Martin Fox (August 22, 1848 – September 28, 1907) was an American labor union leader.

Biography

Born in

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 ...

, Fox followed his father in becoming an iron molder. He learned the trade at an early age, becoming a

journeyman A journeyman, journeywoman, or journeyperson is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that fie ...

when only 16, and he joined the National Union of Iron Molders. He moved to

Covington, Kentucky Covington is a list of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, Kenton County, Kentucky, United States, located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Licking River (Kentucky), Licking Rivers. Cincinnati, Ohio, ...

, and while there, in 1878, became a trustee of the union. From 1880 to 1886, he worked in the office of the president of the union, as a clerk, then in 1886 was elected as secretary of the union. In 1890, Fox was elected as president the union, which had become known as the "Iron Molders Union of North America". He also served on the executive of the

National Civic Federation The National Civic Federation (NCF) was an American economic organization founded in 1900 which brought together chosen representatives of big business and organized labor, as well as consumer advocates in an attempt to ameliorate labor disputes. I ...

. He stood down as president of the union in 1903, but continued working for it as a paid consultant, until his death at his home in Cincinnati on September 28, 1907. He was buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Cincinnati, where his grave marker is by far the largest in the cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fox, Martin 1848 births 1907 deaths American trade union leaders People from Cincinnati Trade unionists from Ohio