Edwin E. Witte (January 4, 1887 - May 20, 1960) is sometimes called the father of social security, because he developed the original plan for social security as the executive director of the President's Committee on Economic Security in 1934, under United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt. January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Social Security in the United States is a social insurance program funded through a dedicated payroll tax. ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ...

Biography

Witte was born near Watertown, Wisconsin, and spent most of his life living in Wisconsin. He received his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin in 1909 in history and his Ph.D. in economics in 1927. At Wisconsin, he originally worked with Frederick Jackson Turner, and later did his PhD under John R. Commons. Joining the faculty at Wisconsin, he worked with Commons, and Selig Perlman, Robert M. La Follette, Sr., Robert M. La Follette, Jr., E. A. Ross, and Arthur J. Altmeyer (who became the chairman of the Social Security Board) who were developing the Wisconsin progressive movement and working on public policy issues of the day. Watertown is a city on the border of two counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin: Watertown, Dodge County, Wisconsin Watertown, Jefferson County, Wisconsin This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The University of Wisconsin System is the state university system in Wisconsin. ... Frederick Jackson Turner Frederick Jackson Turner (November 14, 1861–1932) was an American historian. ... John Rogers Commons (1862 - 1945) was a well-known institutional economist, and born in Hollansburg, Ohio. ... Robert Marion La Follette, Sr. ...

In addition to guiding the Social Security act through the United States Congress, Witte also worked on other labor legislation including (with George William Norris and Fiorello H. LaGuardia) the Norris Laguardia anti-injunction act. George William Norris (July 11, 1861 - September 2, 1944) was a U.S. political figure. ... Fiorello Henry LaGuardia (December 11, 1882–September 20, 1947) was the Mayor of New York from 1934 to 1945. ... The Norris-LaGuardia Act or Anti Injunction Bill of 1932 outlawed yellow dog contracts in which a worker agreed as a condition of employment not to join a labor union. ...

He was the president of the Industrial Relations Research Association in 1948, and in 1955, he became the president of the American Economics Association.

Books

• The Government in Labor Disputes (1932)
• Social Security in America (1937)

References

Theron F. Schlabach's biography: Edwin E. Witte, Cautious Reformer. Industrial and Labor Relations Review Vol. 14, No.1, October 1960