Harold J. Gibbons

Harold J. Gibbons

Harold Joseph Patrick Gibbons (April 10 191017 November 1982) was an American trade unionist and labor leader.

Born the youngest of 23 children in Archibald Patch, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, he nonetheless matriculated at the University of Chicago. He became a St. Louis union leader of Warehousemen, when St. Louis was America's fifth largest entrepot because of its situation on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and a major rail hub. The Warehousemen and Department Store Worker merged into United Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Employees of America, and that local union merged into Teamsters Local 688 in St. Louis. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters was the third of three international trade union vice presidencies he held. He was also a vice president of the teacher's union and the AF of L. He was a delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 1952. He was vice-president of Alliance for Labor Action to promote social concerns and to organize the unorganized. He was a member of the American Civil Liberties Union and NAACP.

The St. Louis union was considered to be one of the most progressive in the United States. It initiated health care centers for members, vacation centers at Lake of the Ozarks, and militated for good pension plans for its members. [R. Bussel, "A Trade Union Oriented War on the Slums": Harold Gibbons, Ernest Calloway, and the St Louis Teamsters in the 1960s, Labor History, Volume 44, Number 1, February 2003 , pp. 49-67(19)] Under Gibbons the Union researched and submitted plans for the desegregation of schools which was promoted by the editorial page of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch [oral history, Marvin Rich, Columbia University, collection of Sheila Michaels] .

For a time, Gibbons was widely considered to be the heir apparent to Jimmy Hoffa. But Gibbons' work and political stances landed him on the master list of Nixon political opponents. Nixon's Chief Counsel, Charles Colson, directed White House Counsel John Dean to initiate tax audits on Gibbons, but Dean did not follow through. [The Senate Watergate Report, 1974, p.218] Gibbons opposition to the Vietnam War led to Hoffa moving to marginalize him. Hoffa supported the war, while Gibbons had been a founder of Labor for Peace, and had visited Hanoi. [Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, "Peace Now: American Society and the ending of the Vietnam War", 1999, Yale University Press, p.215] Another source of friction was Bobby Kennedy, who had hounded Hoffa, and whom Gibbons had befriended. While Gibbons remained head of the Teamsters in St. Louis, he was maneuvered out of posts in which he could influence policy.

Gibbons died, from complications of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, in Los Angeles, California, November, 17. 1982. Interment was at Memorial Park Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri.

The site of the original Sportsman's Park baseball stadium in St. Louis, now a neighborhood playground, was named "Harold J. Gibbons Field" for him.

Gibbons' papers are in the archives of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville which he was instrumental in founding, because Illinois union members who wished to pursue higher education had to make exhausting commutes to attend university in Carbondale.

References

*Ledbetter, Les (November 19, 1982). H.J. Gibbons, 72, Once Viewed As Hoffa's Heir. "New York Times"
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/gibbons.html Gibbons] via Political Graveyard
*Staff report (Jun 28, 1973). Lists of White House 'Enemies' and Memorandums Relating to Those Named. "New York Times"
*R. Bussel, "A Trade Union Oriented War on the Slums": Harold Gibbons, Ernest Calloway, and the St Louis Teamsters in the 1960s, Labor History, Volume 44, Number 1, February 2003 , pp. 49-67(19)
*The Senate Watergate Report, 1974, p.218
*Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, "Peace Now: American Society and the ending of the Vietnam War", 1999, Yale University Press, p.215

External links

* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=22846 Harold Gibbons' Gravesite]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Harold J. Gibbons — Harold J. Gibbons, vollständiger Name Harold Joseph Patrick Gibbons, (* 10. April 1910 im Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania; † 17. November 1982 in Los Angeles) war ein führender US amerikanischer Gewerkschafter. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Harold Gibbons — may refer to:*Harold Gibbons (cricketer), English cricketer *Harold J. Gibbons, American labor leader …   Wikipedia

  • Gibbons (Begriffsklärung) — Gibbons bezeichnet eine Primatenfamilie, siehe Gibbons. Gibbons ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Beth Gibbons (* 1965), britische Sängerin Billy Gibbons (* 1949), US amerikanischer Musiker Cedric Gibbons (1893–1960), US amerikanischer Art …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Harold Gibbons (cricketer) — Harold Harry Ian Haywood Gibbons (8 October 1904 16 February 1973), sometimes known as Doc Gibbons, was an English cricketer: a right handed opening batsman and occasional right arm bowler who was the first man to win a county cap for… …   Wikipedia

  • Harold Johnson (boxeur) — Harold Johnson Fiche d’identité Nom complet Harold Johnson Nationalité …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Harold Monro — Harold Edward Monro (March 14, 1879 March 16, 1932), was a British poet, the proprietor of the Poetry Bookshop in London which helped many famous poets bring their work before the public.Monro was born in Brussels, but his parents were Scottish.… …   Wikipedia

  • Francis M. Gibbons — Francis Marion ( Frank ) Gibbons (born 1921) was the secretary to the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (LDS Church) from 1970 to 1986 and a general authority of the church from 1986 until 1991.A native of St.… …   Wikipedia

  • Clive Gibbons — Neighbours character Portrayed by Geoff Paine Introduced by Reg Watson (1986) Don Battye (1989) Duration 1986–87, 1989 First appearance 22 January 1986 Last appearance 19 October 1989 Classification …   Wikipedia

  • Tommy Gibbons — Fiche d’identité Nom complet Thomas Joseph Gibbons Nationalité …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mike Gibbons — Fiche d’identité Nom complet Michael John Gibbons Surnom St. Paul Phantom Nationalité …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”