Burnett, Jerome L. (1926-2006)

https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/gen_oh/6/ [13654]

Biographical Information: Jerome Burnett was born on September 28, 1926 in St. Cloud to Samuel and Mary Burnett. He attended school in the St. Cloud area, graduating from St. Cloud Cathedral in 1944. After graduation, he joined Marines and served during WW II until 1946. Jerome married to Mildred V. Johnson on June 6, 1950 in St. Cloud. He was an employee and an active union worker for many companies in Minnesota including DeZurik Company, Franklin Manufacturing, Cook and Son Manufacturing. He was also a candidate for the House of Representatives in 1964 and the grand lodge representative for the International Association of Machinists. During his He also served as a labor representative for the governor’s Indian Affairs committee, a member and president of St. Cloud Equal Rights Commission, and a member of St. Cloud Mayor’s tax advisory committee among many others. Jerome passed away on May 15, 2006.

Transcript Summary: In interviews conducted on December 30, 1977, and July 15 1986, Jerome talked about his life in St. Cloud, his professional career attached to many manufacturing companies in Minnesota, and services as a Marine during World War II. He recalled becoming a union member for the Machinists Union and Teamster Union in 1944. He served as an officer, on committees, chairman, vice-president and president for many of the unions he worked for. Jerome discussed how between the 1940s and 1960s that workers were more actively participating in union matters as opposed to today. He talked about the unions that were in St. Cloud including those for granite, railroad, and the building trades.

Interviewed by Calvin Gower and John LeDoux