Borough, Reuben W., 1883-1970

Borough was the son of an Ohio carriage manufacturer who was active in the Populist movement; he attended the Univ. of Michigan, became a newspaper reporter in Ft. Wayne, IN, and then joined the staff of the Chicago Daily socialist; came to Los Angeles in 1912 where he became a reporter and political editor of the Los Angeles record; became an insurance broker; wrote political pamphlets and joined Upton Sinclair's EPIC (End Poverty in California) campaign for governor, serving as editor of EPIC news; served as assoc. secretary of the LA Municipal League, 1936-39, and as assoc. editor of the League bulletin; was a key organizer of the recall campaign that ousted LA Mayor Frank Shaw and elected Mayor Fletcher Bowron on a reform platform in 1938; served on the board of public works, 1939-45; ran as a Democratic candidate for the 20th Congressional District, and in 1952 became the Independent Progressive Party candidate for the US Senate; he died on Sept. 24, 1970.

From the description of Papers, 1900-1970. (University of California, Los Angeles). WorldCat record id: 40932093

Biography

Reuben W. Borough (RWB) (1883-1970) was a Progressive activist born in Sylvania, Ohio, who grew up in Marshall, Michigan, the son of a buggy manufacturer. He was childhood friends with the poet Carl Sandburg and the pulp novelist H. Bedford-Jones. He married Laura Bradley, a newspaper reporter, in 1910 and the couple moved to Los Angeles in 1912.

One of Borough's earliest jobs in the city was as a motion-picture singer in a downtown movie theater, but he soon forged a career in journalism. He was a major reporter for the now-defunct Los Angeles Record, where he published the popular "Back-to-the-Land" columns, advocating for urban farming and gardening, and municipally-owned power.

In 1931 he assisted social reformer Judge Ben Lindsey with the writing of his biography, The Dangerous Life .

In 1933 he joined Upton Sinclair's EPIC (End Poverty in California) campaign for governor, and was editor of EPIC News until 1935.

From 1936 to 1939, Borough served as associate secretary of the Los Angeles Municipal League, and was associate editor of the Municipal League of Los Angeles Bulletin . During this time, Borough was active in building the Federation for Civic Betterment, the political coalition responsible for first mayoral recall campaign in the history of the United States, ousting Los Angeles Mayor Frank Shaw and campaigning for Mayor Fletcher Bowron on a reform platform.

He later served on the Los Angeles Board of Public Works (1939-45), and was active in the labor movements of the time, following stories on labor strikes and the growth of local co-operatives, such as Llano del Rio.

Borough's wife Laura died in 1943. He later married Madeleine Ruthven, a screenwriter and poet.

In 1946, Borough ran as a Democratic candidate for the 20th Congressional District. He was an active member in the Hollywood Independent Citizens Committee of the Arts, Sciences, and Professions (HICCASP), precipitating his later disapproval of the Committee for Un-American Activities and the Smith Act, spiritually and politically aligning with the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles and the Reverend Stephen Fritchman.

In 1952 Borough became the Independent Progressive Party candidate for the U.S. Senate, and campaigned with Charlotta Bass, the first African-American woman in United States history to be nominated as a Vice Presidential candidate.

While Borough slowly retired from the role of professional politician, he remained an activist and writer for the rest of his life, particularly in relation to issues surrounding the public ownership of power and early peace movements.

In 1960, he began working full-time on his autobiography, Jubilant Crusader, chronicling how his early life experiences in Michigan lead to a life-long involvement with Progressivism.

Borough died on September 24, 1970.

From the guide to the Reuben W. Borough papers, ca. 1880-1973, (University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.)