Leonard Freel Woodcock was born on February 15, 1911, and died on January 16, 2001. He served as President of the United Auto Workers (UAW) and was the first United States ambassador to the People's Republic of China. He held this position after being the last Chief of the US Liaison Office in Beijing.
Early life
Leonard Woodcock was born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1911. His parents were Ernest Woodcock and Margaret Freel. When World War I began, the family was living in Germany, and Ernest was imprisoned. Although Leonard was born in the United States, his parents were British citizens. During the war, both Margaret and Leonard returned to the United Kingdom, where Leonard attended school.
After the war, the family members were reunited and decided to move to North America. They first settled in Canada but later moved to Detroit, Michigan, a few years later.
Early career
The difficult times of the Great Depression caused Woodcock to leave College of the City of Detroit in 1933. He began working as a machine assembler in Detroit, and both he and his father joined the union movement. In 1955, Woodcock became International Vice President.
UAW president
In 1970, he became UAW president after Walter Reuther, who passed away in a plane crash.
Woodcock took part in the Civil Rights Movement, marching with Martin Luther King Jr. and using his influence and support for the cause. He supported minority and women's rights, worked to create rules that stop unfair treatment, and introduced the first paid maternity leave for all union members in the United States.
Woodcock was listed on Nixon's enemies list at #9 while he was UAW president, with the note "No comments necessary."
China
In 1977, Woodcock left the union and was chosen by President Jimmy Carter to lead the United States Liaison Office in Beijing. This office acted as the U.S. embassy in the People's Republic of China because the United States and China did not have full diplomatic relations at that time. During this time, Woodcock also led a special group to Laos and Vietnam to find American soldiers who were prisoners of war or missing in action.
In 1979, Woodcock helped negotiate the establishment of full diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. After this, he was named the first U.S. ambassador to China. He was the first ambassador to Mainland China since 1949, when Leighton Stuart served as ambassador to the Republic of China. Some people questioned whether a labor leader should lead such an important diplomatic mission, but Carter believed that Woodcock's skills as a negotiator made him the right choice.
In a 2000 speech at the White House to celebrate 20 years of Most Favored Nation status, Carter said:
Personal life
In 1941, Woodcock married Loula Martin. They had three children together. In 1978, he married Sharon Tuohy, who was a nurse working with the American delegation in China. Later, he taught political science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He lived there with Sharon until he passed away on January 16, 2001.
Woodcock had three children: Leslie Woodcock Tentler, a professor of history; Janet Woodcock, a photographer; and John Woodcock, a retired lieutenant colonel in the USAF. His two daughters-in-law were Carol, a framer and partner of Janet, and Susan, who is married to John. His son-in-law was Thomas Tentler, a professor of history. He had three grandchildren: Sarah Tentler, a speechwriter and political advisor; Daniel Tentler, a lawyer; and Gregory Tentler, a professor of art history.
Archival records
The records about Woodcock are mostly kept at the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs. Important collections include the UAW President's Office: Leonard Woodcock Records and the UAW Vice-President’s Office: Leonard Woodcock Records. These collections have many documents from his time as an UAW executive. The materials include letters, photos, official notes, and other types of records. Other places that have historical materials about Woodcock are the Bentley Historical Library and the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum.