Helen
Marot was
born in Philadelphia on
9th June, 1865. The daughter of wealthy Quakers,
Marot worked as a librarian in Wilmington, Delaware, before returning
to Philadelphia to open her own private library on social reform.
In 1899 Marot published a Handbook
of Labor History.
After moving to New York she joined with
Florence Kelley
and Josephine Goldmark to investigate
child labour in the city.
In 1903 Marot joined with Mary
Kenney O'Sullivan,
Jane
Addams, Mary McDowell,
Margaret Haley, Agnes
Nestor, Florence Kelley and Sophonisba
Breckinridge to form the Women's Trade Union
League (WTUL). Marot became executive secretary of the WTUL New
York branch.
Marot was the main figure in the formation of
the Bookkeepers,
Stenographers and Accountants Union and the the leader of the International
Ladies' Garment Workers Union.
A Fabian socialist, in later life, Marot
concentrated on writing and published several books including American
Labor Unions
(1914) and Creative
Impulse in Industry
(1918). She also worked for The Masses
(1916-17) and The
Dial (1918-20). Helen
Marot
died on 3rd June, 1940.
Leaders of the Women's Trade Union in 1907.
Shown from left to right
are Hannah Hennessy, Ida Rauh, Mary Dreir, Mary
Kenney O'Sullivan,
Margaret
Robins,
Margie Jones, Agnes Nestor and Helen
Marot.
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