Alexander Barkan
Encyclopedia
Alexander E. Barkan was head of the AFL-CIO
's Committee on Political Education from 1963 until 1982. During the Watergate hearings, it became known that Barkan was one of the original members of Nixon's Enemies List
.
Born in Bayonne
, New Jersey
, Barkan attained degrees in political science and economics from the University of Chicago
in 1933. He became actively involved in labor unions right after college. During World War II
he served on the USS Alabama
.
In 1955 Barkan became assistant director of the AFL-CIO's political arm, COPE. Later on he was appointed director in 1963.
A lifelong supporter of the Democratic Party, in 1972 he denounced George McGovern
and his followers for turning the party into the "party of acid, amnesty, and abortion."
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
's Committee on Political Education from 1963 until 1982. During the Watergate hearings, it became known that Barkan was one of the original members of Nixon's Enemies List
Nixon's Enemies List
Nixon’s Enemies List is the informal name of what started as a list of President of the United States Richard Nixon’s major political opponents compiled by Charles Colson, written by George T. Bell , and sent in memorandum form to John Dean on September 9, 1971...
.
Born in Bayonne
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Barkan attained degrees in political science and economics from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1933. He became actively involved in labor unions right after college. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served on the USS Alabama
USS Alabama (BB-60)
USS Alabama , a South Dakota-class battleship, was the sixth completed ship of the United States Navy named for the U.S. state of Alabama, however she was only the third commissioned ship with that name. Alabama was commissioned in 1942 and served in World War II in the Atlantic and Pacific...
.
In 1955 Barkan became assistant director of the AFL-CIO's political arm, COPE. Later on he was appointed director in 1963.
A lifelong supporter of the Democratic Party, in 1972 he denounced George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
and his followers for turning the party into the "party of acid, amnesty, and abortion."