Upon his return to the United States in 1914, Haessler took a job teaching in the Philosophy Department of
Illinois University at
Urbana. He also continued work on his
Ph.D., which he received upon completion of his
dissertation, entitled "The Failure of Scottish Realism." The Haesslers raised their children in the Ravinia neighborhood of Highland Park, Illinois where they were deeply engaged in the arts and the Ravinia Woman's Club, until their divorce in 1940. During his time in prison, Haessler was removed for a brief period when he was called as a witness for the prosecution in the federal trial of Congressman
Victor Berger. The prosecution attempted to demonstrate that Haessler's position as an imprisoned conscientious objector was a product of Berger's direct influence, thereby providing proof of Berger's criminality with respect to the current conscription law. Haessler would have none of it however, replying when asked if he and Berger had had any talks about the war: Oh yes, I had lots of talks with Berger about the war. You see, I might say that I knew Victor Berger before I was born, since he knew my mother and father. But I don't remember what he said on those talks; I remember distinctly what I said, but his views did not impress me at all. I was far more interested in my views anyhow than I was in his. In his capacities with the Federated Press, Haessler was a member of the
International Typographical Union. In 1937, Haessler went to work for the
Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) handling the union's
public relations from
Flint, Michigan, during its series of
sitdown strikes there. He also served as editor of
The United Auto Worker until 1941 and was a longtime editor of ''Tool and Die Maker's News.''
Later years Beginning in 1963, Haessler became involved in
draft counseling of conscientious objectors to the
Vietnam War. ==Personal life and death==