John Brown Lennon
Encyclopedia
John Brown Lennon was an American labor union leader and general-secretary of the Journeyman Tailors Union of America (JTU). In 1890, he was elected treasurer of the American Federation of Labor
and served in that capacity until he was defeated by Teamsters president Daniel J. Tobin
in 1917. During World War I
, he was appointed by Woodrow Wilson
to the U.S. Department of Labor's board of mediators and Commission of Conciliation, and also served on the U.S. Commission of Industrial Relations. In 1919, he supported the formation of the Illinois Labor Party and ran for mayor of Bloomington
, Illinois
on the Labor Party ticket.
, Wisconsin
on October 12, 1850 to John Alexander and Elizabeth Fletcher (Brown). In 1852, his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri
, where Lennon learned the tailor's trade from his father.
After attending Oberlin College for seven months, Lennon moved to Denver, Colorado
, where he worked first as a farmer and miner before returning to the tailor's trade. In 1871, he married Juna Allen and they had one son.
In the 1880s, he rose quickly up the rank of the Journeyman Tailors Union. In 1884, he represented the union in their national reorganization, and in 1885 he was elected vice-president. In 1886, Lennon was elected general-secretary of the Journeyman Tailors Union, the top position of the organization. As one of his duties as JTU general-secretary, he edited its official organ of communication, "The Tailor." By 1907, the JTU had 22,000 in 400 local unions.
Lennon was elected treasurer of the American Federation of Labor in 1890. He soon became a close associate, and friend, to AFL president Samuel Gompers
. In 1894, when Gompers lost the AFL presidency for a year to socialist labor leader John McBride
, he worked out of Lennon's New York City office. Both Lennon and Gompers held the conservative AFL labor philosophy of "pure and simple unionism" against socialist
and anarchist
viewpoints that put forward a larger political project of working-class emancipation through the overthrow of capitalism.
In 1894, the Journeyman Tailors Union under Lennon's leadership faced a blow when it lost half its members due to a disastrous strike in New York. With much of the JTU membership now located in the Midwest, Lennon moved the union headquarters from New York City to Bloomington, Illinois. He would spend the rest of his life in Bloomington, where he was also known for his religious advocacy in the Presbyterian and Unitarian Churches and for the cause of alcohol prohibition through his involvement in the Anti-Saloon League.
Lennon lost the JTU general-secretary position in 1910 to Canadian labor leader and socialist, Eugene Brais. Despite this defeat, he served as the AFL treasurer until Teamsters president Daniel Tobin was elected to the position in 1917.
During World War I, despite his opposition to American involvement in the war, Lennon was appointed by Woodrow Wilson to the U.S. Department of Labor's Commission of Conciliation from 1914 to 1920, and he served on the U.S. Commission on Industrial Relations from 1917-1918. He held hearings during this time period on the issues of private and public employment, efficiency systems and labor, among other issues.
In 1919, Lennon supported the formation of the Illinois Labor Party, although AFL president Samuel Gompers, his friend and close confidant, opposed the effort. That year he ran for mayor of Bloomington, Illinois on the Labor Party ticket, narrowly losing the election by 286 votes to Republican and incumbent mayor, Edward Jones.
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
and served in that capacity until he was defeated by Teamsters president Daniel J. Tobin
Daniel J. Tobin
Daniel Joseph Tobin was an American labor leader and president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1907 to 1952. From 1917 to 1928, he was secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Labor...
in 1917. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was appointed by Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
to the U.S. Department of Labor's board of mediators and Commission of Conciliation, and also served on the U.S. Commission of Industrial Relations. In 1919, he supported the formation of the Illinois Labor Party and ran for mayor of Bloomington
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
on the Labor Party ticket.
Early life
Lennon was born in Lafayette CountyLafayette County
Lafayette County may refer to several locations in the United States:* Lafayette County, Arkansas* Lafayette County, Florida* Lafayette County, Mississippi* Lafayette County, Missouri* Lafayette County, Wisconsin* Lafayette Parish, Louisiana...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
on October 12, 1850 to John Alexander and Elizabeth Fletcher (Brown). In 1852, his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, where Lennon learned the tailor's trade from his father.
After attending Oberlin College for seven months, Lennon moved to Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, where he worked first as a farmer and miner before returning to the tailor's trade. In 1871, he married Juna Allen and they had one son.
Union career
While working as a tailor in Denver, Lennon's involvement in labor union activity started with his membership in the Journeyman Tailors Union in 1871. He helped organize Denver's central labor council, and also ran for mayor on a labor-socialist ticket.In the 1880s, he rose quickly up the rank of the Journeyman Tailors Union. In 1884, he represented the union in their national reorganization, and in 1885 he was elected vice-president. In 1886, Lennon was elected general-secretary of the Journeyman Tailors Union, the top position of the organization. As one of his duties as JTU general-secretary, he edited its official organ of communication, "The Tailor." By 1907, the JTU had 22,000 in 400 local unions.
Lennon was elected treasurer of the American Federation of Labor in 1890. He soon became a close associate, and friend, to AFL president Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers was an English-born American cigar maker who became a labor union leader and a key figure in American labor history. Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor , and served as that organization's president from 1886 to 1894 and from 1895 until his death in 1924...
. In 1894, when Gompers lost the AFL presidency for a year to socialist labor leader John McBride
John McBride
John McBride was an American labor union leader.McBride was born in Wayne County, Ohio, in 1854. He started working in the coal mines at the age of nine. In 1870, McBride joined the Ohio Miners' Union, and in 1883 he became its president—a post he retained until 1889...
, he worked out of Lennon's New York City office. Both Lennon and Gompers held the conservative AFL labor philosophy of "pure and simple unionism" against socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
viewpoints that put forward a larger political project of working-class emancipation through the overthrow of capitalism.
In 1894, the Journeyman Tailors Union under Lennon's leadership faced a blow when it lost half its members due to a disastrous strike in New York. With much of the JTU membership now located in the Midwest, Lennon moved the union headquarters from New York City to Bloomington, Illinois. He would spend the rest of his life in Bloomington, where he was also known for his religious advocacy in the Presbyterian and Unitarian Churches and for the cause of alcohol prohibition through his involvement in the Anti-Saloon League.
Lennon lost the JTU general-secretary position in 1910 to Canadian labor leader and socialist, Eugene Brais. Despite this defeat, he served as the AFL treasurer until Teamsters president Daniel Tobin was elected to the position in 1917.
During World War I, despite his opposition to American involvement in the war, Lennon was appointed by Woodrow Wilson to the U.S. Department of Labor's Commission of Conciliation from 1914 to 1920, and he served on the U.S. Commission on Industrial Relations from 1917-1918. He held hearings during this time period on the issues of private and public employment, efficiency systems and labor, among other issues.
In 1919, Lennon supported the formation of the Illinois Labor Party, although AFL president Samuel Gompers, his friend and close confidant, opposed the effort. That year he ran for mayor of Bloomington, Illinois on the Labor Party ticket, narrowly losing the election by 286 votes to Republican and incumbent mayor, Edward Jones.