Barbara Mayer Wertheimer (1926 – September 23, 1983) was an American

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

and labor organizer. Her research specialized in United States labor and

gender Gender is the range of social, psychological, cultural, and behavioral aspects of being a man (or boy), woman (or girl), or third gender. Although gender often corresponds to sex, a transgender person may identify with a gender other tha ...

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

. Wertheimer served as an

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a position ...

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

from 1977 to 1983, where she cofounded and directed the Institute for Women and Work at the Industrial and Labor Relations School. Wertheimer was also the first president and founding member of the New York Labor History Association, and is known for her monograph ''We Were There: The Story of Working Women in America'' (1977).

Education and civic involvement

Born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 1926, Wertheimer received a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

from

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...

in 1946 and a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

in 1960. Early in her career Wertheimer worked in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

as an organizer for the

Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA) was a United States labor union known for its support for "social unionism" and progressive political causes. Led by Sidney Hillman for its first thirty years, it helped found the Congress of Indus ...

and was an acting national education director from 1947 to 1958. From 1960 to 1961, she served as a consultant for the American Labor Education Service. She was subsequently the community services consultant for the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal from 1961 to 1966. Wertheimer was also a past commissioner of the New York City Commission on the Status of Women. In 1981, Wertheimer became an associate of the

Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press (WIFP) is an American nonprofit publishing organization that was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1972. The organization works to increase media democracy and strengthen independent media. Basic informati ...

(WIFP). WIFP is an American nonprofit publishing organization. The organization works to increase communication between women and connect the public with forms of women-based media.

Academic career

Wertheimer had a long career at

. From 1966 to 1972 she was the senior extension associate and labor program specialist at the

New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations The New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University (ILR) is an industrial relations school and one of Cornell University's Statutory college#Cornell University, statutory colleges. The school has five academic depar ...

. From 1972 to 1977, she was the director of the Trade Union Women's Studies program and senior extension associate. She was later an associate professor and director of the Institute for Women and Work from 1977 to 1983. Wertheimer was a member of the editorial board of ''Labor History'' and on the advisory committee for “Twentieth Century Union Woman: Vehicle for Social Change” at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

for the National Oral History Project. Wertheimer was also on the advisory committee for documentary ''Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter''.

Personal

Wertheimer was married to Valentin Wertheimer, the vice-president of Amalgamated Clothing Workers. She died of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

at her summer home in

Lakeville, Connecticut Lakeville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, close to Dutchess County, New York. It is within the town of Salisbury, but has its own ZIP Code (06039). As of the 2010 census, the population of L ...

on September 23, 1983.

Recognition

The Barbara Wertheimer Prize from the New York Labor History Association is named in her honor. It is awarded annually for the best

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

research paper in labor and work history.

Bibliography

*''Exploring the Arts: Handbook for Trade Union Program Planners'' (1968) *''Handbook for Consumer Counselors: A Resource and Training Manual'' (1970) *''Trade Union Women: A Study of Their Participation in New York City Locals'' (1975) *''We Were There: The Story of Working Women in America'' (1977) *''Education Needs of Union Women'' (1982)

References

External links

Guide to the Barbara Wertheimer Files at the Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wertheimer, Barbara Cornell University faculty 1926 births 1983 deaths American women historians 20th-century American historians 20th-century American women writers Writers from New York City People from Lakeville, Connecticut Historians from New York (state) Historians from Connecticut