Edward Rumely
Encyclopedia
Edward Aloysius Rumely was a physician, educator, and newspaper man from Indiana
.
, Oxford University, University of Heidelberg. He graduated from the University of Freiburg
, where he received his M.D. in 1906.
he lived on nuts, herbs and other uncooked foods, wore sandals, scanty clothes, under the influence of views espoused by Leo Tolstoy. But he came back with every appearance of normality and founded the Interlaken School at La Porte, the school where boys do all their own work, from carpentry up.
Rumely married one of the teachers at Interlaken in 1910, Fanny Scott. The Interlaken School closed in 1918 due to anti-German sentiment s associated with World War I
. Isamu Noguchi
was one of the last students to enroll at Interlaken before it closed.
. Since he was a good friend of Theodore Roosevelt
, he permitted him to use the newspaper as his mouthpiece. Two other critics wrote articles for the paper were Samuel Sidney McClure and H.L. Mencken.
Rumely's ownership caused him to be part of three major court cases, mostly due to perjury. In July 1918 Rumely was arrested and convicted of violation of the "Trading with the Enemy Act." To get financing for the purchase of the newspaper Rumely was accused of receiving financing from the German government, which Rumely denied, claiming, instead, that he had received money to buy the paper from an American citizen in Germany. He had failed to report this when he received the money. The charge was baseless, and based on perjured testimony. Rumely eventually received a Presidential pardon.
, farm credits in agriculture, and the value of the Constitution. Rumely believed that deflation was destabilizing American agriculture, and that monetary reform was necessary.
To this end, in 1932 he formed and served as executive secretary of the Committee for the Nation for Rebuilding Purchasing Power and Prices. This committee sought to lower the gold content of the dollar by fifty percent and, thus, raise commodity prices. This program relied on Populist notions of how money and prices worked and was disputed by most orthodox economists.gold standard
Franklin Roosevelt followed through on this and took the U.S. off of the gold standard adopted the Agricultural Adjustment Act
to support farm prices.
Rumely and most members of the Committee for the Nation (as it was soon called) turned against Roosevelt's New Deal policies that they considered anti-business. When Roosevelt proposed to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court many Committee members joined together to oppose the plan in the National Committee to Uphold Constitutional Government
in 1937. Rumely still served as executive secretary of this newly renamed and reformed committee.
Rumely was not done yet, in 1941, he helped establish the Committee for Constitutional Government, serving as a trustee and executive secretary. In a mass mailing, the group distributed books and copies of the U.S. Constitution. In a break with Roosevelt over Roosevelt's attempt to increase the size of the Supreme Court, due to the Court's opposition to some of Roosevelt's proposed reforms, Rumely coined the phrase the "court packing plan" and used the CCG to lobby against the increase. Buchanan's House Select Committee on Lobbying Activities requested the names of those who received the book, believing that a tax evasion
movement was involved. Rumely refused to comply, citing the First Amendment
, and was convicted. In the landmark decision of United States v. Rumely, 345 U.S. 41, the Supreme Court
upheld a reversal of conviction made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
test.
Edward A. Rumely died in 1964.
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
Education
Rumely was born at La Porte, Indiana, in 1882. He attended University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, Oxford University, University of Heidelberg. He graduated from the University of Freiburg
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
, where he received his M.D. in 1906.
Interlaken School
It is said that while he studied in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
he lived on nuts, herbs and other uncooked foods, wore sandals, scanty clothes, under the influence of views espoused by Leo Tolstoy. But he came back with every appearance of normality and founded the Interlaken School at La Porte, the school where boys do all their own work, from carpentry up.
Rumely married one of the teachers at Interlaken in 1910, Fanny Scott. The Interlaken School closed in 1918 due to anti-German sentiment s associated with World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Isamu Noguchi
Isamu Noguchi
was a prominent Japanese American artist and landscape architect whose artistic career spanned six decades, from the 1920s onward. Known for his sculpture and public works, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Graham productions, and several mass-produced lamps and furniture pieces,...
was one of the last students to enroll at Interlaken before it closed.
Family Business
While running the school, Rumely was also active in the family tractor business. He used his technological interest to develop the Rumely Oil Pull Farm Tractor, which burned kerosene. The Rumely family lost control of their own company due to Edward's mishandling of the company’s assets. The Rumely Hotel was built in 1913 in La Porte when Edward was still in charge of the family business.Publishing
When the First World war broke out in Europe, Rumely was pro-German and outraged by the pro-British slant of most American newspapers. Thus, in 1915, Rumely bought and became editor-in-chief and publisher of the New York Evening MailNew York Evening Mail
The New York Evening Mail was an American daily newspaper published in New York City.The paper was made up of the New York Evening Express, which dated from 1836, and the Daily Advertiser. It was eventually merged with the Evening Telegram, which became the New York World-Telegram in 1927.From New...
. Since he was a good friend of Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, he permitted him to use the newspaper as his mouthpiece. Two other critics wrote articles for the paper were Samuel Sidney McClure and H.L. Mencken.
Rumely's ownership caused him to be part of three major court cases, mostly due to perjury. In July 1918 Rumely was arrested and convicted of violation of the "Trading with the Enemy Act." To get financing for the purchase of the newspaper Rumely was accused of receiving financing from the German government, which Rumely denied, claiming, instead, that he had received money to buy the paper from an American citizen in Germany. He had failed to report this when he received the money. The charge was baseless, and based on perjured testimony. Rumely eventually received a Presidential pardon.
Work for the Constitution
From 1926 to 1930 Rumely assisted farmers in obtaining loans through the Agricultural Bond and Credit Company. This began his life's work of educating the public on monetary reformMonetary reform
Monetary reform describes any movement or theory that proposes a different system of supplying money and financing the economy from the current system.Monetary reformers may advocate any of the following, among other proposals:...
, farm credits in agriculture, and the value of the Constitution. Rumely believed that deflation was destabilizing American agriculture, and that monetary reform was necessary.
To this end, in 1932 he formed and served as executive secretary of the Committee for the Nation for Rebuilding Purchasing Power and Prices. This committee sought to lower the gold content of the dollar by fifty percent and, thus, raise commodity prices. This program relied on Populist notions of how money and prices worked and was disputed by most orthodox economists.gold standard
Gold standard
The gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is a fixed mass of gold. There are distinct kinds of gold standard...
Franklin Roosevelt followed through on this and took the U.S. off of the gold standard adopted the Agricultural Adjustment Act
Agricultural Adjustment Act
The Agricultural Adjustment Act was a United States federal law of the New Deal era which restricted agricultural production by paying farmers subsidies not to plant part of their land and to kill off excess livestock...
to support farm prices.
Rumely and most members of the Committee for the Nation (as it was soon called) turned against Roosevelt's New Deal policies that they considered anti-business. When Roosevelt proposed to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court many Committee members joined together to oppose the plan in the National Committee to Uphold Constitutional Government
National Committee to Uphold Constitutional Government
The National Committee to Uphold Constitutional Government , also known as the Committee for Constitutional Government , was founded in 1937 in opposition to Franklin D. Roosevelt's Court Packing Bill. The Committee opposed most, if not all, of the New Deal legislation.Founders of the Committee...
in 1937. Rumely still served as executive secretary of this newly renamed and reformed committee.
Rumely was not done yet, in 1941, he helped establish the Committee for Constitutional Government, serving as a trustee and executive secretary. In a mass mailing, the group distributed books and copies of the U.S. Constitution. In a break with Roosevelt over Roosevelt's attempt to increase the size of the Supreme Court, due to the Court's opposition to some of Roosevelt's proposed reforms, Rumely coined the phrase the "court packing plan" and used the CCG to lobby against the increase. Buchanan's House Select Committee on Lobbying Activities requested the names of those who received the book, believing that a tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
movement was involved. Rumely refused to comply, citing the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
, and was convicted. In the landmark decision of United States v. Rumely, 345 U.S. 41, the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
upheld a reversal of conviction made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Retirement
Rumely returned to La Porte in 1959 due to ill health. He spent his remaining years promoting cancer education and helped to spread the word on the effectiveness of the Pap smearPap smear
The Papanicolaou test is a screening test used in to detect pre-cancerous and cancerous processes in the endocervical canal of the female reproductive system. Changes can be treated, thus preventing cervical cancer...
test.
Edward A. Rumely died in 1964.