Renowned Hands-On Legal Scholar Dies
Benjamin Aaron, a UCLA professor known both for his legal scholarship and his ability to settle a labor dispute, has died. He was 91.
Appointed by five U.S. presidents to various national boards and commissions, Aaron played a pivotal role in resolving aircraft company labor disputes after World War II, farmworker disagreements involving famed activist Cesar Chavez and a huge Los Angeles teacher’s strike in 1970, writes the Los Angeles Times. Aaron also directed the UCLA Institute of Industrial Relations from 1960 to 1975 and was the research institute’s longest-serving director.
“He was a giant in the fields of labor law and industrial relations,” says John Trumpbour, research director at Harvard Law School’s labor and work-life program, “and he had a key role in Los Angeles labor history.”
Aaron died Saturday at UCLA Medical Center, after suffering a brain hemorrhage caused by a fall, according to his family.
