Carroll D. Wright, Janet L. Norwood inducted into Labor Hall of Honor

Who: U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez Federal Reserve Chair Janet L. YellenU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erica L. Groshen

What: Secretary Perez inducted the two newest members of the Labor Hall of Honor, Carroll D. Wright, the first commissioner of the "Bureau of Labor," and Janet L. Norwood, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' first female commissioner.

Appointed by President Arthur to lead the newly created federal Bureau of Labor in 1885, Wright led the bureau through four presidential administrations during his 20-year term. He pioneered the use of data collection to publish important studies related to the wages of working women in large cities; annual reports on railway labor, the first U.S. study to deal with labor turnover; regional studies on the working condition of blacks; and landmark studies on the employment of children. Wright also mediated the United Mine Workers' coal strike of 1902.

Norwood joined the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 1963 as a career employee, ascending to the role of commissioner with an appointment by President Carter in 1979. She remained in the position, serving three presidents, until her retirement in 1991. During her tenure, Norwood launched the Continuing Consumer Expenditure Survey; revised the calculation of the Consumer Price Index; published the first multifactor productivity indexes for major sectors of the private economy; developed the Employment Cost Index and established the bureau's first cognitive laboratory. She possessed what The New York Times called a "near-legendary reputation for nonpartisanship," and testified for BLS before Congress 137 times in her career.

"Carroll Wright and Janet Norwood believed in timeless values. They fought for a fearless publication of the facts. Presenting the facts and nothing but the facts. Thanks to them, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is exceptional, as are all of its sister statistical agencies." — excerpted from Secretary Perez's remarks.

Where: U.S. Department of Labor Headquarters, Frances Perkins Building, Washington, D.C.

Background: Established in 1988, the Hall of Honor posthumously honors the contributions made by extraordinary men and women throughout history for the betterment of work, workers and workplaces in America. Other luminaries previously inducted include Cesar Chavez, Samuel Gompers, Mother Jones, Frances Perkins, Charles Walgreen, Helen Keller, Walter Reuther, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Frank Kameny.

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Photo Caption: 20 October 2015 — Washington — U.S. Department of Labor inducted two new members into the Labor Hall of Fame. The department added the names of Carroll D. Wright, the first commissioner of the Bureau of Labor, and Janet L. Norwood, the bureau's first female commissioner to the Honor wall at its national headquarters. U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez, Federal Reserve Chair Janet L. Yellen and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erica L. Groshen delivered remarks honoring Wright and Norwood life's accomplishments in the collection and use of data to improve working conditions in the U.S., and assist policy makers and business leaders in making informed decisions.