John Thomas Dunlop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John T. Dunlop
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Standing portrait of Dunlop.
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| 14th United States Secretary of Labor | |
| In office March 18, 1975 – January 31, 1976 |
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| President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Peter J. Brennan |
| Succeeded by | William Usery Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Thomas Dunlop
July 5, 1914 Placerville, California, United States |
| Died | October 2, 2003 (aged 89) Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Dorothy Emily Webb (m. 1937-2002) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | College of Marin University of California, Berkeley (BA, MA, PhD) |
| Academic career | |
| Doctoral students |
Michael J. Piore Richard B. Freeman |
John Thomas Dunlop (born July 5, 1914 – died October 2, 2003) was an important American administrator, economist, and teacher. He was known for helping to solve problems between workers and management. From 1975 to 1976, he served as the United States Secretary of Labor under President Gerald Ford.
Dunlop also led the United States Cost of Living Council from 1973 to 1974. Later, he chaired the U.S. Commission on the Future of Worker-Management Relations. He was often called upon to help settle disagreements in various industries. He also advised many government groups on economic issues.
Dunlop taught at Harvard University for many years, starting in 1938. He retired in 1984 as a special university professor. At Harvard, he led the Economics Department and was Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He was seen as a very important person in the field of industrial relations, which studies how workers, businesses, and the government interact.
Contents
Life and Work
Early Life and School
John Dunlop was born in Placerville, California, where his family owned a pear orchard. When he was four, his parents, who were Presbyterian missionaries, moved their family to the Philippines. John grew up and went to high school on the island of Cebu.
After high school, Dunlop returned to the United States for college. He first attended Marin Junior College in 1931. Later, he transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated with top honors in 1935. He continued his studies at Berkeley, earning a PhD in Economics. While there, he met Dorothy Emily Webb, and they married in 1937.
In 1937, Dunlop also studied at the University of Cambridge in England. He hoped to learn from the famous economist John Maynard Keynes. Even though Keynes was not well, Dunlop's research during this time helped him publish an important paper. Keynes himself praised Dunlop's work for adding to his own economic ideas.
Teaching at Harvard
Soon after, Dunlop began teaching at Harvard University. He became a full professor in 1950. He led the Economics Department from 1961 to 1966. He also served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences from 1970 to 1973.
Dunlop focused on how wages are decided and the role of unions in this process. He believed that unions tried to balance wage increases with keeping jobs. In 1958, he wrote an important book called Industrial Relations Systems. This book explained how different factors like markets, rules, and technology, along with the actions of workers and businesses, affect wages and workplace conditions. This book became a key guide for studying industrial relations.
Dunlop taught many students at Harvard who went on to have successful careers. He also helped start new programs at the university. In 1942, he co-founded the Harvard Trade Union Program. This program trains leaders in the labor movement from the U.S. and around the world. He taught in this program for over 60 years.
Dunlop was also good at solving problems within Harvard University itself. After student protests in 1969, he helped bring stability back to the university. He led a committee that helped resolve conflicts and make changes. Later, he helped negotiate an agreement with a new union for Harvard's clerical and technical workers. This agreement focused on solving problems together and involving staff.
Working in Washington
Dunlop started working in Washington, D.C., during World War II. In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt created the National War Labor Board (NWLB). This board was set up to settle disagreements between workers and businesses. Dunlop worked there from 1943 to 1945. This experience taught him how to gather facts to solve disputes.
After the war, Dunlop continued to advise presidents. President Harry Truman chose him for the Atomic Energy Labor Panel. He also chaired a board for settling disputes in the construction industry. In 1973, President Richard Nixon asked him to lead the Cost of Living Council. This group was in charge of overseeing wages and prices.
Political Role
In March 1975, President Gerald Ford chose John Dunlop to be his Secretary of Labor. Dunlop believed in bringing different groups together to solve problems. He thought that government should help people reach agreements rather than just making strict rules. He wrote that too much legal force can be limiting. He felt that understanding, persuasion, and working together were more helpful.
Dunlop resigned as Secretary of Labor in January 1976. This happened after President Ford went back on a promise about a bill related to the construction industry. Dunlop had worked hard to get unions and businesses to agree on changes to labor laws. Ford had supported the deal, but then vetoed the bill due to political pressure.
Even after leaving the Labor Department, Dunlop continued to serve other presidents. He advised President Jimmy Carter on pay issues in 1979. From 1981 to 1984, he was part of President Ronald Reagan's National Productivity Advisory Committee. He also served on President George H. W. Bush's Social Security Advisory Council.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton asked Dunlop to chair the Commission on the Future of Worker Management Relations. This group looked at how to improve workplace representation. Although many of its ideas were not put into law, Dunlop continued to work on promoting agreements for workplace safety.
Solving Disputes in Many Fields
Beyond his government roles, Dunlop was a master at solving problems in many other areas.
- Agriculture: He helped settle a long-standing dispute between the Campbell Soup Company, farm workers, and tomato growers. Farm workers were not covered by regular labor laws. Dunlop brought everyone together and created a special agreement. This agreement allowed workers to have a union and set up a way to solve future problems. This model later expanded to other food companies and even guest workers from Mexico.
- Clothing Industry: In 1979, Dunlop worked with a Harvard colleague to study the men's suit industry. Their work led to the creation of the Tailored Clothing and Technology Corporation ([TC]2). This organization, funded by government, businesses, and labor, helped develop and use new technologies in the textile and clothing industry.
- Public Safety: In his home state of Massachusetts, Dunlop helped create a way to solve disputes involving police and firefighters. He mediated an agreement that led to the Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC) in 1977. This committee helps settle disagreements through mediation, preventing strikes and walkouts.
Lasting Impact
John Dunlop created many articles, books, and reports. His book Industrial Relations Systems (1958) is considered his most important work. Experts say it shaped how people studied the relationships between workers, management, and government for decades.
Dunlop was not just a teacher; he was also a public figure. He helped settle disputes for major companies and unions. He also led government boards. Many of his colleagues and students became leaders in universities and government.
Dunlop believed in using facts and working together to solve problems. He continued this work until late in his life. John Dunlop passed away in 2003 in Boston.
Harvard University honors John T. Dunlop with two lecture series. One is the John T. Dunlop Memorial Forum, part of the Harvard Trade Union Program where he taught for so many years. The other is the John T. Dunlop Lecture, hosted by the Joint Center of Housing Studies. Harvard's Graduate School of Design also has a special professorship named after him.
Selected Books
- Industrial Relations Systems, 1958, 1993.
- Industrialism and Industrial Man, (with Clark Kerr, Frederick Harbison, and Charles Myers), 1960.
- Labor and the American Community, (with Derek C Bok), 1970.
- Dispute Resolution, Negotiation and Consensus Building, 1984.
- The Management of Labor Unions, 1990.
