ILR at 70

Reflections

Save the date and join us for Milestone Celebrations

Grand Opening of Cornell in Buffalo at the Market Arcade
70th Anniversary of ILR School in Buffalo
March 31 – April 1, 2016
Market Arcade
617 Main Street, Buffalo

ILR School

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Reflections

Share your ILR story. A favorite professor, a class you enjoyed, a classmate who became a lifelong friend, a happy memory of your time on campus. Tell us what made your ILR experience so special. You can post your photo, video or written message in the reflections section below.

Reflections

ILR Conference Center Manager

I have many fond and heart-felt remembrances of the ILR School and the wonderful staff, faculty, alumni and students who have made up the ILR Family. Imagine typewriters and five page copy-sets, mimeograph, adding machines and paper spreadsheets, off-campus credit courses at five district offices. Enter the computer age with Dell PC's, Mac's and cell phones, temporary construction-phase trailers, many years of building renovations and finally the completion of the ILR complex including the beautiful upper and lower courtyards. The financial highs, lows and recoveries.

Ann Herson

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ILR: The Early Years

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Watch this video that provides a historical look at the founding years of Cornell University's School of Industrial & Labor Relations, now known as the ILR School.

David Yantorno

Finding Myself, Finding Others

It's funny because when I first came to Cornell, everyone told me ILR would change how I viewed the world. Little did I know, ILR would also help me change the world!

Amy ElSayed, '68

Differing Perspectives

The ILR School has allowed me to understand and appreciate the power of differing perspectives in the classroom, workplace and beyond. It is a major that truly brings students' varied interests together, cultivating leadership and dialogue, and promoting endless possibilities.

Kayo Shonibare, '68

ILR at 70 Photo Scavenger Hunt

Instructions:

  Individual submissions, or teams of 2 to 5
  Indicate specific location of each photo
  Submit to Tonya Eiklor, tle37@cornell.edu, by 12:00pm on November 6th

Winner and prize will be announced after the debate, room 105- November 6th @ 2:15pm

ILR at 70 Form and Images (PDF, 2 MB)

ILR School

Salvatore's Class

As a freshman, I took Professor Salvatore's Labor History course. Many students feared his "old school" approach to lecture, which was strictly blackboard notes and no computers. Honestly, he was an older guy but did not miss a beat while teaching. He was one of the most engaging professors I've ever had, which says a lot considering he made me motivated to get to a 9:05 class. I'll never forget the lecture he gave on race in America during the 1960s. He quoted from memory the entirety of the Gettysburg Address, and a tear rolled down his cheek.

Caitlin Gleason, '70

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ILR Legacy

"Though the ILR legacy runs strong in my family, with both my father and brother being ILRies (and my mom has basically become one), I was able to choose to continue that legacy. Being given the freedom to choose ILR without feeling pressure from my family made me love every part of the school because I am here due to my own free will, yet I have unconditional support in my journey here. I know I can rely on anyone in ILR for support and that they want to see me follow in footsteps of success, just like the rest of my family.

Kristen Lovely, '70

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A Unique Cornell Experience

ILR students have a unique Cornell experience since the school is relatively small and all students start out with similar classes. It's incredible and exciting to watch my classmates grow and find their interests through diverse courses. I've found myself in a group project where my team members were interested in social justice, law, HR and finance, but we worked cohesively to accomplish a stand-out project that considered unique approaches. As ILR students, we have an internal drive to do well, in academics and within the community or world around us.

Juliana Kochis, '70

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We Love Reading

I never thought I would meet my best friends on my first day of classes. The student body of ILR is filled with intellectually curious, creative, and sensitive students. It's comforting to know that if I am faced with a dilemma of any kind, an ILRie will be there to have my back.

Nina Gershonowitz, '68

Watch, debate, celebrate…and eat cake

ILR’s 70th anniversary events planned on Nov. 5-6 are designed to bring ILR faculty, staff and students together to celebrate the school and engage the ILR and Cornell communities in discussions relating to the world of work.

ILR School

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Friendly Atmosphere

The classrooms and offices were in wooden barracks-like buildings across from Sage Hall parking lot. Very noisy -- every footstep echoed. One good thing -- each student had a mailbox which made returning papers, exams, etcetera very convenient.

Nancy Eisenberg Grabow, '7

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Running my own Company

I run my own manufacturing / etail company, standsteady.com. We are one of the leading sellers of standing desks on Amazon.com. At ILR I was exposed to classes in so many things. Having a broad educational and work background allows me to say that even if I don't know how to solve the problem, I've got an idea of where to look for the answer. My husband also attended Cornell, but was in a narrow field of study. He was never exposed to the basics of Economics, Statistics, Business Law, HR, business computing etc. that I refer to so frequently in my work.

Day (Sherman) Martin, '49

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“Still in Love”

“To this day, I am still in love with Cornell and the ILR School …it’s not necessarily the people or the campus or the buildings or anything tangible, it is the idea of the ILR School, the mission and what we aspire to be. If we work together with alumni, we can achieve that ideal we have in our minds and that’s what motivated me to be dean.”

David Lipsky ’61, Anne Evans Estabrook Professor of Dispute Resolution, Director, Scheinman Institute ILR dean, 1988-1997

Building Camaraderie

A promising message was instilled in me upon arrival at Cornell University -- "Look around at your classmates. You will do business together. You will become friends, colleagues and board members as you progress in your career." It wasn’t hard to see how ILR's MPS/NYC curriculum encouraged that agenda among a diverse group of dynamic professionals. I met every class with anticipation as I joined my classmates and faculty in the Cornellian tradition to come together at a local venue after the first and last day of classes.

Nicole Smart, MPS/NYC, '67

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Triumph of a Failure

Throughout my undergraduate career at ILR, I've learned that being different is a blessing. I transferred in from another institution as a Sophomore, and after the very Sophomore year I declared a leave of absence, during which I had to fight a strenuous financial challenge that faced my family. What I thought was going to be a hapless path to a life unexceptional, the three years of leave of absence actually taught me the value of failure and its indispensable nature to my growth.

Evelyn Nam, '68

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Asking the "Rights" Question

Among many things, ILR taught me to interrogate economic landscapes both in America and abroad as a means of determining where the labor force fits in and at what expense. I took these questions to Zambia and co-authored a paper on the bargaining power of public sector unions after a major nurses strike in the capital city's most utilized hospital. I am thankful to ILR for helping me recognize the economic structures hindering worker rights and teaching me to do something about it.

Thaddeus Talbot , '67

Ives Construction

In 1995, Dean David Lipsky reviews a blueprint for new ILR construction on Tower Rd.

Ives Hall construction

ILR Pioneers

Pictured left to right: Jean McKelvey, Maurice Neufeld, Irving Ives, Elizabeth Skinner Ives, Doris Stevenson, J. Gormley Miller and "Pete" Morton.

1954 Faculty Lounge

Centennial Class

“I saw our class not only as the Centennial Class, but as the Transitional Class. In our time, the campus changed, reflecting the growth and turmoil of the '60s, from one which was relatively placid and conservative to one sensitive to concerns of civil rights, peace and gender equality.”

Stephen Appell, '17

Author, Speaker

It's funny. Nearly two decades after graduation (yikes!), I am about a million miles away from a proper career in ILR. Sure, I started out that way. I worked in HR at CapitalOne after getting my degree. I soon realized, though, that my passions and interest involved technology more than administration. Oh yeah, I wasn't very good at traditional HR work. These were real problems. What to do? After a consulting career in enterprise systems, I moved to writing and public speaking. In the last six years, I've penned a bunch of books about technology, data, management, and communications.

Phil Simon, '49

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ILR Shaped My Intellectual Interests

The ILR School has shaped my intellectual interests in conflict resolution and permitted me to see it in action across the world. My research at the Scheinman Institute has propelled me to explore and promote best practices in dispute resolution. I have seen this interest in action through my travels – all not possible without the ILR School's support. Without ILR, I would not be Cornell's first Mitchell Scholar. Thank you.

Simon Boehme, '66

quote

We made a plant tour of several central New York industrial sites during my freshman year. The insights were special and useful with several other subjects. Hopefully, ILR still features such a class.

Brian Meddaugh, '14

Quonset Huts

We thought nothing of the fact that our classes were in the Quonset Huts. The lectures were moderate in size, but much smaller than in the Arts School and there were discussion classes of approximately 15 students around a table where thoughts and ideas could flow freely. In the late 1950’s a discussion class typically consisted of mostly men with perhaps two or, at the most, three women. I loved that!!

Gail Krantz Glickman, '12

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Labor Studies Certificate Award Ceremony

Our awards ceremony was on the New York Harbor Cruise. The Director of the Metropolitan District at the time was Esta Bigler and her greetings to us graduates was very moving and profound. Obtaining this certificate through the ILR program was the high point of a very rewarding career which I will never forget.

Jeanne C. Majors, '56

ILR Alumni

9 years ago, I met some of my closest friends in class at the ILR School. This year, we were able to visit ILR during our five year reunion having achieved some of the goals we made during our time in college. We return as lawyers, an MBA and a Start Up / Tech veteran.

Heather Levy, '62

Leading a Daily Newspaper

The possibilities in ILR are endless. During my time on the Hill, the ILR School has taught me to be a better leader and those lessons made me better in my role as Editor in Chief of The Daily Sun.

Haley Velasco, '67

Retired Partner, Covington & Burling

Professors McKelvie, Neufeld, Konvitz, Mc Connell and others were leading figures at the ILR School during the years I attended. I was fortunate enough to benefit greatly from their knowledge, experience and judgment. Since then, Law has become my profession, but what I gained from ILR remains with me, and always will.

Jerome Ackerman, '0

The joy of being an ILRie

Throughout my undergraduate career at ILR, I've learned that being different is a blessing. I transferred in from another institution as a Sophomore, and after the very Sophomore year I declared a leave of absence, during which I had to fight a strenuous financial challenge that faced my family. What I thought was going to be a halpless path to a life unexceptional, the three years of leave of absence actually taught me the value of failure and its indispensability to my growth.

Evelyn Nam, '68

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Chief of Major Crimes Unit, United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas

I arrived on campus in 1981. I was from Texas, the product of a large, poor family. My pre-Cornell education was, relative to my classmates, substandard and I was destined to struggle; I was a long way from home. But someone looked out for me and shepherded through my first two semesters at the ILR School. He checked on me often, advised me on my classes, and offered me heartfelt encouragement at every step. This man understood what I did not: that I could succeed at Cornell with a little nudge here and there, and some kind understanding.

Joey Contreras, '37

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Fostering International Citizenship

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"ILR is a place where there are so many people with so many great ideas and there are so many people wanting to do good, that's what makes ILR so special."

Dipabali Chowdhury and Felicia Salinas, '66

Inspiration for Human Rights Career

“Milton Konvitz inspired me to go into human rights. I then went on to become the Executive Director of Amnesty International, USA, and headed the Cambodia Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. All of my work has been related to what I learned in the ILR School over 50 years ago."

Dave Hawk ’65

Past ILR Extension Staff Photo

Staff and faculty at ILR have always worked in tandem to support the School’s mission – across the state. Old photos remind me of just some of the great individuals who have supported ILR.

Joan Roberts, '67

Scholar Practitioner

The ILR School was a high level introduction to learning what was known and what yet needed to be learned to create a world of universal prosperity through balanced power relationships. Because of ILR's strong personality, the challenges and the passions to meet them, converged.

James Smith, '53

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Guiding Students and Future Entrepreneurs toward Success

"If I can contribute in any small way to student learning through my participation [ILR Advisory Council and Cornell University Council], I believe the endeavor to be priceless."

Barry Beck, '42

Advocating for People with Disabilities

"ILR truly is a major of endless possibilities and I have been blessed with various opportunities here and at Cornell to formulate my own path in disability advocacy."

Teresa Danso-Danquah, '67

I'm the Arbitrator

Jean loved telling the story of her first arbitration when she "walked into the room and there was nothing but men there; one looked up and said, 'Oh, you're the secretary' and I said, 'No, I'm the arbitrator'."

Jean McKelvey

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Celebrating 70 Years

ILR is celebrating 70 years of advancing the world of work.

Established as the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations in 1945, ILR remains committed to its founding mission – resolving labor-management conflict – with a broader focus on advancing the world of work by preparing leaders, informing policy and improving working lives.

During this anniversary year, ILR will:

pay tribute to the school’s rich history and the pioneers whose foresight and innovation helped make ILR the leading school of its kind studying work and employment;
highlight the excellence of ILR faculty, students, staff and alumni, and the impact they are having on the workplace and the world – past, present and future;
provide opportunities through events and social media engagement that will bring members of the ILR community together to reflect and reconnect.

Please join us in the coming months as we share memories, celebrate success and look forward to the ILR School’s future.

Upcoming Events

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Giving

Together, we make ILR School history. Help us with our next 70 years. Make a gift today.

ILR at 70

Reflections

Reflections

Reflections

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Celebrating 70 Years

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