N. Arnold Tolles Papers

N. Arnold Tolles (September 21, 1903 - April 10, 1973) was professor of industrial and labor relations at Cornell's New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations.



Born in New York City, Tolles was earned his B. Phil ('23), M.S. ('24), and PhD ('32) from the University of Chicago, and his M.S. ('26) from Harvard University. From 1929 to 1935, Tolles taught at Mount Holyoke and Smith College, after which he entered government service through the end of World War II. Tolles held positions in the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Labor's Wage-House Division, and the Labor Division of the U.S. Advisory Commission to the National Defense Council.



After the conclusion of World War II, Tolles joined the faculty of American University, then in 1947 joined the faculty of the ILR School. Tolles was appointed professor emeritus in 1971. During his long career at Cornell, Tolles published extensively including such work as Origins of Modern Wage Theories (1964), Labor Costs and International Trade (1961), and others.



In addition to teaching, research, and government service, Tolles was involved in local government. A Democrat, he served as alderman in Ithaca from 1965 to 1969, chairman of the Ithaca City Council's Finance Committee in 1968-1969, and member of the Tompkins County Board of Representatives from 1971 until his death in 1973.



See the Cornell University Faculty Memorial Statement for Professor N. Arnold Tolles