at-large, 1922. Burial location unknown.
  William Mahoney (1869-1952) — of Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kan.; Galveston, Galveston County, Tex.; Nashville, Davidson County, Tenn.; Indianapolis, Marion County, Ind.; Terre Haute, Vigo County, Ind.; St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minn. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., January 13, 1869. Pressman; labor leader; Socialist candidate for U.S. Representative from Indiana 5th District, 1904; Public Ownership candidate for Presidential Elector for Minnesota, 1908; founder and editor, Minnesota Union Advocate newspaper, 1920-32; mayor of St. Paul, Minn., 1932-34; Farmer-Labor candidate for U.S. Representative from Minnesota 4th District, 1943. Catholic. Irish ancestry. Member, Knights of Pythias. Died in St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minn., August 17, 1952 (age 83 years, 217 days). Interment at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery, St. Anthony, Minn.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Arthur G. McDowell (d. 1966) — of Illinois. Socialist. Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois at-large, 1934; candidate for U.S. Senator from Illinois, 1936; candidate for Governor of Illinois, 1940; Director of Government, Education, and Civic Affairs for the Upholsterers' Union of North America. Died in a one-car accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, near York, York County, Pa., October 6, 1966. Cremated; ashes scattered.
  Walter Nesbit (1878-1938) — of Belleville, St. Clair County, Ill. Born in Belleville, St. Clair County, Ill., May 1, 1878. Son of Charles Nesbit and Helen (Green) Nesbit. Coal miner; Secretary-Treasurer, District 12, United Mine Workers of America; U.S. Representative from Illinois at-large, 1933-35; defeated, 1930 (Democratic), 1934 (National Progressive). Member, United Mine Workers. Died in 1938 (age about 60 years). Interment at Green Mount Cemetery, Belleville, Ill.
  Relatives: Married, May 28, 1902, to Regina Marxer.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Ronald Wilson Reagan (1911-2004) — also known as Ronald Reagan; "Dutch"; "The Gipper"; "The Great Communicator"; "The Teflon President"; "Rawhide" — of Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif.; Bel Air, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif. Born in Tampico, Whiteside County, Ill., February 6, 1911. Son of John Reagan and Nellie (Wilson) Reagan. Republican. Worked as a sports broadcaster in Iowa in the 1930s, doing local radio broadcast of Chicago Cubs baseball games; served in the U.S. Army during World War II; professional actor in 1937-64; appeared in dozens of films including Kings Row, Dark Victory, Santa Fe Trail, Knute Rockne, All American, and The Winning Team; president of the Screen Actors Guild, 1947-52, 1959-60; member of California Republican State Central Committee, 1964-66; delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1964 (alternate), 1972 (delegation chair); Governor of California, 1967-75; candidate for Republican nomination for President, 1968, 1976; Presidential Elector for California, 1968; President of the United States, 1981-89; on March 30, 1981, outside the Washington Hilton hotel, he and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinkley, Jr.; received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1993. Disciples of Christ. Member, Screen Actors Guild; Lions; American Legion; Tau Kappa Epsilon. Died, from pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease, in Bel Air, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif., June 5, 2004 (age 93 years, 120 days). Interment at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, Calif.
  Relatives: Son of John Reagan and Nellie (Wilson) Reagan; married, January 25, 1940, to Jane Wyman (actress; divorced 1948); married, March 4, 1952, to Nancy Davis (born 1923; actress); father of Maureen Elizabeth Reagan.
  Cross-reference: Katherine Hoffman Haley — Dana Rohrabacher — Donald T. Regan — Henry Salvatori — L. William Seidman — Christopher Cox — Patrick J. Buchanan — Bay Buchanan — Edwin Meese III
  See also National Governors Association biography — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Internet Movie Database profile — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Books by Ronald Reagan: Ronald Reagan : An American Life
  Books about Ronald Reagan: Lou Cannon, President Reagan : The Role of a Lifetime — Lou Cannon, Governor Reagan : His Rise to Power — Peter Schweizer, Reagan's War : The Epic Story of His Forty-Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism — Lee Edwards, Ronald Reagan: A Political Biography — Paul Kengor, God and Ronald Reagan : A Spiritual Life — Mary Beth Brown, Hand of Providence: The Strong and Quiet Faith of Ronald Reagan — Edmund Morris, Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan — Peggy Noonan, When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan — Peter J. Wallison, Ronald Reagan: The Power of Conviction and the Success of His Presidency — Dinesh D'Souza, Ronald Reagan : How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader — William F. Buckley, Jr., Ronald Reagan: An American Hero — Craig Shirley, Reagan's Revolution : The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All — Richard Reeves, President Reagan : The Triumph of Imagination
  Critical books about Ronald Reagan: Haynes Johnson, Sleepwalking Through History: America in the Reagan Years
  Benjamin S. Rhodes (1889-1969) — also known as Ben S. Rhodes — of Bloomington, McLean County, Ill.; Normal, McLean County, Ill. Born in Saunemin, Livingston County, Ill., April 11, 1889. Son of Jeremiah J. Rhodes (1852-1912) and Mary (Gahagan) Rhodes (1854-1930). Republican. Plasterer; president of the Plasterer's Union; mayor of Bloomington, Ill., 1927-33; member of Illinois state house of representatives 26th District, 1939-64. Member, American Legion; Forty and Eight. Died July 21, 1969 (age 80 years, 101 days). Interment at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bloomington, Ill.
  Relatives: Married to Julie O'Neil (1883-1970).
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Gene A. Saari (1909-1990) — of Houghton, Houghton County, Mich. Born in Chisholm, St. Louis County, Minn., June 21, 1909. Democrat. Labor leader; candidate for Michigan state senate 32nd District, 1944, 1946; candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 12th District, 1948; Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1968. Lutheran. Finnish ancestry. Died in Evanston, Cook County, Ill., April 7, 1990 (age 80 years, 290 days). Interment at Sugar Island Cemetery, Sugar Island, Mich.
  Maurice Jerome Walker (b. 1954) — also known as Maurice J. Walker — of San Leandro, Alameda County, Calif. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., September 3, 1954. Green. President, Local 616, Service Employees International Union; real estate appraiser; candidate for Governor of California, 2003. Still living as of 2003.
  Carl Young (b. 1859) — of Muskegon, Muskegon County, Mich. Born in Augusta, Hancock County, Ill., August 11, 1859. Republican. Carpenter; general organizer, Carpenter's Union, 1906-16; member of Michigan state house of representatives from Muskegon County, 1917-20. Burial location unknown.

 

 


 
   
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