The Reunion of Old Timers was founded in 1941 by veteran members of the labor struggle. The Reunion was established to honor distinguished individuals involved in the labor and socialist movements and to provide financial aid to members and institutions in need. Charles Grossman, a veteran socialist and labor leader, was the founding president of the Reunion. Grossman, a printer by trade had also managed the election campaign of Meyer London in 1920. Under Grossman's leadership, the Reunion honored such notable figures as Hubert H. Humphrey, A. Philip Randolph, Walter Reuther, Herbert H. Lehman, Earl Clement Attlee, Hon. Herbert Morrison, Jasper MacLevy and Judge Jacob Panken. The organization claimed 500 members at its height and raised money through dues and contributions. In 1957, the Reunion established a fund to perpetuate the memory of Morris Hillquit, the prominent socialist lawyer. The drive was a success because of the participation of many unions and community leaders including the ILGWU, George Meany, Senator Herbert H. Lehman, and Eleanor Roosevelt. A scholarship was also established in 1961 at Brooklyn College in the memory of Louis P. Goldberg, a prominent labor attorney.
After the death of Charles Grossman in 1979, the Reunion continued under the leadership of Morris S. Novik. The first big event of this administration was the sponsorship of the Charles Zimmerman scholarship in 1981. This scholarship provided for two $250.00 cash awards - one for a student entering college and one for a student entering the labor force. In addition, an AFL-CIO educational program was launched to stress the significance of Samuel Gompers and the labor movement in U.S. history. Similar projects were promoted in New York City schools in honor of Meyer London, Benjamin Schlesinger, William Green, A. Philip Randolph, and George Meany. In 1998 the organization changed its name to Reunion for Tomorrow.
From the guide to the Reunion of Old Timers Records, 1947-1989, (Tamiment Library / Wagner Archives)
