The Socialist Party of Pennsylvania was a

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 ...

political party in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1901 in

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...

and received a state charter from 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 ...

the following year. Reading was one of three cities which found considerable electoral success. Readings Socialists elected multiple state legislators, city councilors as well as mayor J. Henry Stump. The Socialist Party of America nominated former Pennsylvania Representative and SPA member

Darlington Hoopes Darlington Hoopes (September 11, 1896 – September 25, 1989) was an American politician and lawyer who served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a member of the Socialist Party of America. He served as chairman of the Social ...

for President in 1952 and 1956. In 1965, the Reading chapter of the party was down to approximately 25 members. The national party was renamed Social Democrats, USA in 1972. A successor organization, the Socialist Party USA, was formed in 1973 by the Debs caucus of the old SPA, a group which still supported independent socialist political action. As of 2016 the SPUSA has one local in the state, located in Philadelphia.

Notable party members

J. Mahlon Barnes John Mahlon Barnes (1866–1934) was an American trade union functionary and socialist political activist. Barnes is best remembered as the Executive Secretary of the Socialist Party of America from 1905 to 1911, during which time he originated the ...

, executive secretary of the SPA (1905-1911) *

Ella Reeve Bloor Ella Reeve "Mother" Bloor (July 8, 1862 – August 10, 1951) was an American labor organizer and long-time activist in the socialist and communist movements. Bloor is best remembered as one of the top-ranking female functionaries in the Communis ...

, political activist and candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania *

, a three-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and two-time SPA nominee for president (1952, 1956) * James H. Maurer, a three-term member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

and two-time SPA nominee for vice-president * J. Henry Stump, mayor of Reading * Birch Wilson, member of the National Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of America during the 1920s *

Lilith Martin Wilson Lilith Martin Wilson (September 13, 1886July 8, 1937) was an American socialist who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1930 to 1936. She was the first woman in Pennsylvania to run for governor, receiving just o ...

, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representative and SPP nominee for Governor; also the first woman to run for Governor of Pennsylvania * George S. Snyder, elected to the Reading City Council on November 4, 1927Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies Vol. 39, No. 4 (OCTOBER, 1972), pp. 417. * George D. Snyder, won a seat on Reading School Board * Raymond Hofses, won a seat on Reading School Board * W. R. Hollinger, became Reading City Controller

References

External links

Socialist Party of Pennsylvania
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Socialist Party of Philadelphia
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1920 Platform of the Socialist Party of Pennsylvania

Socialist Party USA website
{{Socialist Party of America Political parties established in 1901 Political parties in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State and local socialist parties in the United States Socialism in Pennsylvania