John B. Andrews

John Bertram Andrews (1880-1943) was born in Wisconsin. He earned both an A.B. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin.

Politically, he was a progressive. He was the secretary of the American Association for Labor Legislation from 1908 and was the founding editor of its American Labor Legislation Review from 1911 until his death.

He worked for social insurance, workmen's compensation, and occupational issues.

He was a pioneering organizer for the International Labor Conference of 1919.

He was an advocate for a social insurance program of the 1930s in the United States. He founded one of the two leading organizations advocating a social insurance program (the other was the American Association for Social Security founded by Abraham Epstein).

Andrews' group was more conservative than Epstein's. He favored privately funded social insurance such as from employer-employee contributions. Because his plan was not a state-funded program, it became known as the "American Plan." It was adopted by Wisconsin in 1932.

Andrews was a supporter of Roosevelt and the New Deal. His views were consistent with the New Dealer's views on the matter which eventually became the Social Security Act of 1935.

Andrews was appointed to the first Social Security Advisory Board.

In 1939, he was the U.S. representative to the League of Nations in Geneva.

Sources:

Lloyd F. Pierce, "The Activities of the American Association for Labor Legislation in Behalf of Social Security and Protective Labor Legislation," Ph.D. diss., University of Wisconsin, 1953.

"In Memorium: John B. Andrews (1880-1943)." Social Service Review 17 (March 1943), 97-98.