Baltimore Labor College

Workers' education school in the United States

Baltimore Labor College

Location

Baltimore, Maryland

United States

Information
Type| workers' education
Opened| c. 1919
Closed| c. 1931
Principal| William Ross (president)
Faculty| Broadus Mitchell, V.F. Calverton

The Baltimore Labor College (c. 1919 – c. 1931) of Baltimore, Maryland, was an early 20th-century college, school, and enterprise for workers' education within the State of Maryland.[1][2] Its president was Polish-born ILGWU organizer William Ross (b. 1899).[3][4][5][6]

## History

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The Baltimore Labor College was an outgrowth of the Education Department of the Baltimore Federation of Labor (founded in 1883) and started as Adult Education.[7] In 1919, one of the college's founders was Jess Perlman, director of the Jewish Educational Alliance in Baltimore[8] and executive director of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies' School for Social Service in Montreal,[9] later a co-founder of the Grove School (Connecticut).[10]

The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACW) sponsored the Baltimore Labor College as well as Brookwood Labor College, the Rochester Labor College, and the Workers University of Cleveland.[11][12]

### 1920s

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In 1920, the Baltimore Labor College had professors from Johns Hopkins University lecture to its worker students.[13]

In 1921, A.K. Moran, a delegate of the Baltimore Labor College, asked the Workers Education Bureau of America whether a local Philadelphia union could affiliate directly with the Bureau as well as with the Philadelphia Labor College.[14]

In 1924, the Baltimore Labor College joined a US delegation to the UK to visit the British Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Ruskin College. Other delegates came from the Workers Education Bureau, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU), Washington Trade Union College, the Rand School of Social Science, Brookwood Labor College, and the National Women's Trade Union League (WTUL).[15]

In 1929, the Baltimore Labor College reviewed open labor forums along with the Denver Labor College, the New Haven Trades Council, and the Detroit Federation of Labor.[16]

### 1930s

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In 1930, the Baltimore Labor College endorsed labor legislation along with other organizations including the American Federation of Labor.[17]

According to a 1931 report, "control of the Baltimore Labor College rests in a board of trustees, which in turn, is elected by a board of control, composed of delegates of the Baltimore Federation of Labor."[18]

In a 1980 oral history interview, William Ross stated:

> One of the things I was involved with was the establishment of the Baltimore Labor College. It wasn't a college in the full sense – we just used that name. It consisted of classes for adults and sociological and historical subjects. We also developed a radio labor program, probably the first such program in the country. That was before television. And that was successful. It was paid for by an important New York firm... In addition to it I had to develop a cooperative program with Johns Hopkins University – its economics department. And the program was a joint organization of a number of seminars of very large size. Weekend seminars which would have people of national importance dealing with current labor and industry problems, such as the future of the railroad industry... I... wanted to do more things and I became interested in getting to learn more about the European labor movement and especially I wanted to attend the college known as Ruskin College in Oxford... And the people who were running the Brookwood Labor College arranged for me to go to Ruskin and to Oxford. Of course, the town of Baltimore became very thrilled and excited... My stay in Baltimore off and on was stretched over a five-year period.[19]

## Teachers

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Teachers included Broadus Mitchell[20][21] and V.F. Calverton.[22]

## See also

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* Baltimore Federation of Labor
* Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America
* Brookwood Labor College
* Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers in Industry

## References

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1. ^ Workers Education in the United States: Report of Proceedings Second National Conference on Workers Education in the United States. Workers Education Bureau of America. 1922. p. 193. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
2. ^ Proceedings of the National University Extension Association, Volumes 7-11. National University Extension Association. 1923. p. 132. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
3. ^ Danielson, Leilah (25 September 2014). American Gandhi: A. J. Muste and the History of Radicalism in the Twentieth Century. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 103 (among other schools), 376 (president). Retrieved 20 April 2022.
4. ^ "Volume 44". Plumbers, Gas and Steam Fitters Journal. United Association of Journeymen Plumbers and Steam Fitters of the United States and Canada: 33. 1929. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
5. ^ "Volume 65". International Molders' and Foundry Workers' Journal. International Molders' and Foundry Workers' Union: 386. 1929. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
6. ^ "Brookwood Graduates, Members of A.F. of L., Reply to President Green". The American Teacher. American Federation of Labor: 31. March 1929. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
7. ^ Machin, Robert E. (April 1927). "Baltimore Labor Begins Education". The Horseshoers' Magazine. Cincinnati: International Union of Journeymen Horseshoers of the United States and Canada: 4. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
8. ^ "Jewish Social Service: Personals". Jewish Charities. New York: National Conference of Jewish Charities: 271. May 1919. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
9. ^ "Jewish Social Service: School for Social Service". Jewish Charities. New York: National Conference of Jewish Charities: 65. November 1920. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
10. ^ "Jess Perlman, aka Philip Gray (1891-1984)". "Strangers to Us All": Lawyers and Poetry. New York: National Conference of Jewish Charities. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
11. ^ Fraser, Steven (1993). Labor Will Rule: Sidney Hillman and the Rise of American Labor. Cornell University Press. p. 221\. ISBN 9780801481260. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
12. ^ Argersinger, Jo Ann E. (1999). Making the Amalgamated: Gender, Ethnicity, and Class in the Baltimore Clothing Industry, 1899-1939. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 74–78. ISBN 9780801859892. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
13. ^ "Labor Colleges". The Vocational Summary. Washington, DC: James R. Elkins: 226. April 1920. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
14. ^ Workers Education in the United States: Report of Proceedings, First National Conference on Workers Education in the United States. Workers Education Bureau of America. 1921. p. 81. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
15. ^ "At Ruskin College". Labor and Life Bulletin. Chicago: National Women's Trade Union League of American: 2. October 1924. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
16. ^ "Labor Congresses: Convention of Workers' Education Bureau, 1929". Monthly Labor Review. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 164. May 1929. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
17. ^ "unreadable". American Labor Legislation Review: 15. May 1930. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
18. ^ "unreadable". American Labor Yearbook. Rand School of Social Science: 238. 1931. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
19. ^ Ross, William (20 May 1980). "William Ross Oral History, May 20, 1980" (HTML text) (Interview). Interviewed by Walter Massy Phillips. Temple University - Oral Histories - Temple Digital Collections. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
20. ^ Bloom, Jonathan D. (March 1989). Rae Wahl Rohfeld (ed.). Workers' Education and Adult Education. Breaking New Ground: The Development of Adult and Workers' Education in North America. Irene Quinlan (copy editor). Syracuse University Kellogg Project.
21. ^ Rita, Heller (2008) [1984]. "Blue Collars and Blue Stockings: The Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers, 1921-1938". In Kornbluh, Joyce L.; Frederickson, Mary (eds.). Sisterhood and Solidarity: Workers' Education for Women, 1914-1984. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. pp. 120, 124, 154.
22. ^ Bly, Cynthia (2004). "Calverton, V.F.". In Wintz, Cary D. (ed.). Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance: A-J. Taylor & Francis. p. 208\. ISBN 9781579584573.

## External sources

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* William Ross Oral History, May 20, 1980
* Workers' Education and Adult Education