James Weinstein (July 17, 1926 – June 16, 2005) was an American historian and editor best known as the founder and publisher of ''

In These Times ''In These Times'' is an American politically progressive monthly magazine of news and opinion published in Chicago, Illinois. It was established as a broadsheet-format fortnightly newspaper in 1976 by James Weinstein, a lifelong socialist. ...

'', a progressive magazine started in 1976 in Chicago.

Early life

James Weinstein was born in Manhattan on July 17, 1926, to an affluent family whose money came from real estate. He served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during World War II, and afterward, earned a bachelor's degree in government from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

in 1949, and a master's degree in history from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1956.

Political views and affiliations

As a young man, Weinstein supported the 1948 presidential campaign of

Henry A. Wallace Henry Agard Wallace (October 7, 1888 – November 18, 1965) was an American politician, journalist, farmer, and businessman who served as the 33rd vice president of the United States, the 11th U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and the 10th U.S. ...

, who ran on the

Progressive Party Progressive Party may refer to: Active parties * Progressive Party, Brazil * Progressive Party (Chile) * Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus * Dominica Progressive Party * Progressive Party (Iceland) * Progressive Party (Sardinia), Ita ...

ticket. The campaign was backed by the

Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of '' The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel ...

, which he joined that same year. As a member of the Communist Party, Weinstein made the acquaintance of

Julius Rosenberg Julius Rosenberg (May 12, 1918 – June 19, 1953) and Ethel Rosenberg (; September 28, 1915 – June 19, 1953) were American citizens who were convicted of spying on behalf of the Soviet Union. The couple were convicted of providing top-secret i ...

and was heavily surveilled by the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice ...

, whose file on him ran over 2,000 pages in length. Weinstein left the party in 1956, in objection to the Soviet Union's repression of the Hungarian Revolution. In

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo ...

, Weinstein ran for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

New York's 19th congressional district New York's 19th congressional district is located in New York's Catskills and mid-Hudson Valley regions. It lies partially in the northernmost region of the New York metropolitan area and mostly south of Albany. This district is currently re ...

as an independent socialist candidate, advocating an immediate end to American involvement in 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 ...

, but he lost, receiving 3.8% of the vote. After founding ''In These Times'', he continued to identify as a socialist, but in his editorials, he encouraged leftists to work within the Democratic Party. In the 1980s, Weinstein said he supported Rosenberg's conviction for espionage, which alienated some on the left.

Career

Weinstein lived and worked in San Francisco,

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th ...

, and

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...

, England, teaching at the

University of Warwick , mottoeng = Mind moves matter , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £7.0 million (2021) , budget = £698.2 million (2020 ...

's Centre for the Study of Social History, before becoming a central figure among left-wing Democrats in his adopted home of Chicago, where he founded ''In These Times'' in 1976. He was inspired by Civil Rights icon

Julian Bond Horace Julian Bond (January 14, 1940 – August 15, 2015) was an American social activist, leader of the civil rights movement, politician, professor, and writer. While he was a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, during the e ...

, and intellectuals

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky i ...

and

Herbert Marcuse Herbert Marcuse (; ; July 19, 1898 – July 29, 1979) was a German-American philosopher, social critic, and political theorist, associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory. Born in Berlin, Marcuse studied at the Humboldt University ...

, both teaching at the University of Chicago at the time. He edited the magazine until he retired in 1999. Weinstein wrote numerous history books, including ''The Decline of Socialism in America'', ''The Corporate Ideal in the Liberal State'', and ''The Long Detour: The History and Future of the American Left''. He also founded the journals '' Studies on the Left'' and ''Socialist Revolution'' (later renamed ''Socialist Review'' and ultimately '' Radical Society''). He was one of the founders of Modern Times Bookstore in San Francisco.

Personal life

Weinstein was a committed fan of the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

and enjoyed experimenting with culinary recipes. He was married four times and divorced three times, with his fourth marriage, to Beth Maschinot, lasting until his death; he had two children from his first marriage. Weinstein died from brain cancer at his home in Chicago on June 16, 2005, aged 78.

Works

* "Radicalism in the Midst of Normalcy," ''Journal of American History,'' vol. 52, no. 4 (March 1966), pp. 773–790
In JSTOR
* ''The Decline of Socialism in America, 1912-1925.'' New York: Monthly Review Press, 1967. * ''The Corporate Idea in the Liberal State, 1900-1918.'' Boston: Beacon Press, 1968. * ''The Communists of the 1930s and the New Left.'' With Max Gordon. New York: Viewpoint Publishing Group, 1976.

References

External links

In These Times"Stopping the Drive to War" by James Weinstein
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Weinstein, James 1926 births 2005 deaths 20th-century American historians 20th-century American journalists 20th-century essayists 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers Academics of the University of Warwick American essayists American expatriates in England American magazine publishers (people) American male essayists American male journalists American male non-fiction writers American political writers Candidates in the 1966 United States elections Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Cornell University alumni Deaths from brain cancer in the United States Illinois Democrats Illinois socialists Members of the Communist Party USA Military personnel from New York City New York (state) Independents New York (state) socialists Old Testament scholars United States Navy personnel of World War II Writers from Chicago Writers from Manhattan