John Tanton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Tanton
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| Born | February 23, 1934 |
| Died | July 16, 2019 (aged 85) |
| Alma mater | Michigan State University (BS) University of Michigan (MS, MD) |
| Occupation | Ophthalmologist, activist |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Lou Tanton |
John Hamilton Tanton (born February 23, 1934 – died July 16, 2019) was an American eye doctor, also known as an ophthalmologist. He was also an activist who focused on limiting immigration into the United States.
Tanton started several important organizations. These include the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which works to reduce immigration. He also helped create the Center for Immigration Studies, a research group, and NumbersUSA, which tries to influence laws about immigration. He was also involved with groups like U.S. English and ProEnglish, which support making English the official language of the U.S. For a short time, he was the president of Zero Population Growth, a group concerned about the world's population.
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Early Life and Education
John Tanton was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1934. When he was 11 years old, his family moved to a farm near Bay City, Michigan. He helped work on this farm.
Tanton went to Michigan State University and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1956. He then studied medicine at the University of Michigan, getting his M.D. in 1960. He continued his studies there, earning a master's degree in ophthalmology in 1964.
Career as an Eye Doctor
After finishing his education, John Tanton opened his own eye doctor's office. He practiced ophthalmology in Petoskey, Michigan, for many years.
Activism and Organizations
John Tanton became well-known for his activism, especially his strong views on immigration. He started or helped start many non-profit groups that focused on limiting immigration.
Early in his activist career, Tanton was interested in environmental issues. He founded the Petoskey chapter of the Sierra Club, a large environmental organization. In 1975, he became the president of Zero Population Growth, a group that believed the world's population was growing too fast.
Tanton believed that limiting immigration was important for environmental reasons and to control population growth. When he couldn't get enough support for his ideas within environmental groups, he decided to create his own organizations.
Founding Immigration Groups
In 1979, Tanton founded the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). This group aimed to reduce the number of immigrants coming to the U.S. Later, in 1983, he co-founded U.S. English with former Senator S. I. Hayakawa. This group worked to make English the official language of the United States.
Tanton was also involved in creating several other groups, including the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) and Numbers USA. These organizations all share the goal of reducing immigration. Money for these groups often came through another organization he founded called U.S. Inc.
Views on Population and Society
John Tanton was concerned about population growth and how it might affect society. He founded an organization called the Society for Genetic Education (SAGE). In 1975, he wrote about an idea he called "passive eugenics." This idea suggested that people should have children only between the ages of 20 and 35.
Tanton believed that a country's culture depends on its population. He expressed concerns about changes in the makeup of the American population due to immigration. He stated that for "European-American society and culture to persist," a clear European-American majority was needed.
Controversy and Resignation
In 1988, a private memo written by Tanton was made public. This memo contained some controversial ideas about immigration and population. After the memo was published, several people who had supported U.S. English, including famous figures like Walter Cronkite, resigned from the group. John Tanton also resigned from his position as chairman of U.S. English. He felt that he had been unfairly criticized.
Criticism from the Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an organization that monitors hate groups and other extremist groups. The SPLC has called some of the groups founded by John Tanton, like FAIR and Social Contract Press, "hate groups."
In 2001, the SPLC stated that Tanton's groups were part of a network that promoted ideas that were seen as prejudiced against immigrants. In 2009, the SPLC further described Tanton's views as discriminatory. They said he was at the center of a movement that had connections to groups with extreme views on race and population. The SPLC claimed that Tanton had made statements that showed concern about the changing demographics of the U.S. population.
John Tanton disagreed with the SPLC's accusations. He said that their claims were unfair and untrue.
Personal Life
John Tanton was married to Mary Lou Tanton. She was also involved in activism, including chairing the U.S. Immigration Reform PAC and co-founding Scenic Michigan.
For the last 16 years of his life, John Tanton had Parkinson's disease. He passed away in Petoskey, Michigan, on July 16, 2019, at the age of 85.
