John S. Sumner
Encyclopedia
John Saxton Sumner headed the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice
(NYSSV), a New York
state censorship body empowered to recommend obscenity cases to the appropriate prosecutors. He served as Associate Secretary of the NYSSV for three years, succeeding founder Anthony Comstock
as Executive Secretary in 1915, upon the latter's death. Sumner retired in 1950; the organization, by then named the Society to Maintain Public Decency, was disbanded shortly thereafter.
, the son of Rear Admiral
George W. Sumner, U.S.N. He was educated in Washington and Brooklyn
. He was admitted to the New York State Bar
in 1904.
Sumner's actions as NYSSV chief were frequently controversial. He didn't win all his cases and was occasionally hit by countersuits from acquitted publishers. Unapologetic, Sumner was quick to defend the NYSSV and its actions. He was quick to enter libel charges against critics who ridiculed him in print. At times, Sumner veered from his central mission of policing obscenity to attack general values of which he disapproved.
At a National Republican Club luncheon broadcast on national radio, playwright Elmer Rice
attacked fellow speaker Sumner, saying, "[Sumner's] job is dependent on his finding vice. If he doesn't find any, his job ceases. Therefore his testimony is no more dependable than that of a prohibition enforcement officer. The obscenity issue is only a smokescreen, hiding an effort to prevent the publication of ideas which are unpleasant to various church groups and to ultra-conservatives."
New York Society for the Suppression of Vice
The New York Society for the Suppression of Vice was an institution dedicated to supervising the morality of the public, founded in 1873. Its specific mission was to monitor compliance with state laws and work with the courts and district attorneys in bringing offenders to justice. It and its...
(NYSSV), a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state censorship body empowered to recommend obscenity cases to the appropriate prosecutors. He served as Associate Secretary of the NYSSV for three years, succeeding founder Anthony Comstock
Anthony Comstock
Anthony Comstock was a United States Postal Inspector and politician dedicated to ideas of Victorian morality.-Biography:...
as Executive Secretary in 1915, upon the latter's death. Sumner retired in 1950; the organization, by then named the Society to Maintain Public Decency, was disbanded shortly thereafter.
Biography
Sumner was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the son of Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
George W. Sumner, U.S.N. He was educated in Washington and Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. He was admitted to the New York State Bar
New York State Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association , with 77,000 members, is the largest voluntary bar association in the United States.-History:The State Bar was founded with a constitution that dates to 1877...
in 1904.
Sumner's actions as NYSSV chief were frequently controversial. He didn't win all his cases and was occasionally hit by countersuits from acquitted publishers. Unapologetic, Sumner was quick to defend the NYSSV and its actions. He was quick to enter libel charges against critics who ridiculed him in print. At times, Sumner veered from his central mission of policing obscenity to attack general values of which he disapproved.
At a National Republican Club luncheon broadcast on national radio, playwright Elmer Rice
Elmer Rice
Elmer Rice was an American playwright. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his 1929 play, Street Scene.-Early years:...
attacked fellow speaker Sumner, saying, "[Sumner's] job is dependent on his finding vice. If he doesn't find any, his job ceases. Therefore his testimony is no more dependable than that of a prohibition enforcement officer. The obscenity issue is only a smokescreen, hiding an effort to prevent the publication of ideas which are unpleasant to various church groups and to ultra-conservatives."
See also
- New York Society for the Suppression of ViceNew York Society for the Suppression of ViceThe New York Society for the Suppression of Vice was an institution dedicated to supervising the morality of the public, founded in 1873. Its specific mission was to monitor compliance with state laws and work with the courts and district attorneys in bringing offenders to justice. It and its...
- Woolf, S.J. "A Vice Suppressor Looks at Our Morals," New York Times, October 9, 1932.