Claessens, August, 1885-1954

August Claessens was one of the most influential leaders in the educational and political development of the Socialist Party. He helped organize support for the Socialist Party within several New York City labor unions and in the fall of 1917 was elected to the New York State Assembly where he worked for legislation pertaining to child labor, the penal code's procedures for obtaining an admission of guilt, the abolishment of the Bolstead Act, the abolishment of the death penalty, and the regulation of police powers in suppressing strikes. On April 1, 1920 Claessens was one of five socialist assemblymen who were expelled from the State Assembly on grounds that membership in the Socialist Party constituted disloyalty to the United States. In September 1920, he was re-elected to the Assembly in a special election, but again the anti-socialist forces refused to permit him to take office. Finally, in 1922 Claessens was allowed to take office after being re-elected for a third time. In the mid-1930s Claessens withdrew from the Socialist Party and became the executive secretary and, later, the national chairman of the Social Democratic Federation. From the mid-1920s until his death Claessens taught courses in public speaking, parlimentary procedure, psychology and social psychology, race relations, anthropology and sex and society at the Rand School and at several evening schools sponsored by New York City labor unions.

From the description of Papers, 1911-1955. (New York University). WorldCat record id: 78240139

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