Robert Alan Haber (born July 29, 1936) is an American activist. He was the first president of

Students for a Democratic Society Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was a national student activist organization in the United States during the 1960s, and was one of the principal representations of the New Left. Disdaining permanent leaders, hierarchical relationships ...

(SDS), a U.S. radical

student activist Student activism or campus activism is work by students to cause political, environmental, economic, or social change. Although often focused on schools, curriculum, and educational funding, student groups have influenced greater political e ...

organization. Haber was elected at the first meeting of SDS in 1960. FBI files at the time indicated his official title as Field Secretary. Described variously at the time as " Ann Arbor's resident radical" and "reticent visionary", Haber organized a human rights conference in April of that year which "marked the debut of SDS" and invited four organizers of the 1960 NAACP

sit-ins A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to mo ...

against segregated lunch counters in

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

Early life and education

Haber "came from a leftist background". His father William Haber, an

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this field there are ...

, former dean and professor at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, was an "energetic" supporter of U.S. president

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

's New Deal with socialist-progressive sympathies. Haber's parents named him after former Wisconsin governor, congressman and senator

Robert M. La Follette Sr. Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette Sr. (June 14, 1855June 18, 1925), was an American lawyer and politician. He represented Wisconsin in both chambers of Congress and served as the 20th Governor of Wisconsin. A Republican for most of his ...

, advocate of the

Wisconsin Idea The Wisconsin Idea is a public philosophy that has influenced policy and ideals in the U.S. state of Wisconsin's education system and politics. In education, emphasis is often placed on how the Idea articulates education's role for Wisconsin ...

political reforms in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Haber has one brother. In 1954, Haber enrolled at the University of Michigan. He graduated in 1965.

Career

Haber makes a living as a

cabinetmaker A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves and/or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood (s ...

. Currently, he is working on the Megiddo Peace Project, and is involved with the revival of

Students for a Democratic Society (2006 organization) Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) is a United States student organization representing left wing ideals. It takes its name and inspiration from the original SDS of 1960–1969, then the largest radical student organization in US history ...

. He helped found the

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and E ...

Long Haul Infoshop, an anarchist resource center and community space.

Personal life

Haber lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his partner Odile Hugonot-Haber.

References

External links

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"Has Ann Arbor Lost its Liberal Mojo?"
''The Ann'', October 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Haber, Alan Living people Members of Students for a Democratic Society Haber, Robert Alan University of Michigan alumni American cabinetmakers 20th-century American Jews Jewish activists Place of birth missing (living people) American political activists American social activists 1936 births 21st-century American Jews