John Jakob Mendelson, the son of Polish parents, was born in 1917.
After completing his education at the London
University he became a factory worker.
Mendelson
served in the British Army during the
Second World War. After the war he lectured
on political science at Sheffield University (1949-59).
A
member of the Labour Party he was elected
to represent Penistone in the 1959 General Election.
In the House of Commons Mendelson associated
with a group of left-wing members that included Konni
Zilliacus,
Ian Mikardo, Barbara
Castle, Sydney
Silverman, Geoffrey Bing and Emrys
Hughes.
In
1965 Mendelson joined Michael Foot, Konni
Zilliacus,
William Warbey, Russell
Kerr, Anne Kerr, Norman
Atkinson, Stan Newens, and Sydney
Silverman in protesting against American intervention in Vietnam.
However, Mendelson and his friends were unable to persuade the Labour
prime minister, Harold
Wilson,
to condemn US policy on Vietnam.
John
Jakob Mendelson died
on 20th May 1978.
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