Who is terence powderly

Disliking strikes and other conflicts, he constantly looked forward to an age of cooperation. Nor did he look the part of a labor organizer. Slender, even frail, he wore delicate spectacles and a magnificent drooping mustache and dressed impeccably.

His manners were formal, even haughty. He was considered something of a snob. Ultimately these qualities neutralized his competence as an organizer and administrator, his considerable abilities as a speaker and correspondent, and his tact and diplomacy.

After retiring from leadership of the Knights, Powderly practiced law and was named commissioner general of immigration He became chief of the Division of Information in the Immigration Bureau in He died on Jan. The basic sources for studying Powderly are his autobiographical Thirty Years of Labor, ; rev. Powderly In , Powderly resigned from the union because of protracted internal quarreling. Powderly enjoyed a distinguished career outside of his KOL leadership. He served three times as mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

In , he was admitted to the bar and established a successful law practice. He called for an organization meeting to occur in Columbus, Ohio in December At this meeting, Gompers and his supporters created a new union, the American Federation of Labor. This organization quickly emerged as one of the United States' most powerful unions during the s. Powderly held several elected and appointed positions during his life. Residents of Scranton, Pennsylvania, elected Powderly mayor of their community in , , and Upon resigning from the Knights of Labor, Powderly studied law, passing the Pennsylvania bar exam in Terence V.

Powderly House from street Photograph by Kristen Carsto. Powderly House frontview Photograph by Kristen Carsto. The Knights of Labor, originally a secret organization, was the leading labor organization of the s. Under Powderly's leadership for 14 years, the Knights of Labor promoted the unity of labor and union organization.

In an attempt to form a large union the Knights counted both African Americans and women as members.