Paul Underwood Kellogg facts for kids

Paul Underwood Kellogg (born September 30, 1879 – died November 1, 1958) was an American journalist and social reformer. He worked to make society better for everyone. He passed away in New York when he was 79 years old.

Early Life and Education

Paul Kellogg was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1879. He started his career as a journalist. Later, he moved to New York City to study at Columbia University.

A Journalist for Change

After college, Kellogg worked for a magazine called Charities. He then led a big study about factory life in Pittsburgh. This study was published as The Pittsburgh Survey (1910–1914). It showed how research could help improve society. His work helped to stop the seven-day work week for many people.

Kellogg returned to Charities magazine. It was later renamed Survey magazine. He became the editor in 1912. Over the next few years, he made it America's most important journal for social work.

Working for Peace and Rights

Standing Up for Peace

Paul Kellogg did not agree with the United States joining the First World War. He teamed up with Jane Addams and Oswald Garrison Villard. They tried to convince Henry Ford, a famous American car maker, to organize a peace meeting in Stockholm.

Ford had an idea to send a boat full of peace activists to Europe. He wanted them to see if they could talk to leaders and end the war. He rented a ship called Oskar II. It sailed from Hoboken, New Jersey, on December 4, 1915. The Ford Peace Ship arrived in Stockholm in January 1916. A meeting was held with people from Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United States.

Protecting Civil Liberties

In 1918, Kellogg became the leader of the Foreign Policy Association in New York. By the 1920s, he was very worried about people being treated unfairly for their political beliefs. This was especially true because of President Woodrow Wilson's appointee, A. Mitchell Palmer.

In 1920, Kellogg joined with many others to form the American Civil Liberties Union. This group helps protect the rights and freedoms of all Americans. Some of the people he worked with were Roger Baldwin, Norman Thomas, Crystal Eastman, Jane Addams, Clarence Darrow, John Dewey, Abraham Muste, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, and Upton Sinclair.

Fighting for Justice

In 1927, Kellogg joined a group of famous people. They tried to stop the execution of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Even though the judge in their original trial was criticized, the execution happened on August 23, 1927. Kellogg and his friends worked hard to prevent this outcome.