Thomas Barton Papers

A native of Indiana, Tom Barton (b. 1935) joined the Socialist Party (technically, the Socialist Party-Social Democratic Federation) in the late 1950s and its youth cadre, the Young People's Socialist League, one of the new generation of activists who reenergized the fractious Party and helped propel it into the struggle for civil rights and the peace movement. A third generation union activist, Barton's grandfather was a member of the International Workers of the World, an uncle helped form a UAW local in Wisconsin.

Affiliated with Student Peace Union, Barton traveled to Philadelphia in 1960 to help organize the peace movement in that city. His efforts soon bore fruit. Working with fellow Socialists Martin Oppenheimer (a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania) and Leo Kormis (a lab technician at Penn), he was influential in galvanizing local students to action, although their more orthodox Marxist perspectives sometimes sat uneasily with the New Left sensibilities of the Students for a Democratic Society and other groups. On the national stage, YPSL enjoyed considerable success in organizing the march for a nuclear test ban in Washington, D.C., in 1962, and they are credited with being the first left-oriented group to oppose U.S. military intervention in Vietnam.

With the Chicago Branch of YPSL in 1963, Barton gained increasing prominence. As an editor of Young Socialist Review and through his involvement in national committees, he was selected as a delegate to represent the Branch at the national YPSL Convention in 1964. The membership during that summer was badly divided in the stance the organization should take with respect to the upcoming presidential election, and particularly whether to support the candidacy of Lyndon Johnson. While Shachtman and Michael Harrington argued that the Socialist Party should realign to work with the Democratic Party and push them to the left, Barton became one of the leaders in the Left-wing faction of YPSL (along with Bob Brown, Marge Green, Walt Lively, Joe Weiner, and David Komatsu) opposing the realignment and favoring building a mass labor party. At the Convention, where he was listed as National Secretary, Barton was at the center of dispute between the Realignment, Left-wing, Third camp, Spartacists, and other camps. The events came to a head after a resolution was passed to suspend Socialist Party discipline over YPSL until the Party prevented its leaders from supporting Johnson and the Realignment (Right-wing) faction walked out. Although the Left-wing never formally split from the Party, the Party responded by suspending YPSL. The Left-wing itself split into factions and YPSL itself dissolved. Although reconstituted two years later, it did not regain the vibrancy it enjoyed during the early 1960s.

During the latter half of the 1960s, Barton continued in the revolutionary vein and as an active participant in the antiwar movement. At one time East Coast distributor of the antiwar Vietnam GI -- assisting in sending issues to Vietnam -- he was part of the Wildcat group that supported revolutionary organizing of the working class. Described by Barton's friend and fellow Wildcat Juan McIver as surviving "in a no-man's land between leftism and communism," the Wildcat was rooted in Chicago, Baltimore, and New York, and published Wildcat (later renamed The Spark), Wildcat Report (for New York), and Worker and Soldier. In Detroit, they built on widespread alienation among Black auto workers, attempting to coordinate with radical organizations such as the Dodge Revolutionary Workers Movement, the League of Revolutionary Black Workers, and Detroit Revolutionary Organizing Committee. One worker at Chrysler's Eldon Ave. gear and axle plant regarded the Wildcat people as "Old Left" and "so secretive they had crossed over into paranoia." (http://libcom.org/library/black-cats-white-cats-wildcats-martin-glaberman).

Working in the health industry and a shop Steward with Local 768, Heath Care Workers, AFSCME District Council 37, New York City, Barton has remained politically active. A member of the International Socialist Organization, he has taken part in antiglobalization protests in 2000 and has been active in opposition to the war and militarism, publishing GI Special (later Military Resistance) and Traveling Soldier. He assisted ex-Iraq GIs in organizing Iraq Veterans Against the War.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

A small, but rich collection, the Barton Papers provide a glimpse into the career of a long-time Socialist and activist. From Barton's entry into the Young People's Socialist League in the latest 1950s through his work with the Wildcat group in the early 1970s, the collection contains outstanding content on the civil rights and antiwar movements and the strategies for radical organizing. The collection is particularly rich on two periods of Barton's career -- his time in the YPSL and Student Peace Union (1960-1964) and in the Wildcat group (1968-1971) -- and particularly for the events surrounding the dissolution of YPSL in 1964, following a heated debate over whether to support Lyndon Johnson for president. The collection includes correspondence with other young radicals such as Martin Oppenheimer, Lyndon Henry, Juan McIver, and Joe Weiner.

Woven together, the YPSL files -- and particularly those for Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, and Texas -- give a sense of YPSL's field work and the sometimes radically different approaches taken by the New Left and Old Left, and between the varied factions within each. The correspondence, reports, fliers, and other materials reflect deep seated tensions over ideology and tactics, as well as the assault on the left by the forces of authority, as the grappled with issues ranging from the war in Vietnam to the pervasiveness of racism and sexism, and international politics from Berlin to China and Cuba.

The tumultuous 1964 Convention that resulted in the suspension and dissolution of YPSL is well documented, given Barton's central involvement, and the files for the various branches of the League document the reaction around the country as news of the split spread. The YPSL Texas file with letters from Lyndon Henry and Doug Hainline is noteworthy for the clarity of analysis and candid discussions of YPSL's relations with SDS.

Other materials are bellwethers for the shifts in attitude within the movement and the increasing radicalization of some members. In November 1965, for example, Joe Verret wrote bitterly about pacifists: "Good God -- you know it and so does anyone else with serious intentions of defeating the imperialists -- the change to socialism -- the convulsion of property relations -- will never be accomplished on a world scale if we try tactics such as lying down in front of the tanks of bourgeoisie . . . are we revolutionaries or are we just interested in having a nice sized organization?" (Joe Verret, Nov. 26, 1965)

The most extensive, densest, and perhaps richest correspondence in the collection -- five folders worth -- comes from Juan McIver, a fellow Wildcat and International Socialist. Sometimes signing himself Frank (and once Igor), McIver's letters are remarkably intense and detailed discussions of Socialist politics, history, the struggle of the present day, revolutionary organizing, the international scene, his travels in Europe and England, and his evolving views on Socialism and the struggle to create a working class movement. McIver eventually broke with Leninism-Trotskyism. Some of Barton's letters to McIver are included.

About one third of the collection consists of a remarkable group of materials relating to the Wildcat, and particularly Wildcat Detroit. Mostly signed pseudonymously, the letters and reports analyze efforts to engage in revolutionary organizing of the working class, primarily in the automotive industry. Among other highlights is an essay (filed under "Wildcat: Trade unions and revolutionary organizing") discussing tactics in navigating racism, suspicion of fellow works, and the fight against capitalism. In a similar vein, the unidentified author of "Towards a Revolutionary Newspaper" laments the lack of a publication that reflects their point of view and offers thoughts on how better to reach workers:

"Initially we planned, and still plan to use locally produced factory bulletins, distributed free at the plant gates. As the basic tool of our organizing, recruiting, and propaganda work. The format would be the simplest and most economical; and 8 1/2 x 13 sheet mimeoed or printed on two sides; one side being a major political article by members of our organizing group, the other side being written entirely by people employed at the plant (ourselves and others)..."

The Wildcat files also contain materials relating to Revolutionary Union Movement groups, such as DRUM (Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement) and ELDRUM (Eldon Revolutionary Union Movement), which sought to organize Black workers and which joined forces to form the League of Revolutionary Black Workers. Among the printed materials are several copies of Wildcat and its successor The Spark, as well as a valuable series of highly ephemeral newsletters from Revolutionary Union Movements.

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Search Terms

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Ceylon: The JVP Uprising of April 1971 [Publication] 1971

Congress of Racial Equality. Southside Chicago Chapter Constitution and By-laws 1963

Independent Socialist Clubs (Mike Shute, Joel Geier) 1966

International Anarchist Undated

ISRAC 2 [Publication from Comite d'action revolutionnaire Israelien a l'etranger] 1969

Keep Left: The Paper for Socialist Youth 1965 Feb.

Labor Committee for Full Employment: Preamble and goals 1963

Labor Today [Periodical],vol. 8. 4; 9, 1, 3/4 1969-1970

McIver, Juan 1970-1978 5 folders

McIver, Juan 1970

McIver, Juan 1971

McIver, Juan 1972

McIver, Juan 1973

McIver, Juan 1976-1978

National Committee to Abolish the HUAC. Philadelphia Council 1961-1962

Peace Action Center 1961-1962

Includes issues of the Peace Action Newsletter, the Washington Witness, brochures and circular letters, and information on the "Washington Project" and work with the Student Peace Union

Peace News Wire 1961-1962

Pennsylvania Committee for Economic Freedom 1961

Philadelphia Peace March 1961

Organizational flier

Philadelphia Picketers' Defense Committee 1961-1962

Phoenix (Swarthmore College student newspaper), vol. 83, 3 1962

Includes article on rightist R. Steven Uzzell criticizing Socialist and Communist influence at Swarthmore

Saling, Rick 1970

Socialism and peace (Donald G. Rose, Tom Condit) 1961-1962

Socialism: reading lists 1962

Socialist Party / Social Democratic Federation 1959

Socialist Party and Civil Rights 1963

Socialist Party and the Right Wing 1961

Primarily newsclippings on the topic

Socialist Party. Boulder (Colo.) Branch 1961

Socialist Party. National Action Committee 1958-1964

Minutes of meetings, resolutions, fliers, etc.

Socialist Party. Peace Committee 1962

Socialist Party: Friendly 1964

Letters of support for YPSL

Socialist Party: Organizational 1960-1961

Student Peace Union (Donald McKelvey, Dave Komatsu) 1960-1962

Student Peace Union (Donald McKelvey, Gail Paradise) 1963-1964

Student Peace Union. University of Pennsylvania (Walt Brod, Carl Gilbert, George Laky, Diane Pachella) 1961-1963

Ten Revolutions That Shook the World (University Democratic Socialist Club publication) Undated

Verret, Joseph S. 1964-1966

Wildcat. Education Board: Minutes 1970

Wildcat: Articles 1969

Wildcat: Baltimore, Md. 1969

Wildcat: Buffalo, N.Y. 1969

Wildcat: Correspondence and miscellaneous 1970

Wildcat: Detroit 1968-1969

Correspondence, reports, and communiques between Wildcat groups in several cities

Wildcat: Mailing lists 1970

Wildcat: Newsletters and publications 1969-1970

Dodge Workers Speak 1970

Eldon Wildcat 1970-1971

Laying it on the Line 1970-1971

Lynch Road Rumblings 1970

Needling Points 1970

Ring Down 1971

Spark, no. 1-3, 7, 10 1971-1972

Newspaper, formerly called Wildcat

Wildcat, vol. 1, no. 10-17 1970-1971

Newspaper, continued by The Spark

Wildcat Bunch of ATT [newsletter] 1970

Wildcat: New York City factories list 1970

Wildcat: Press discussion 1969

Wildcat Report 1970

Wildcat: Trade unions and revolutionary organizing 1970

Worker and Soldier 1971

Workers Councils Parliament [publication] 1970

Workers Special News [newsletter] 1970

Workers Voice (Western Electric Kearny Works newsletter) 1970

YPSL. National Action Committee 1958-1960

YPSL. National Action Committee 1963-1965

YPSL. National Executive Committee 1960-1964

YPSL: Bibliography and Study Guide 1961

YPSL: Brochures 1962-1963

YPSL: California (Michael Parker, Ted Alpen) 1964

YPSL: California. San Francisco (Don Thomas, Stephen Meisenbach) 1963-1964

YPSL: Chapter reports 1961

YPSL: Conferences and publications 1960-1964

YPSL: Contacts 1964

YPSL: Convention 1964

YPSL: Defense of Man [publication] 1963

YPSL: Financial 1964

YPSL: Florida (Bruce Carl Huston) 1964

YPSL: Fund raising 1960-1963

Efforts and publicity for raising funds

YPSL: Illinois 1961-1964

YPSL: Illinois. Chicago Chapter (Janet Heywood, Joe Weiner, Pat Sexton, Joe Stetson) 1960-1963

YPSL: Illinois. Chicago Chapter (Janet Heywood, Joe Weiner, Pat Sexton, Don Widman) 1964

YPSL: Indiana (Gavin MacFadyen) 1957-1963

YPSL: Massachusetts (Neil Chacker, Jonathan A. Wouk) 1964

YPSL: Membership 1964

YPSL: Michigan 1964

YPSL: Michigan State University Conference on Political Perspectives 1965 Feb. 12

YPSL: Miscellaneous 1961-1964

YPSL: Missouri (Jim Hamilton) 1964

YPSL: New Jersey 1964

YPSL: New York City Chapter (Tom Barton, Marge Green, Norm Shatkin, Joan Shatkin) 1961-1964

YPSL: New York City Chapter. Fliers for social events 1961-1962

YPSL: New York City Chapter. Flyers for events 1961-1962

YPSL: New York. Cornell University Chapter (Dave Rader, Doug Hainline) 1964

YPSL: Pennsylvania 1964

YPSL: Pennsylvania. Philadelphia Branch (Ed Hollander, Bob Brown, Carl Gilbert) 1947-1964

YPSL: Pennsylvania. Philadelphia Branch Investigation 1963

YPSL: Political history 1958-1964

YPSL: Relevance of Hope [publication] 1959

YPSL: Split with Socialist Party 1964

Relating primarily to convention of 1964

YPSL: Statements and resolutions 1961-1966

Possibly associated with National Action Committee

YPSL: Student Socialist Union 1964

YPSL: Texas (Lyndon Henry, Doug Hainline) 1963-1964

YPSL: Virginia (Marc Gripman, Carol Rosenquist) 1964

YPSL: Washington (Rick Saling, Dean Henry Fearn) 1964

YPSL: Washington D.C. (Neil Maclay, A. Busby) 1964

YPSL: Wisconsin (Joe Stetson, Scott Spencer, Paul G. Faler) 1964

Young Socialists League (Martin Oppenheimer) 1957

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