Emergency Peace Campaign (U.S.)

Initiated in late 1935 by the American Friends Service Committee and other pacifists; originally planned as a two-year campaign to rally peace, religious, labor, African-American and student groups; aim was to organize a national campaign to promote peace principles in the face of preparation for war in Europe, and to keep the United States out of war; may have been preceded by the Emergency Peace Committee (1931-1933), though this has not been documented. The first EPC office opened in Feb. 1, 1936. Ray Newton served as Executive Director; other staff members were Baruch Braunstein, Harold Chance, and Kirby Page. The EPC disbanded at the end of 1937, its work continued by the National Peace Conference.