On October 7, 2022 members of the Industrial Relations Section and Firestone Library gathered to celebrate the opening of an exhibit that highlights the contributions of labor economist J. Douglas Brown, whose personal philosophy and expertise informed the design of the Social Security Act. Brown was an IR Section alum and served as Section director, as Princeton's dean of the faculty and also provost.

“This exhibition highlights the central role that members of the Industrial Relations Section have played for nearly a century in contributing to economic and social policies at the federal level,” said Leah Boustan, director of the IR Section at Princeton University. “The original Social Security Act of 1935 demonstrates the complexities of designing policy subject to political and economic realities. We hope that the example of J. Douglas Brown will inspire students and faculty to work on socially meaningful topics that contribute to the public good.”

The three-part exhibit will run through June 2023 and helps mark the Section’s 100th anniversary, being celebrated during the 2023 academic year.

Read the Princeton University Library’s story about the exhibit and various online resources, including a LibGuide and a digital companion site.

See a gallery of photos taken at the exhibit opening celebration.

Please visit the Section to experience the exhibit in person!