Carl Haessler (1888–1972) was an American political activist,
conscription
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
resister, newspaper editor, and
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
organizer. He is best remembered as an imprisoned
conscientious objector
A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to object ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and as the longtime head of the
Federated Press
''This is not to be confused with the independent, research-based organization of Toronto, Canada, also called that targets executives, lawyers, professionals.''
The Federated Press was a left wing news service, established in 1920, that provided ...
, a left wing
news service which supplied content to radical and labor newspapers around the country.
Background
Carl Haessler was born August 5, 1888 in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
of ethnic German parents. His father was a
building contractor
A general contractor, main contractor or prime contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and the communication of information to all involved parties throughout the course of ...
and his mother was a teacher in the Milwaukee
public school
Public school may refer to:
* State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government
* Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...
system. Carl attended public school in Milwaukee and went on to college at the
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
in
Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
, from which he graduated in 1911 with a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
.
[Wayne State University]
"The Carl Haessler Collection: Papers, 1908-1972,"
Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University. The linguist
Luise Haessler was his aunt.
During his early years, Haessler raised money for his education by working summers as a
farm hand
A farmworker, farmhand or agricultural worker is someone employed for labor in agriculture. In labor law, the term "farmworker" is sometimes used more narrowly, applying only to a hired worker involved in agricultural production, including harv ...
.
[Solon DeLeon with Irma C. Hayssen and Grace Poole (eds.), ''The American Labor Who's Who.'' New York: Hanford Press, 1925; pg. 93.] From 1911 to 1914, Haessler attended
Balliol College
Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
of
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. There he became interested in the
socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
movement and joined the
Fabian socialists.
Career
Upon his return to the United States in 1914, Haessler took a job teaching in the Philosophy Department of
Illinois University
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...
at
Urbana __NOTOC__
Urbana can refer to:
Places Italy
*Urbana, Italy
United States
*Urbana, Illinois
**Urbana (conference), a Christian conference formerly held in Urbana, Illinois
*Urbana, Indiana
* Urbana, Iowa
*Urbana, Kansas
* Urbana, Maryland
*Urbana, ...
. He also continued work on his
Ph.D.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...
, which he received upon completion of his
dissertation, entitled "The Failure of Scottish Realism."
Politics
Haessler joined the
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America (SPA) was a socialist political party in the United States formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party of Ameri ...
in 1914.
With American entry into the European conflict early in 1917, the ethnic German
pacifist
Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...
Haessler was dismissed from the university for his political views. He went to work for
Victor L. Berger
Victor Luitpold Berger (February 28, 1860August 7, 1929) was an Austrian–American socialist politician and journalist who was a founding member of the Social Democratic Party of America and its successor, the Socialist Party of America. Born in ...
at his socialist daily newspaper, ''
The Milwaukee Leader,'' remaining their for about a year.
During this time he joined the News Writer's Union and the delegate of that organization to the Milwaukee Federated Trades Council.
In the spring of 1918, Haessler was drafted into the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
. He accepted being drafted but refused to put on the uniform in
boot camp and was therefore
court martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
ed under
military law
Military justice (also military law) is the legal system (bodies of law and procedure) that governs the conduct of the active-duty personnel of the armed forces of a country. In some nation-states, civil law and military law are distinct bodie ...
.
Haessler was found guilty and issued a sentence of 12 years of hard labor. Haessler completed just over two years of his prison sentence, served at the stockades of
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...
and
Alcatraz military prison from June 1918 until his being released in August 1920 by a
presidential pardon
A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the ju ...
.
During Haessler's time in prison, his (first) wife, Mildred Haessler (née Barnes), obtained a job as a teacher to support herself.
Harry Gannes
Harry Gannes (1900–1941), was a British-born American journalist, foreign editor of the ''Daily Worker'' during much of the 1930s, was a communist of national prominence."Red Editor Here Dies, Facing U.S. Charges," ''The New York Times'', Janua ...
"Yipsels and the Socialist Sedition Trial,"
''The Young Socialists’ Magazine'' hicago v. 13, no. 3 (March 1919), pp. 10-12, 17.
The Haesslers raised their children in the Ravinia neighborhood of Highland Park, Illinois where they were deeply engaged in the arts and the Ravinia Woman's Club, until their divorce in 1940.
[Ravinia Woman's Club records http://highlandparkhistory.libraryhost.com/index.php/ravinia-womans-club-records]
During his time in prison, Haessler was removed for a brief period when he was called as a witness for the prosecution in the federal trial of Congressman
Victor Berger
Victor Luitpold Berger (February 28, 1860August 7, 1929) was an Austrian–American socialist politician and journalist who was a founding member of the Social Democratic Party of America and its successor, the Socialist Party of America. Born in ...
. The prosecution attempted to demonstrate that Haessler's position as an imprisoned conscientious objector was a product of Berger's direct influence, thereby providing proof of Berger's criminality with respect to the current conscription law. Haessler would have none of it however, replying when asked if he and Berger had had any talks about the war:
Oh yes, I had lots of talks with Berger about the war. You see, I might say that I knew Victor Berger before I was born, since he knew my mother and father. But I don't remember what he said on those talks; I remember distinctly what I said, but his views did not impress me at all. I was far more interested in my views anyhow than I was in his.
Haessler characterized his views as significantly to the left of those of Berger, whom he called an "old fogey" that had told him "not to be a damned fool" and who had considered Haessler too young and rash and impulsive.
Federated Press
Upon his release, Haessler returned for a time to the employ of Berger's ''Milwaukee Leader'' before joining the fledgling
Federated Press
''This is not to be confused with the independent, research-based organization of Toronto, Canada, also called that targets executives, lawyers, professionals.''
The Federated Press was a left wing news service, established in 1920, that provided ...
news service, a
press agency
A news agency is an organization that gathers news reports and sells them to subscribing news organizations, such as newspapers, magazines and radio and television broadcasters. A news agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire ...
which provided news copy to scores of radical and labor newspapers around the country. The Federated Press was initially established by
E.J. Costello, former managing editor of ''The Milwaukee Leader.'' In 1922, Haessler was named as the managing editor and secretary-treasurer of the Federated Press, positions which he retained until the end of the news service in 1956.
Haessler was also named associate editor of ''The Federated Press Bulletin,'' the weekly newspaper of the Federated Press issued for subscribers across America.
["Proceedings of the League Convention," The Federated Press Bulletin, v. 2, no. 19 (Feb. 11, 1922), pg. 2. Cited by Tim Davenport]
"Federated Press League: Organizational History,"
Early American Marxism website, Corvallis, OR.
In his capacities with the Federated Press, Haessler was a member of the
International Typographical Union
The International Typographical Union (ITU) was a US trade union for the printing trade for newspapers and other media. It was founded on May 3, 1852, in the United States as the National Typographical Union, and changed its name to the Interna ...
.
In 1937, Haessler went to work for the
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. Originally created in 1935 as a committee within the American Federation of ...
(CIO) handling the union's
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
from
Flint, Michigan
Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...
during its series of
sitdown strike
A sit-down strike is a labour strike and a form of civil disobedience in which an organized group of workers, usually employed at factories or other centralized locations, take unauthorized or illegal possession of the workplace by "sitting do ...
s there.
He also served as editor of ''The United Auto Worker'' until 1941 and was a longtime editor of ''Tool and Die Maker's News.''
Later years
Beginning in 1963, Haessler became involved in
draft counseling of conscientious objectors to the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
.
Personal life and death
In 1940, Haessler married Lucy Haessler (née Whitaker ; first married name Leighton) ; they lived for many years at 39 Massachusetts Street in the Highland Park, Michigan.
His sister, Gertrude Haessler, married
William Weinstone
William Wolf Weinstone (1897–1985) was an American Communist politician and labor leader. Weinstone served as Executive Secretary of the unified Communist Party of America, the forerunner of today's Communist Party USA, from October 15, 1921, to ...
, a high ranking-official of the Communist Party.
[
]
Carl Haessler died age 84 on December 8, 1972.
Legacy
Haessler's papers are housed at
Wayne State University
Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...
in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
.
Footnotes
External links
"The Carl Haessler Collection: Papers, 1908-1972,"Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haessler, Carl
1888 births
1972 deaths
Writers from Milwaukee
American male journalists
American newspaper editors
American conscientious objectors