Biography.guide
Home › People › Jack Knight
Portrait of Jack Knight

Jack Knight

1902 – 1981

American labor unionist

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Jack Knight

Lived 1902 – 1981 (aged 78–79).

Orie Albert "Jack" Knight (September 24, 1902 – April 16, 1981) was an American labor unionist.

Born in New Hampton, Iowa, Knight worked in highway construction before moving to East Chicago, Indiana, to work for Shell Oil. He rose to become a stillman, and joined what became the Oil Workers' International Union. In 1933, he helped the union establish itself in Hammond, Indiana, and he then began working full-time as a union organizer, mostly in California.

In 1940, Knight was elected as president of the union, and under his leadership, its membership grew steadily. The union was affiliated to the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), and in 1947, he was elected as a vice-president of the CIO. He represented the CIO in the unity negotiations which produced the AFL–CIO in 1955, becoming one of its vice-presidents, and also chair of its Interamerican Affairs Committee. At the same time, he merged the union into the new Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers International Union (OCAW), becoming the president of the largest oil or chemical workers' union in the world.

Knight retired as president of OCAW in 1965,

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1902
Birth century
Died
1981

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jack Knight's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jack Knight?

American labor unionist (1902-1981)

When was Jack Knight born?

Jack Knight was born in 1902.

When did Jack Knight die?

Jack Knight died in 1981.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jack Knight

· Wikidata: Q112083285

· DBpedia: Jack Knight (unionist)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jack Knight. https://biography.guide/jack-knight/

MLA: "Jack Knight." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jack-knight/.

Chicago: "Jack Knight." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jack-knight/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:12 UTC