No Greater Calling

Walter P. Reuther and the Reuther Family of Oakland Township

Exploring the life of labor leader Walter P. Reuther, his family, and their connection to Oakland Township.

Walter P. Reuther in Oakland Township

Walter Reuther, labor leader and champion for social justice, lived in Oakland Township with his wife May and their two daughters from 1950 to 1970.

The Reuther family participated in conservation efforts to clean up Paint Creek and became involved in other community projects in the area.

OTHS later explored this local connection through a major exhibit at the Paint Creek Cider Mill in historic Goodison.

Walter Reuther 100 Exhibit

Presented from October 2008 through March 2009, the Walter Reuther 100 exhibit was the Oakland Township Historical Society's first major exhibit and was viewed by more than 1,000 people.

From the Exhibit

May Reuther

May Reuther on Paint Creek in Oakland Township.

Time Magazine

Walter Reuther featured on the cover of Time magazine, June 20, 1955.

At Home in Oakland Township

Walter Reuther works on his Oakland Township home.

The Reuthers & Oakland Township

Walter P. Reuther is remembered nationally for his work as a labor leader, but Oakland Township was also home to Walter, May, and their family for two decades.

Their years here connected the family to the rural landscape, Paint Creek, and the surrounding community. The Reuthers' involvement in conservation and community projects became an important part of the local story explored by OTHS.

The Walter Reuther 100 exhibit brought together photographs, documents, and other historical materials to introduce visitors to this lesser-known part of the Reuther family's history.