Harry Van Arsdale.

One of our regular contributors (who wanted to remain anonymous for this entry) recently told me that he married the granddaughter of Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Outside New York this name may not resonate as much as it does within, and in labor circles in the Big Apple, the Van Arsdale name is legendary. I rememebered how teachers in high school told us about Van Arsdale's accomplishments as a labor leader, and how there was …

…a whole. There has been a biography published about him (bear in mind its authorized and sponsored by his Memorial Association) and his legacy continues on in name through scholarships, education, and of course, labor history. Oh, and incidentally, as our contributor told me, Van Arsdale practiced what he preached: He spent his entire life in a two bedroom apartment in Queens. And if you know Queens at all, man, that is a major accomplishment!