Corliss Lamont
Corliss Lamont | |
---|---|
Popular Front, and civil liberties | |
Spouse(s) | (1) Margaret Hayes Irish; (2) Helen Boyden Lamb; (3) Beth Keehner |
Parent(s) | Thomas Lamont, Flora Lamont |
Relatives | Ned Lamont, Jonathan Heap |
Website | corliss-lamont |
Corliss Lamont (March 28, 1902 – April 26, 1995) was an
Career
Early years
Lamont was born in
1930s
Lamont became a
Lamont was a onetime chairman of the
Lamont began his 30 years as a director of the
In 1936, Lamont helped found and subsidized the magazine Marxist Quarterly. When the
1940s
Lamont was a key founder of the
Lamont remained sympathetic to the Soviet Union well after World War II and the establishment of
The fact is, of course, that both the Truman and Eisenhower Administrations, in order to push their enormous armaments programs through Congress and to justify the continuation of the Cold War, have felt compelled to resort to the device of keeping the American people in a state of alarm over some alleged menace of Soviet or Communist origin.
In 1944 Lamont wrote a preface to a book by Alter Brody that popularized the Soviet falsification of the Katyn massacre in the West.[7]
1950s
Lamont ran for the
When called to testify in front of Senator
The same year, he wrote Why I Am Not a Communist. Despite his allegiance to Marxism, he never joined the Communist Party USA, and supported the Korean War.[12]
In April 1955, Lamont withdrew from his role as a philosophy lecturer at Columbia University pending the outcome of these legal proceedings, and the university said it was Lamont's decision, made "without prior suggestion by any officer of the university".[13] Judge Edward Weinfeld of the U.S. District Court found the indictment against Lamont was faulty, but the government, rather than seek a new indictment, appealed that ruling.[14] A unanimous panel of the Court of Appeals agreed in 1955[15] and in 1956 the government chose not to appeal to the Supreme Court.[16]
As a director of the
In 1951 and 1957, Lamont was denied a passport by the State Department, which considered his application incomplete because he refused to answer a question about membership in the Communist Party.[18] He sued the State Department in June 1957 seeking a hearing on its action.[19] He obtained his passport in June 1958 following a Supreme Court decision in another case, Kent v. Dulles, and left the U.S. for a world tour in March 1959.[20]
He ran again for the U.S. Senate from New York in
In 1959, Lamont became an enthusiastic supporter of Fidel Castro and his revolutionary government in Cuba.[23][24]
1960s
In 1964, Lamont sued the
It was the first time the Supreme Court invalidated a statute as a violation of the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech. Lamont's attorney was Leonard B. Boudin, who worked on many civil liberties cases.[26] He won a similar lawsuit against the Central Intelligence Agency in federal court the same year.[1]
In the mid-1960s, Lamont became chairman of the National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee, a position he held until his death.
Later life
In 1971, after a congressman called him an "identified member of the Communist Party, U.S.A.", Lamont issued a statement that "although it is no disgrace to belong to the Communist party, I have never even dreamed of joining it."[27] The same year, he financed Dorothy Day's visit to the Soviet Union and several other countries in Eastern Europe.[24][28]
In 1979, Lamont founded Half-Moon Foundation, Inc. Half-Moon Foundation was a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and was incorporated in the state of New York. The Foundation was formed "to promote enduring international peace, support for the United Nations, the conservation of our country's natural environment, and to safeguard and extend civil liberties as guaranteed under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights."
Lamont was president emeritus of the American Humanist Association and in 1977 was named Humanist of the Year. In 1981, he received the Gandhi Peace Award.
In 1998, Lamont received a posthumous Distinguished Humanist Service Award from the
Personal life and death
In 1928, Lamont married Margaret Hayes Irish. They divorced in the early 1960s. In 1962, he married Helen Boyden Lamb; she died of cancer in 1975.[30] In 1986, Lamont married Beth Keehner; she survived his death.[1] He died at home in Ossining, New York, on April 26, 1995.[1]
Legacy
Following the deaths of his parents, Lamont became a
He became a substantial donor to both
He was the great-uncle of
Writings
Lamont was a prolific author. He wrote, co-wrote, edited, or co-edited more than two dozen books and dozens of pamphlets, and wrote thousands of letters to newspapers, magazines, and journals on significant social issues during his lifelong campaign for peace and civil rights.
In 1935, he published The Illusion of Immortality (originally published in 1932 as Issues of Immortality: A Study in Implications), which was a revised version of his doctoral dissertation. Lamont argued that people can live satisfactory lives without belief in life after death and that human life may be recognized to be more precious if it is realized that it only comes once to each man.[32]
His most famous work is The Philosophy of Humanism (originally published in 1949 as Humanism as a Philosophy), now in its eighth edition. He also published intimate portraits of John Dewey, John Masefield, and George Santayana.
Books authored or co-authored by Corliss Lamont
- A Humanist Funeral Service ISBN 978-1-61614-409-8)
- A Humanist Wedding Service ISBN 0-87975-000-6Third Revised Edition 1981 (Previous editions: 1972, 1970) 29 pages
- A Lifetime of Dissent (Buffalo, Prometheus Books, 1988, 414 pages) Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 88-15100 ISBN 0-87975-463-X
- Freedom Is As Freedom Does: Civil Liberties in America (1956), foreword by ISBN 0-8180-0350-2
- Freedom of Choice Affirmed Third Revised Edition 1990 (Previous editions: 1969, 1967) Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 67-27793 (Third Revised Edition) ISBN 0-8264-0476-6(Third Revised Edition)
- Lover's Credo: Poems of Love (1972), 1983 edition: format
- Remembering John Masefield Revised Edition 1991 (Previous edition: 1971) Introduction by Judith Masefield, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 91-4429 ISBN 0-8264-0478-2
- Russia Day by Day: A Travel Diary (Co-authored with Margaret Lamont) (New York, Covici Friede, 1933)
- Soviet Civilization (New York, Philosophical Library, 1952; second edition 1955), Dedicated to Albert Rhys Williams
- Illusion of Immortality, introduction by John Dewey, (1935), 5th edition 1990, ISBN 0-8044-6377-8(originally published in 1932 as Issues of Immortality: A Study in Implications)
- The Independent Mind: Essays of a Humanist Philosopher (New York, Horizon Press, 1951, 187 pages)
- The Peoples of the Soviet Union (New York, Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1946)
- The Philosophy of Humanism, (1949), 1965 edition: Ungar Pub Co format (originally published in 1949 as Humanism as a Philosophy)
- Voice in the Wilderness: Collected Essays of Fifty Years (Buffalo, Prometheus Books, 1974, 327 pages) Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 74-75351 ISBN 0-87975-060-X
- Yes to Life: Memoirs of Corliss Lamont (1981), Horizon Press: ISBN 0-8264-0477-4Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 91-4430
- You Might Like Socialism: A Way of Life for Modern Man, (1939), (published with a re-introduction by Beth K. Lamont as Lefties Are In Their Right Minds on May 18, 2009 by Half-Moon Foundation, Inc.
Books edited or co-edited by Corliss Lamont
- Albert Rhys Williams, September 28, 1883 - February 27, 1962: In Memoriam (1962, New York, Horizon Press)
- Collected Poems of John Reed (Edited and with a Foreword by Corliss Lamont) (Westport, Conn., Lawrence Hill & Company, 1985)
- "Dear Corliss": Letters from Eminent Persons (Buffalo, Prometheus Books, 1990, 202 pages)
- Dialogue on George Santayana (Edited by Corliss Lamont with the assistance of Mary Redmer) (New York, Horizon Press, 1959)
- Dialogue on John Dewey (Edited by Corliss Lamont with the assistance of Mary Redmer) (New York, Horizon Press, 1959)
- Helen Lamb Lamont: A Memorial Tribute (New York, Horizon Press, 1976)
- Letters of John Masefield to Florence Lamont (Edited by Corliss Lamont and ISBN 978-0333257555)
- Man Answers Death: An Anthology of Poetry With an Introduction by Louis Untermeyer (New York, Philosophical Library, 1952)
- Studies on India and Vietnam (Written by Helen B. Lamb and Edited by Corliss Lamont) (New York, ISBN 978-0853453840)
- The Thomas Lamonts in America with Recollections and Poems by John Masefield (originally published in 1962 as The Thomas Lamont Family) (Cranbury, New Jersey, A. S. Barns and Co., Inc. and London, England, Thomas Yoseloff Ltd, 1971, ISBN 0-498-07882-5)
- The Trial of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn by the American Civil Liberties Union (Edited and with an Introduction by Corliss Lamont) (New York, Horizon Press, 1968) (Modern Reader/Monthly Review Press, 1969)
Basic Pamphlets series
Aside from books, over the course of more than a half-century, Corliss Lamont authored, co-authored, or edited approximately three dozen pamphlets on a variety of subjects. Prominent among these was the Basic Pamphlets series, privately published by Dr. Lamont and sold directly by him through mail order via a local post office box in New York. There were 29 numbered titles in the Basic Pamphlets series, listed below by pamphlet number.
- Are We Being Talked Into War? (1952)
- The Civil Liberties Crisis (1952)
- The Humanist Tradition (1952, 16 pages - Second Printing, 1955)
- Effects of American Foreign Policy (1952, 40 pages)
- Back to the Bill of Rights
- The Myth of Soviet Aggression (Second, revised edition, December 1953, 16 pages)
- Challenge to McCarthy (February 1954, 32 pages)
- The Congressional Inquisition (May 1954, 36 pages)
- The Assault on Academic Freedom (1955)
- The Right to Travel (December 1957, 44 pages)
- To End Nuclear Bomb Tests [Co-authored by Margaret I. Lamont] (1958, 44 pages)
- A Peace Program for the U.S.A. (1959, 24 pages - Second printing, March 1959)
- My Trip Around The World (1960, 48 pages)
- The Crime Against Cuba [Mary Redmer, Editor] (June 1961, 40 pages)
- My First Sixty Years (1962, 52 pages - Second printing, February 1963)
- The Enduring Impact of George Santayana (1964)
- The Tragedy of Vietnam: Where Do We Go from Here? [Authored by Helen Boyden Lamont née Helen B. Lamb] (1964, 50 pages)
- Vietnam: Corliss Lamont vs. Ambassador Lodge (1967, 32 pages)
- How To Be Happy — Though Married (1973, 24 pages)
- The Meaning of Vietnam and Cambodia [Co-authored by Helen Lamb Lamont] (1975)
- Trip to Communist China — An Informal Report (1976, 28 pages)
- Adventures In Civil Liberties (1977, 28 pages)
- Immortality: Myth Or Reality? (1978, 36 pages)
- Resolute Radical At 83 - later published as Steadfast Activist at 84 (1985, 40 pages)
- The Right to Know: The Civil Liberties Campaign Against Secrecy in Government [Corliss Lamont, Editor] (December 1986, 40 pages)
- Jesus As A Free Speech Victim: Trial by Terror 2000 Years Ago [Authored by Clifford J. Durr, Introduction by Corliss Lamont, published on behalf of the National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee (NECLC)] (Fourth Edition, 1987, 24 pages)
- The Assurance Of Free Choice (September 1987, 40 pages)
- Panama—Operation Injustice [Compiled and Written by Corliss Lamont and Beth Lamont] (1990, 16 pages)
- Persian Gulf Crisis—UN Peace Negotiations; No To War! [Written and Edited by Corliss Lamont and Beth Lamont] (1990, 24 pages)
Other pamphlets
In addition to the Basic Pamphlets series, Corliss Lamont also wrote a number of other pamphlets, a partial list of which appears below.
- On Understanding Soviet Russia (New York, Friends of the Soviet Union, 1934, 32 pages) Online PDF version
- Socialist Planning in Soviet Russia (New York, Friends of the Soviet Union, 1935, 40 pages)
- Soviet Russia and Religion (New York, International Pamphlets, 1936, 24 pages)
- Soviet Russia versus Nazi Germany: A study in contrasts (New York, The American Council on Soviet Relations, First Edition August 1941 - Second Edition March 1942, 52 pages)
- Soviet Russia and the Post-War World (New York, National Council of American-Soviet Friendship, First Edition May 1943 - Second Edition May 1944, 36 pages)
- Soviet Aggression: Myth or Reality? (New York, self-published, June 1951, 16 pages)
- Why I am not a Communist (New York, self-published, January 1952, 20 pages)
Sound recordings
- Author Corliss Lamont Sings For His Family & Friends, a Medley of Favorite Hit Songs from American Musicals includes 36 musical selections (Smithsonian Folkways, 1977, Stock Number FW03567)
Video
- "Corliss Lamont and Pete Seeger" (1992, run time 00:10:05) by Jonathan Heap (a grandchild of Lamont) (MP4)
See also
- American philosophy
- Humanist Manifesto
- Religious humanism
- Frederick Vanderbilt Field
- List of American philosophers
- National Council of American-Soviet Friendship
- American Civil Liberties Union
- National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j McFadden, Robert D. (April 28, 1995). "Corliss Lamont Dies at 93; Socialist Battled McCarthy". New York Times. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ^ Corliss Lamont, Steadfast Activist at 84. New York: Basic Pamphlets, 1984; p. 4
- ^
Hook, Sidney (2015). Letters of Sidney Hook: Democracy, Communism and the Cold War. Routledge. ISBN 9781317466185. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ISBN 9780809322701.
- ISBN 9780231084444.
- ^ Introduction by Corliss Lamont
- ^ "Behind the Polish-Soviet Break". www.latvians.com. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "Final State Count Gives Record Vote" (PDF). New York Times. December 9, 1952. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ^ Lawrence, W.H. (August 17, 1954). "Senate for Citing 3 M'Carthy [sic] Foes" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "Corliss Lamont Establishes Fund" (PDF). New York Times. November 5, 1954. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "Lamont Files Motion" (PDF). New York Times. November 24, 1954. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- Ludwig von Mises Institute
- ^ "Lamont Steps Out of Columbia Job" (PDF). New York Times. April 29, 1955. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Files Appeal in Lamont Case" (PDF). New York Times. September 8, 1955. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "Lamont is Upheld in Appeals Court" (PDF). New York Times. August 15, 1956. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "Lamont Case Dropped" (PDF). New York Times. October 16, 1956. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ Cahn, Edmond (October 13, 1957). "Legislators and Liberty" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "Lamont Loses Suit to Get a Passport" (PDF). New York Times. January 14, 1958. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "Corliss Lamont Sues to Obtain Passport" (PDF). New York Times. June 19, 1957. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "Lamont on World Tour" (PDF). New York Times. April 3, 1959. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
- ^ Dales, Douglas (November 5, 1958). "Keating Wins Senate Post" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
- ^ Lamont, Corliss, A Lifetime of Dissent, New York: Prometheus Books (1988)
- ^ ISBN 9780307888846. Day described Lamont in her diary as a "'pinko' millionaire who lived modestly".
- ^ "Lamont Suit Will Test Law Permitting Red Mail Ban" (PDF). New York Times. September 15, 1964. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ^ Pomfret, John D. (May 25, 1965). "High Court Voids Law Curbing Red Propaganda" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ^ "Lamont Denies Joining the Communist Party" (PDF). New York Times. May 14, 1971. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
- ^ Day, Dorothy (September 1971). "On Pilgrimage: First Visit to Soviet Russia". Dorothy Day Collection. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ^ "Humanist Manifesto II". American Humanist Association. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
- ^ "Mrs. Corliss Lamont, Author, Economist and Educator, Dead" (PDF). New York Times. July 22, 1975. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ^ Patrick Healy (July 19, 2006). "Lieberman Rival Seeks Support Beyond Iraq Issue". The New York Times. Retrieved August 10, 2006.
- ^ Sellars, Roy. (1951). The Illusion of Immortality by Corliss Lamont. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research. Vol. 11, No. 3. pp. 444-445.
External links
- Corliss Lamont Website sponsored by Half-Moon Foundation, Inc., an organization created to promote educational and informational activities consistent with the vision of founder Corliss Lamont, now run by his widow, Beth Keehner Lamont
- Humanist Society of Metropolitan New York (HSMNY), the Corliss Lamont Chapter of the American Humanist Association (AHA)
- photo collection
- A film clip "Longines Chronoscope with Dr. Corliss Lamont (October 1, 1952)" is available for viewing at the Internet Archive
- Papers, 1929-1932. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University
- Lamont-Corliss Family Papers, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College.