Evening star., 1952-11-16
Steel Union Reins ] urned OyeI
u o Murroy's Right-Hond Man
McD DonuId's Acting
Role Is Described as
Assuring Presidency
by the Assoeiotsd Press


PITTSBURGH, Nov. 15.-David
j. Mcdonald. the late Philip Muir
rays right-hand man for the last
80 years, took over today his old
boss job as head of the CIO
United Steelworkers.
! The USW's 35-member execu-
tive board named Mr.. Mcdonald
acting president. He will serve
until a president is named by the
Il million members Of the union
in a rank-and-file referendum to
be held next February 10.
Although no official word was
issued. there appeared to be q
strong feeling among the board
members that Mr.. McDonald's
choice to the temporary position
Us tantamount to his election to
D four-year term as president next
year.
Prays for Wisdom.
81 am most humble" the So
year-old Mcdonald told newsmen
as the boards 212-hour session
broke up. II miss Philip Murray
as much If not more than any man
In the world.
II hope Almighty God will give
me the wisdom I know need to
carry on"
In addition to his duties as act
Ing president, Mr.. Mcdonald will
continue in his present position as
secretary-treasurer of the USW.
At the beginning of the session,
delegates heard a 700-word trib-
ute to Mr.. Murray, who died un-
expectedly last Sunday in San
Francisco after guiding the des-
TIMES Of the steelworkers for 16
years.
Stand Silent Two Minutes.
Delegates stood in silence two
minutes as tribute to Mr.. Muir
ray after adopting the tribute inI
the form of a resolution. The reso-
luton said in part:
Our union is his union. It is a
mirror not just of Philip Murray
the labor leader and union presi-
dent; it is a mirror of his whole
personality of his love and concern
for the least of us.
1t is our responsibility that this
mirror be kept clear and bright.
truly rejecting forever the inner
personality of the man we have
lost"
The board adopted another reso-
luton allowing any local union
which already has nominated its
candidates for Office for the four
year terms beginning next June /
to withdraw the nominations and
substitute new ones.
Started as Secretary.
Mr.. McDonald's apprenticeship
TO Mr.. Murray started in 1922
when Mr.. Murray was John Ii
Lewis top aide in the United
Mine Workers. He took a lob
as Mr.. Murray's secretary.
1t continued in 1886 when Mr.
Murray became chairman of the
CLOS Steelworkers' Organizing
Committee. which was the first
form of the USW.
1t continued in 1912 when the
USW became an organizationI
standing on its own feet with
Mr. Murray as president and Mr.
Mcdonald as secretary-treasurer.
A labor leader was only one of |
the careers Mr.. Mcdonald might
have followed. A One-time drama \
student at Carnegie Institute of
Technology. he was so wise in the |
ways Of the theater that in 1885 1
he was offered a job by Warner |
Brothers as an assistant director
Murray Pointed to Mills.
His decision to stick with Mr..
Murray came one murky April
morning in 1886 as he and Mr.
Murray were returning to Pitts
burgh from a trip to Washington 1
Mr.. Murray tuned to his secretary
and said:
Dave, you see those steel mills.
You and are going to organize
their employees. You will be Sec
retary-treasurer of the union"
Two months later the dream /
OF Hollywood had faded and the
job of organizing the steel mills
began.