J. Parnell Thomas
Encyclopedia
John Parnell Thomas was a stockbroker and politician
. He was elected to seven terms as a U.S. Representative
from New Jersey
. He was later a convicted criminal who served nine months in federal prison for corruption.
, he changed his name in 1919 to
John Parnell Thomas. Raised Catholic, he later became an Episcopalian
.
After graduating from high school, he went on to study at the University of Pennsylvania
. When the United States joined World War I
in 1917, he served overseas with the United States Army
. Following his discharge from the military in 1919, Thomas worked in the investment securities and insurance business in New York City for the next eighteen years.
He entered Allendale, New Jersey
, municipal politics in 1925 and was elected to council, then, Mayor of Allendale, New Jersey between from 1926 to 1930. He was elected to a two-year term to the New Jersey General Assembly
in 1935. In 1936 was elected to the United States House of Representatives
as a Republican Party
Representative from New Jersey's 7th congressional district
, filling the vacancy left by the death of Randolph Perkins
. He would be re-elected six times.
and his New Deal
, claiming the President's legislative agenda had "sabotaged the capitalist system
." Thomas opposed government support for the Federal Theatre Project
declaring that "practically every play presented under the auspices of the Project is sheer propaganda
for Communism
or the New Deal."
In 1949 Thomas called the U.S. Secretary of Defense
, James Forrestal
, "the most dangerous man in America" and claimed that if Forrestal were not removed from office he would "cause another world war."
executives with a view to exposing what he believed was Communist infiltration of motion pictures content by members of the Screen Writers Guild. Returning to Washington, D.C.
, he shifted the focus of the committee to what he called the "subversives" working in the film business.
Under Thomas, in October 1947, HUAC summoned suspected Communists to appear for questioning. These summonses led to the conviction and imprisonment for contempt of Congress
of the "Hollywood Ten
" who had refused to answer the Committee's questions, citing the First Amendment
.
were critical of Thomas and his committee's methods.
Rumors about corrupt practices on the part of Thomas were confirmed when his secretary, Helen Campbell, sent documents to Pearson which he used to expose Thomas' corruption in an August 4, 1948, newspaper article. The fraud had begun on New Years Day of 1940, when Thomas placed Myra Midkiff on his payroll as a clerk earning roughly $1,200 a year with the arrangement that she would then kick back all her salary to the Congressman, thus supplementing his income and avoiding taxes. The arrangement lasted for four years. As a result, Thomas was summoned to answer to charges of salary fraud before a grand jury
.
Thomas refused to answer questions, citing his Fifth Amendment
rights, the same stance for which he had criticised accused Communists. Indicted, Thomas was tried and convicted of fraud
, fined and given an 18-month prison sentence. He resigned from Congress on January 2, 1950.
In another twist, he was imprisoned in Danbury Prison
with Lester Cole
and Ring Lardner, Jr., both members of the "Hollywood Ten" serving time because of Thomas' inquiries into the film industry.
. President
Harry S. Truman
pardoned Thomas on Christmas Eve
of 1952. In 1954, Thomas tried to re-enter politics, but was defeated for the Republican Party nomination for Congress.
, aged 75, of undisclosed causes. He was cremated
, and his ashes were interred in the Elmgrove Cemetery in Mystic, Connecticut
.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was elected to seven terms as a U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 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...
. He was later a convicted criminal who served nine months in federal prison for corruption.
Early life and career
Born as John Parnell Feeney, Jr. in Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, he changed his name in 1919 to
John Parnell Thomas. Raised Catholic, he later became an Episcopalian
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
.
After graduating from high school, he went on to study at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. When the United States joined World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1917, he served overseas with the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Following his discharge from the military in 1919, Thomas worked in the investment securities and insurance business in New York City for the next eighteen years.
He entered Allendale, New Jersey
Allendale, New Jersey
Allendale is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 6,505.Allendale was formed on November 8, 1894 from portions of Franklin Township, Hohokus Township and Orvil Township at the height of the Boroughitis phenomenon then...
, municipal politics in 1925 and was elected to council, then, Mayor of Allendale, New Jersey between from 1926 to 1930. He was elected to a two-year term to the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
in 1935. In 1936 was elected to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
as a Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Representative from New Jersey's 7th congressional district
New Jersey's 7th congressional district
New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Leonard Lance.In the 2008 election, Mike Ferguson did not seek another term. Linda Stender won the Democratic nomination unopposed, while Republican primary voters chose State Senator Leonard Lance in a field of...
, filling the vacancy left by the death of Randolph Perkins
Randolph Perkins
Randolph Perkins was an American Republican Party politician who represented New Jersey's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1921 to 1936....
. He would be re-elected six times.
Anti-communism
As a U.S. Congressman, Thomas was a staunch conservative opponent of President Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
and his New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
, claiming the President's legislative agenda had "sabotaged the capitalist system
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
." Thomas opposed government support for the Federal Theatre Project
Federal Theatre Project
The Federal Theatre Project was a New Deal project to fund theatre and other live artistic performances in the United States during the Great Depression. It was one of five Federal One projects sponsored by the Works Progress Administration...
declaring that "practically every play presented under the auspices of the Project is sheer propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
for Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
or the New Deal."
In 1949 Thomas called the U.S. Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
, James Forrestal
James Forrestal
James Vincent Forrestal was the last Cabinet-level United States Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense....
, "the most dangerous man in America" and claimed that if Forrestal were not removed from office he would "cause another world war."
HUAC
Following the Republican Party gaining control of the 80th Congress, Thomas was appointed chairman of the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC). In May 1947, Thomas traveled to Hollywood to meet with film industryFilm industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
executives with a view to exposing what he believed was Communist infiltration of motion pictures content by members of the Screen Writers Guild. Returning to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, he shifted the focus of the committee to what he called the "subversives" working in the film business.
Under Thomas, in October 1947, HUAC summoned suspected Communists to appear for questioning. These summonses led to the conviction and imprisonment for contempt of Congress
Contempt of Congress
Contempt of Congress is the act of obstructing the work of the United States Congress or one of its committees. Historically the bribery of a senator or representative was considered contempt of Congress...
of the "Hollywood Ten
Hollywood blacklist
The Hollywood blacklist—as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known—was the mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field because of their political beliefs or...
" who had refused to answer the Committee's questions, citing the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
.
Corruption charges and imprisonment
Prominent American columnists Jack Anderson and Drew PearsonDrew Pearson (journalist)
Andrew Russell Pearson , known professionally as Drew Pearson, was one of the best-known American columnists of his day, noted for his muckraking syndicated newspaper column "Washington Merry-Go-Round," in which he attacked various public persons, sometimes with little or no objective proof for his...
were critical of Thomas and his committee's methods.
Rumors about corrupt practices on the part of Thomas were confirmed when his secretary, Helen Campbell, sent documents to Pearson which he used to expose Thomas' corruption in an August 4, 1948, newspaper article. The fraud had begun on New Years Day of 1940, when Thomas placed Myra Midkiff on his payroll as a clerk earning roughly $1,200 a year with the arrangement that she would then kick back all her salary to the Congressman, thus supplementing his income and avoiding taxes. The arrangement lasted for four years. As a result, Thomas was summoned to answer to charges of salary fraud before a grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
.
Thomas refused to answer questions, citing his Fifth Amendment
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
rights, the same stance for which he had criticised accused Communists. Indicted, Thomas was tried and convicted of fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, fined and given an 18-month prison sentence. He resigned from Congress on January 2, 1950.
In another twist, he was imprisoned in Danbury Prison
Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury
The Federal Correctional Institution Danbury is a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, north of downtown Danbury and from New York City...
with Lester Cole
Lester Cole
Lester Cole was an American screenwriter.Born in New York City, Lester Cole began his career as an actor but soon turned to screenwriting. His first work was "If I had a Million." In 1933, he joined with John Howard Lawson and Samuel Ornitz to establish the Writers Guild of America.In 1934, Cole...
and Ring Lardner, Jr., both members of the "Hollywood Ten" serving time because of Thomas' inquiries into the film industry.
Post-prison
After his release from prison, Thomas was an editor and publisher of three weekly newspapers in Bergen County, New JerseyBergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
pardoned Thomas on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
of 1952. In 1954, Thomas tried to re-enter politics, but was defeated for the Republican Party nomination for Congress.
Death
Thomas died in 1970 in St. Petersburg, FloridaSt. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, aged 75, of undisclosed causes. He was cremated
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
, and his ashes were interred in the Elmgrove Cemetery in Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic is a village and census-designated place in New London County, Connecticut, in the United States. The population was 4,001 at the 2000 census. A historic locality, Mystic has no independent government because it is not a legally recognized municipality in the state of Connecticut...
.
External links
- http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/thomas5.html#R9M0JF3N4J. Parnell Thomas' truncated bio at The Political GraveyardThe Political GraveyardThe Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 224,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information.-History:...
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