In the 1960s, LSE was a central node in the developing field of comparative labour law. It was at that time that the preeminent scholar of U.S. labor law, William B. Gould, spent some time in the Department of Law before going on to a storied career in academia and industrial relations. We talked with Professor Gould, inviting him to reflect on the experience and influence of his time at LSE.
In the early-mid 1960s, the LSE Law Department was home to such pre-eminent labour law professors as Sir Otto Kahn Freund and Lord Wedderburn. Was it their presence that drew you to LSE as a young labour lawyer, or how else did you find yourself in London?
The presence of Professor Kahn Freund was a principal attraction (Wedderburn was not yet at LSE – he would arrive three or four years afterwards – I came to know him later in the 60s during some of my visits to London). I was aware of Kahn Freund’s pre-eminence as a comparative labor lawyer and both his name and the School were something of which I became aware through a British friend when I was studying at Cornell Law School, Inge Hyman (née Neufeld) of Manchester University. Initially, based upon discussions with Mrs. Hyman and my own readings, I knew of LSE through the writings of Harold Laski and others. I don’t think that I began the Holmes-Laski Letters until my return to America in 1963. Mrs. Hyman’s recommendation was so strong and lasting that it stayed with me even though I was hired into my ideal job subsequent to...
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