Walter P. Reuther

Wayne State University is commemorating the 100th birthday of the late Walter P. Reuther, one of the most influential labor leaders of the 20th Century, with the opening of an exhibit titled “No Greater Calling: The Life of Walter P. Reuther, 1907-1970,” on Monday, Aug. 27, 5:30-7:30 p.m. The invitation-only reception and program will be held in the Walter P. Reuther Library, in Detroit.

The exhibit illustrates the history of the great labor leader Walter Reuther, and his role in the development of the United Automobile Workers (UAW) from its inception to the present. Photographic images and written materials are showcased in the exhibit revealing Reuther’s efforts in support of civil and human rights, social and economic justice and workplace dignity.

Reuther was elected president of the UAW in 1946, a post he held until his death in 1970. During his 24-year tenure at the helm of the union, the UAW grew to be one of most powerful unions in the world, and its members gained significantly improved wages and benefits, enhanced workplace safety, pensions, health care and many other benefits. Reuther also believed that labor should support causes of social and economic justice for all.

Reuther had great political influence serving as an advisor to Presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Lyndon B. Johnson spanning three decades.

During World War II, Reuther gained national public prominence for his plan to use idled automobile factories to build 500 aircraft a day. Although her turned-down several high-level positions in the wartime federal government, as a member of the UAW, he worked with the Roosevelt Administration to develop national industrial production policies.

Throughout his life, Reuther demonstrated a personal commitment to the labor movement, civil rights and social justice. He was an ardent supporter of the Southern Christian Leadership Council, and a friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He provided financial support and counsel to Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers, to name a few.

For further information about media opportunities during the reception and exhibit opening, contact Tom Reynolds at (313) 577-2150, or email treynolds@wayne.edu. The Walter P. Reuther Library is located at 5401 Cass Avenue, Detroit, on Wayne State’s main campus.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to nearly 33,000 students.