Paul
Douglas was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on 26th March, 1892. He
came from a poor family and was forced to work his way through Bowdoin
College. He then secured a master's degree at Columbia University
and did postgraduate work at Harvard University.
Douglas
taught economics at the
University of Illinois, the University of Washington and the University
of Chicago. In 1927 Douglas visited the Soviet
Union. However, he disliked the political system he saw and rejected
Marxist economic theory. Douglas also published several books on economics.
This included Wages and the Family
(1925), Real Wages in the United States,
1890-1926 (1930) and Standards
of Unemployment Insurance (1933).
A
supporter of the Democratic
Party, Douglas admired Franklin D.
Roosevelt and his New Deal policies.
He became friendly with Harold L. Ickes
(Interior Secretary) and Frances Perkins
(Labor Security) and in 1933 was appointed to the Consumers' Advisory
Board of the National Recovery Administration.
He also helped with drafting the Social Security
Act and the National Labor Relations Act.
Douglas
continue to write books on economics. His work included Theory
of Wages (1934), Controlling Depressions
(1935), and Social Security in the United
States (1936).
He was a member of the national committee of the Farmer-Labor Political
Federation, and was treasurer for the American Commonwealth Political
Federation. In 1939 he was elected to the Chicago City Council as
an Independent Democrat.
Douglas
was a Quaker and opposed the use of military
action to solve political disputes. However, his views changed when
Benito Mussolini ordered the invasion
of Ethiopia. The Spanish
Civil War and the betrayal of Czechoslovakia
at Munich convinced Douglas that the Neutrality Acts only benefited
aggressor nations. In a debate with the pacifist Norman
Thomas, he argued: "Personal pacifism is impossible for any
nation to follow."
During the Second
World War Douglas, despite being 49 years old, he joined the Marine
Corps as a private. He was badly wounded at Okinawa
and was awarded the Bronze Star. When he was discharged in 1946, Douglas
had reached the rank lieutenant colonel. Despite five operations on
his injured left arm, its full use was never restored.
In 1948 Douglas was elected
to the Senate. A strong opponent of communism, Douglas supported the
Marshall Plan, the Truman
Doctrine, and the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization. He was also in favour of United States military
action in Korea. He was a passionate liberal
concerning domestic policy and welcomed the attempts by Harry
S. Truman to introduce the Fair Deal.
Douglas was also a forceful
champion of civil rights, social welfare programs, public housing,
extension of Social Security, Medicare, and federal aid to education
and legislation beneficial to trade unions.
He also attempted to expose corruption in Congress. He was especially
concerned about the power of a group of Texas politicians being funded
by the oil industry.
After losing his seat in
1966 Douglas published his autobiography, In
the Fullness of Time: The Memoirs of Paul H. Douglas (1972).
Paul H. Douglas died in
Washington on 24th September, 1976.
He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the wooded area in
Jackson Park, Chicago.
Open
Debate on the Kennedy Assassination
Available from
Amazon Books (order below)
