history

It was in the early 1950s that Professors Herb Heneman and Dale Yoder of the University of Minnesota’s business school began discussing ways to improve the professional practice of Industrial Relations – their field of research and teaching. They concluded that IR practitioners would greatly benefit from sitting down together and discussing areas of common interest. Thus was born the Industrial Relations Executive Council (IREC). At first, membership was made up of roughly 30 members of the top companies in the Twin Cities who had IR responsibility and who reported to the CEO of their companies. Practically speaking, it was a little like an IR Alumni Association for the University, as most practitioners were in fact graduates of the IR program at the University. Since the MAIR degree wasn’t offered until 1953, many of these executives had graduated with a BBA-IR degree. And many of them owed their placement to a good deal of help from Herb Heneman, who took a personal interest in placing his students.

It began with the members of the IREC, along with Professors Heneman and Yoder, getting together for dinner once a month, a practice that, like the University, took a break during the summer months. There was no formal agenda for these meetings except to share experiences and what we now call “best practices”, and to enjoy the company of colleagues who really understood the challenges of the day. The IREC continued to meet as described above for many years, eventually expanding its membership to the top 50 companies. During the 1970s, by-laws were drafted, officers elected and often speakers were invited to address the group after dinner. Meetings were often held in the North Star Inn’s Rosewood Room. Later, meetings were held in the Minneapolis Club, a practice that continues to the present.

In the late 1980s, the name was changed to the present Human Resources Executive Council (HREC), reflecting the broadening role being played by those working in the industrial relations or personnel functions. At about the same time, the IRC - who has since been renamed the Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies (CHRLS) -began offering the MA-HRIR degree, replacing the MAIR; it now offers the MHRIR degree.
Today, the names of many of the organizations and individual members have changed, as well as the name of the IRC. But the goals of the HREC remain the same and the association between the Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies and the HR community continues to be an important link to professional HR practices.