He helped with growing the Cigar Makers' International Union, and a few years later, founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL).

A year after Gomper's death, it was suggested a memorial be placed in Washington, D.C., that would honor the labor hero.

While fundraising for the project took place amongst AFL members, Robert Ingersoll Aitken was selected to create the sculptures.

In 1933, the unveiling and dedication of the memorial, located just one block from the American Federation of Labor Building, took place.

Samuel Gompers (1850–1924) was born in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, but moved with his family to New York when he was five.

At a young age, he worked rolling cigars, witnessing the hardships faced by working-class people.

He assisted with growth of the Cigar Makers' International Union, a few years before founding the American Federation of Labor in 1886, serving as president until his death.

[2] Not only did he find a major union, but he was well known for enhancing the prestige of the labor movement in general, and for increasing the number of AFL workers from 50,000 to 3,000,000.

A committee formed for the project included AFL president William Green, Matthew Woll, and Frank Duffy.

[6] The following year Frank Morrison and the sculptor chosen to create the statues, Robert Ingersoll Aitken, met with representatives from the United States Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) to seek their approval for the memorial's design.

[9] In addition to the sculptures by Aitken, the Fred Drew Company architectural firm designed the monument, Vitale and Geiffert were the landscape architects, and Roman Bronze Works was the founder.

After a report by an engineering firm that warned the memorial needed immediate repairs, the fundraising drive began in 1985, with a finished date the following year.

[10] The inscription on the southeast side reads, "So long as we have held fast to voluntary principles and have been actuated and inspired by the spirit of service, we have sustained our forward progress and we have made our labor movement something to be respected and accorded a place in the councils of our republic.

There is no way whereby our labor movement may be assured and sustained progress in determining its policies and its plans other than sincere democratic deliberation until a unanimous decision is reached.