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March 6, 1913 to March 4, 1921
Born in Scotland; emigrated with coal miner father to
Pennsylvania. When nine years old, went to work as a breaker boy in the mines;
continued as a coal miner. Active in the union; became Secretary-Treasurer of
United Mine Workers; served in Congress. He was a talented amateur poet.
Appointed by Woodrow Wilson (no relation). Secretary of
Labor when there were 2,000 DOL employees, and when there were four bureaus —
Children, Immigration, Naturalization, and Labor Statistics — and a Division
of Conciliation. With World War I, he put the Department of Labor (DOL) on the
map. Many current DOL activities, except the regulatory work that later became
so important, trace back to that period — employment services, employment of
women, fair employment for minorities, labor-management relations. DOL helped
much in winning the war by mobilizing an effective workforce for defense
production.
Portrait Artist: Hans Schlereth
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