Richard Criley
Richard "Dick" L. Criley (born 1911, died 2000 in Carmel, California) was a life long communist activist. His second wife, Jan Cords Criley, died in 1988. He was survived by his first wife, Jan Penney Criley. he was also married to Florence Criley.
Early life
Born in 1911 in France to an American artist and raised in an affluent area of northern California, Mr. Criley was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California at Berkeley[1].
He attended Stanford for two years before transferring to UC-Berkeley, where he became known as a free-speech advocate[2].
Activism
Criley launched a lifetime career in political activism during the 1934 San Francisco waterfront strike[3].
Communist Party member
In 1959 Criley was identified as a member of the Communist Party USA. He had been a mem- ber of the section committee of the Communist Party of the packing- house industry[4].
At the time he was executive secretary of the Chicago Committee to Defend Democratic Rights
WW2
In World War II, Mr. Criley was a captain in the U.S. Army, working under Gen. Dwight Eisenhower to liberate Italy[5].
Anti HUAC activist
In 1960, Criley co-founded the National Committee to Abolish the House Un-American Activities Committee[6].
Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights
1960 Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights founders were Boris Brail, Milt Cohen, Richard Criley, Ben Green, Prof. Robert Havighurst, Charles Lippitz, Rev.Victor Obenhaus[7].
Circa 1965, Richard Criley was listed as the Director of Northern Californians Against Repressive Legislation, the Northern Californian Office of the National Committee Against Repressive Legislation.[8]
In 1965 Richard Criley was the Secretary of Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights[9]
In 1970 Criley was executive director of the organization[10].
ACLU
Criley served for many years as a top officer of the American Civil Liberties Union and received its Earl Warren Civil Liberties Award in 1985[11].
In 1984 Criley was vice chairman of the Northern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union[12].
American Committee for Protection of Foreign Born
In the late 1960s Richard Criley was listed as a Sponsor of American Committee for Protection of Foreign Born[13].
Claude Lightfoot Reception
A partial list of sponsors for a January 19, 1973 Reception in Chicago for Communist Party USA leader Claude Lightfoot included;
Linda Appelhans, Margaret Appelhans, Arnold Becchetti, Leon Beverly, Richard Criley, Reverend Martin Deppe, Ishmael Flory, Frances Gabow, Ben Green, Bill Hampton, FatherJohn Hill, Mrs. Christine Johnson, Jack Kling, Attorney Max Maiman, Margaret Palmer, John Pappademos, Ted Pearson, A. A. Rayner, Jr., Harold Rogers, Norman Roth, Attorney Irving Steinberg, Gil Terry, Robbylee Terry, Charles Wilson and Sylvia Woods[14].
Nat'l Conference for a drastic cutback in military spending
The Communist Party USA controlled Chicago Peace Council convened a "Nationall conference for a drastic cutback in military spending" in Chicaqo, April 5 & 6, 1975.
- The purpose of the National Conference is to mount a national campaign and a vigorous program of action which will speak to the hundreds of thousands who were part of the inspiring resistance to the war in Indo- china. The people of the U.S. can and must turn this country around.
Speakers at the Conference included Congressman Abner Mikva, Robert Johnston (regional Director, UAW), Richard Criley (Exec. Dir. Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights), Norman Roth (Fres. Local 6, UAW), Fr. Gerard Grant S.J. (Loyola University); Ed Sadlowski (Regional Director, United Steel Workers Union) and Frank Rosen (Intl. V-P, U.E.)[15].
Tribute to Ben Dobbs
On Sunday, June 7, 1981, the Los Angeles Chapter of the New American Movement sponsored a Tribute to Ben Dobbs for "His lifelong commitment to socialism". The event was held at the Miramar-Sheraton Hotel, Santa Monica, California. Sponsors of the event included Richard Criley.[16]
Paul Robeson 100th Birthday Committee
In 1998 Richard Criley was listed as a volunteer and intern of Paul Robeson 100th Birthday Committee.[17]
Richard Criley Memorial
In 2000, a committee chaired by Danny K. Davis held a Memorial in honor of Richard Criley. The front of the program read:
- "A John Brown of his generation, He fought government encroachment against the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He marched against the Vietnam War. He marched and fought against police brutality and the Red Squad. He almost single-handedly abolished the Coroner's Jury. Dick Criley was a genius at building coalitions for justice." - Luster and Olavenia Jackson[18]
References
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times June 21, 2000
- ↑ http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2000/novdec/classnotes/obituaries.html
- ↑ http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2000/novdec/classnotes/obituaries.html
- ↑ Communist infiltration of vital industries and current communist techniques in the Chicago, Ill., area. Hearings 86th Congress may 5-7 1959 page 520
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times June 21, 2000
- ↑ http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2000/novdec/classnotes/obituaries.html
- ↑ http://www.ccdbr.org/
- ↑ NCARL letter, circa October 1965
- ↑ Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights Letterhead Feb 1965
- ↑ Full text of "The nationwide drive against law enforcement intelligence operations : hearing before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Ninety-fourth Congress, first session page 151
- ↑ http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2000/novdec/classnotes/obituaries.html
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/07/obituaries/francis-heisler.html
- ↑ ACFPFB Letterhead, undated Hugh DeLacy paper Acc 3915,Box 3 Folder 20
- ↑ Full text of "The nationwide drive against law enforcement intelligence operations : hearing before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Ninety-fourth Congress, first session
- ↑ The nationwide drive against law enforcement intelligence operations : hearing before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Ninety-fourth Congress, first session ..." page 179
- ↑ Tribute to Ben Dobbs program, June 7, 1981
- ↑ http://www.cpsr.cs.uchicago.edu/robeson/links/chicago/ack_org6.html
- ↑ Memoriam Service Program, 2000