Harry E. Lester was born in Bud, West Virginia in the summer of 1929, before the stock market crash causing the Great Depression. Also known as Buzz, he grew up in a loving home with his parents, two brothers, sister, and colorful extended family that helped shape the man he would become. As a young family man, he moved to Detroit, "the land of opportunity." Finding work at Ford Motor Co. and later McLouth Steel, he was an active union man who eventually rose through the ranks of the United Steelworkers of America to become the District 2 Director, helping steer the international union through health and safety reform, increased standard of living, and protected pension plans. He is a powerful, resourceful leader who fought for steelworkers and working people everywhere as rampant imports caused tremendous job losses and threatened the American middle-class. Now retired, Harry and his wife Mary continue to be outspoken supporters of the labor movement and social justice.