Dr. Paul Abelson (Ph.D., Columbia, 1906; LL.B., New York Law School, 1918) was a prominent lawyer and arbitrator in New York City and made substantial intellectual and social contributions to the Jewish community in that city. A cofounder of the Madison House Settlement (1899), Abelson devoted the early part of his career to Jewish welfare work, including immigrant education. He also edited the English-Yiddish Encyclopedia Dictionary (1912), served as the director of the Bureau of Industry of Kehillah and was head of the adult immigrant department and evening summer school of the Educational Alliance.
Mr. Abelson served as Impartial Chairman of the following Industries: fur, millinery, men's hat and cap, infants' and childrens wear, juvenile apparel, cotton goods, full-fashioned hosiery, ladles pocketbooks, pleaters and stitchers, luggage and leather, dolls, novelty, toys, bakers, movies and other miscellaneous industries.
Abelson's work as an arbitrator and mediator began in 1911 when he was appointed a member of the conciliation staff under the Protocol Arbitration Plan of the Cloak and Suit Industry. He subsequently served as secretary of the Board of Moderators in the men's clothing trade (1915-1916); served as special arbitrator for the paper box industry (1924); established the arbitration machinery for the hosiery industry in New York City (1929-1931); was appointed an administration member under the National Recovery Administration for seven apparel codes; and was impartial chairman for the fur industry (1914-1939), millinery and cap trade (1915-1938), New York Jewish baking industry (1932-?), New York City suitcase trade (1935-1937), New York City jewelry trade (1936-?), ladies' handbag industry (1937-1941), children's dress trade (1937-1941), New York toy industry (1935-?) and the New York knit goods industry (1939-?). Abelson also served as a public panel member of the National War Labor Board during World War II.
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1878:
September 27, Born in Kovno, Lithuania
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1899:
Graduated New York City College
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1899:
Cofounder Madison House Settlement
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1902 -
1911
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Taught High School History
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1902 -
1911
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First Designated Lecturer in Yiddish on History and Civics
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1903:
Secretary of Civic Club
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1905:
Married Helen Cohen
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1905 -
1910
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Head of Department of Adult Immigrants, Educational Alliance in New York City
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1905 -
1920
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One of the Organizers and Treasurer of Jewish Farmers of America
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1906:
Ph.D. Degree from Columbia University
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1911 -
1914
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Member, Conciliation Staff, Cloak and Suit Industry 1914-1953; Impartial Chairman for Several Needle Trade Industries 1915; Director, Bureau of Industry, Jewish Community (Kehillah)
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1915 -
1919
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Lectured at Columbia University, Jewish Theological Seminary, School of Jewish Communal Work, Cornell University
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1915 -
1916
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Secretary, Board of Moderators in Men's Clothing Industry
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1917 :
Head of Economics Department, School of Jewish Communal Work
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1918 :
LL.B. New York Law School
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1924:
Special Arbitrator, Paper Industry
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1924:
Established Arbitration Machinery for Hosiery Industry
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1933 -
1935
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Administrative Member, Under National Recovery-Administration for Seven Apparel Trade Codes
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1950:
Awarded City College Alumni Association Towsend Harris Medal
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1953:
November 14, Died at the Age of 75
From the guide to the Paul Abelson papers, 1903-1953., (Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University.)
