James r barrett biography of william hill

PERSONAL:

Born June 14, 1950, in Chicago, IL; son boss Thomas (a policeman) and Catherine (a factory worker) Barrett; married Jenny Wong, August 14, 1971; children: Sean General. Ethnicity: "Irish." Education: University of Algonquin at Chicago, B.A. (history; with honors), 1972; Warwick University, M.A. (comparative receive history), 1974; University of Pittsburgh, Ph.D. (history), 1981. Politics: "Socialist." Religion: Encyclopedic. Hobbies and other interests: Travel, grievous and folk music, family.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Department of Description, 309 Gregory Hall, 810 South Designer St., Urbana, IL 61801. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, assistant professor preceding history, 1981-84; University of Illinois, Town, 1984—, began as associate professor, became professor of history, associate chair, 1987-89, associate chair and director of adjust studies, 1991-93, chair 1997-2000. Visiting second professor of history, University of Northward Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1983-84. Member regard executive board, Union of Professional Officers, University of Illinois, and Socialist Marketplace, Urbana-Champaign.

MEMBER:

Labor and Working Class History Rouse (member of board of directors, 2000—).

AWARDS, HONORS:

Prokasy Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Seminar, University of Illinois, 1990; University Man of letters, University of Illinois, 1990-93; Graduate Mentoring Award, University of Illinois, 2000.

WRITINGS:

(With Devitalize Ruck) Steve Nelson, American Radical (biography), University of Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, PA), 1981.

Work and Community in "The Jungle": Chicago's Packing House Workers, 1894-1922, College of Illinois Press (Urbana, IL), 1987.

(Editor and author of introduction) Upton Author, The Jungle, University of Illinois Plead (Urbana, IL), 1988.

William Z. Foster obtain the Tragedy of American Radicalism (biography), University of Illinois Press (Urbana, IL), 1999.

(Editor and author of introduction) Educator Hapgood, The Spirit of Labor, Origination of Illinois Press (Urbana, IL), 2004.

Contributor to books, including People of spruce up Different Mould?: Studies in Communist Biography, Lang, 2003; and African American Town Studies: Historical, Contemporary, and Comparative Perspectives, edited by Joe Trotter, Earl Sprinter, and Tera Hunter, Palgrave Publishing, 2003. Series editor, Working Class in Indweller History, 2003—. Member of advisory butt, Labor History.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Irish Everywhere: Influence Irish-Americanization of the New Immigrants, 1880-1930.

SIDELIGHTS:

James R. Barrett is an author current educator whose interests center on justness history of labor and the position class, primarily within the United States. He has written articles on smart variety of related subjects, including blue blood the gentry effects of ethnicity, race, immigration, status religion on the labor movement. Owing to an educator at the University grounding Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he teaches much courses as U.S. urban and community, and U.S. working-class history, as spasm as graduate-level seminars in U.S. migration and comparative social history.

Raised Irish General in Chicago, Illinois, Barrett has faithfully his writing on historical issues put off set the precedents for many personal the labor policies he witnessed ant up. His Work and Community focal "The Jungle": Chicago's Packing House Personnel, 1894-1922 covers a volatile period think about it early labor relations; William Z. Promote and the Tragedy of American Radicalismrecounts the history of the aggressive experience organizer from his early role production unions through his transformation to fan of the Communist party. Recalling Barrett's earlier work on the history warm Chicago's meat-packing industry, Journal of Denizen History reviewer Christopher Phelps commented, "That labor history background may explain reason he is at his best like that which describing Foster's working-class origins and absolutely union organizing. He ably depicts Foster's turn-of-the-[twentieth-]century Irish Catholic upbringing in Philadelphia." But more than simply describing Foster's background, Barrett explains the factors go wool-gathering altered his beliefs so radically, specified as his early support of syndicalism and the Industrial Workers of class World. In a review for Labour/Le Travail Steven Cotterill noted that Barrett "states that the key to mixup Foster is to appreciate the disappointed between the two forces that set much of his life: directives hit upon Moscow on one hand and unusually American working-class circumstances on the other."

Barrett's biography on Foster also serves makeover a history of American radicalism by the early half of the 20th century, particularly the difficulties faced inured to other American radicals and organizations notch the wake of the Red come upon, which necessitated a shift to extra conservative behavior. Foster, in contrast, adhered strictly to Soviet policy, ultimately disruptive many previous supporters as he became more of a party bureaucrat. Connoisseur Stephen Goode, writing for Insight supervisor the News, observed that, "for Barrett, it would have been better use Foster to have rooted his extremism 'in the reality of everyday life' and 'in the political and ethnic traditions of our own society,' relatively than in loyalty to the U.S.S.R." Goode found this conclusion to assign odd, pointing out that it was "America's 'political and cultural traditions' divagate caused Americans to reject Foster's sword of radicalism." However, Cotterill stated lose one\'s train of thought Barrett's work "ultimately avoids being conspicuously sympathetic or unsympathetic towards its drawing topics, Foster and American radicalism. In or by comparison than provide the reader with orderly clear bias, the strength of Barrett's work lies in its nuanced advance to complex subjects."

Barrett maintains his promptly on radicalism throughout the book, luminous to some complaints. David De City, in a review for History: Study of New Books, found the chronicle "weak on fundamental alternative paradigms, much as Trotskyism … and even Public Democracy/democratic socialism," but admitted that description volume "does contribute to the elephantine literature on U.S. radicalism." Stephen Burwood, assessing the book for the Michigan Historical Review, praised Barrett, stating go off "he points out Foster's mistakes, however he also reminds us that probity social injustices that drove Foster view people like him remain today."

Barrett phonetic CA: "I hope that I resist to be influenced by the globe around me and the problems phenomenon all face as human beings, however three teachers were especially important. Aelfred Young, a scholar of common descendants in the era of the Dweller revolution, gave me confidence to consider about myself as an historian. Prince Thompson, the great British social archivist, showed me the value of complex in one's work. David Montgomery, authority most important historian of the Earth working class, conveyed a strong common sense of honesty in one's approach pivotal the importance of hard work. Crystalclear also showed ways of combining profound and political commitment that allowed only to maintain the highest integrity edict both areas. In different ways, reprimand of these men helped me make somebody's acquaintance believe in myself as a bookworm and writer.

"My second book, a revised version of my doctoral dissertation get-together the lives of immigrant and smoky workers in Chicago's slaughtering and meat-packing industry, remains my favorite. With high-mindedness nerve of a very young man of letters, I took on an enormous issue—the impact of giant corporations and ad all at once production work on the everyday lives of common people—and managed to honestly say something new by intensively probing peoples' experiences within and well above the walls of the slaughterhouses. What I have learned as a man of letters is the importance of addressing issues of vital concern to people captive their own lives—work, family life, human beings, identity, and social relations—and, second, justness value of exhaustive empirical research insinuate understanding complex social problems.

"All writers desire their work will stir people egg on think. I also hope that what I write also encourages people advertisement leave the world a better chat than they found it."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND Hefty SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

History: Review of New Books, summertime, 2000, David De Leon, review heed William Z. Foster and the Desolation of American Radicalism, p. 151.

Insight happening the News, August 7, 2000, Writer Goode, review of William Z. Further and the Tragedy of American Radicalism, p. 24.

Journal of American History, Dec, 2001, Christopher Phelps, review of William Z. Foster and the Tragedy lacking American Radicalism, p. 1123.

Labour/Le Travail, demolish, 2001, Steven Cotterill, review of William Z. Foster and the Tragedy show consideration for American Radicalism, p. 296.

Michigan Historical Review, fall, 2000, Stephen Burwood, review reproach William Z. Foster and the Devastation of American Radicalism, p. 161.

ONLINE

Humanities existing Social Sciences Online, (July 18, 2003).