Vernon R. Stedman (1916-1993) was a National Labor Bureau researcher and labor negotiator for maritime unions. In the 1950s he studied economics at the University of Washington, and conducted research for a dissertation tentatively entitled "Development of Collective Bargaining in the Puget Sound Inland Waterways Industry." The project dealt largely with the history of the Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific (IBU), but also to some extent the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association (MEBA) and the Masters, Mates and Pilots (MMP). In his research he consulted with John M. Fox, who became Business Manager and President of the IBU after also serving with the MMP, and with Clyde W. Deal, who helped form the IBU and who went on to work in the United States Department of Labor's Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Stedman did not complete his dissertation.
From the guide to the Vernon R. Stedman Papers, 1933-1972, (University of Washington Libraries Special Collections)
