PARTY
OFFICIALS
1919
Communist Labor Party of America (CLP)
The CLP originated
as that part of the Left Wing Section of the Socialist Party
loyal to the newly-elected National Executive Committee headed
by Alfred Wagenknecht. This group consisted to a relatively large
extent of non-Federation members, with particular strength coming
from the state of Ohio and various state parties of the Western
United States. The group sought to win control of the 1919 Emergency
National Convention and left to establish their own organization
when defeated on the floor of that body.
National
Executive Secretary:
Alfred Wagenknecht (Former SPA State Secretary,
Ohio)
National
Executive Committee (5):
Max Bedacht (San Francisco, CA)
Alexander
Bilan (Cleveland,
OH)
Jack Carney (Duluth, MN)
L.E. Katterfeld (Cleveland, OH)
Edward Lindgren (Brooklyn, NY)
Alternate
National Executive Committee Members: L.K. England (Moline, IL); Edgar Owens (Moline,
IL)
In January
1920 this list of alternates was extended with the names of Finkelberg,
Benjamin Gitlow, and A. Pauly.
Editorial
Board (3):
Edward Lindgren (Brooklyn, NY)
Ludwig Lore (New York, NY)
A. Raphailoff (???)
The Editorial Board
was named at the Oct. 25-27, 1919, session of the National Executive
Committee, held in New York City.
At the time of the
January raid on the CLP's New York headquarters, it was occupied
by L.E. Katterfeld as "Organization Director."
Organization
Director:
L.E. Katterfeld
Labor
Committee (5):
Charles
Baker (Ohio)
L.K. England (Illinois)
Benjamin
Gitlow (New York)
R.E. Richardson (Utah)
Arne Swabeck (Washington)
International
Delegates (2):
John Reed (Editor of Voice of Labor,
New York)
Alfred Wagenknecht (Former SPA State Secretary,
Ohio)
Instead of
Wagenknecht, the Lithuanian-born and Russian-speaking Alexander
Bilan was sent to Soviet Russia as an International Delegate
of the party.
Communist
Party of America ("old CPA")
The "old CPA"
was the organization formed primarily by the Language Federations
suspended by the Socialist Party of America during the faction
fight of the summer of 1919 as well as those who had given up
on the strategy of winning control of the SPA and who sought
immediate creation of an American Communist Party affiliated
with the Third International in Moscow.
The party was to be
governed by an Executive Council of Seven, automatically including
the Executive Secretary and Editor of Party Publications, plus
five others. All of the members of the Executive Council were
to live in the headquarters city of the organization (Chicago)
or adjacent cities thereof so that they might meet in person frequently and regularly.
The Executive Council and party headquarters of the old CPA was initially based in Chicago, with headquarters located at 1219 Blue Island Avenue.
First officers of the organization with their former organizational affiliation and hometown appear below. Name in parentheses is first 1920 pseudonym of each.
National Secretary:
C.E. Ruthenberg ["David Damon"] (Cleveland, OH)
Editor of Party Publications:
Louis Fraina ["F."] (New York, NY)
Associate Editor:
elected by the Sept. 7, 1919 meeting of the CEC.
I.E. Ferguson ["Caxton"] (Chicago, IL)
International Secretary:
Louis Fraina (New York, NY)
Alternate International Secretary: I.E. Ferguson
International Delegates (4):
C.E. Ruthenberg (Cleveland, OH)
Nicholas Hourwich (New York, NY) -- Russian Federation
Alexander Stoklitsky (Chicago, IL) -- Russian Federation
I.E. Ferguson (Chicago, IL)
Alternate International Delegates: D. Elbaum, A. Bittelman, J. Ballam, J. Lovestone.
Hourwich and Stoklitsky were in Moscow in time for the 2nd Congress of the Comintern in July-Aug. 1920.
Executive Council (2 automatic + 5):
C.E. Ruthenberg ["David Damon"] (Cleveland, OH)
Louis Fraina ["F."] (New York, NY)
Charles Dirba ["D. Bunte"] (Minneapolis, MN)
I.E. Ferguson ["Caxton"] (Chicago, IL)
K.B. Karosas (Philadelphia, PA) -- Lithuanian Federation
John Schwartz (Boston, MA) -- Latvian Federation
Harry Wicks (Portland, Oregon)
Wicks came under suspicion for alleged conduct in collaboration with the authorities at the Jan. 20, 1920 meeting of the Central Executive Committee. He was accused of denouncing a rival in the Socialist Party of Oregon, Victor Saulit, to the authorities early in 1919.
Additional Central Executive Committee Members (8):
John J. Ballam (Boston, MA)
Alexander Bittelman ["A. Raphael"] (New York) -- Jewish Federation
Maximilian Cohen ["Charles Bernstein"] (New York, NY)
Daniel Elbaum (Detroit, MI) -- Polish Federation
Nicholas Hourwich ["Andrew"] (New York, NY) -- Russian Federation
Jay Lovestone ["John Langley"] (New York, NY)
Oscar Tyverovsky ["Baldwin"] (New York, NY) -- Russian Federation
Paul Petras (Chicago, IL) -- Hungarian Federation
On Nov. 17, 1919, Petras resigned from the Central Executive Committee and was replaced by Rose Pastor Stokes. The Hungarian Federation left the CPA altogether after the January 1920 raids.
Rose Pastor Stokes ["Sascha"] (New York City)
Alternate Executive Committee Members: Rose Pastor Stokes, Meyer Lunin, Georgian, Bixby, Kravsevitch.
Unidentified early 1920 pseudonym from this group: "Black."
Language Federation Secretaries (7)
Fritz "Fred" M. Friedman (German)
Joseph Stilson (Lithuanian)
Joseph Kowalski (Polish)
Alexander Stoklitsky (Russian)
xxxx (Jewish)
xxxx (Latvian)
xxxx (Ukrainian)
A new Executive Council was elected by the CEC at its meeting of Jan. 20, 1920. Although not formally stated in the meeting minutes, this action was a byproduct of a decision to move the national headquarters of the organization from Chicago to New York City. There was a factional implication to this move, as the center of gravity shifted away from the former National Left Wing Council members Ruthenberg and Ferguson on the new New York-based EC.
Executive Council (2 automatic + 5):
C.E. Ruthenberg (CPA National Executive Secretary) ["David Damon"]
I.E. Ferguson (Acting Editor of Party Publications) ["Caxton"]
Maximilian Cohen ["Charles Bernstein"]
Charles Dirba ["D. Bunte"]
Jay Lovestone ["John Langley"/"Isaacs"]
????? --- ["Leopold Brown" / "Braun"]
Alexander Bittelman ["A. Raphael"]
Nicholas Hourwich was actually elected insted of Bittelman, but he resigned the post the day after the election.
In April of 1920, a split developed in the CPA over the fundamental question of unity with the CLP. C.E. Ruthenberg, I.E. Ferguson, and Jay Lovestone left the organization with a group of their supporters (and no small amount of the party treasury!) to pursue unity with the CLP. The anti-unity majority of the CPA continued its active organizational existence.
Acting Executive Secretary:
Charles Dirba ["D. Bunte"] -- Latvian Federation
The meeting of the Central Executive Committee of July 20, 1920, elected a new Executive Secretary. Charles Dirba (now using the pseudonym "C. Dobin") was to serve as the new Executive Secretary's Assistant for at least one month to ease the transition.
Executive Secretary:
Louis Shapiro ["Lawrence Bain"] -- Jewish Federation
It is unclear how this resolved itself, as at the Jan. 11-16 plenum of the CEC, Dirba was serving again as Executive Secretary and Shapiro sat as a member of the CEC.
At the end of 1920, the following were the top officials of the old CPA:
Central Executive Committee (9):
Maximilian Cohen ["Henry Allen"] -- Jewish Federation
Alfred Edwards ["J. Sullivan"] -- Latvian Federation
Louis Shapiro ["Lawrence Bain"] -- Jewish Federation
Oscar Tyverovsky ["Oscar Baldwin"] -- Russian Federation
J. Wilenkin ["J. Morris"] -- Russian Federation
??? ["M. Greenwald"] -- Jewish Federation
??? ["James J. Johnson"] -- ??? Federation
??? ["Klints"] -- Jewish Federation
??? ["B. Leon"] -- Lithuanian Federation
Editor of Party Publications:
Maximilian Cohen ["Henry Allen"]
CPA Delegates to the 2nd Comintern Congress (July-Aug. 1920)
Louis C. Fraina
Alexander Stoklitsky
Language Federation Secretaries (6)
Morris Kushinsky ["Hoffman"] (Jewish)
Joseph Stilson??? ["Kalnas"] (Lithuanian)
xxxx (Polish)
xxxx ["Kartash"] (Russian)
xxxx ["Brown"] (Latvian)
xxxx (Ukrainian)
In January of 1921, Maximilian Cohen was subjected to a party trial answering charges preferred by Louis Shapiro ["L. Bain"] and J. Wilenkin ["Morris"]. Cohen had been an outspoken critic of factional bickering and did not spare his colleagues on the CEC of the CPA from his harsh criticism. Cohen was charged with having "divulged private conversation and discussions of CEC members" and "created dissension and confusion among the Party membership." Cohen was expelled from the CPA at a meeting held Jan. 15, 1921, but appealed this decision to the Executive Committee of the Communist International, which was generally supportive of his position and seems to have moved him to other party work.
Another CEC election was held at the meeting of Feb. 20, 1921, following the 3rd Convention of the CPA.
Executive Secretary:
Charles Dirba ["C. Dobin"] -- Latvian Federation
Assistant Secretary:
Louis Shapiro ["Lawrence Bain"] -- Jewish Federation
Editorial Committee (3):
John J. Ballam ["John Moore"]
??? "B. Leon"/"Leonas"] -- Lithuanian Federation
Louis Shapiro ["Lawrence Bain"] -- Jewish Federation
In mid-July 1921, Louis Shapiro {"L. Bain"] died while en route to the United States on a trip back from Soviet Russia.
Technician:
??? ---- ['Leopold Brown"]
Assistant Technician:
??? ---- ['Schneider"]
District Organizers:
I [Boston]: "J. Collins"
II [New York City]: George Ashkenuzi ["George Henry"]
III [Philadelphia]: "Gilbert"
IV [Western NY/OH]: "Larsen"
V [Detroit]: "Jackson"
VI [Chicago]: "Greenwald"
Unity Committee (c. Feb. 1921)
Charles Dirba ["Dobin"]
Oscar Tyverovsky ["Baldwin"]
J. Wilenkin ["Morris"]
At the time of the merger with the UCP to form the (unified) Communist Party of America in May 1921, the paid officials of the (old) CPA were:
Executive Secretary:
Charles Dirba ["C. Dobin"] -- Latvian Federation
General Assistant in Secretarial and Technical Department:
??? ["A. Dales"]
Technician:
??? ["J. Klein"] -- Latvian Federation
Assistant Technician:
??? ["Schneider"]
Editor:
John J. Ballam ["John Moore"]
Assistant Editor:
??? ["A. McLean"]
District Organizers (6):
I [Boston]: "J. Collins" -- Latvian Federation
II [New York City]: George Ashkenuzi ["George Henry"] -- Russian Federation
III [Philadelphia]: "C. Markus"
IV [Western NY/OH]: "J. Anders";
V [Detroit]: "Johnson"
VI [Chicago]: "Greenwald" -- Jewish Federation
There were also paid Assistant DOs in Districts I, II, III, and V. Total payroll of the CEC was 16.
The Federations also had paid officials and District Organizers of their own.
United Communist Party of America (UCP)
The UCP was the product of the unification of the Communist Labor Party with a breakaway faction of the old CPA featuring prominently Charles Ruthenberg, Isaac Ferguson, and other non-Language Federation members. The organization was formed at the first Bridgman, Michingan Convention, held May 26-31, 1920.
Executive Secretary:
Alfred Wagenknecht ["A.B. Meyer"] (ex-CLP)
International Secretary:
Isaac E. Ferguson ["Caxton"] (ex-old CPA)
Alternate: Max Bedacht ["Brown"] (ex-CLP)
Central Executive Committee Members (10):
C.E. Ruthenberg ["David Damon"] (ex-old CPA)
XXXXX ["Scott"] (ex-old CPA)
XXXXX ["Reinhart"] (ex-old CPA)
Louis Hendin ["Delion"] (ex-old CPA) - resigned Nov. 10, 1920
Isaac E. Ferguson ["Caxton"] (ex-old CPA)
Max Bedacht ["Brown"] (ex-CLP)
(not to be confused with "Leopold Brown" of the CEC of the old CPA)
James P. Cannon ["Dawson"] (ex-CLP)
Ludwig Katterfeld ["J. Klein"] (ex-CLP)
Edward Lindgren ["James Flynn"] (ex-CLP)
Alfred Wagenknecht ["A.B. Meyer"] (ex-CLP)
Alternate Central Executive Committee Members (in order of votes received): S.M. Krunislav "Zemlin" (ex-CPA); A. Jakira ["Dubner" ] (ex-CLP); "Stone" (ex-CPA) promoted 11/20/20 to replace Hendin; "Jones" (ex-CLP); "Korker" (ex-CPA); "Malcolm" (ex-CLP); Schwartz ["Kazbeck"] (ex-CPA); "Logan" (ex-CLP)
UCP Delegates to the 2nd Comintern Congress (July-Aug. 1920)
Alexander Bilan
Eadmonn MacAlpine
John Reed - Died Oct. 1920
Edward Lindgren -last to arrive
Executive Secretary:
Alfred Wagenknecht ["Paul Holt"]
Central Executive Committee Members (9):
Walter Brustor ["Milner"] (Educational Director, in Cleveland)
James P. Cannon ["Cook"] (Press Service)
A. Jakira ["Duboff"] (Russian Editor)
Ludwig E. Katterfeld ["Elk"] (Educational & Legal Propaganda)
Joseph Zack Kornfeder ["J.P. Collins"] (Industrial Department)
Edward Lindgren ["James Flynn"] (National Organizer)
Alfred Wagenknecht ["Paul Holt"] (Executive Secretary)
xxxx ["Grove"] (English Editor -- not to be confused with Grove=Amter '22)
xxxx ["Webber"] (District Organizer 2 [NYC])
Representative to ECCI :
Max Bedacht ["Marshall"]
Technical Department:
xxxx ["Ehrhart"] (Bookkeeper and tech work)
xxxx ["Logan"] (Shipper)
xxxx ["Smith"] (Editor, Jewish Legal Organ)
xxxx ["Davis"] (Editorial Work)
(unified) Communist Party of America
The "unified CPA" was a new organization born of the coerced union of the UCP and the old CPA. The official name of the organization was "Communist Party of America (Section of the Communist International)." As was the case with the two component organizations, the unified CPA was an underground political organization, attempting to avoid state repression by conducting meetings and distributing communications to members in secret and making use of pseudonyms for participants.
The unified CPA was governed by a Central Executive Committee consisting of five members hailing from each of the two constituent organizations. After a short period of time, two of the former members of the old CPA began voting with the five fromer members of the UCP as a bloc, contributing to a shift in orientation which resulted in a new split by the so-called "Central Caucus" late in November of 1921.
Executive Secretaries of the unified CPA:
Charles Dirba ["C. Dow"] -- May 31, 1921 to July 27, 1921.
L.E. Katterfeld ["J. Carr"] -- July 27, 1921 to Oct. 15, 1921.
William Weinstone ["G. Lewis"] -- Oct. 15, 1921 to Feb. 22, 1922.
Jay Lovestone ["L.C. Wheat"] -- Feb. 22, 1922 to Bridgman Convention, Aug. 1922.
Abram Jakira ["J. Miller"] -- from Bridgman Aug. 1922 to dissolution in April 1923.
Central Executive Committee Members (10):
elected at the May 1921 Joint Unity Convention, Woodstock, NY.
George Ashkenuzi ["Kelly"] -- ex-old CPA
John J. Ballam ["Curtis"] -- ex-old CPA
Charles Dirba ["C. Dow"] -- ex-old CPA
Joseph Stilson ["Ray"] -- ex-old CPA
J. Wilenkin ["Paul"] -- ex-old CPA
James P. Cannon ["James Cook"] -- ex-UCP
Abram Jakira ["Post"] -- ex-UCP
Ludwig E. Katterfeld ["J. Carr"] -- ex-UCP
Joseph Zack Kornfeder ["A.C. Griffith"] -- ex-UCP
Jay Lovestone ["L.C. Wheat"] -- ex-UCP
replacing Jakira was
William W. Weinstone ["Turner"] -- ex-UCP
After the Dec. 1921 split of the Central Caucus faction (marked by the departure of Ashkenuzi, Ballam, and Dirba to the new organization) and through the first half of 1922, the 10 member CEC included the following:
Central Executive Committee Members (10):
(from December 1922)
Max Bedacht ["Brown"/"Braun"]
Alexander Bittelman ["A. Raphael"]
James P. Cannon ["Golden"/"James Cook"]
Joseph Zack Kornfeder ["A.C. Griffith"]
Meyer Loonin??? ["M. Green"]
Jay Lovestone ["L.C. Wheat"]
Joseph Stilson ["Edward Ray"]
Arne Swabeck ["J. Lansing"]
William Weinstone ["G. Lewis"]
J. Wilenkin ["Paul"]
At the meeting of the Central Executive Committee of April 17, 1922, it was decided to reorganize the CEC by coopting Robert Minor ["Ballister"], Earl Browder ["Dixon"], and Alfred Wagenknecht ["Duffy"]. To make room for these individuals, three sitting members of the CEC would resign. Offers to resign were tendered by Loonin, Weinstone, Lovestone, Cannon, Bedacht, Zack-Kornfeder, and Bittelman. After a series of votes, the resignations of Weinstone, Loonin, and Zack-Kornfeder were accepted. This resulted in the following CEC:
Central Executive Committee Members (10):
(from April 17, 1922)
Max Bedacht ["Braun"/"Brown"]
Alexander Bittelman ["A. Raphael"]
Earl Browder ["Joseph Dixon"/"W. Ward"]
James P. Cannon ["Golden"/"James Cook"]
Jay Lovestone ["L.C. Wheat"]
Robert Minor ["James Ballister"]
Joseph Stilson ["Edward Ray"/"Edward Riley"]
Arne Swabeck ["J. Lansing"]
Alfred Wagenknecht ["U.P. Duffy"]
J. Wilenkin ["Paul"/"J. Morris"]
1921-22 Central Caucus faction's "Communist Party of America"
The "Central Caucus" was organized by the three suspended members of the CEC of the unified CPA -- Charles Dirba, John Ballam, and George Ashkenuzi. The group had strong support amongst various Language Federation groups in the east -- about 95% of which came from the Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Russian, Latvian, Polish, and Jewish Federations. The group sought to preserve the underground nature of the party against what was viewed as a suicidal opening and to preserve the independent existence of the affiliated Language Federations in the face of their emasculation.
The Central Caucus faction had an affiliated Legal Political Party called the "United Toilers Party."
The three members of the CEC who formed the factional leadership provisionally took up the following roles:
Executive Secretary:
John J. Ballam ["Curtis"/"Moore"]
Treasurer / Accounting Department:
Charles Dirba ["Dow"]
Press / Technical Department:
George Ashkenuzi ["Kelly"/"Henry"]
The organization formally established itself and conducted elections of a 7 member Central Executive Committee were held at the "Emergency Convention" of Jan. 7-11, 1922.
Executive Secretary:
/Charles Dirba???/ -- "J. Davis"
Special International Delegate:
John J. Ballam ["Curtis"/"Moore"]
Central Executive Committee (7):
John Ballam ["John Moore"]
"Nicols" -- Ukrainian Federation
"Leopold Brown"
George Ashkenuzi ["George Henry"]
"Golos" -- Russian Federation
"Wilson" -- Boston District
"Singer" -- Philadelphia District
(other pseudonyms used, Jan. 20, 1922: "A. Frick," "John Harris," S. Flory," "Taylor," "Austin," "Jim Smith.")
Alternates: A.S. Edwards ["Sullivan"], "Kain," "Mars," "B. Leon," "Benjamin."
Auditing Committee (3):
"Shovin"
"Lidock"
"Stock"
1922-23 unified Communist Party of America
The August 1922 Bridgman Convention saw the election of new officers of the CPA -- complete with a new set of pseudonyms. The main part of the Central Caucus faction rejoined the CPA in a group, although a dissident minority centered in the Latvian Federation stayed outside of the party organization.
The Political, Industrial, and Editorial work of both the CPA and WPA were combined by the action of the CPA's CEC on Jan. 26, 1923. While underground work was formally to continue, in practical terms the two parties began unification on an "overground" basis from that date.
The business between the periodic meetings of the Executive Council was handled by four specialized subcommittees: Political, Organizational, Industrial, and Editorial. The composition of each of these committees is noted bolow
Executive Secretary:
Abram Jakira ---- ("J. Miller")
International Delegates (5):
Max Bedacht ---- ("Marshall")
Arne Swabeck ----- ("Lansing")
??? -- ["Dan"]
??? -- ["Pullman"]
??? -- ["Star"] - Reporter on YCI Congress
Secretariat (3):
Secretaries of three main committees: Legal Political Party, Party, and Political.
Abram Jakira ["J. Miller"] -- Party
C.E. Ruthenberg ["Brenton"] -- LPP
John Pepper ["Short"] -- Political
Executive Council (17) & CEC (13):
Israel Amter ["Grove"] - CEC
Max Bedacht ["Marshall"/"Sterling"] - Political Committee
James P. Cannon ["James Cook"] - CEC, Industrial Committee
William Z. Foster ["Blake"] - CEC, Industrial Committee
Benjamin Gitlow ["John Pierce"] - CEC, Political & Industrial Committees
A. Jakira ["J. Miller"] - CEC, Organization Committee, LPP Chairman
Ludwig Lore ["Young"] - Political Committee
Jay Lovestone ["John Robertson"] - Organization Committee
John Pepper ["Short"] - CEC, Political Committee Chairman
C.E. Ruthenberg ["Brenton"] - CEC, Organization Committee, Party Chairman
??? -- ["Albers"] - CEC, Editorial Committee, Editor of "L" and official organ
??? -- ["Blair"] - CEC, Organization Committee
??? -- ["Dally"] - Editorial Committee
??? -- ["Lloyd"] - CEC, Political Committee, Editor of "B" and publicist
??? -- ["McLeod"] - CEC
??? --- ["Summers"] - CEC
??? --- ["Thomas"] - Organization Committee
??? --- ["Edwin Trent"] - Industrial Committee (ex-Central Caucus)
??? --- ["Woodin"] - CEC, Editorial Committee
pseudonyms above likely include:
Alexander Bittelman
William F. Dunne
Marion Emerson
J. Louis Engdahl
Ludwig Katterfeld
Edward Lindgren
Theo Maki
Joseph Manley
M.J. Olgin
Alfred Wagenknecht
Harry M. Wicks
Industrial Organizer (1):
??? -- ["Mathews"]
Industrial Department:
??? -- ["Grant"]
??? -- ["Mathews"]
??? -- ["Schaffer"]
Workers Party of America (WPA)
The WPA was an open organization formed between the bulk of the unified CPA and various individuals and left-wing groups coming from the Socialist Party of America. Eventually the underground CPA was replaced in full by the WPA, which changed its name to Workers (Communist) Party of America.
1922 Workers Party of America
CEC elected at the Founding Convention, New York, Dec. 24-26, 1921. Officers elected at the first meeting of the CEC, New York, Dec. 27, 1921-Jan.4, 1922. Daily operations were conducted by a subset of the officers and CEC called the "Administrative Council.
National Chairman:
James P. Cannon
Executive Secretary:
Caleb Harrison (to May 1922)
Early in May 1922, Caleb Harrison stepped aside to become a travelling "National Organizer" for the WPA, making way for C.E. Ruthenberg, who was released from prison in New York on bail April 24, 1922. This decision was made by the WPA's Administrative Council and confirmed by a unanimous mail ballot of the Central Executive Committee. While at a glance this sudden insertion of Ruthenberg as Executive Secretary may seem "unconstitutional," in actuallity Art. VII, Sec. 3 of the WPA Constitution does not state that the Executive Secretary must necessarily come from the ranks of the CEC, only that the CEC is responsible for electing the Executive Secretary.
While in the first few months of the organization it seems that Cannon and Harrison shared the role of Chief Executive, from the time of Ruthenberg's arrival on the scene, there is no doubt that the Executive Secretary was the position handing day-to-day operations of the WPA. William Kruse remained active in the role of Assistant Executive Secretary, taking the helm when Ruthenberg periodically departed to make speaking engagements.
Executive Secretary:
C.E. Ruthenberg (from May 1922)
Assistant Executive Secretary:
William F. Kruse
Director, Lyceum and Literature:
Elmer T. Allison
Agrarian Organizer:
Harold L. Ware
Editors:
William F. Dunne
J. Louis Engdahl
Jay Lovestone
Central Executive Committee (17):
xxx
xxx
xxxx
xxx
xxx
xxxx
xxx
xxx
xxxx
xxxx
xxx
xxx
xxxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
1923 Workers Party of America
Elected at the 2nd Convention, New York, Dec. 24-26, 1922.
Executive Secretary:
(Elected by Central Executive Committee)
C.E. Ruthenberg
Executive Council (11):
(Elected by Central Executive Committee "to function between the sessions of the CEC)
Alexander Bittelman
James P. Cannon
William F. Dunne
Marion Emerson
J. Louis Engdahl
Edward Lindgren
Ludwig Lore
Theo Maki
M.J. Olgin
C.E. Ruthenberg
Harry M. Wicks
Central Executive Committee (25):
(One member elected by the NEC of the YWL)
Israel Amter
Max Bedacht
Alexander Bittelman
B. Borisoff
Fahle Burman
James P. Cannon
William F. Dunne
Marion Emerson
J. Louis Engdahl
Abraham Jakira
Ludwig E. Katterfeld
William F. Kruse
Edward Lindgren
Jay Lovestone
Robert Minor
A. Nastasievsky
M.J. Olgin
John Pepper
C.E. Ruthenberg
Rose Pastor Stokes
Alexander Trachtenberg
Alfred Wagenknecht
William W. Weinstone
Harry M. Wicks
XXXXXXXXX (YWL)
1924 Workers Party of America
Elected at the Third Convention of the WPA, Chicago,Dec. 30, 1923 to Jan. 2, 1924. Officers elected by CEC at plenum of Jan. 3, 1924.
Executive Secretary:
C.E. Ruthenberg
Chairman:
James P. Cannon
Cannon resigned and was replaced by William Z. Foster at the Feb. 15-16, 1924 CEC plenum.
Moscow Representative of WPA to ECCI:
Israel Amter
Moscow Representative of TUEL to Profintern:
Charles E. "Charlie" Scott [Karlis E. Jansons]
CEC Representative to the CEC of the YWL:
J. Louis Engdahl
Central Executive Committee Members (13):
Alexander Bittelman *
Earl Browder *
Fahle Burman *
James P. Cannon *
William F. Dunne *
J. Louis Engdahl
William Z. Foster *
[temporarily replaced by George Halonen when Foster in Moscow -- May]
Benjamin Gitlow
Ludwig Lore *
Jay Lovestone
John Pepper
[temporarily replaced by Max Bedacht when Foster in Moscow -- May]
C.E. Ruthenberg
Martin Abern (YWL) *
* -indicates Foster-Cannon faction member or supporter (Lore). The Chicago-based members were constituted an "Executive Council" to meet periodically in between the regular monthly meetings of the CEC.
Political Committee (7):
Earl Browder *
James P. Cannon *
William F. Dunne *
William Z. Foster *
Jay Lovestone
John Pepper
C.E. Ruthenberg
Organization Committee (5):
Martin Abern *
James P. Cannon *
William Z. Foster *
John Pepper
C.E. Ruthenberg
Secretariat (3):
James P. Cannon *
John Pepper
C.E. Ruthenberg
Education Committee (3):
Max Bedacht
Alexander Bittelman *
James P. Cannon *
The Education Committee was formed in May 1924.
Daily Worker Management Committee (5):
Earl Browder *
William Dunne *
Moritz Loeb
C.E. Ruthenberg
Matti Tenhunen
The Daily Worker Management Committee was formed in May 1924.
Director, Literature Department:
Nicholas Dozenberg
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1925-26 Workers (Communist) Party
The Officials of the WPA elected at the 4th National Convention of Aug. 21-30, 1925 were allocated according to faction with the Comintern Representative Sergei Gusev breaking deadlocks.
National Executive Secretary:
Charles E. Ruthenberg
"Independent Chairman":
Sergei Gusev ["P.Green"] (Comintern Rep)
Central Executive Committee Members (20):
Martin Abern (majority group)
Philip Aronberg (majority group)
Earl R. Browder (majority group)
Fahle Burman (majority group)
James P. Cannon (majority group)
William F. Dunne (majority group)
William Z. Foster (majority group)
Bud Reynolds (majority group)
Jack Stachel (majority group)
John J. Ballam (minority group)
Max Bedacht (minority group)
Louis J. Engdahl (minority group)
Benjamin Gitlow (minority group)
Jay Lovestone (minority group)
Robert Minor (minority group)
Charles E. Ruthenberg (minority group)
H. Schmies (minority group)
William W. Weinstone (minority group)
Charles White (minority group)