Robert Zieger
Encyclopedia
Robert H. "Bob" Zieger is a renowned labor historian whose research focuses on the labor history of the United States
.
to John and Grace (Harman) Zieger. He married Gay Pitman in 1962. They have one child, Robert.
Zieger received his bachelor's degree
from Montclair State College
in 1960, a master's degree
from the University of Wyoming
in 1961, and his doctorate
in history from the University of Maryland
in 1965.
in 1964, rising to associate professor by 1973. He was an associate professor of history at Kansas State University
from 1973 to 1977, and a professor of history at Wayne State University
from 1977 to 1986.
In 1986, Zieger was appointed professor of history at the University of Florida
. He was named Distinguished Professor of History in 1998.
Unlike many members of the University of Florida’s History Department, Zieger’s teaching style is very student oriented. He uses a very detailed website that allows people taking his class to fully understand every single day of lecture. Also, he is adamant about making sure his undergraduates come prepared to discuss the material to be covered in class. This has twofold benefit, as it not only ensures preparation, but also allows students to boost their grade with frequent quizzes covering the reading material.
for the best book in labor history.
In 1985, Zieger's Rebuilding the Pulp and Paper Workers' Union, 1933-1941 was a Taft Prize co-winner with Paul Avrich
's The Haymarket Tragedy.[ISBN 0-691-00600-8]
Zieger won the Taft Prize again in 1995 for his 1994 book, The CIO, 1935-1955.
Zieger is a member of the Organization of American Historians
and the Southern Historical Association
. He is also a member of the Historians of American Communism
, and served as the organization's president from 1989 to 1992.
Labor history of the United States
The labor history of the United States describes the history of organized labor, as well as the more general history of working people, in the United States. Pressures dictating the nature and power of organized labor have included the evolution and power of the corporation, efforts by employers...
.
Early years
Robert Zieger was born August 2, 1938, in Englewood, New JerseyEnglewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 27,147.Englewood was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of...
to John and Grace (Harman) Zieger. He married Gay Pitman in 1962. They have one child, Robert.
Zieger received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Montclair State College
Montclair State University
Montclair State University is a public research university located in the Upper Montclair section of Montclair, the Great Notch area of Little Falls, and Clifton, New Jersey. As of October 2009, there were 18,171 total enrolled students: 14,139 undergraduate students and 4,032 graduate students...
in 1960, a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
in 1961, and his doctorate
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in history from the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in 1965.
Career
Zieger obtained an appointment as an assistant professor of history at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens PointUniversity of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point is a public university located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin...
in 1964, rising to associate professor by 1973. He was an associate professor of history at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
from 1973 to 1977, and a professor of history at Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
from 1977 to 1986.
In 1986, Zieger was appointed professor of history at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. He was named Distinguished Professor of History in 1998.
Unlike many members of the University of Florida’s History Department, Zieger’s teaching style is very student oriented. He uses a very detailed website that allows people taking his class to fully understand every single day of lecture. Also, he is adamant about making sure his undergraduates come prepared to discuss the material to be covered in class. This has twofold benefit, as it not only ensures preparation, but also allows students to boost their grade with frequent quizzes covering the reading material.
Awards and memberships
Zieger is a distinguished labor historian. His books have twice won the highly prestigious Philip Taft Labor History Book AwardPhilip Taft Labor History Book Award
The Philip Taft Labor History Book Award is sponsored by the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations in cooperation with the Labor and Working-Class History Association for books relating to labor history of the United States...
for the best book in labor history.
In 1985, Zieger's Rebuilding the Pulp and Paper Workers' Union, 1933-1941 was a Taft Prize co-winner with Paul Avrich
Paul Avrich
Paul Avrich was a professor and historian. He taught at Queens College, City University of New York, for most of his life and was vital in preserving the history of the anarchist movement in Russia and the United States....
's The Haymarket Tragedy.[ISBN 0-691-00600-8]
Zieger won the Taft Prize again in 1995 for his 1994 book, The CIO, 1935-1955.
Zieger is a member of the Organization of American Historians
Organization of American Historians
The Organization of American Historians , formerly known as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, is the largest professional society dedicated to the teaching and study of American history. OAH's members in the U.S...
and the Southern Historical Association
Southern Historical Association
The Southern Historical Association is an organization of historians focusing on the history of the Southern United States . It was organized on November 2, 1934...
. He is also a member of the Historians of American Communism
Historians of American Communism
Historians of American Communism is a national academic association, established in 1982, bringing together historians, political scientists, and independent scholars interested in the study of the Communist Party of the United States of America and other communist and anti-communist...
, and served as the organization's president from 1989 to 1992.
Works
- Robin Hood in the Silk City: The I.W.W. and the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913. Newark, N.J.: New Jersey Historical Society, 1966.
- Republicans and Labor, 1919-1929. Lexington, Ky.: University of Kentucky Press, 1969.
- Madison's Battery Workers, 1934-1952: A History of Federal Labor Union 19587. Ithaca, N.Y.: ILR Press, 1977.
- John L. Lewis: Labor Leader. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1988.
- Organized Labor in the Twentieth-Century South. Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 1991.
- Labor on the March. With Edward Levinson. Ithaca, N.Y.: ILR Press, 1995
- Southern Labor in Transition, 1940-1995. Robert H. Zieger, ed. Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 1997.
- The CIO, 1935-1955. Reprint ed. Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1997.
- America's Great War: World War 1 and the American Experience. Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2000.
- American Workers, American Unions: The Twentieth Century. With Gilbert J. Gail. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002.
- Rebuilding the Pulp and Paper Workers' Union, 1933-1941. Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 2005.
Footnotes
- Who's Who in America. 59th ed. New Providence, N.J.: Marquis Who's Who, 2005.