Israel Kugler

Israel Kugler (June 13, 1917 – October 1, 2007) was a noted American professor of sociology. In the 1960s, he helped organize faculty at a number of New York City-area colleges and universities into labor unions. He co-founded the Professional Staff Congress, a union of faculty at the City University of New York (CUNY) which now represents more than 20,000 faculty and staff members at the university.

Kugler was born on June 13, 1917, to Philip and Anna (Senitzer) Kugler. He and his sister were raised in a liberal Jewish home in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from City College in 1938. He took an active interest in socialist and Jewish politics, often spending entire days in "the counterpart of a floating crap game—only our dice were political arguments on all issues affecting the world."

He served in the United States Navy during World War II and returned to school to earn a doctorate in sociology at New York University.

Kugler married the former Helen Barkan in 1941. They had two children, Daniel and Philip.

Kugler became a professor of social science at New York City Community College, where he earned a reputation as a skilled classroom educator. He also became heavily involved in labor politics in the city, and supported organizing drives for many unions. Kugler joined the United Federation of College Teachers (UFCT), Local 1460 of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Kugler eventually was elected president of the union, which had been founded in 1935.

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