ILR Dean Alexander Colvin, Ph.D. ’99 will explore how insights from the work of the late Robert “Bob” McKersie, former ILR School dean, relate to the state of labor today when he delivers the inaugural McKersie Labor Day Lecture on Friday, Sep. 4.

“McKersie on Labor at America’s 250th” will begin at 1:30 p.m. in 105 Ives Hall. The public is invited to this in-person event. A remote option will also be available; registration is required to attend remotely.

Colvin, ILR’s Kenneth F. Kahn ’69 Dean and the Martin F. Scheinman ’75, MS ’76 Professor of Conflict Resolution, will deliver remarks that celebrate McKersie’s impact on the ILR School and explore how insights from McKersie’s research can help address issues confronting the American workplace today. The event will also include reflections from current and emeritus ILR professors hired during McKersie’s deanship. 

“As we celebrate Labor Day on America’s 250th anniversary, it is timely to reflect on where labor relations stand in our changing world of work, Colvin said. “The ideas that Bob McKersie developed over his more than six decades of distinguished scholarship can help us understand the challenges labor in America faces today and help us chart a path forward.”

A reception will immediately follow the lecture. 

About the Annual Robert and Nancy McKersie Labor Day Lecture 

The ILR School is proud to launch “The Robert and Nancy McKersie Labor Day Lecture,” an annual event honoring the legacy of Robert B. McKersie. The event is made possible by a generous gift from Bob and his wife, Nancy. 

During his tenure as dean from 1971 to 1979, McKersie recruited and mentored a new generation of ILR faculty whose rigorous social science approach redefined the study of industrial and labor relations, and continues to shape the ILR School today.

Tonya Engst is a writer for the ILR School.