Robert W. Dunn
Encyclopedia
Robert Williams "Bob" Dunn (1895–1977) was an American
political activist and economic researcher. Dunn was an active member of the American Civil Liberties Union
from its creation, serving on that group's National Committee from 1923 and on its Board of Directors from 1933 to 1941. Dunn was the author of a number of books and pamphlets on economic themes relating to the working class
published by the Communist Party USA
.
, the son of a lawyer. Raised as a Quaker, Bob Dunn attended elementary and secondary school in his hometown of Huntingdon before leaving to attend Yale University
.
While at college, Dunn's pacifist
philosophical beliefs moved into the political realm. Dunn was elected the President of the Collegiate Anti-Militarism League in 1916, holding that post until 1918. He was also elected President of the Yale chapter of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society
in 1917.
in 1918, Dunn went to work for A.J. Muste
as the secretary of Muste's Union for Democratic Control in Boston
. He became the general organizer
for Muste's nascent Amalgamated Textile Workers Union (ATWU) the following year. After a raid on ATWU headquarters during the First Red Scare
, Dunn was briefly held on charges of conspiring to overthrow the government.
Shortly thereafter, Dunn became secretary for the New England Civil Liberties Bureau. Dunn also conducted research projects on behalf of the ATWU, served as a fellow for the New School for Social Research, and served as publicity director for the American Friends Service Committee
.
In March 1922, Dunn was dispatched to Soviet Russia
by the Quakers' social service organization, where he participated in relief efforts in the Russian famine of 1921
, also publicizing the situation through reports via the Federated Press
news service.
Dunn returned to the United States in May 1923, being closely questioned upon his arrival by an agent of the Justice Department's Bureau of Investigation, forerunner of the FBI. Although he was only found by the investigating authorities to be carrying statistical information about the Russian textile industry, Dunn returned to America a committed believer in the Soviet social and economic experiment. Dunn wrote a series of articles on the Soviet situation for such publications as the liberal
magazine, The New Republic
, the monthly journal of the Trade Union Educational League
, The Labor Herald, and the organ of the League for Industrial Democracy
, the LID Bulletin.
It is not certain in what year Dunn joined the Communist Party, although at the time of his death he was remembered in the official party newspaper as a long-term member of the organization.
Dunn became an associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union
shortly after his return from Soviet Russia, serving as acting director from May to October 1923. He was also a contributor to the periodic almanac published by the Rand School of Social Science
, the American Labor Year Book, throughout the decade of the 1920s. Dunn also
served as the publicity director of the Russian-American Industrial Corporation (RAIC), a project of the Amalgamated Textile Workers Union intended to help jump start the Soviet textile industry.
Together with Grace Hutchins and Anna Rochester, Dunn formed a radical economic research institute called the Labor Research Association in 1927. He remained Executive Secretary of this body until 1975. Dunn's Labor Research Association was best known for its biannual almanac, the Labor Fact Book, published by the Communist Party-affiliated International Publishers
from 1933.
Dunn's papers were donated to Wayne State University
in Detroit, Michigan
in May 1964 and were opened for research the following year. The Papers of the Labor Research Association are held by the Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives and Tamiment Library of New York University
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political activist and economic researcher. Dunn was an active member of the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
from its creation, serving on that group's National Committee from 1923 and on its Board of Directors from 1933 to 1941. Dunn was the author of a number of books and pamphlets on economic themes relating to the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
published by the Communist Party USA
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....
.
Early years
Robert Williams "Bob" Dunn was born June 1, 1895, in Huntingdon, PennsylvaniaHuntingdon, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Huntingdon County. It is located along the Juniata River, west of Harrisburg, about halfway between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, in an agricultural and fruit-growing region, with valuable forests and deposits of...
, the son of a lawyer. Raised as a Quaker, Bob Dunn attended elementary and secondary school in his hometown of Huntingdon before leaving to attend Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
While at college, Dunn's pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
philosophical beliefs moved into the political realm. Dunn was elected the President of the Collegiate Anti-Militarism League in 1916, holding that post until 1918. He was also elected President of the Yale chapter of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society
Intercollegiate Socialist Society
The Intercollegiate Socialist Society was the a Socialist student organization from 1905-1921. It attracted many prominent intellectuals and writers and acted as the unofficial Socialist Party of America student wing...
in 1917.
Political career
After graduation from Yale with a Bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1918, Dunn went to work for A.J. Muste
A. J. Muste
The Reverend Abraham Johannes "A.J." Muste was a Dutch-born American clergyman and political activist. Muste is best remembered for his work in the labor movement, pacifist movement, and the US civil rights movement.-Early years:...
as the secretary of Muste's Union for Democratic Control in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. He became the general organizer
Union organizer
A union organizer is a specific type of trade union member or an appointed union official. A majority of unions appoint rather than elect their organizers....
for Muste's nascent Amalgamated Textile Workers Union (ATWU) the following year. After a raid on ATWU headquarters during the First Red Scare
First Red Scare
In American history, the First Red Scare of 1919–1920 was marked by a widespread fear of Bolshevism and anarchism. Concerns over the effects of radical political agitation in American society and alleged spread in the American labor movement fueled the paranoia that defined the period.The First Red...
, Dunn was briefly held on charges of conspiring to overthrow the government.
Shortly thereafter, Dunn became secretary for the New England Civil Liberties Bureau. Dunn also conducted research projects on behalf of the ATWU, served as a fellow for the New School for Social Research, and served as publicity director for the American Friends Service Committee
American Friends Service Committee
The American Friends Service Committee is a Religious Society of Friends affiliated organization which works for peace and social justice in the United States and around the world...
.
In March 1922, Dunn was dispatched to Soviet Russia
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
by the Quakers' social service organization, where he participated in relief efforts in the Russian famine of 1921
Russian famine of 1921
The Russian famine of 1921, also known as Povolzhye famine, which began in the early spring of that year, and lasted through 1922, was a severe famine that occurred in Bolshevik Russia...
, also publicizing the situation through reports via the Federated Press
Federated Press
The Federated Press was a left wing news service established in 1920 that provided daily content to the radical and labor press in America.-History:...
news service.
Dunn returned to the United States in May 1923, being closely questioned upon his arrival by an agent of the Justice Department's Bureau of Investigation, forerunner of the FBI. Although he was only found by the investigating authorities to be carrying statistical information about the Russian textile industry, Dunn returned to America a committed believer in the Soviet social and economic experiment. Dunn wrote a series of articles on the Soviet situation for such publications as the liberal
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,...
magazine, The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
, the monthly journal of the Trade Union Educational League
Trade Union Educational League
The Trade Union Educational League was established by William Z. Foster in 1920 as a means of uniting radicals within various trade unions for a common plan of action. The group was subsidized by the Communist International via the Communist Party of America from 1922...
, The Labor Herald, and the organ of the League for Industrial Democracy
League for Industrial Democracy
The League for Industrial Democracy , from 1960-1965 known as the Students for a Democratic Society , was founded in 1905 by a group of notable socialists including Harry W. Laidler, Jack London, Norman Thomas, Upton Sinclair, and J.G. Phelps Stokes...
, the LID Bulletin.
It is not certain in what year Dunn joined the Communist Party, although at the time of his death he was remembered in the official party newspaper as a long-term member of the organization.
Dunn became an associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
shortly after his return from Soviet Russia, serving as acting director from May to October 1923. He was also a contributor to the periodic almanac published by the Rand School of Social Science
Rand School of Social Science
The Rand School of Social Science was formed in New York City by adherents of the Socialist Party of America in 1906. The school aimed to provide a broad education to workers, imparting a politicizing class-consciousness, and additionally served as a research bureau, a publisher, and the operator...
, the American Labor Year Book, throughout the decade of the 1920s. Dunn also
served as the publicity director of the Russian-American Industrial Corporation (RAIC), a project of the Amalgamated Textile Workers Union intended to help jump start the Soviet textile industry.
Together with Grace Hutchins and Anna Rochester, Dunn formed a radical economic research institute called the Labor Research Association in 1927. He remained Executive Secretary of this body until 1975. Dunn's Labor Research Association was best known for its biannual almanac, the Labor Fact Book, published by the Communist Party-affiliated International Publishers
International Publishers
International Publishers is a book publishing company based in New York City specializing in Marxist works of economics, political science, and history. The company was established in 1924 by A.A. Heller and Alexander Trachtenberg, using funds earned through a lucrative trade concession granted...
from 1933.
Death and legacy
Bob Dunn died in January 1977 at the age of 81.Dunn's papers were donated to Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
in May 1964 and were opened for research the following year. The Papers of the Labor Research Association are held by the Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives and Tamiment Library of New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
Books and Pamphlets
- Pen Pictures of Russian Village Life During the Famine. With Jessica SmithJessica Smith (editor)Jessica Smith was an American editor and activist.Daughter of the painter Walter Granville-Smith of New York, Jessica Granville-Smith, as she was known in her early life, graduated from Swarthmore College and championed women's suffrage...
. Philadelphia : American Friends Service Committee, 1923. - American Foreign Investments. New York: B.W. Huebsch and the Viking Press, 1926.
- http://digitool.fcla.edu:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?application=DIGITOOL-3&owner=resourcediscovery&custom_att_2=simple_viewer&forebear_coll=&user=GUEST&pds_handle=&pid=2795852&con_lng=ENG&search_terms=%5C%22Trade%20union%20educational%20league%5C%22&adjacency=N&rd_session=http://digitool.fcla.edu:80/R/RKX4JNBL1BRGMMER5KSUFECGX2S1A4A4JMHFCSBJQEQIYPV4J3-01061American company unions; a study of employee representation plans, "works councils" and other substitutes for labor unions,] Chicago: Trade Union Educational League, 1926 Labor herald library #15
- The Americanization of Labor: The Employers' Offensive Against the Trade Unions. Introduction by Scott NearingScott NearingScott Nearing was an American radical economist, educator, writer, political activist, and advocate of simple living.-The early years:...
. New York: International Publishers, 1927. - Company Unions: Employers' Industrial Democracy. Introduction by Louis Budenz. New York: Vanguard PressVanguard PressThe Vanguard Press was a United States publishing house established with a $100,000 grant from the left wing American Fund for Public Service, better known as the Garland Fund. Throughout the 1920s, Vanguard Press issued an array of books on radical topics, including studies of the Soviet Union,...
, 1927. - Soviet Trade Unions. New York: Vanguard Press, 1928.
- Labor and Automobiles. New York: International Publishers, 1929.
- Labor and Textiles: A Study of Cotton and Wool Manufacturing. With Jack Hardy [pseudonym for Dale Zysman]. New York: International Publishers, 1931.
- Spying on Workers. New York: International Pamphlets, 1932 International pamphlets, #17
- What War Means to the Workers: Answering the Question: Will War Bring Back Prosperity? New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1933.
- Report on Interference with Madison Square Garden Meeting against Austrian Fascism, Held in New York City on February 16, 1934: Together with the Findings of the Board of Directors and Two Minority Dissents, Submitted to the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union. With Mary Van Kleeck and Norman ThomasNorman ThomasNorman Mattoon Thomas was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America.-Early years:...
. New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1934. - Company Unions Today. New York: International Pamphlets, 1935. International pamphlets, #43
- Life and labor in the Soviet Union (with George WallaceGeorge WallaceGeorge Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
) New York: International Pamphlets, 1937. International pamphlets, #52 - Crisis in the Civil Liberties Union: A Statement, Including the Basic Documents Concerned, Giving the Minority Position in the Current Controversy in ACLU. New York: n.p., 1940.
- The Bill of Rights in Danger. New York: International Labor DefenseInternational Labor DefenseThe International Labor Defense was a legal defense organization in the United States, headed by William L. Patterson. It was a US section of International Red Aid organisation, and associated with the Communist Party USA. It defended Sacco and Vanzetti, was active in the civil rights and...
, 1940. - Herbert Hoover: Full Face. With Charles J. Coe. San Francisco: International Book Store, 1944.
- The Palmer Raids. New York: International Publishers, 1948.
Articles
- "Foreign Investments and Imperialism." The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 138 (July 1928), pp. 13–18.
- "American Imperialism Prepares for War." The Communist,vol. 12, no. 7 (July 1933), pp. 625–635.
- "How the Cards are Stacked in the New Deal." Labor Unity, vol. 8, no. 8 (August 1933), pp. 11–14.
External links
- Robert Williams Dunne papers finding aid, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. Accession No. 96. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
- http://www.bobcat.nyu.edu/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?ct=display&doc=nyu_aleph002261901&indx=32&vl(1UI0)=exact&vid=NYU&vl(212921975UI0)=creator&fromLogin=true&indx=31&dstmp=1264906777630&tab=all&ct=Next%20Page&vl(265462339UI1)=all_items&scp.scps=scope%3A(NS)%2Cscope%3A(CU)%2Cscope%3A(%22BHS%22)%2Cscope%3A(NYU)%2Cscope%3A(%22NYSID%22)%2Cscope%3A(%22NYHS%22)%2Cscope%3A(GEN)&vl(freeText0)=%20Labor%20%20%20Research%20%20%20Association%20%20(U.S.)&fn=search&mode=Basic&dscnt=0Labor Research Administration catalog listing], New York University, New York City. Retrieved January 30, 2010.