Carlson, Grace, 1906-

Grace Carlson, Socialist Workers Party activist and political contender, was born in St. Paul (Minn.) on November 14, 1906, the daughter of James A. and Mary (Nuebel) Holmes. She was educated in Catholic Schools in St. Paul, graduated from the College of St. Catherine in 1929, and received her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota in 1930 and 1933 respectively. From 1933 to 1940 she was a lecturer at the university and a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the Minnesota Department of Education.

Carlson joined the Socialist Workers Party in 1940 and ran for the U.S. Senate. She then worked as a party organizer in Minnesota and New York. In 1941 she was imprisoned, along with 18 other party members, for treason under the Smith Act and served 16 months. In 1948 she was the party's candidate for vice president of the United States. After 1948 she left the party and taught at St. Mary's Nursing School (Minneapolis) for many years. She moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 1985 and died there on July 7, 1992.

From the guide to the Grace Carlson papers., 1929-1986., (Minnesota Historical Society)