American Public Relations Forum
Encyclopedia
The American Public Relations Forum (APRF) was a conservative anti-communist organization for Catholic
women, established in southern California
in 1952 with its headquarters in Burbank
. It was founded by Stephanie Williams, a San Fernando Valley
housewife, who told the opening meeting of the group that "we are wives and mothers who are vitally interested in what is happening in our country." It campaigned against anything it saw as socialist or anti-nationalist, organizing meetings and letter-writing campaigns to apply political pressure as well as issuing monthly newsletters and "emergency bulletins" on issues of urgent concern.
The APRF was not large, numbering only about a hundred people by 1955. However, its influence was magnified by its connections with other conservative women's activist groups that had been established across the United States
in the early 1950s to research and report on what they saw as communist activities in the community. It was particularly closely linked with the Minute Women of the U.S.A.
, which claimed 50,000 members nationwide and overlapped with the APRF's membership. Indeed, the Minute Women considered their southern California chapter to be among their strongest. Such groups were strong supporters of the anti-communist drive spearheaded by FBI head J. Edgar Hoover
, Senator Joseph McCarthy
, and the House Un-American Activities Committee
.
One of its earliest campaigns was mounted in 1952 against the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which the APRF regarded as a foreign promoter of internationalist ideas and principles of one-worldism goals that were in line with communist ideology. Joining with other groups of housewife activists such as the Los Angeles Women's Breakfast Club, the Keep America Committee, the Women's Republican Study Club and others, it applied intense pressure to the Los Angeles Unified School District
to force the school board to ban a UNESCO-sponsored essay-writing competition from area schools. In early 1953, the school board capitulated and withdrew UNESCO materials from all of the city's classrooms.
During 1955 and 1956 the APRF played a significant role in a concerted campaign mounted by the far right against mental health legislation in California and at the federal level. Three mental health laws proposed in the California Assembly in 1955 (Assembly Bills 1158, 1159 and 3300) attracted the attention of the APRF, which regarded them as an attack on fundamental civil liberties. It issued a bulletin in May 1955 claiming that
The APRF's head Stephanie Williams testified against the bills before an Assembly committee and, in conjunction with other far-right groups, convinced the committee to pass Bill 3300 back to the Rules Committee, where it languished for another two years. The American Journal of Psychiatry later acknowledged that the APRF had played a lead role in defeating the bill.
At the end of 1955 the APRF launched a campaign against the Alaska Mental Health Bill
(HR 6376), a proposed Act of Congress
put forward to remedy the long-standing deficiencies in mental health
care in the then Alaska Territory
. The legislation provided for the transfer of a million acres (4,000 km²) of Federal land in Alaska to the local authorities to fund the cost of providing a modern mental health service in the territory. The APRF claimed that the law was intended to give the government authority to abduct citizens at will and imprison them in concentration camps in Alaska. It published a bulletin setting out its concerns:
The APRF's campaign rapidly gathered a wide and unlikely selection of allies nationwide, including anti-communist groups, anti-socialized medicine
groups, religious conservatives and even the recently-established Church of Scientology
. In support of its claims, the APRF republished Brain-Washing: A Synthesis of the Russian Textbook on Psychopolitics
, a pamphlet claimed to have been originated by Stalin's secret police chief Lavrenty Beria but now widely regarded as a forgery written by L. Ron Hubbard
. The campaign resulted in a major public controversy but attracted relatively little support in Congress, which passed the bill after only two hours of debate.
The fall of Joseph McCarthy and the gradual abatement of anti-communist hysteria caused the APRF's influence to diminish along with that of other far-right groups, although it remained active into the 1960s.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
women, established in southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1952 with its headquarters in Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. It was founded by Stephanie Williams, a San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
housewife, who told the opening meeting of the group that "we are wives and mothers who are vitally interested in what is happening in our country." It campaigned against anything it saw as socialist or anti-nationalist, organizing meetings and letter-writing campaigns to apply political pressure as well as issuing monthly newsletters and "emergency bulletins" on issues of urgent concern.
The APRF was not large, numbering only about a hundred people by 1955. However, its influence was magnified by its connections with other conservative women's activist groups that had been established across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the early 1950s to research and report on what they saw as communist activities in the community. It was particularly closely linked with the Minute Women of the U.S.A.
Minute Women of the U.S.A.
The Minute Women of the U.S.A. was one of the largest of a number of anti-communist women's groups that were active during the 1950s and early 1960s...
, which claimed 50,000 members nationwide and overlapped with the APRF's membership. Indeed, the Minute Women considered their southern California chapter to be among their strongest. Such groups were strong supporters of the anti-communist drive spearheaded by FBI head J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
, Senator Joseph McCarthy
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
, and the House Un-American Activities Committee
House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Committee on Un-American Activities or House Un-American Activities Committee was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. In 1969, the House changed the committee's name to "House Committee on Internal Security"...
.
One of its earliest campaigns was mounted in 1952 against the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which the APRF regarded as a foreign promoter of internationalist ideas and principles of one-worldism goals that were in line with communist ideology. Joining with other groups of housewife activists such as the Los Angeles Women's Breakfast Club, the Keep America Committee, the Women's Republican Study Club and others, it applied intense pressure to the Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
to force the school board to ban a UNESCO-sponsored essay-writing competition from area schools. In early 1953, the school board capitulated and withdrew UNESCO materials from all of the city's classrooms.
During 1955 and 1956 the APRF played a significant role in a concerted campaign mounted by the far right against mental health legislation in California and at the federal level. Three mental health laws proposed in the California Assembly in 1955 (Assembly Bills 1158, 1159 and 3300) attracted the attention of the APRF, which regarded them as an attack on fundamental civil liberties. It issued a bulletin in May 1955 claiming that
- "This [bulletin] could very well be our last . . . Before another one is due freedom of speech may be a thing of the past. Whether it is the last one or not, it will certainly be the most important. See that you read every word of it and do not let the sun go down without taking action on the information."
The APRF's head Stephanie Williams testified against the bills before an Assembly committee and, in conjunction with other far-right groups, convinced the committee to pass Bill 3300 back to the Rules Committee, where it languished for another two years. The American Journal of Psychiatry later acknowledged that the APRF had played a lead role in defeating the bill.
At the end of 1955 the APRF launched a campaign against the Alaska Mental Health Bill
Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act
The Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act of 1956 was an Act of Congress passed to improve mental health care in the United States territory of Alaska. It became the focus of a major political controversy after opponents nicknamed it the "Siberia Bill" and denounced it as being part of a communist...
(HR 6376), a proposed Act of Congress
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
put forward to remedy the long-standing deficiencies in mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
care in the then Alaska Territory
Alaska Territory
The Territory of Alaska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 24, 1912, until January 3, 1959, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alaska...
. The legislation provided for the transfer of a million acres (4,000 km²) of Federal land in Alaska to the local authorities to fund the cost of providing a modern mental health service in the territory. The APRF claimed that the law was intended to give the government authority to abduct citizens at will and imprison them in concentration camps in Alaska. It published a bulletin setting out its concerns:
- "We could not help remembering that SiberiaSiberiaSiberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
is very near Alaska and since it is obvious no one needs such a large land grant, we were wondering if it could be an American Siberia."
The APRF's campaign rapidly gathered a wide and unlikely selection of allies nationwide, including anti-communist groups, anti-socialized medicine
Socialized medicine
Socialized medicine is a term used to describe a system for providing medical and hospital care for all at a nominal cost by means of government regulation of health services and subsidies derived from taxation. It is used primarily and usually pejoratively in United States political debates...
groups, religious conservatives and even the recently-established Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
. In support of its claims, the APRF republished Brain-Washing: A Synthesis of the Russian Textbook on Psychopolitics
Brain-Washing (book)
Brain-Washing , sometimes referred to as "The Brainwashing Manual", is a book published by the Church of Scientology in 1955. It purports to be a condensation of the work of Lavrentiy Beria, the Soviet secret police chief. Its true authorship remains unclear, the three common hypotheses being:...
, a pamphlet claimed to have been originated by Stalin's secret police chief Lavrenty Beria but now widely regarded as a forgery written by L. Ron Hubbard
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
. The campaign resulted in a major public controversy but attracted relatively little support in Congress, which passed the bill after only two hours of debate.
The fall of Joseph McCarthy and the gradual abatement of anti-communist hysteria caused the APRF's influence to diminish along with that of other far-right groups, although it remained active into the 1960s.