Career Corliss Lamont

1 career

1.1 years
1.2 1930s
1.3 1940s
1.4 1950s
1.5 1960s
1.6 later life

career
early years

lamont born in englewood, new jersey on march 28, 1902. son of florence haskell (corliss) , thomas w. lamont, partner , later chairman @ j.p. morgan & co. lamont graduated valedictorian of phillips exeter academy in 1920, , magna cum laude harvard university in 1924. principles animated life first evidenced @ harvard, attacked university clubs snobbery. in 1924 did graduate work @ new college university of oxford, roomed julian huxley. next year lamont began graduate studies @ columbia university, studied under john dewey. in 1928 became philosophy instructor there. received ph.d. in philosophy in 1932 columbia. lamont taught @ columbia, cornell, harvard, , new school social research.

1930s

lamont became radical in 1930s, moved great depression. wrote book soviet union , praised saw there: people better dressed, food , plentiful, seems confident, happy , full of spirit . became critical of soviets on time, thought achievement in transforming feudal society remarkable, attacked treatment of political dissent , lack of civil liberties. lamont s political views marxist , socialist of life.

lamont one-time chairman of friends of soviet union.

lamont began 30 years director of american civil liberties union (aclu) in 1932. in 1934, arrested while on picket line in jersey city, new jersey, part of long battle between labor , civil rights activists , frank hague, city s mayor. lamont later wrote learned more american legal system in 1 day .. in 1 year @ harvard law school .

in 1936, lamont helped found , subsidized magazine marxist quarterly. when dewey commission reported in 1937 moscow trials of leon trotsky , others fraudulent, lamont, along other left-wing intellectuals, refused accept commission s findings. under influence of popular front, lamont , 150 other left-wing writers endorsed stalin s actions necessary preservation of progressive democracy . letter warned dewey s work politically motivated , charged dewey supporting reactionary views , red-baiting . lamont wrote introduction anti-polish pamphlet behind polish-soviet break alter brody.

1940s

lamont key founder of national council of american-soviet friendship (ncasf) (originally national council on soviet relations or ncsr). (other founders included: professor ralph barton perry of harvard university , edwin seymour smith.) served first chairman 1943 1947.

lamont remained sympathetic soviet union after world war ii , establishment of satellite communist governments in central , eastern europe. authored pamphlet entitled myth of soviet aggression in wrote:

the fact is, of course, both truman , eisenhower administrations, in order push enormous armaments programs through congress , justify continuation of cold war, have felt compelled resort device of keeping american people in state of alarm on alleged menace of soviet or communist origin.

1950s

lamont ran u.s. senate new york, in 1952 on american labor ticket. received 104,702 votes , lost republican irving m. ives.

when called testify in front of senator joseph mccarthy s senate permanent subcommittee on investigations in 1953, denied ever having been communist, refused discuss beliefs or of others, citing not fifth amendment many others did first amendment s guarantee of free speech. committee cited lamont contempt of congress vote of 71 3 in august 1954. senators questioned mccarthy s authority , wanted federal court rule on it. , in november lamont donated $50,000 create $1,000,000 bill of rights fund support civil rights advocates, citing anti-communist legislation, travel restrictions, , blacklisting in entertainment industry. same month challenged subcommittee s authority in court.

the same year, penned why not communist. despite allegiance marxism, never joined communist party usa, , supported korean war.

in april 1955, lamont withdrew role philosophy lecturer @ columbia university pending outcome of these legal proceedings, , university said lamont s decision, made without prior suggestion officer of university . judge edward weinfeld of u.s. district court found indictment against lamont faulty, government, rather seek new indictment, appealed ruling. unanimous panel of court of appeals agreed in 1955 , in 1956 government chose not appeal supreme court.

as director of aclu, lamont had resisted attempts purge organization of communists and, in 1954, resigned position because felt aclu had not supported him in face of mccarthy charges. complete record of legal proceedings in lamont s case against mccarthy subcommittee published in 1957.

in 1951 , 1957, denied passport state department, considered application incomplete because refused answer question membership in communist party. sued state department in june 1957 seeking hearing on action. obtained passport in june 1958 following supreme court decision in case, kent v. dulles, , left u.s. world tour in march 1959.

he ran again u.s. senate new york in 1958 on independent-socialist ticket. received more 49,000 votes out of more 5,500,000 cast , lost republican kenneth b. keating.

in 1959, lamont became enthusiastic supporter of fidel castro , revolutionary government in cuba.

1960s

in 1964, lamont sued postmaster general reading , @ times refusing deliver mail under anti-propaganda mail law of 1962, passed on objections of department of justice , post office, allowed postmaster general destroy communist political propaganda sent outside united states unless addressee says wants receive such mail. statute did not apply sealed correspondence, aimed @ published materials. lost 2 1 decision in u.s. district court, after post office delivered 1 such item of mail, , appealed supreme court, arguing single delivery subterfuge designed moot lawsuit while continue interrupt mail service. on may 24, 1965, won in supreme court, held unanimously in decision in lamont v. postmaster general written justice william o. douglas, law unconstitutional.

it first time supreme court invalidated statute violation of first amendment s guarantee of freedom of speech. lamont attorney leonard b. boudin, worked on many civil liberties cases. won similar lawsuit against central intelligence agency in federal court same year.

in mid-1960s, became chairman of national emergency civil liberties committee, position held until death 30 years later.

later life

in 1971, after congressman called him identified member of communist party, u.s.a. , lamont issued statement although no disgrace belong communist party, have never dreamed of joining it. same year, financed dorothy day s visit soviet union , several other countries in eastern europe.

in 1979, lamont founded half-moon foundation, inc. half-moon foundation 501(c)(3) non-profit organization , incorporated in state of new york. foundation formed promote enduring international peace, support united nations, conservation of our country s natural environment, , safeguard , extend civil liberties guaranteed under constitution , bill of rights.

lamont president emeritus of american humanist association , in 1977 named humanist of year.

in 1981, received gandhi peace award.

in 1998 lamont received posthumous distinguished humanist service award international humanist , ethical union , 1 of signers of humanist manifesto.