Institute of Social and Industrial Relations
Ralph A. Gallagher, SJ, founder of the Institute of Social and Industrial Relations
Credit: Loyola University Chicago Archives & Special Collections
Loyola was the first institution of higher learning in the Midwest to offer a comprehensive program combining theoretical courses and practical training in labor-management studies.
The founder and first director of the Institute of Social and Industrial Relations was the Rev. Ralph A. Gallagher, S.J., Ph.D., nationally-known sociiologist, a former regent of the School of Social Work, and chairman of the university's Sociology Department. Active as an arbitrator in numerous labor disputes, Father Gallagher was also acclaimed for his expertise in the fields of race relations, juvenile crime and family life.
Many executives from major corporations in the nation attend the institute to obtain the master of Science in Industrial Relations (MSIR).