Commons, John R

Commons, John R(ogers)

(born Oct. 13, 1862, Hollandsburg, Ohio, U.S.—died May 11, 1945, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) U.S. economist. He taught at the University of Wisconsin (1904–32) and published works such as A Documentary History of American Industrial Society (10 vol., 1910–11) and A History of Labor in the United States (4 vol., 1918–35), in which he linked the evolution of the U.S. labour movement to changes in the market structure. He drafted reform legislation for Wisconsin and worked for the federal government in areas including civil service and worker's compensation.