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mattered most. And their desires were for George M. Harrison, a man who had "never neglected their interests", to lead the
Brotherhood. So on May 21, 1928, vice grand president Richard P. Dee nominated George M. Harrison. And, for the first time in the Brotherhood's history, a unanimous vote was cast followed by the declaration that George M. Harrison was the duly elected Grand President of the Brotherhood
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George M. Harrison had risen from the bottom. He had cut his teeth organizing and negotiating at the local level. When he assumed the role of Grand
President, he brought an optimistic conviction that the Brotherhood could develop into a strong international union that inspired others. "He proved an
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At the 1928 Columbus convention E.H. Fitzgerald, the then current Grand
President of the Brotherhood, decided to step down. There were many potential and able candidates who could succeed him in the role. And many were desirous to do so, but it was the rank and file of the Brotherhood whose desires
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In 1922, at the 11th
National Convention in Dallas, George M. Harrison began to make his voice heard in what would become a lifelong calling to stand up for the "little fellow" and advocate for those without a voice, insisting that "all classes of this organization" be given representation not just
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George
Harrison was born in Maries County, Missouri, to Louis Harvey Harrison and Mary Logan Coppedge. One of nine children, his earliest days were spent milking cows and slopping hogs on the family farm. Sometime after 1900 the family abandoned farm life and moved to the nearby city of St. Louis.
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into one of the "largest and best-governed". labor unions in
American history during his tenure. Throughout his thirty-five years as Grand President (1928–1963), the Harrison administration and the Brotherhood remained above "suspicion and reproach". He served as an advisor to five American
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appointed him to the
Commission on Industrial analysis. He would also contribute heavily to the Railway Labor Act, the Washington Job Protection Agreement and in 1936 was an American delegate on the governing board of the International Labor Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
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In 1909 he returned to the world of the
Railroad as a night-shift piecework checker once again at the American Car and Foundry Company before being promoted to an office boy in the steel car division and then finally he advanced to be a sub-storekeeper in the steel car plant.
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Throughout these early years, he was exposed to numerous roles and responsibilities which would aid and inform his labor perspectives. In 1918, George M. Harrison would help organize
Victory Lodge No. 554 of the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks in St. Louis.
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those with position and power. As a result, he was elected to his first term as vice grand president of the
Brotherhood of Railway Clerks. He would remain in this role growing in respect amongst his follow railroad workers for his skillful negotiation.
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led to the loss of both. George Harrison had just completed the sixth grade before being forced full-time into the workforce in the summer of 1907. At the age of 12 years old, he began to work in the wood car department of the
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where he held the following jobs: material checker, storekeeper, piecework timekeeper, master car builder car repairman, master car builder billing clerk, mechanical valuation accountant.
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He was later elected vice general chairman of the bargaining committee for the Brotherhood before becoming the general chairman in 1920 following the resignation of H.W. Schaeffer.
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George M. Harrison was elected first local chairman of the grievance committee for the St. Louis lodge in what would become his first formal role.
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company and a grocery store. Young George Harrison began working in the grocery store while the drayage company "had the contract to haul from the
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In 1934 he was elected Chairman of the top policy making board for railway labor unions: the Railway Labor Executive Committee. In that same year
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History of the Brotherhood of Railway & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employes p. 182
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History of the Brotherhood of Railway & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employes p. 53
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History of the Brotherhood of Railway & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employes p. 28
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History of the Brotherhood of Railway & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employes p. 13
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History of the Brotherhood of Railway & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employes p. 9
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History of the Brotherhood of Railway & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employes p. 9
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presidents and played a pivotal role in drafting the first Social Security measure that was enacted by Congress.
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Brotherhood of Railway & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express & Station Employes
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Brotherhood of Railway & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express & Station Employes
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Brotherhood of Railway & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express & Station Employes
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able, aggressive, but fair fighter for his organization and gained respect and admiration"
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glass works all the beer bottles used by the sprawling Anheuser-Busch Brewery".
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With the drayage company mortgaged to provide security for the grocery store
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Member of the Executive Council and the Executive Committee of the
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Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the AFL–CIO
217:(July 19, 1895 – November 30, 1968) was an American leader of
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This article is about the labor leader. For the judge, see
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Chairman of the Railway Labor Executives' Association
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Vice presidents of the American Federation of Labor
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266:Following his time at the ACF he moved to the
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235:It's here that the Harrison family began a
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53:Longest serving Grand President of the
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253:American Car & Foundry Company
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16:American labor leader (1895-1968)
268:American Refrigerator Transit Co
25:George Harrison (disambiguation)
419:Glass Horizons (April 1960), 13
674:Vice presidents of the AFL–CIO
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664:Trade unionists from Missouri
527:Second Vice-President of the
471:Fourth Vice-President of the
410:, XLVIII (December 1949), 764
659:American trade union leaders
529:American Federation of Labor
501:American Federation of Labor
499:Third Vice-President of the
473:American Federation of Labor
445:American Federation of Labor
443:Fifth Vice-President of the
316:American Federation of Labor
302:President Franklin Roosevelt
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215:George McGregor Harrison
128:George McGregor Harrison
34:George McGregor Harrison
23:. For other people, see
408:Railway Clerks Magazine
141:Maries County, Missouri
96:Chief Executive of the
21:George Moffett Harrison
314:Vice President of the
610:Trades Union Congress
564:Trades Union Congress
332:U.S. Delegate to the
465:Gustave M. Bugniazet
437:Gustave M. Bugniazet
429:Trade union offices
309:Leadership positions
585:William C. Doherty
176:Averil Mayo Hughes
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636:
624:Succeeded by
595:David J. McDonald
578:Succeeded by
553:Walter P. Reuther
539:Federation merged
536:Succeeded by
508:Succeeded by
480:Succeeded by
452:Succeeded by
248:the Panic of 1907
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150:November 30, 1968
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608:delegate to the
592:Preceded by
581:Joseph A. Beirne
562:delegate to the
549:Joseph D. Keenan
546:Preceded by
533:1953–1955
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505:1951–1953
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193:Labor leader
152:(1968-11-30)
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90:C. L. Dennis
85:Succeeded by
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654:1968 deaths
649:1895 births
631:Jack Knight
619:Karl Feller
278:Union Years
73:Preceded by
643:Categories
340:References
230:Early life
189:Occupation
167:Democratic
135:1895-07-19
199:Known for
110:1963–1968
106:In office
67:1928–1963
63:In office
181:Children
606:AFL-CIO
560:AFL-CIO
322:AFL–CIO
237:drayage
133: (
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173:Spouse
147:Died
124:Born
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27:.
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