Norman Thomas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Norman Thomas
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| Born |
Norman Mattoon Thomas
November 20, 1884 Marion, Ohio, U.S.
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| Died | December 19, 1968 (aged 84) |
| Alma mater | |
| Political party | Socialist |
| Spouse(s) |
Frances Stewart
(m. 1910; died 1947) |
| Children | 5 |
Norman Mattoon Thomas (born November 20, 1884 – died December 19, 1968) was an American minister who became famous as a socialist and pacifist. He ran for president six times as a candidate for the Socialist Party of America.
Thomas believed in a fairer society where everyone had equal opportunities. He spent his life fighting for peace, civil rights, and workers' rights. He was a strong voice for change in the United States during the 20th century.
Contents
Norman Thomas: A Champion for Change
Early Life and Education
Norman Thomas was born on November 20, 1884, in Marion, Ohio. He was the oldest of six children. His father, Weddington Evans Thomas, was also a minister.
Norman had a normal childhood in the Midwest. He delivered newspapers for the Marion Daily Star to help pay for high school. After high school, he went to Bucknell University for a year. Then, he transferred to Princeton University and graduated with honors in 1905.
Becoming a Minister and Pacifist
After college, Thomas traveled the world and worked in settlement houses, which were places that helped poor communities. He then decided to follow his father and become a minister. He studied at Union Theological Seminary and became a Presbyterian minister in 1911.
Thomas became the pastor of the East Harlem Presbyterian Church in New York City. During this time, he learned about the Social Gospel movement, which taught that Christians should work to improve society.
He strongly believed in peace and spoke out against the United States joining World War I. This belief in pacifism meant he didn't want to fight in wars. Many people disagreed with him, and he eventually left his church job.
Joining the Socialist Party
Thomas's strong belief in peace led him to the Socialist Party of America (SPA). This party was against war. In 1917, he helped with the campaign of Morris Hillquit, a Socialist leader running for mayor of New York. Soon after, Thomas joined the Socialist Party himself. He was a Christian socialist, meaning his socialist beliefs were connected to his Christian faith.
He also worked as an editor for The World Tomorrow, a magazine that promoted liberal Christian ideas. Later, he became an editor for The Nation magazine. He also helped start the National Civil Liberties Bureau, which later became the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). This group works to protect people's rights.
Running for President
Norman Thomas ran for office many times. He ran for governor of New York in 1924 and for mayor of New York City in 1925 and 1929.
After the death of Socialist Party leader Eugene Debs in 1926, the party needed a new leader. Norman Thomas, with his strong speaking skills, became the party's choice.
From 1928 to 1948, Thomas ran for president six times in a row as the Socialist Party candidate. Even though he never won, he was a very important voice for democratic socialism. He helped many Americans understand what socialism was about. He often wore suits and looked like a president, which helped him gain respect.
Thomas always explained the difference between his ideas of socialism and communism. He believed in peaceful change through voting, not revolution.
Fighting for Fairness
Norman Thomas was a strong supporter of many important causes.
Standing Against War
He was against World War II at first, just as he had been against World War I. He formed a group called the "Keep America Out of War Congress." He spoke out against sending military supplies to Great Britain, saying it could lead to war.
However, after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, he sadly supported the war, though he still believed it could have been avoided. He later felt he had focused too much on it being a continuation of the first war.
Protecting Rights
Thomas was one of the few public figures who spoke out against President Roosevelt's decision to put Japanese Americans in special camps during World War II. He believed it was wrong and against their rights.
He also fought against racial segregation, which was the unfair separation of people based on race. He worked to protect the environment and spoke out against laws that hurt workers. In the 1930s, he pushed for the United States to welcome Jewish people who were escaping the Nazis in Europe.
Thomas was also critical of Zionism and Israel's policies toward Arabs after the war.
Later Years and Legacy
After 1945, Thomas continued to work for social change. He wanted to see a society where everyone was treated fairly. In 1961, he even released an album about the role of smaller political parties in America.
In 1964, when he turned 80, many important people, including Martin Luther King Jr., sent him birthday wishes. He continued to speak out, calling for peace in the Vietnam War. In 1968, he signed a pledge to refuse tax payments to protest the war.
He also traveled to the Dominican Republic in 1966 to observe their elections, making sure they were fair. He received an award for his work promoting world peace.
Family Life
In 1910, Norman Thomas married Frances Violet Stewart. They had five children: three daughters and two sons. His grandson, Evan Welling Thomas III, became a well-known columnist for Newsweek.
Death
Norman Thomas passed away on December 19, 1968, at the age of 84. His ashes were scattered on Long Island, as he wished.
His Impact
Many places are named after Norman Thomas to honor his work. These include the Norman Thomas High School in Manhattan and the Norman Thomas '05 Library at Princeton University.
A plaque in the Princeton library has a famous quote from him: "I am not the champion of lost causes, but the champion of causes not yet won." This shows his belief that even if a cause seems difficult, it's worth fighting for until it succeeds.
Images for kids
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Thomas speaking at a STFU meeting in 1937
