NORMAN MATTOON THOMAS

 Norman Mattoon Thomas was born in 1884 and raised in Marion, Ohio - his father was a Presbyterian minister.  He graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University in 1905.  Shortly thereafter, he entered the seminary and became, like his father, a minister.  For twenty years he served the people of Harlem at a Presbyterian parish.

During those years, he became a conscientious objector to war in general and was then drawn to socialism and became active in the Socialist Party politics.  His activities there brought him to found the precursor of the American Civil Liberties Union.  

In the next 24 years, Thomas was a presidential candidate of the Socialist Party six times.  In between, he lent himself to Margaret Sanger's efforts to promote birth control and women's reproductive rights.  Ms Sanger, of course, established what is now known as Planned Parenthood.  Thomas also was an outspoken critic of actions taken by the Zionist State of Israel and the Catholic Church, as well.

Now for the coup de grace.  In a 1944 speech, Mr. Thomas said, "The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism.  But, under the name of liberalism, they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened."

"I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party.  The Democrat Party has adopted our platform."   Seventy-six years ago!  

Mr. Thomas died in 1968.   He was . . . quite a guy.