Symon Gould was the founder of the American Vegetarian Party

American Vegetarian Party

The American Vegetarian Party was a United States political party formed on July 28, 1947. The party held conventions and nominated candidates for President and Vice-President in several national elections, although they never seriously pursued ballot access or official recognition as a political...

, formed in 1948. He was their candidate for President of the United States

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....

 in the 1960

United States presidential election, 1960

The United States presidential election of 1960 was the 44th American presidential election, held on November 8, 1960, for the term beginning January 20, 1961, and ending January 20, 1965. The incumbent president, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, was not eligible to run again. The Republican Party...

 and 1964 presidential elections

United States presidential election, 1964

The United States presidential election of 1964 was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Johnson, who had successfully associated himself with Kennedy's...

.

Gould was also secretary of the Vegetarian Society of New York, and a promoter of Herbert M. Shelton

Herbert M. Shelton

Herbert Macgolfin Shelton was an American alternative medicine advocate, author, pacifist, vegetarian, and supporter of raw foodism and fasting cures. Shelton was nominated by the American Vegetarian Party to run as its candidate for President of the United States in 1956...

's American Natural Hygiene Society (Iacobbo 158, 161).

He was a bibliophile, rare book dealer, and director of the American Library Service.http://time-proxy.yaga.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,779941,00.htmlhttp://time-proxy.yaga.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,816859,00.html

Gould had also been the founder of the International Film Arts Guild in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. According to one account, he edited the American print of the silent film Nosferatu (Skal 2004:149). Gould is credited with boosting the "art house

Art film

An art film is the result of filmmaking which is typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience...

theater" (or "little cinema") movement by his screenings at the Cameo Theatre in New York (Melnick and Fuchs 2004:69).