James Housewright

{{Short description|American labor union leader (1921–1977)}}

{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}

James Talbertt Housewright (November 23, 1921{{cite book |title=Who Was Who in America |volume=7 |date=1981 |publisher=Marqius}} – September 19, 1977) was an American labor union leader.

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = James Talbertt Housewright

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| birth_place = Wesco, Missouri, U.S.

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| office1 = 7th International President of the Retail Clerks International Union

| term_start1 = 1968

| term_end1 = 1977

| predecessor1 = James Suffridge

| successor1 = William H. Wynn

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| term_end2 = 1977

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| nationality = American

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Born in Wesco, Missouri, Housewright grew up in Indiana. He joined the Retail Clerks International Union in 1947, and soon became secretary-treasurer of its Local 725, based in Indianapolis. He became a full-time representative of the union in 1953, a division director the following year, then director of organization, and executive assistant to the president. In 1968, he was elected as the union's president, one of the youngest leaders of a major labor union. Under his leadership, the union's membership doubled.{{cite news |title=James T. Housewright Dead at 55; Led Retail Clerks International |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/20/archives/james-t-housewright-dead-at-55-led-retail-clerks-international.html |access-date=4 February 2023 |work=New York Times |date=September 20, 1977}}{{cite news |last1=Hailey |first1=Jean R. |title=James Housewright Dies, Retail Clerks Union Chief |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1977/09/21/james-housewright-dies-retail-clerks-union-chief/c2d4d11a-0888-4eb1-a482-79ec65d62c00/ |access-date=4 February 2023 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=September 21, 1977}}

Housewright also became a vice-president of the AFL-CIO. In this role, he led the formation of a new Food and Beverage Trades Department, to improve working relationships between the various unions in the industry. He became the first president of the new department, and in that role, began negotiating a merger between his union, the Retail Clerks International Union, and the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America. However, he died in 1977, before any merger could be agreed.