Messenger - Vol. 1, No. 1, Page 12 Fall 1991 Labor's love lost: A Hoffa biography "I may have faults, but being wrong ain't one of them." James R. Hoffa (1913-1975) "Hoffa's middle name was Riddle and more than a few observers have pointed out that he was, in fact, a mass of contradictions. He possessed a considerable temper and thought nothing of publicly tongue-lashing some of his closest associates. But he was capable of enormous kindness, was consistently financially generous to a fault, and as Teamsters president, seemed to be constitutionally unable to fire anyone. ...He was also, despite his celebrity status, a very private person who did not like anyone outside of his immediate family, especially women, to touch him." from Hoffa by Arthur A. Sloane Arthur A. Sloane, professor of industrial relations at the University is author of Hoffa, the first comprehensive biography of the enigmatic labor leader, published this summer by MIT Press. Building on an interest in Hoffa that began almost 30 years ago, Sloane began doing intensive research in 1989 then took a sabbatical from the University to write the book. Sloane first met Hoffa in 1962 when, as he says in the book, "I was a Harvard Business School student in search of a doctoral dissertation topic and with the brashness of youth asked him if I could follow him around the country." Hoffa agreed, and for the next several months, Sloane became a "full-time Hoffa watcher." Hoffa left a deep impression on Sloane, one that was never to leave him. For the next nearly 30 years, Sloane followed Hoffa's career and in 1988, when a University of Delaware student reminded him what a fascinating personality Hoffa was, Sloane decided to put everything else aside and become Hoffa's biographer. Sloane's book gives a rich and colorful account of one of the most influential figures in American labor. It details Hoffa's childhood, the tactics he used to gain control over the largest labor union in American history, his associates, the devotion of the truckers for whom he won benefits, his dealings with the Mafia, his problems with the law, his disappearance and three versions of his death. Sloane is also co-author of Labor Relations. --Barbara Garrison