Abstract

Harry Wellington Laidler (1884-1970), was an economist, author, educator and socialist activist. He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University (1907) where he was one of the founders of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society. He received a LL.B. from Brooklyn Law School in 1910 and a Ph.D. in political economy from Columbia in 1914. He was executive director of the League for Industrial Democracy (LID) from 1910 to 1957 and a frequent candidate for political office for the Socialist Party. He served on the New York City Council from 1940 to 1941, having been elected as a candidate of the American Labor Party, which he helped to found. The papers include radio scripts, book reviews, and correspondence (1906-1970) relating to the founding of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society and to League for Industrial Democracy (LID) activities and LID relations with the Socialist and American Labor parties, manuscripts of published and unpublished writings on a broad range of subjects, including the struggle within the LID caused by Laidler's retirement, an unpublished history of the LID, papers relating to Laidler's term (1940-1941) as a member of the New York City Council from Brooklyn, his campaigns for political office (1927-1941), the Socialist Party, the American Labor Party, the National Bureau of Economic Research, and the National Housing Conference. Includes correspondence of Norman Thomas.