Murray, Philip, 1886-1952

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1886-05-25
Death 1952-11-09
English,

Biographical notes:

Philip Murray was one of the most important American labor leaders of the twentieth century. As president of the Steelworkers Organizing Committee (SWOC), the United Steelworkers of America (USWA), and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), he played a pivotal role in the creation of industrial unions as well as the utilization of federal government support in the growth of unions in the United States. Philip Murray (May 25, 1886-November 9, 1952) was born in Blantyre, Scotland, on May 25, 1886. His father, a devout Catholic, immigrated from Ireland to Scotland prior to Phil's birth. The eldest of thirteen children, Phil began working in the mines at age 10 and immigrated to the United States with his father, also a miner, in 1902. Murray's long career as a union official began soon after entering the mines in the United States. Murray enlisted the support of the federal government, through the Wage Stabilization Board and the personal involvement of President Truman, during the trying steel industry negotiations. Although the USWA gained a satisfactory contract, it came with significant costs. Soon after Democratic Party candidate Adlai Stevenson lost to Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower. More than any other national CIO labor leader, Murray had encouraged and relied on government involvement in labor relations. But when Eisenhower was elected president in 1952, giving Republicans control of the presidency for the first time in twenty years, Murray knew that federal government support of collective bargaining had ended. Murray, however, did not live to see the Eisenhower presidency. On November 9, 1952, within a week of the presidential election, Philip Murray died. He was 66 years old.

From the description of The Philip Murray papers. 1936-1952 (Catholic University of America). WorldCat record id: 78825198

Links to collections

Comparison

This is only a preview comparison of Constellations. It will only exist until this window is closed.

  • Added or updated
  • Deleted or outdated

Information

Permalink:
SNAC ID:

Subjects:

  • Education
  • Collective bargaining
  • Collective bargaining
  • Industrial relations
  • Labor supply
  • Labor unions
  • Labor unions
  • Political action committees
  • Steel industry and trade
  • Strikes and lockouts
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945

Occupations:

not available for this record

Places:

  • United States (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)

SNAC Cooperative Logo

Social Networks and Archival Context

SNAC is a discovery service for persons, families, and organizations found within archival collections at cultural heritage institutions.

Sponsors

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Institute of Museum and Library Services
National Endowment for the Humanities

Hosts

University of Virginia Library
National Archives and Records Administration