Reuben G. Soderstrom
Reuben G. Soderstrom | |
|---|---|
Soderstrom speaking in 1954 | |
| 1st President of the Illinois AFL-CIO | |
| In office 1958–1970 | |
| Preceded by | new organization |
| Succeeded by | Stanley Johnson |
| 22nd President of the Illinois State Federation of Labor | |
| In office 1930–1958 | |
| Preceded by | R.G. Fitchie |
| Succeeded by | organization dissolved |
| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
| In office 1918–1920 | |
| Preceded by | Ole Benson |
| Succeeded by | John Wylie |
| In office 1922–1936 | |
| Preceded by | John Wylie |
| Succeeded by | Jeremiah Wlash |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Reuben George Soderstrom March 10, 1888 Waverly, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | December 15, 1970 (aged 82) Streator, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Bull Moose (before 1918) Republican (1918–1936) Unaffiliated (1937-1970) |
| Spouse |
Jeanne Shaw
(m. 1912; died 1951) |
| Children | Carl Rose Jeanne |
| Residence | Streator, Illinois |
| Occupation | Linotypist, labor leader |
Reuben George Soderstrom (March 10, 1888 – December 15, 1970) was an American leader of organized labor who served as President of the Illinois State Federation of Labor (ISFL) and Illinois AFL-CIO from 1930 to 1970. A key figure in Chicago and Illinois politics, he also played a pivotal role in American labor history by helping to define national labor policy after the formation of the AFL–CIO in 1955. Soderstrom advised and was courted by multiple U.S. presidents seeking his endorsement and the votes of the over 1.3 million laborers he represented. The longest-serving state federation chief in American labor history, he passed seminal labor legislation and increased his organization's membership five-fold, transforming it into one of the most powerful labor bodies in the United States.