Anderson, Mary

Anderson, Mary, 1872–1964, American labor expert, chief (1919–44) of the Women's Bureau, U.S. Dept. of Labor, b. Sweden. She emigrated to the United States in 1888. After some years as an industrial worker in garment and shoe factories, she became an organizer for the National Boot and Shoe Workers' Union and one of the founders of the National Women's Trade Union League. In 1918 she was appointed assistant to the chief of the Women's Bureau, becoming its chief in 1919.

Bibliography

See her autobiography, Woman at Work (1951, repr. 1973).

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Anderson, Mary (1872–1964) labor leader; born in Lidkoping, Sweden. Emigrating to the U.S.A. at age 16, she became active in union work, becoming an officer of the International Boot and Shoe Workers' Union in Chicago. She was also active in the Women's Trade Union League and worked to obtain equal pay to women for equal work. She was the first director of the Women's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor (1920–44).