Edward Lamb
Encyclopedia
Edward Lamb was an American
businessman, broadcasting executive and labor
lawyer. He is best known for having defended striking workers during the Auto-Lite Strike
in 1934 and for successfully resisting the federal government's attempt to strip him of his broadcasting licenses during the McCarthy era
.
. He was one of ten children. Clarence Lamb was a commercial fisherman on Lake Erie, and Mary Lamb a housekeeper.
Lamb entered Dartmouth College
in 1920. He received a juris doctor
degree from Western Reserve University (now Case Western Reserve University
) in 1927. He was admitted to the Ohio bar the same year.
In 1928, he became assistant counsel for the city of Toledo. He quit public life in 1929 and opened a private practice.
Lamb and his wife, Prudence and two children: Priscilla Lamb Schwier and Edward Lamb.
after workers at the Auto-Lite
auto parts manufacturer asked him to represent them during the Auto-Lite Strike
. "I knew it would finish me with the corporations I represented, but those workers were in the right and I took their case." Lamb became deeply involved in the negotiations which ended the violent Auto-Lite strike, and helped to successfully negotiate a collective bargaining
agreement.
Lamb remained active in labor law through the 1930s and 1940s, representing more than 75 unions. He was jailed several times for contempt of court during labor union strikes. Other notable instances where Lamb represented workers were the "onion fields strike" in McGuffey, Ohio
, in 1934; the "Little Steel strikes" in Ohio
in 1937; the shoe workers' strike in Portsmouth, Ohio
, in 1937; and the strike against the U.S. Gypsum Company in Port Clinton, Ohio
, in 1938. During the shoe workers' strike, corporate attorneys initiated disbarment proceedings against Lamb for his aggressive defense of trade union members. The disbarment proceeding was unsuccessful.
Lamb won a landmark U.S. Supreme Court
case in 1946. In Anderson v. Mt. Clemens Pottery Co.
, 328 U.S. 680 (1946), the Supreme Court held that workers were entitled to pay for required preliminary duties after arriving at the places of work, if the employer made them wait before and after the shift periods, and for time spent in walking from time clocks to their places of work. The decision subsequently became known as the "portal to portal case."
) in Columbus, Ohio and the station began broadcasting in 1949.. His ownership of WICU
, a television station in Erie, Pennsylvania
, led to a bitter legal battle with the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC). When the station's license came up for renewal in 1954, the FCC tried to get Lamb to surrender his broadcasting license on the grounds that he associated with communists
. Lamb fought for the right to hold the license, and won his case in 1957.
Lamb also owned more than 55 manufacturing and financial concerns (including Nevada National Bancorporation, now Security Pacific Bank
). One of his largest businesses was the Seiberling Rubber Co. Lamb fought a losing proxy fight
for control over the company in 1956, but seized control after another shareholder battle in 1962. At the time of his death, Lamb was chairman of his family-owned company, Great Lakes Communications Inc.
In his later years, Lamb was a trustee of the United Nations Association
chapter in the United States, and participated in peace and civil rights demonstrations in the 1960s. He was also a trustee of the Fund for the Republic, a civil rights organization which was absorbed by the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions
in 1979.
Lamb died in 1987 at his home in Maumee, Ohio
, at the age of 84. His wife and children survived him.
His estate endowed the Edward Lamb Foundation.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman, broadcasting executive and labor
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
lawyer. He is best known for having defended striking workers during the Auto-Lite Strike
Auto-Lite strike
The Toledo Auto-Lite strike was a strike by a federal labor union of the American Federation of Labor against the Electric Auto-Lite company of Toledo, Ohio, from April 12 to June 3, 1934....
in 1934 and for successfully resisting the federal government's attempt to strip him of his broadcasting licenses during the McCarthy era
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
.
Early life
Lamb was born to British-born Clarence and Mary (Gross) in 1901 in Toledo, OhioToledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. He was one of ten children. Clarence Lamb was a commercial fisherman on Lake Erie, and Mary Lamb a housekeeper.
Lamb entered Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1920. He received a juris doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Western Reserve University (now Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
) in 1927. He was admitted to the Ohio bar the same year.
In 1928, he became assistant counsel for the city of Toledo. He quit public life in 1929 and opened a private practice.
Lamb and his wife, Prudence and two children: Priscilla Lamb Schwier and Edward Lamb.
Labor law
In 1934, Lamb turned from corporate to labor lawLabour and employment law
Labour law is the body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which address the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organizations. As such, it mediates many aspects of the relationship between trade unions, employers and employees...
after workers at the Auto-Lite
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
auto parts manufacturer asked him to represent them during the Auto-Lite Strike
Auto-Lite strike
The Toledo Auto-Lite strike was a strike by a federal labor union of the American Federation of Labor against the Electric Auto-Lite company of Toledo, Ohio, from April 12 to June 3, 1934....
. "I knew it would finish me with the corporations I represented, but those workers were in the right and I took their case." Lamb became deeply involved in the negotiations which ended the violent Auto-Lite strike, and helped to successfully negotiate a collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
agreement.
Lamb remained active in labor law through the 1930s and 1940s, representing more than 75 unions. He was jailed several times for contempt of court during labor union strikes. Other notable instances where Lamb represented workers were the "onion fields strike" in McGuffey, Ohio
McGuffey, Ohio
McGuffey is a village in Hardin County, Ohio, United States. The population was 522 at the 2000 census.-History:The village of McGuffey, home of the first chartered agricultural workers' union and one of the largest agricultural workers' strikes in national history, was honored with a historical...
, in 1934; the "Little Steel strikes" in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in 1937; the shoe workers' strike in Portsmouth, Ohio
Portsmouth, Ohio
Portsmouth is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Scioto County. The municipality is located on the northern banks of the Ohio River and east of the Scioto River in Southern Ohio. The population was 20,226 at the 2010 census.-Foundation:...
, in 1937; and the strike against the U.S. Gypsum Company in Port Clinton, Ohio
Port Clinton, Ohio
Port Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,056 at the 2010 census. The city has been nicknamed the "Walleye Capital of the World."...
, in 1938. During the shoe workers' strike, corporate attorneys initiated disbarment proceedings against Lamb for his aggressive defense of trade union members. The disbarment proceeding was unsuccessful.
Lamb won a landmark U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
case in 1946. In Anderson v. Mt. Clemens Pottery Co.
Anderson v. Mt. Clemens Pottery Co.
Anderson v. Mt. Clemens Pottery Co., 328 U.S. 680 , is a decision by the United States Supreme Court which held that preliminary work activities, where controlled by the employer and performed entirely for the employer's benefit, are properly included as working time under Fair Labor Standards Act...
, 328 U.S. 680 (1946), the Supreme Court held that workers were entitled to pay for required preliminary duties after arriving at the places of work, if the employer made them wait before and after the shift periods, and for time spent in walking from time clocks to their places of work. The decision subsequently became known as the "portal to portal case."
Broadcasting career
Increasingly wealthy from a series of stock investments, Lamb began buying newspapers and television and radio stations in the 1940s. Picture Waves, Inc., a Lamb-owned affiliate, was awarded the license for WTVN-TV (now WSYXWSYX
WSYX, channel 6, is an ABC-affiliated television station located in Columbus, Ohio. WSYX is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which also operates Fox affiliate WTTE through a local marketing agreement...
) in Columbus, Ohio and the station began broadcasting in 1949.. His ownership of WICU
WICU-TV
WICU-TV, channel 12, is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA. WICU-TV is owned by SJL Broadcasting, which also operates CBS affiliate WSEE-TV and its CW subchannel through a local marketing agreement...
, a television station in Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, led to a bitter legal battle with the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC). When the station's license came up for renewal in 1954, the FCC tried to get Lamb to surrender his broadcasting license on the grounds that he associated with communists
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. Lamb fought for the right to hold the license, and won his case in 1957.
Lamb also owned more than 55 manufacturing and financial concerns (including Nevada National Bancorporation, now Security Pacific Bank
Security Pacific Bank
Security Pacific National Bank was a large US bank headquartered in Los Angeles, California. In 1992 Bank of America acquired SPNB.-History:...
). One of his largest businesses was the Seiberling Rubber Co. Lamb fought a losing proxy fight
Proxy fight
A proxy fight or proxy battle is an event that may occur when a corporation's stockholders develop opposition to some aspect of the corporate governance, often focusing on directorial and management positions. Corporate activists may attempt to persuade shareholders to use their proxy votes A proxy...
for control over the company in 1956, but seized control after another shareholder battle in 1962. At the time of his death, Lamb was chairman of his family-owned company, Great Lakes Communications Inc.
In his later years, Lamb was a trustee of the United Nations Association
United Nations Association
The United Nations Associations are non-governmental organizations that exist in various countries to enhance the relationship between the people of a member state and the United Nations, raise public awareness of the UN and its work, promote the general goals of the UN and act as an advisory body...
chapter in the United States, and participated in peace and civil rights demonstrations in the 1960s. He was also a trustee of the Fund for the Republic, a civil rights organization which was absorbed by the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions
Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions
The Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions in Santa Barbara, California was an important think tank from 1959 to 1977, declining in influence thereafter. The Center held discussions in a variety of areas that it hoped would influence public deliberation...
in 1979.
Lamb died in 1987 at his home in Maumee, Ohio
Maumee, Ohio
Maumee is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Toledo along the Maumee River. The population was 14,286 at the 2010 census. Maumee was also declared an All-America City by the National Civic League in June 2006.-Geography:...
, at the age of 84. His wife and children survived him.
His estate endowed the Edward Lamb Foundation.
Further reading
- Chapman, Roger. "American Progressivism and the Cold War: The Case of Edward Lamb of Toledo, Ohio, 1901-1987." Ph.D. diss., Bowling Green State University, 2004.
External links
- WTVN-TV History Page at the Early Television Foundation
- Edward Lamb Papers, Center for Archival Collections, Jerome Library, Bowling Green State University
- Full text of Anderson v. Mt. Clemens Pottery Co. courtesy of Findlaw.com
- Fund for the Republic archives, Princeton University
- "Program 75: No Lamb for Slaughter," Audio Archive, Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, Davidson Library, University of California-Santa Barbara, September 26, 1963 (Interview with Edward Lamb)