Fall 2025 OLLI Digital Catalog 

The Wobblies: Industrial Workers Of The World (G497-1)

G – History

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was created in 1905 to organize labor across the lines of trades and crafts. Founder Bill Haywood envisioned ‘one big union’ that would represent all workers, regardless of race and gender. Twelve of the IWW’s founding members were women. The union became known for its effective organizing skills and radical ideas. Members, nicknamed “Wobblies,” such as Haywood, Eugene Debs, Lucy Parsons and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn became major targets of anti-union and anti-radical police actions.

This offering meets for a total of 5 session(s).

INSTRUCTOR: Thomas Kelly

KELLY, THOMAS — Degrees in U.S. history and public history from the University of Houston. Retired to Delaware after teaching U.S. history for almost 20 years at Lone Star College outside of Houston, Texas. (G497)

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