London, Meyer, 1871-1926

Meyer London (1871-1926), was a Socialist, a labor lawyer and the first Socialist ever elected to the United States House of Representatives. He represented New YorkA︡s 12th District, which covered New York CityA︡s Lower East Side, from 1915-1919, and from 1921-1923. London was born to Jewish parents in Russian Poland, and emigrated in 1891 to New York City with Anna Rosenson (whom he married in 1899). He attended New York University Law School at night, and was admitted to the bar in 1898. Originally a member of the Socialist Labor Party, he joined the Social Democratic Party in 1897 and then helped to found the Socialist Party of America in 1901. For the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, he negotiated the historic labor-management accord known as Protocol of Peace, following the 1910 strike of some 50,000 workers in New York City, and also served as the union₂s legal counsel thereafter. In the U.S. Congress he sought to represent the interests of his Jewish immigrant constituency, supporting various labor and social reforms, and was active in Jewish organizations, including the Workmen's Circle. London died after being hit by a car in New York City.

From the description of Meyer London photographs [graphic]. 1926-1959. (New York University, Group Batchload). WorldCat record id: 58787529

Meyer London (1871-1926) was a Socialist, a labor lawyer (a graduate of New York University Law School, and later the counsel for the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union), and as a Socialist Party candidate, was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing New York City's Lower East Side, serving two terms, 1916-1918 and 1920-1922. As a Congressman, he opposed U.S. entry into World War I, and introduced numerous labor legislation bills. Upon his death, the library of the Rand School of Social Science (1906-1956), a workers' school in New York City, associated with the Socialist Party, named its library the Meyer London Memorial Library, and in in 1959 an elementary school on the Lower East Side was named in his honor (the Meyer London Public School, also known as P.S. 2).

From the guide to the Meyer London Papers, 1910-1959, (Tamiment Library / Wagner Archives)

Meyer London (1871-1926), was a Socialist, a labor lawyer and the first Socialist ever elected to the United States House of Representatives. He represented New York's 12th District, which covered New York City's Lower East Side, from 1915-1919, and from 1921-1923. London was born to Jewish parents in Russian Poland, and emigrated in 1891 to New York City with Anna Rosenson (whom he married in 1899). He attended New York University Law School at night, and was admitted to the bar in 1898. Originally a member of the Socialist Labor Party, he joined the Social Democratic Party in 1897 and then helped to found the Socialist Party of America in 1901. For the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, he negotiated the historic labor-management accord known as Protocol of Peace, following the 1910 strike of some 50,000 workers in New York City, and also served as the union's legal counsel thereafter. In Congress, he sought to represent the interests of his Jewish immigrant constituency, supporting various labor and social reforms, and was active in Jewish organizations, including the Workmen's Circle. London died after being hit by a car in New York City.

From the guide to the Meyer London Photographs, 1926-1959, (Tamiment Library / Wagner Archives)

From the guide to the Meyer London Photographs, 1926-1959, (Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive)