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'''Reuben George Soderstrom''' (March 10, 1888 – December 15, 1970) was an American leader of [[Labor unions in the United States|organized labor]] who served as President of the [[Illinois State Federation of Labor]] (ISFL) and [[Illinois AFL-CIO]] from 1930 to 1970. A key figure in [[Chicago]] and [[Illinois]] politics, he also played a pivotal role in [[American labor history]] by helping to define national labor policy after the fornationformation of the [[AFL–CIO]] in 1955. Soderstrom advised and was courted by multiple U.S. presidents seeking his endorsement and the votes of the over 1.3 million laborers he represented.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.reubengsoderstromfoundation.com/downloads/Olga.pdf|title=Reuben G. Soderstrom|last=Hodgson|first=Olga|year=1974|___location=Kankakee, IL|pages=17–18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.fortygavels.com|title=Forty Gavels: The Life of Reuben Soderstrom and the Illinois AFL-CIO|last=Soderstrom|first=Carl|last2=Soderstrom|first2=Robert|last3=Stevens|first3=Chris|last4=Burt|first4=Andrew|publisher=CWS Publishing|year=2018|isbn=978-0998257532|volume=3|___location=Peoria, IL|pages=221–222, 237–238}}</ref> The longest-serving state federation chief in American labor history, he passed seminal labor legislation and grew his organization's membership five-fold and transforming it into one of the most powerful labor bodies in the [[United States]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.reubengsoderstromfoundation.com/downloads/clippings.pdf|title=Soderstrom: Labor's One of a Kind|last=Lewin|first=Robert M.|date=March 10, 1966|website=Chicago Daily News|access-date=May 10, 2018}}</ref>
== Early life ==
In 1936, Soderstrom threw his full support behind President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. When polling showed Roosevelt losing Illinois to challenger the [[Alfred Landon]] 52% to 48%, he helped organize an unprecedented rally at the [[Chicago Stadium]] for Roosevelt that was later dubbed the "Meeting at the Madhouse."<ref>{{Cite news|title=Roosevelt Address Tonight Last Opportunity to Swing Illinois' 29 Votes Into Line|last=Storm|first=Frederick|date=October 14, 1936|work=Oakland Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Roosevelt Given Tumultuous Reception by Chicago Crowd|last=Storm|first=Frederick|date=October 15, 1936|work=Marshall Evening Chronicle}}</ref> While Roosevelt won Illinois, Soderstrom lost his re-election, a defeat generally attributed to his support for the Democratic president.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.fortygavels.com/|title=Forty Gavels: The Life of Reuben Soderstrom and the Illinois AFL-CIO|last=Soderstrom|first=Carl|last2=Soderstrom|first2=Robert|last3=Stevens|first3=Chris|last4=Burt|first4=Andrew|publisher=CWS Publishing|year=2018|isbn=978-0998257532|volume=2|___location=Peoria, IL|pages=116}}</ref> Though no longer a state representative, Soderstrom continued to serve as President of the ISFL and Illinois AFL-CIO.
From that point onrwardonward, he generally pursued the unaffiliated, non-partisan approach favored by the AFL founder [[Samuel Gompers]] (popularly known as "elect our friends") of endorsing both Republican and Democratic politicians throughout his tenure. Soderstrom became an advisor to several administrations on both the state and national level. He worked closely with Secretary of Labor [[Frances Perkins]] on President Roosevelt's National Conference on Labor Legislation during the [[Great Depression]] and [[World War II]].<ref>Soderstrom, Carl; Soderstrom, Robert; Stevens, Chris; Burt, Andrew (2018). [http://www.fortygavels.com/ ''Forty Gavels: The Life of Reuben Soderstrom and the Illinois AFL-CIO''.] '''2.''' Peoria, IL: CWS Publishing. pp. 127. {{ISBN|978-0998257532}}.</ref> He focused on workplace and public safety during the [[Eisenhower administration]] and joined President [[Eisenhower]]'s conference on highway safety during the planning of the nation's interstate system.<ref>Soderstrom, Carl; Soderstrom, Robert; Stevens, Chris; Burt, Andrew (2018). [http://www.fortygavels.com/ ''Forty Gavels: The Life of Reuben Soderstrom and the Illinois AFL-CIO''.] '''3'''. Peoria, IL: CWS Publishing. pp. 81-82. {{ISBN|978-0998257532}}.</ref> President [[John F. Kennedy]] aggressively sought Soderstrom's endorsement, inviting him to the white house.<ref>Soderstrom, Carl; Soderstrom, Robert; Stevens, Chris; Burt, Andrew (2018). [http://www.fortygavels.com/ ''Forty Gavels: The Life of Reuben Soderstrom and the Illinois AFL-CIO''.] '''3'''. Peoria, IL: CWS Publishing. pp. 220–223. {{ISBN|978-0998257532}}.</ref> In 1964, President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] became the first U.S. president to address a state labor convention in person, at Soderstrom's request.<ref>Soderstrom, Carl; Soderstrom, Robert; Stevens, Chris; Burt, Andrew (2018). [http://www.fortygavels.com/ ''Forty Gavels: The Life of Reuben Soderstrom and the Illinois AFL-CIO''.] '''3'''. Peoria, IL: CWS Publishing. pp. 234–238. {{ISBN|978-0998257532}}.</ref>
== Presidency ==
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