Ralph Knopf, C.W. Post union leader, dies

Ralph Knopf, a dedicated workers' rights advocate who led the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University's faculty union for nearly three decades, died last Wednesday of cancer. He was 80.

Known best for his leadership of the C.W. Post Collegial Federation, Knopf, a math professor, led the union's more than 300 members during at least two strikes over faculty wages, workload and health benefits.

"He was very dedicated to the idea of equality and human rights," said Anne Burns, Knopf's companion, who lived with him in their Huntington home for the past 35 years. "He was always for the underdog."

Born in the Bronx, Knopf spent his early years in the borough and attended school there, said Burns, 75, also a C.W. Post math professor. After graduating from high school, Knopf enlisted in the Army and served during the Korean War, she said. When he returned, Knopf enrolled in classes at New York University, where he received an undergraduate degree and a doctorate in math from the school's Courant Institute.

Knopf's daughter Carol, who lives in Manhattan, grew up going to peace rallies and war protests in Washington with her father.

"He's shown me a way . . . to care about people and continue the protest against everything that is wrong," she said. "He wanted everyone to keep the struggle going for a better life."

Knopf joined the staff of C.W. Post in 1961 as an assistant professor in the Brookville school's mathematics department. He was particularly interested in abstract algebra, number theory and mathematical economics, Burns said.

Knopf first became involved in the union in 1976 and was elected president of the organization in 1982, Burns said. During his tenure, he negotiated faculty contracts with the university's administration, held rallies for workers' rights at the campus and led at least two strikes over contract disputes.

During one of these strikes, in the fall of 2003, faculty members refused to teach classes for nearly three weeks because a contract could not be agreed upon.

"We have got to show that we have the stuff and stand up for our rights," Knopf told Newsday during that strike.

To union members, Knopf was an example of how to stand up for workers' rights while remaining calm under pressure, said Harvey Kushner, who served on the union's board with Knopf for many years and succeeded him as president.

"He was totally the pragmatist," said Kushner, head of C.W. Post's criminal justice department. "His coolness, his intellect and his dedication made him a strong individual."

In November, Knopf, then an associate professor, went on sick leave after being diagnosed with cancer. The illness later forced him to leave his post as union president.

Knopf is survived by another daughter, Ellen, of Manhattan.

The remains were cremated Friday. A private service for the family was held Saturday.