American Veterans Committee
Encyclopedia
The American Veterans Committee was founded in 1943 as a liberal
veterans organization and an alternative to groups such as the American Legion
and the Veterans of Foreign Wars
, which supported a conservative
political and social agenda. The organization's roots were planted in 1942 when Sgt. Gilbert Harrison began to correspond with fellow servicemen concerning an organization that expanded beyond the needs of military men. In 1943, the University Religious Conference at UCLA became a meeting place for the military men who shared this desire for an veterans organization that also advocated peace and justice. One year later in 1944, Charles Bolte joined the UCLA group and the American Veterans Committee was born. The new organization immediately began to publish the AVC Bulletin to document the organization's advocacy issues.
With a motto of "Citizens First, Veterans Second," the AVC supported a range of liberal causes. Most notably, the organization challenged segregationist policy and maintained racially integrated chapters in Southern states before the era of civil rights. It also played an integral role in establishing the World Veterans Federation in 1950, which still advocates the building of peace among former adversaries. While other veterans' organizations lobbied for financial "bonuses" for returning veterans, the AVC opposed such bonuses, supporting instead housing and education programs for veterans.
During its early years, AVC grew at exponential rates: 5,500 members in 1945, 18,000 members in 1946, and 100,000 members in 1947. However, there was a drastic drop in membership after the organization was embroiled in a Second Red Scare anti-communist campaign. American Communists
had initially disdained the AVC as "Ivy Leaguers" but reversed their mentality when their members were rejected from the American Legion. After the Legion rejection, there was encouragement for Communists to join the AVC. In response to the Second Red Scare campaign, AVC eradicated its Communist members and closed future membership to supporters of totalitarian parties. While the organization purged itself of Communists and was still able to survive after the scandal, this survival did not come without a cost. By 1948, membership had dropped to 20,000. While still a force to be reckoned, it was nothing compared to the former 100,000 members.
In significantly smaller form, AVC continued through 2007 to promote efforts, in the words of historian John Egerton, to "right social wrongs at home" by supporting a variety of liberal causes: civil rights, civil liberties, veterans affairs, and international affairs. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AVC was able to frequently testify before Congress, file briefs in major court cases, and provide legal aid to minority veterans in the South.
In order to strengthen their force, the organization partnered with other organizations, such as the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, to advocate issues. AVC also created grass-roots efforts on numerous campuses in its early years. After the War, thousands of veterans flocked to universities to take advantage of their GI Bill education benefits, which laid a foundation for the AVC to create a strong on-campus presence.
Throughout its existence, the organization advocated various aspects of its core mission of civil rights and liberties. In 1960s, AVC took on the role a watchdog in military and veterans affairs that continued throughout its existence. The organization drew attention to the Draft (1966), Human Rights of the Man in Uniform (1968 and 1970), Education Problems of Returning Vietnam Veterans (1972), and National Service (1989). During the 1970s, AVC created programs to assist Vietnam veterans with less-than-honorable discharges by providing legal advice and worked with the government to create programs for minority and female veterans, to expand representation available to veterans, and to establish a Court of Veterans Appeals.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, AVC also focused their attention on the underserved women veterans. Their efforts resulted in the creation of a Women Veterans Advisory Committee at the Veterans Administration and a new department focused on the needs of women veterans.
In the 1980s there was a shift in focus to the veterans returning from the Gulf War, national service, and equality for gays in the military.
The last two chapters closed in 2007 and 2008. These were the Washington D.C. chapter, and the Chicago area chapter led by Jerry Knight of Park Forest, IL.
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
veterans organization and an alternative to groups such as the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
and the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
, which supported a conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
political and social agenda. The organization's roots were planted in 1942 when Sgt. Gilbert Harrison began to correspond with fellow servicemen concerning an organization that expanded beyond the needs of military men. In 1943, the University Religious Conference at UCLA became a meeting place for the military men who shared this desire for an veterans organization that also advocated peace and justice. One year later in 1944, Charles Bolte joined the UCLA group and the American Veterans Committee was born. The new organization immediately began to publish the AVC Bulletin to document the organization's advocacy issues.
With a motto of "Citizens First, Veterans Second," the AVC supported a range of liberal causes. Most notably, the organization challenged segregationist policy and maintained racially integrated chapters in Southern states before the era of civil rights. It also played an integral role in establishing the World Veterans Federation in 1950, which still advocates the building of peace among former adversaries. While other veterans' organizations lobbied for financial "bonuses" for returning veterans, the AVC opposed such bonuses, supporting instead housing and education programs for veterans.
During its early years, AVC grew at exponential rates: 5,500 members in 1945, 18,000 members in 1946, and 100,000 members in 1947. However, there was a drastic drop in membership after the organization was embroiled in a Second Red Scare anti-communist campaign. American Communists
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
had initially disdained the AVC as "Ivy Leaguers" but reversed their mentality when their members were rejected from the American Legion. After the Legion rejection, there was encouragement for Communists to join the AVC. In response to the Second Red Scare campaign, AVC eradicated its Communist members and closed future membership to supporters of totalitarian parties. While the organization purged itself of Communists and was still able to survive after the scandal, this survival did not come without a cost. By 1948, membership had dropped to 20,000. While still a force to be reckoned, it was nothing compared to the former 100,000 members.
In significantly smaller form, AVC continued through 2007 to promote efforts, in the words of historian John Egerton, to "right social wrongs at home" by supporting a variety of liberal causes: civil rights, civil liberties, veterans affairs, and international affairs. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AVC was able to frequently testify before Congress, file briefs in major court cases, and provide legal aid to minority veterans in the South.
In order to strengthen their force, the organization partnered with other organizations, such as the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, to advocate issues. AVC also created grass-roots efforts on numerous campuses in its early years. After the War, thousands of veterans flocked to universities to take advantage of their GI Bill education benefits, which laid a foundation for the AVC to create a strong on-campus presence.
Throughout its existence, the organization advocated various aspects of its core mission of civil rights and liberties. In 1960s, AVC took on the role a watchdog in military and veterans affairs that continued throughout its existence. The organization drew attention to the Draft (1966), Human Rights of the Man in Uniform (1968 and 1970), Education Problems of Returning Vietnam Veterans (1972), and National Service (1989). During the 1970s, AVC created programs to assist Vietnam veterans with less-than-honorable discharges by providing legal advice and worked with the government to create programs for minority and female veterans, to expand representation available to veterans, and to establish a Court of Veterans Appeals.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, AVC also focused their attention on the underserved women veterans. Their efforts resulted in the creation of a Women Veterans Advisory Committee at the Veterans Administration and a new department focused on the needs of women veterans.
In the 1980s there was a shift in focus to the veterans returning from the Gulf War, national service, and equality for gays in the military.
The last two chapters closed in 2007 and 2008. These were the Washington D.C. chapter, and the Chicago area chapter led by Jerry Knight of Park Forest, IL.
Notable members
- Evans CarlsonEvans CarlsonBrigadier General Evans Fordyce Carlson was the famed U.S. Marine Corps leader of the World War II "Carlson's Raiders"...
(1896-1947), brigadier general, USMC - Merle HansenMerle HansenMerle Hansen was the founding president of the North American Farm Alliance and a spokesman for the plight of family farmers.-Background:...
(1919-2009), activist - Gilbert A. HarrisonGilbert A. HarrisonGilbert Avery Harrison was the owner and editor of the influential American magazine The New Republic between 1953 and 1974.He was born in Detroit on May 18, 1915, one of three children of Samuel and Mabel Wolfe Harrison. In 1937 he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of...
(1915-2008), editor and owner of The New Republic - Phineas IndritzPhineas IndritzPhineas Indritz, was an American constitutional lawyer active in the civil rights movement.-Personal:Indritz was born in Moline, IL on August 3, 1916 and graduated from the University of Chicago with an AB in 1936 and a JD in 1938...
(1916-1997), constitutional lawyer - Bentley KassalBentley KassalBentley Kassal an attorney, is a litigation counsel with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York City. He is a retired New York State Assemblyman, a retired judge of the New York State Courts, at every level, and a World War II veteran...
(born 1917), attorney, jurist, state legislator - Timothy LearyTimothy LearyTimothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
(1920-1996), psychologist, activist - Bill MauldinBill MauldinWilliam Henry "Bill" Mauldin was a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist from the United States...
(1921-2003), editorial cartoonist - Luther MetkeLuther MetkeLuther Metke was an American folk poet. He served in the Spanish American War and was a representative of the American Veterans Committee. He was the subject of Jorge Preloran's Academy Award nominated documentary Luther Metke at 94.- Early life :Metke was brought up on a homestead in Minnesota...
(1883-1983), poet - Cord Meyer, Jr. (1920-2001), CIA officialhttp://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/16/national/16MEYE.html?ex=1205380800&en=0f2e749159999cab&ei=5070
- William R. Ming, Jr. (1911-1973), civil rights lawyer
- Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
(1911-2004), actor, U.S. president - Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr. (1914-1988), U.S. representativehttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,852459,00.html
- Shelby StorckShelby StorckShelby William Storck was an American newscaster, actor, writer, journalist, public relations specialist, and motion picture and television producer-director. He was a radio actor on The Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen and other programs, and appeared in the feature films The Delinquents and The...
(1916-1969), documentary filmmaker - Michael StraightMichael Whitney StraightMichael Whitney Straight, was an American magazine publisher, novelist, patron of the arts, a member of the prominent Whitney family, and a confessed spy for the KGB.-Biography:...
(1916-2004), magazine publisher, novelist - Studs TerkelStuds TerkelLouis "Studs" Terkel was an American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for The Good War, and is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans, and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.-Early...
(1912-2008), author, oral historian