
The School of Labor and Employment Relations has been a leader in human resources and labor relations since 1946.
The movement to establish a school for labor research and teaching was initiated by a resolution adopted in October 1942 at the 60th annual convention of the Illinois State Federation of Labor. An act of the state legislature in 1945 established the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and it began operating in 1946. A stand-alone building was erected in 1960 to house the then-institute and its faculty and classes.
Originally, both on-campus degree programs and extension programs were included. At first only a master’s degree was offered; a PhD program was added in 1966. Joint degree programs were added with the College of Law in 1976 and the College of Commerce (now College of Business) in 1998. In October 1997, the name of the degree changed to Master’s of Human Resources and Industrial Relations (MHRIR) to reflect the evolution of the field. In 2008, the name of the institute was changed to the School of Labor and Employment Relations to reflect its elevated status as a school on campus.
Historical Timeline
Year | Milestone |
1945 | Final approval of the University appropriations to establish the Institute of Labor Relations |
1946 | Albert J. Harno of the College of Law and University Provost, chair, in his final report to President Willard gave the Institute responsibility for fostering, establishing and correlating resident instruction, research and extension work on labor relations |
1946 | The Griffith committee recommended to the trustees that the Institute name should be changed from the Institute of Labor Relations to the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations to broaden the jurisdiction and meet the needs of its constituents |
1946 | The Institute’s advisory committee should be made up of five representatives each from labor, management and the general public |
1946 | Phillips Bradley named first Director of the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations |
1946 | The Institute opened in one large room on the fourth floor of Mumford Hall. There were five students in one graduate course taught by Professor William H. “Mac” McPherson |
1947 | Professional Librarian appointed to develop first-class labor library collection |
1947 | Labor Education Extension is formally established |
1947 | W. Ellison Chalmers follows Bradley as director |
1949 | ILIR confers first three A.M. degrees to Peter B. Liveright, James W. Shanks, and Seymour Chalfin |
1949 | ILIR leveraged a small budget thought joint efforts with other departments to have 20 courses, 45 students and 13 faculty. Moved from the Mumford Hall location to the second floor of a private building on Sixth Street after arranging extensive renovations of the building |
1949 | First woman, Eva Galambos, graduates with A.M |
1950 | First African-American, Melvin Humphrey graduates with A.M |
1951 | Milton Derber named acting director of the Institute following Director Chalmers decision to step down after suffering a heart attack |
1952 | Robben W. Fleming named fourth director of the Institute. He initiated a fund drive to construct an Institute building |
1956 | Building funds received from State of Illinois, Steelworkers of America, William Green Memorial Fund, and State Federation of Labor |
1962 | Martin Wagner named fifth director of the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations |
1962 | Beginning of Management extension program and forming of an ILIR Alumni program |
1962 | On April 19, ILIR moves into new building at Fifth and Armory |
1962 | Formal separation of labor education extension and management extension program, establishing a labor education extension unit with Phillips Garman as director, and Earl Wolfe as director of management extension |
1963 | The Institute enters a five year exchange program of students and faculty with Keio University in Tokyo furthering Japanese-American understanding of labor relations: Director Wagner, and faculty members Solomon B. Levine and Bernard Karsh head the program which is funded in part by the Ford Foundation |
1965 | Opening of the Chicago Labor Education Program to provide courses, conferences and other educational services for Chicago Area Trade unionists |
1966 | PhD program established. |
1968 | Melvin Rothbaum named Institute’s sixth director. Professor Wagner returns full time to teaching |
1970 | First Doctorate degree awarded by the Institute to John Niland, an Australian |
1971 | Richard Mannweiler named head of Management Education Program after Earl Wolf’s retirement |
1976 | Ronald J. Peters named head of Labor Education Program |
1976 | ILIR offers Joint JD/AM program with College of Law |
1980s | Student placement grows by 100% throughout the decade; Corporate Fellowship Program provides funding for hundreds of students |
1981 | Walt Franke named Institute’s seventh director. |
1982 | ILIR creates Alumni Annual Giving Program, the first of its kind at Illinois, which consistently is one of the most successful giving program on campus |
1984 | Arnold Weber AM ‘51, President Emeritus of Northwestern University, speaks to students and receives the first Distinguished Alumni Award |
1987 | Chicago Federation of Labor AFL-CIO establishes Brabec Fellowship |
1987 | Women for the first time made up more than 50% of the enrollment |
1990 | Inaugural Milton Derber Lecture |
1991 | Center for Human Resource Management (CHRM) is founded to match corporate interests with faculty research skills |
1991 | Students form Labor Studies Club |
1993 | Multicultural Student Association formed to meet needs of growing number of minority students enrolled at ILIR |
1993 | ILIR sends major delegation to conference held in conjunction with Japan Institute of Labor; faculty and staff also visit Hong Kong and Taiwan |
1994 | Peter Feuille named Institute’s eighth director |
1994 | An endowed fund in honor of Hachiro ‘Buddy’ Koyama is established to “open the doors of opportunity” for international and internationally involved students |
1996 | ILIR and Japan Institute of Labor jointly host conference in Chicago |
1997 | ILIR 50th Anniversary Celebration |
1997 | ILIR changes the master’s degree from AM, Labor and Industrial Relations to MHRIR, Human Resources and Industrial Relations |
1997 | Martin Wagner gives generous gift to inspire other alumni to donate toward the first endowed Professorship |
1998 | The Martin Wagner Education Center was dedicated during the fall alumni weekend. Previous classroom lounge area was remodeled, enlarged and updated technologically (1st building enhancement in the building’s 35+ years) |
1998 | ILIR Faculty Teaching Excellence Award Introduced, goes to Wally Hendricks |
1999 | Family fellowship program is established to support student education; Alumni Wayne Anderson, Lee Loichle, and Alan May make significant contributions to establish endowed fellowships |
2000 | Craig Olson named the First ILIR Alumni Professor |
2002 | Emma Jean Mahoney, ILIR’s longest employee is honored for her 43 years of service by campus and ILIR at her retirement |
2002 | Ron Peters retires as Head of Labor Education Program; Ed Hertenstein (Champaign) and Bob Bruno (Chicago) will fill the position |
2004 | 100% of December class placed in jobs before graduation |
2005 | ILIR hosts Alumni Professorship Symposium |
2005 | ILIR hosts HR Games |
2005 | First LIRA Formal is held |
2006 | ILIR hosts a 60th anniversary celebration |
2006 | Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld named Institute’s ninth director |
2007 | The international student population composes one quarter of students |
2008 | Renovations are completed to make six professional recruiting suites and an administrative area named the Walt Franke Suite. These rooms replace the former library space. Telecommunications capabilities were added, library services were shifted over to digital formats. Gifts of $200,000 from key alumni, corporations and emeritus faculty/directors made project possible. |
2008 | Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations officially becomes School of Labor and Employment Relations; the director positions become dean titles |
2009 | Labor Education Program introduces distance learning courses as part of new undergraduate curriculum in Global Labor Studies |
2009 | LER hosts a memorial service for Archie Green, LER librarian from 1960-72 and founder of the Campus Folksong Club who lobbied Congress to establish the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress |
2010 | The former second-floor administrative suite is converted to a faculty office suite, funded by Director Emeritus Peter Feuille and his wife, Susan |
2012 | Professor Joseph Martocchio is named Interim Dean of the School; he is the school’s 10th dean/director |
2012 | Professor Fritz Drasgow is named Interim Dean of the School; permanently appointed to the position in 2013 and is the School’s 11th dean/director |
2013 | Renovations are completed for the basement corridors and the first floor corridors/offices to begin upgrading the general building space for the first time |
2014 | Peter B. Liveright, AM 1949 and the oldest living graduate of the School, delivers the May Convocation address |
2014 | Building renovations continue with complete upgrades to all second floor corridors and offices |
2015 | LER delivers the first online degree classes to the inaugural cohort of students |
2018 | Immediately following May commencement ceremonies, ground is broken on a $6 million renovation and addition to the LER building, the first addition to the physical space since the building was constructed. Two new classrooms and an outdoor gathering space are among the amenities. |