James T. Luken (December 31, 1921 – July 12, 1979) was an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

and labor union leader of the

Democratic party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, who served as mayor of

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, in the 1970s. Luken was a local leader of the Milk Driver's Union, a subsidiary of the

Teamsters The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), also known as the Teamsters Union, is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of The Team Drivers International Union and The Teamsters National Union, the ...

. Luken was one of the few Teamsters who stood up to the corrupt leadership of Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa. Luken withdrew the dairy workers from the Teamsters Union and testified against Hoffa before the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. Luken served in the

Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in Ch ...

and on the Cincinnati city council before becoming mayor. Luken's brother

Tom Luken Thomas Andrew Luken (July 9, 1925 – January 10, 2018) was an American politician of the Democratic Party from Ohio, serving in the United States House of Representatives during the 1970s and 1980s. Early life and education Luken received h ...

and his nephew

Charlie Luken Charles John Luken (born July 18, 1951, in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American politician of the Democratic party who was mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, and served in the Ohio's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. L ...

, both served as

U.S. representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

and mayors of Cincinnati. Headstone for Jim Luken

Luken died in 1979 and is interred at New St. Joseph Cemetery.

References

External links

Luken, James T.
at politicalgraveyard.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Luken, Jim 1921 births 1979 deaths Mayors of Cincinnati Cincinnati City Council members Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives 20th-century American politicians