Henry Foner
| Henry Foner | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Henry Joseph Foner March 23, 1919 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died | January 11, 2017 (aged 97) Brooklyn, New York |
| Cause of death | Cardiovascular disease |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Labor union leader, social activist, songwriter |
| Years active | 1939–2009 |
| Organization | Joint Board, Fur, Leather and Machine Workers Union (FLM) |
| Spouse(s) | Lorraine Lieberman |
| Children | Diane Foner, Rachel Foner |
| Parent(s) | Abraham Foner, Mary Smith |
| Relatives | brothers Jack D. Foner, Philip S. Foner, Moe Foner; nephew Eric Foner; niece Nancy Foner |
| Awards | Legion of Merit, Military Valor Cross, Brooklyn Jewish Hall of Fame |
Henry Joseph Foner (March 23, 1919 – January 11, 2017) was a 20th-Century Jewish-American social activist and former president of the Joint Board, Fur, Leather and Machine Workers Union (FLM).
Henry Foner was born on March 23, 1919, and raised in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. His father Abraham Foner delivered seltzer; his mother was Mary Smith. He and his three brothers all became active in leftist politics. Two brothers (Philip and Jack) were professional historians. The other two brothers (Moe and Henry) were union activists.
He was (allegedly) a member of the Young Communist League as a youth and later wrote a song called “Love in the YCL."
He attended Eastern District High School and earned a degree in business administration from the City College of New York in 1939.
Foner began his career by organizing an anti-WWII puppet show and then, like his older brothers, began teaching at the Samuel J. Tilden High School. (Unlike the other three, who were university professors, he remained a teacher in high school.) Colleagues there included future comedian Sam Levenson.
From 1942 to 1946, he served in the U.S. Army in Italy and Austria. He was awarded the Legion of Merit and the Italian Military Valor Cross.
He resumed teaching as a substitute in stenography and typewriting at Prospect Heights High School from 1946 to 1948. After passing his teaching exam, in 1948 he was blocked by the Rapp-Coudert Committee from formal appointment due to involvement in the American Student Union and Young Communist League. "Both Philip and Jack were fired from teaching posts in the City University of New York in 1941 during a purge by the New York State Legislature’s Rapp-Coudert Committee, which also cost Moe his administrative post at City College and Henry his job as a substitute teacher in New York high schools."
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