Alice McGrath
Encyclopedia
Alice Greenfield McGrath (April 5, 1917 – November 27, 2009), also known as Alice Greenfield, was an American activist who first gained fame in connection with the 1942 case of the Sleepy Lagoon Murder
. She was the executive secretary of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee from 1942–1944. She later married blacklisted poet Thomas McGrath
, organized a pro bono legal service organization in Ventura County, California
, and led 86 missions to Nicaragua in the 1980s and 1990s.
, Alberta
, Canada
in 1917. She was the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants. She spoke only Yiddish until she attended school. She moved with her family to Los Angeles, California
in 1922.
After graduating from high school, McGrath briefly attended Los Angeles City College
. Her family was not able to afford the cost of college, and she dropped out during her first semester. She became friends with members of the New Negro Theater where she once performed a reading of Langston Hughes
’ poetry, with Hughes in the audience. She later recalled, "I did it, but badly. Afterward I apologized to Langston Hughes and we laughed about it."
McGrath worked in a series of menial jobs, including work in a Los Angeles candy factory, but focused her attention on progressive political issues. Among other activities, she did volunteer work for the Congress of Industrial Organizations
("CIO"). McGrath later recalled, "Everything I was concerned with was right there at the CIO. The organization was interested not only in wages but also in social issues that go along with wages. I felt at home there."
, the largest mass trial in California history. The youths, aged 17 to 21, were accused of killing a Mexican farmworker near a swimming hole in a section of southeast Los Angeles County then known as Sleepy Lagoon. McGrath was recovering from a bout of pleurisy
, and Shibley brought her the transcript of the trial to summarize each day's testimony. When she recovered from her illness, McGrath began attending the trial in person. During the 13-week trial, the judge did not allow the defendants to confer with counsel and refused to let them cut their hair or receive fresh clothing. McGrath recalled, "I was enraged. I just was so upset about the way the judge and the whole way this trial was going. The behavior of the judge was simply unacceptable in any decent society."
The jury, which was all white, convicted 12 of the defendants – three on counts of first-degree murder and nine on counts of second-degree murder. All twelve were sent to San Quentin Prison. The case is considered a precursor to the Zoot Suit Riots
of 1943.
After the convictions, McGrath became the executive secretary of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee from 1942–1944. Working with Carey McWilliams
, McGrath published a newsletter, spoke in public about the cause, and raised money to support an appeal of the convictions. At one event, she raised $1,000 after making a speech to longshoremen in San Francisco. She was also a frequent correspondent with, and visitor of, the Sleepy Lagoon defendants at San Quentin. The committee's supporters included Orson Welles
, Rita Hayworth
, Nat King Cole
, and Anthony Quinn
.
While McGrath was working for the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee, the group was charged with being a Communist-front organization, and the FBI conducted surveillance of its members. McGrath later recalled, "The FBI would come to neighbors asking questions. I found out much later through the Freedom of Information Act that [the committee's] file was filled with lies. I was much more concerned in those days because they could take anybody and put them away."
In 1944, the Court of Appeal in People v Zamora 66 Cal.App.2d 166, overturned the convictions, finding insufficient evidence of the defendants' guilt, and also pointing to the denial of the defendants' right to counsel and the bias of trial court judge. McGrath was the one who sent the telegram to San Quentin informing the Sleepy Lagoon defendants of the successful appeal.
In 1981, McGrath told a Los Angeles Times interviewer that Sleepy Lagoon appeal was "the most important event in my life. If I had never done anything since ... my involvement in Sleepy Lagoon would justify my existence."
(debut at the Mark Taper Forum
) and 1981 motion picture Zoot Suit
. Actress Tyne Daly
played the part of "Alice Bloomfield" (based on McGrath) in the motion picture. Luis Valdez
, the author of "Zoot Suit," said of McGrath: "She was one of the heroines of the 20th century. In Los Angeles, I can't think of many people who surpass her influence." McGrath's role in the events was also depicted in the film "Zoot Soot Riots" broadcast on PBS as part of the "American Experience" series.
McGrath was also profiled by Studs Turkel in his book Coming of Age: The Story of Our Century By Those Who’ve Lived It.
In 1996, independent filmmaker, Bob Giges, released a documentary film about McGrath's life called "From Sleepy Lagoon to Zoot Suit: The Irreverent Path of Alice McGrath."
in 1970, where she lived for the rest of her life. In 1986, after learning that the local bar association had no pro bono program, she offered to start one and for two years she was a full-time volunteer, working with attorneys and court personnel as a client advocate.
In the 1980s, McGrath developed a passion for Nicaragua and the Sandinista movement. McGrath developed a respect for the social justice programs in Nicaragua. She said, "School was free through college. They had special training for children with disabilities. I thought it was heaven. I fell in love with Nicaragua. I decided to lead delegations there just to see Nicaragua. Doctors to doctors. Teachers to teachers. Farmers to farmers." McGrath led a total of 86 trips to Nicaragua on behalf of 40 different organizations.
McGrath has also held jobs as a publisher's sales representative, production manager for an art film, retail clerk, figure model, and teacher of self-defense for women.
McGrath was married three times. Her first husband was real estate developer, Max Schechter, with whom she had two children, a daughter, Laura D'Auri, and a son, Daniel Schechter. After a divorce, she married Thomas McGrath
, a college professor and poet who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. The second marriage also ended in divorce. Her third husband, Bruce Tegner, was a martial arts instructor with whom she co-wrote several books on self-defense and martial arts. She held a brown belt in judo.
In November 2009, McGrath died at age 92 after developing a major infection.
McGrath's papers, including correspondence with the Sleepy Lagoon defendants, have been donated to UCLA and are available through the Online Archive of California.
Sleepy Lagoon murder
Sleepy Lagoon murder was the name that newspapers and radio commentators used to describe the alleged murder of Jose Diaz, whose body was found on the Williams Ranch near a lagoon in southeast Los Angeles, California, on August 2, 1942...
. She was the executive secretary of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee from 1942–1944. She later married blacklisted poet Thomas McGrath
Thomas McGrath (poet)
Thomas Matthew McGrath, was a celebrated American poet....
, organized a pro bono legal service organization in Ventura County, California
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
, and led 86 missions to Nicaragua in the 1980s and 1990s.
Early years
McGrath was born Alice Greenfield in CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1917. She was the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants. She spoke only Yiddish until she attended school. She moved with her family to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1922.
After graduating from high school, McGrath briefly attended Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College, known as LACC, is a public community college in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard...
. Her family was not able to afford the cost of college, and she dropped out during her first semester. She became friends with members of the New Negro Theater where she once performed a reading of Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
’ poetry, with Hughes in the audience. She later recalled, "I did it, but badly. Afterward I apologized to Langston Hughes and we laughed about it."
McGrath worked in a series of menial jobs, including work in a Los Angeles candy factory, but focused her attention on progressive political issues. Among other activities, she did volunteer work for the Congress of Industrial Organizations
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial Organizations, or CIO, proposed by John L. Lewis in 1932, was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 required union leaders to swear that they were not...
("CIO"). McGrath later recalled, "Everything I was concerned with was right there at the CIO. The organization was interested not only in wages but also in social issues that go along with wages. I felt at home there."
Sleepy Lagoon case
In 1942, attorney George Shibley retained McGrath to assist in his defense of 22 Mexican American youths accused in the Sleepy Lagoon MurderSleepy Lagoon murder
Sleepy Lagoon murder was the name that newspapers and radio commentators used to describe the alleged murder of Jose Diaz, whose body was found on the Williams Ranch near a lagoon in southeast Los Angeles, California, on August 2, 1942...
, the largest mass trial in California history. The youths, aged 17 to 21, were accused of killing a Mexican farmworker near a swimming hole in a section of southeast Los Angeles County then known as Sleepy Lagoon. McGrath was recovering from a bout of pleurisy
Pleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....
, and Shibley brought her the transcript of the trial to summarize each day's testimony. When she recovered from her illness, McGrath began attending the trial in person. During the 13-week trial, the judge did not allow the defendants to confer with counsel and refused to let them cut their hair or receive fresh clothing. McGrath recalled, "I was enraged. I just was so upset about the way the judge and the whole way this trial was going. The behavior of the judge was simply unacceptable in any decent society."
The jury, which was all white, convicted 12 of the defendants – three on counts of first-degree murder and nine on counts of second-degree murder. All twelve were sent to San Quentin Prison. The case is considered a precursor to the Zoot Suit Riots
Zoot Suit Riots
The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of riots in 1943 during World War II that erupted in Los Angeles, California between white sailors and Marines stationed throughout thehi c mlc city and Latino youths, who were recognizable by the zoot suits they favored...
of 1943.
After the convictions, McGrath became the executive secretary of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee from 1942–1944. Working with Carey McWilliams
Carey McWilliams (journalist)
Carey McWilliams was an American author, editor, and lawyer. He is best known for his writings about social issues in California, including the condition of migrant farm workers and the internment of Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II...
, McGrath published a newsletter, spoke in public about the cause, and raised money to support an appeal of the convictions. At one event, she raised $1,000 after making a speech to longshoremen in San Francisco. She was also a frequent correspondent with, and visitor of, the Sleepy Lagoon defendants at San Quentin. The committee's supporters included Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
, Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth was an American film actress and dancer who attained fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars...
, Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, and Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Antonio Rodolfo Quinn-Oaxaca , more commonly known as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican American actor, as well as a painter and writer...
.
While McGrath was working for the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee, the group was charged with being a Communist-front organization, and the FBI conducted surveillance of its members. McGrath later recalled, "The FBI would come to neighbors asking questions. I found out much later through the Freedom of Information Act that [the committee's] file was filled with lies. I was much more concerned in those days because they could take anybody and put them away."
In 1944, the Court of Appeal in People v Zamora 66 Cal.App.2d 166, overturned the convictions, finding insufficient evidence of the defendants' guilt, and also pointing to the denial of the defendants' right to counsel and the bias of trial court judge. McGrath was the one who sent the telegram to San Quentin informing the Sleepy Lagoon defendants of the successful appeal.
In 1981, McGrath told a Los Angeles Times interviewer that Sleepy Lagoon appeal was "the most important event in my life. If I had never done anything since ... my involvement in Sleepy Lagoon would justify my existence."
Portrayals in the media
McGrath's role in the Sleepy Lagoon case was the focus of the 1978 play Zoot SuitZoot Suit (play)
Zoot Suit is a play written by Luis Valdez, featuring incidental music by Daniel Valdez and Lalo Guerrero, the "father of Chicano music." Zoot Suit is a fictionalized version of the real-life Sleepy Lagoon murder trial – when a group of Chicano youths were charged with a murder that they did...
(debut at the Mark Taper Forum
Mark Taper Forum
The Mark Taper Forum is a 739 seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center built by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of downtown Los Angeles...
) and 1981 motion picture Zoot Suit
Zoot Suit (film)
Zoot Suit is a 1981 filmed version of the Broadway play Zoot Suit. Both the play and film were written and directed by Luis Valdez. The film stars Daniel Valdez, Edward James Olmos — both reprising their roles from the stage production — and Tyne Daly. Many members of the cast of the...
. Actress Tyne Daly
Tyne Daly
Tyne Daly is an American stage and screen actress, widely known for her work as Detective Mary Beth Lacey in the television series Cagney & Lacey and as Maxine Gray in the television series Judging Amy. She is also known for her role as Alice Henderson in television series Christy...
played the part of "Alice Bloomfield" (based on McGrath) in the motion picture. Luis Valdez
Luis Valdez
Luis Valdez is an American playwright, writer and film director.He is regarded as the father of Chicano theater in the United States.-Education:...
, the author of "Zoot Suit," said of McGrath: "She was one of the heroines of the 20th century. In Los Angeles, I can't think of many people who surpass her influence." McGrath's role in the events was also depicted in the film "Zoot Soot Riots" broadcast on PBS as part of the "American Experience" series.
McGrath was also profiled by Studs Turkel in his book Coming of Age: The Story of Our Century By Those Who’ve Lived It.
In 1996, independent filmmaker, Bob Giges, released a documentary film about McGrath's life called "From Sleepy Lagoon to Zoot Suit: The Irreverent Path of Alice McGrath."
Later years
McGrath remained active in progressive issues for more than 50 years. McGrath moved to Ventura, CaliforniaVentura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
in 1970, where she lived for the rest of her life. In 1986, after learning that the local bar association had no pro bono program, she offered to start one and for two years she was a full-time volunteer, working with attorneys and court personnel as a client advocate.
In the 1980s, McGrath developed a passion for Nicaragua and the Sandinista movement. McGrath developed a respect for the social justice programs in Nicaragua. She said, "School was free through college. They had special training for children with disabilities. I thought it was heaven. I fell in love with Nicaragua. I decided to lead delegations there just to see Nicaragua. Doctors to doctors. Teachers to teachers. Farmers to farmers." McGrath led a total of 86 trips to Nicaragua on behalf of 40 different organizations.
McGrath has also held jobs as a publisher's sales representative, production manager for an art film, retail clerk, figure model, and teacher of self-defense for women.
McGrath was married three times. Her first husband was real estate developer, Max Schechter, with whom she had two children, a daughter, Laura D'Auri, and a son, Daniel Schechter. After a divorce, she married Thomas McGrath
Thomas McGrath (poet)
Thomas Matthew McGrath, was a celebrated American poet....
, a college professor and poet who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. The second marriage also ended in divorce. Her third husband, Bruce Tegner, was a martial arts instructor with whom she co-wrote several books on self-defense and martial arts. She held a brown belt in judo.
In November 2009, McGrath died at age 92 after developing a major infection.
McGrath's papers, including correspondence with the Sleepy Lagoon defendants, have been donated to UCLA and are available through the Online Archive of California.