O'Sullivan, Mary Kenney

O'Sullivan, Mary Kenney

▪ American labour leader
née  Mary Kenney  
born Jan. 8, 1864, Hannibal, Mo., U.S.
died Jan. 18, 1943, West Medford, Mass.

      American labour leader and reformer who devoted her energies to improving conditions for factory workers in many industries through union organizing.

      Mary Kenney at an early age went to work as an apprentice dressmaker. Later she worked in a printing and binding factory, and about 1889 she made her way to Chicago, where she worked in a succession of binderies. Appalled by the squalid conditions of the city, and particularly of working-class life, she took the lead in organizing the Chicago Women's Bindery Workers' Union within the Ladies' Federal Labor Union No. 2703 (AF of L). She soon formed a close friendship with Jane Addams (Addams, Jane), who opened Hull House to the women bindery workers. Kenney also assisted Florence Kelley (Kelley, Florence) in her investigation of sweatshops and tenements in 1892. In April of that year Samuel Gompers (Gompers, Samuel), president of the American Federation of Labor, appointed her the federation's first woman general organizer. During the year she held the post, she organized garment workers in New York City and Troy, New York, and printers, binders, shoe workers, and carpet weavers in Massachusetts. She then returned to Chicago, where she was appointed one of the 12 inspectors in the new Factory Inspection Department under Kelley. In 1894 she married John F. O'Sullivan, a former seaman and labour editor of the Boston Globe.

      In Boston, Mary O'Sullivan organized the Union for Industrial Progress to study factory and workshop conditions. Through the Women's Educational and Industrial Union and its president, Mary Morton Kehew (Kehew, Mary Morton Kimball), she organized rubber makers and garment and laundry workers. After her husband's death in 1902 she worked as manager of a model tenement in South Boston, where she also conducted classes in English and domestic skills for her tenants. In 1903 she attended the annual convention of the AF of L, and with William E. Walling, a New York settlement worker, she organized the national Women's Trade Union League. In November 1914 she was appointed a factory inspector for the Division of Industrial Safety (from 1919 a part of the state Department of Labor and Industries), and she held that post until January 1934, when she retired.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mary Kenny O'Sullivan — (January 8, 1864 January 18, 1943), was an organizer in the early U.S. labor movement. She learned early the importance of unions from poor treatment received at her first job in dressmaking. Making a career in bookbinding, she joined the Ladies… …   Wikipedia

  • Mary Wayte — Personal information Full name Mary Alice Wayte Bradburne Nationality  United States Born March 25, 1965 …   Wikipedia

  • Kehew, Mary Morton Kimball — ▪ American reformer née  Mary Morton Kimball  born Sept. 8, 1859, Boston, Mass., U.S. died Feb. 13, 1918, Boston       American reformer who worked to improve the living and working conditions of mid 19th century workingwomen in Boston,… …   Universalium

  • Mary Lou Dickerson — Member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 36th district Incumbent Assumed office 1995 Personal details Born September 3, 1946 (1946 09 03 …   Wikipedia

  • Women's Trade Union League — ▪ American organization       American organization, the first national association dedicated to organizing women workers. Founded in 1903, the WTUL proved remarkably successful in uniting women from all classes to work toward better, fairer… …   Universalium

  • Agnes Nestor — Infobox Person name = Agnes Nestor image size = 200px caption = birth date = 24 June 1880 birth place = Grand Rapids, Michigan death date = 28 December 1948 death place = Chicago, Illinois occupation = Labor leader spouse = parents = children… …   Wikipedia

  • American Federation of Labor — Infobox Union name= A.F. of L., AFL full name= American Federation of Labor founded= December 8, 1886 country= United States office= New York City; later, Washington, D.C. people= website= affiliation= members= native name= current= head=… …   Wikipedia

  • Women's Trade Union League — WTUL Full name Women s Trade Union League Founded 1903 Date dissolved 1950 Country United States Head union American Federation of Labor Key people …   Wikipedia

  • Women's Trade Union League — (WTUL)    The WTUL is the first American national trade union dedicated to women workers. Due to the fact that the American Federation of Labor (AFL) would not include women workers into its unions, settlement workers Lillian Wald and Jane Addams …   Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry

  • Durrus and District History Modern — Durrus is an area of West Cork in Ireland. For earlier history, see Durrus and District History1900 2000 James Gilhooley M.P. and Elections 1910James Gilhooley MP (he had been a merchant in Bantry, and was jailed on a number of occaasions under… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”