A new exhibit at Wayne State University's Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs gives visitors a glimpse into the life and times of internationally known labor leader Douglas Fraser.

A popular champion of labor rights, Fraser is known simply as "Doug" by acquaintances and non-acquaintances alike. Since his retirement as UAW president in 1983, he has been a university professor of labor studies at WSU, where he is frequently sought out for his expertise on labor and industry issues.

The exhibit will be in place through July in the library's main gallery. A description near the entrance captures the essence of the exhibit and the man: "This is the story of Doug Fraser's lifetime quest for dignity and social justice for working people."

Included are dozens of photographs, awards and other memorabilia from a career in which he has championed the cause of organized labor. There are photos of Fraser with Walter Reuther, former People's Republic of China leader Deng Xiaoping, the late Detroit Mayor Coleman Young and other well known political and labor leaders. In other photos, Fraser is seen walking the picket line with workers and at bargaining meetings with Detroit automakers.

Among the memorabilia in one display case is Walter Reuther's Ford Rouge Plant employee badge, a cherished memento presented to Fraser several years ago by the UAW Skilled Trades Department. Another exhibit panel captures Fraser's role in helping save 140,000 jobs when he was among local government, corporate and labor leaders who persuaded Congress in 1979 to grant loan guarantees to a nearly bankrupt Chrysler Corp.

The exhibit is the second honor Wayne State has bestowed in recent months on its most notable labor expert. Last November, the university's College of Urban, Labor & Metropolitan Affairs announced establishment of the Douglas A. Fraser Center for Workplace Issues. It will provide opportunities for workers, employers and scholars to gather for discussion, training and research on issues related to the workplace. For information on exhibit times, call the Reuther Library at (313) 577-4024.