Clarence Reed was born in New York City in 1909. After working at odd jobs in the army, in lumber camps, and on the railroad, he became active in the Unemployed Councils and the Friends of the Soviet Union in the 1930s. He found work with a shipping company during World War II, when he joined the National Maritime Union. After the War, Reed was expelled from the Communist Party and helped establish a rank and file committee in the NMU. The rank and file committee ran slates of candidates against the incumbent union leadership and concentrated on the problems of corruption and drugs within the NMU's ranks.
From the description of Papers, 1957-1974. (New York University). WorldCat record id: 477249128
From the guide to the Clarence Reed Papers, 1957-1974, (Tamiment Library / Wagner Archives)
