National Student League
Encyclopedia
The National Student League was a Communist
led organization of college and high school students in the United States.
in 1931. The Social Problems Club had begun publishing a new magazine, Frontiers, in March 1931 that contained an anti-ROTC editorial. College president Frederick C. Robinson had copies of the magazine confiscated and suspended the charter of the Social Problems Club. When Club members published a leaflet protesting this, he suspended them as well.
The students formed a broad alliance with left leaning groups in other New York colleges to form a broad protest and letter writing campaign in favor of the suspended students, who were eventually reinstated. They organized themselves permanently as the New York Intercollegiate Student Council, composed of eleven student groups on seven local campuses. Later that fall they reorganized as the New York Student League and finally as the National Student League over the 1931-1932 Christmas break.
Unlike other "mass organizations" of the time, the initial impetus for the NSLs creation did not come from Communist Party or Young Communist League
leadership, but began as a "grassroots" effort of Communist and Communist sympathizing students at CCNY and the other New York colleges. The YCL was focusing more on blue collar
youth at the time and was hesitant about recruiting among "bourgeois" college youth. The YCL approved the groups creation, however, and provided some of the initial contacts to create an inter-campus organization.
miners strike. Inspired by the example of Waldo Frank
and Theodore Dreisers
writers delegation, the group decided to send a student delegation to Harlan County to provide relief for the striking miners and to investigate conditions in the area. About eighty students departed New York for Kentucky by bus on March 23, 1932. The students were met by angry crowds and police embarrassment and were unable to aid the strike, though the trip generated a large amount of publicity for the strike and the NSL.
That April the NSL became active in the campaign to defend Reed Harris
, editor of the Columbia Spectator who had been expelled after writing a series of editorials on conditions in Columbia's dining halls. The NSL quickly came to Harris' defense, organizing protest meetings which drew hundreds of students and, on April 6, 1932, the first collegiate student strike
of the decade. Despite opposition from the faculty, athletes and the local fraternities enough pressure was kept on the Columbia administration until the re-instated Harris on April 20. The NSL participated in a number of free speech fights, protests against student fee hikes and anti-war activity until its merger with the Student League for Industrial Democracy
to form the American Student Union
in December 1935.
One of its most dramatic activities was organizing the National Student Strike Against War on April 13, 1934 and 1935, commemorating American entry into the First World War. The first strike, coordinated with the SLID, drew 25,000 students nationwide, 15,000 of which were in New York City. The second demonstration however, in April 1935, drew 175,000 students, 160,000 were outside of New York, and was co-sponsored by the National Student Federation of America
, the National Council of Methodist Youth, YMCA
, YWCA
, the Interseminary Movement, the youth section of the American League Against War and Fascism
, among others.
An important aspect of the two annual strikes was an Americanized version of the Oxford Pledge, in which students pledged "We will not support the government of the United States in any war it may conduct." This became a point of tension in the period of negotiation on the merger with SLID, because the NSL, following the Comintern
line after the Seventh World Congress in summer 1935, came out in favor of a Popular front against fascism
and Collective security
which seemed at odds with the isolationist and pacifist spirit of the pledge.
anti-socialist rhetoric, and succeeded in getting the LID behind the Congress, as well as many pacifist organizations. The NSLs conference later that month officially proposed a merger.
Despite being rebuffed, they passed another pro-amalgamation resolution the next year. The SLID was initially suspicious of the NSLs proposals; they regarded themselves as the more genuinely democratic group and were weary of the NSL uncritical view of the USSR. Nevertheless after the success of the April 1935 peace strike and growing sentiment in favor of anti-fascist unity in the face of repression, the SLID merged with NSL and a group of unorganized liberal students to form the American Student Union
in December 1935.
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
led organization of college and high school students in the United States.
Origins
The organizations founding came about as a result of a case of censorship on the campus of the City College of New YorkCity College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
in 1931. The Social Problems Club had begun publishing a new magazine, Frontiers, in March 1931 that contained an anti-ROTC editorial. College president Frederick C. Robinson had copies of the magazine confiscated and suspended the charter of the Social Problems Club. When Club members published a leaflet protesting this, he suspended them as well.
The students formed a broad alliance with left leaning groups in other New York colleges to form a broad protest and letter writing campaign in favor of the suspended students, who were eventually reinstated. They organized themselves permanently as the New York Intercollegiate Student Council, composed of eleven student groups on seven local campuses. Later that fall they reorganized as the New York Student League and finally as the National Student League over the 1931-1932 Christmas break.
Unlike other "mass organizations" of the time, the initial impetus for the NSLs creation did not come from Communist Party or Young Communist League
Young Communist League, USA
The Young Communist League USA is the fraternal youth organization of the Communist Party USA. Although the name of the group has changed a number of times over the years, it dates its lineage back to 1920, shortly after the establishment of the first communist parties in America.-Early years:The...
leadership, but began as a "grassroots" effort of Communist and Communist sympathizing students at CCNY and the other New York colleges. The YCL was focusing more on blue collar
Blue collar
Blue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...
youth at the time and was hesitant about recruiting among "bourgeois" college youth. The YCL approved the groups creation, however, and provided some of the initial contacts to create an inter-campus organization.
Activism
The NSL began making a name for itself by involving itself in the TUUL led Harlan CountyHarlan County, Kentucky
Harlan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. As of 2000, the population was 33,200. Its county seat is Harlan...
miners strike. Inspired by the example of Waldo Frank
Waldo Frank
Waldo Frank was a prolific novelist, historian, literary and social critic. Most well-known for his studies of Spanish and Latin American literature, Frank served as chairman of the First Americans Writers Congress and became the first president of the League of American Writers.-Biography:Frank...
and Theodore Dreisers
Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser was an American novelist and journalist of the naturalist school. His novels often featured main characters who succeeded at their objectives despite a lack of a firm moral code, and literary situations that more closely resemble studies of nature than tales of...
writers delegation, the group decided to send a student delegation to Harlan County to provide relief for the striking miners and to investigate conditions in the area. About eighty students departed New York for Kentucky by bus on March 23, 1932. The students were met by angry crowds and police embarrassment and were unable to aid the strike, though the trip generated a large amount of publicity for the strike and the NSL.
That April the NSL became active in the campaign to defend Reed Harris
Reed Harris
Reed Harris was an American writer, publisher, and U.S. government official.Harris was born on November 5, 1909, in New York City. He attended Staunton Military Academy and in 1932 graduated from Columbia College, where he edited the school newspaper, the Columbia Spectator...
, editor of the Columbia Spectator who had been expelled after writing a series of editorials on conditions in Columbia's dining halls. The NSL quickly came to Harris' defense, organizing protest meetings which drew hundreds of students and, on April 6, 1932, the first collegiate student strike
Student strike
A student strike occurs when students enrolled at a teaching institution such as a school, college or university refuse to go to class. This form of strike action is often used as a negotiating tactic in order to put pressure on the governing body of the university, particularly in countries where...
of the decade. Despite opposition from the faculty, athletes and the local fraternities enough pressure was kept on the Columbia administration until the re-instated Harris on April 20. The NSL participated in a number of free speech fights, protests against student fee hikes and anti-war activity until its merger with the Student League for Industrial Democracy
Student League for Industrial Democracy (1930s)
The Intercollegiate League for Industrial Democracy was the official youth section of the League for Industrial Democracy and a de facto junior section of the Socialist Party of America during the 1920s and the first half of the 1930s...
to form the American Student Union
American Student Union
The American Student Union was a national left-wing organization of college students of the 1930s, best remembered for its protest activities against militarism. Founded by a 1935 merger of Communist and Socialist student organizations, the ASU was affiliated with the American Youth Congress...
in December 1935.
One of its most dramatic activities was organizing the National Student Strike Against War on April 13, 1934 and 1935, commemorating American entry into the First World War. The first strike, coordinated with the SLID, drew 25,000 students nationwide, 15,000 of which were in New York City. The second demonstration however, in April 1935, drew 175,000 students, 160,000 were outside of New York, and was co-sponsored by the National Student Federation of America
National Student Federation of America
The National Student Federation of America or NSFA was an association of student government founded in 1925. It was the first national student government association to be formed in the United States....
, the National Council of Methodist Youth, YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, YWCA
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
, the Interseminary Movement, the youth section of the American League Against War and Fascism
American League Against War and Fascism
The American League Against War and Fascism was an organization formed in 1933 by the Communist Party USA and pacifists united by their concern as Nazism and Fascism rose in Europe...
, among others.
An important aspect of the two annual strikes was an Americanized version of the Oxford Pledge, in which students pledged "We will not support the government of the United States in any war it may conduct." This became a point of tension in the period of negotiation on the merger with SLID, because the NSL, following the Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
line after the Seventh World Congress in summer 1935, came out in favor of a Popular front against fascism
Popular front
A popular front is a broad coalition of different political groupings, often made up of leftists and centrists. Being very broad, they can sometimes include centrist and liberal forces as well as socialist and communist groups...
and Collective security
Collective security
Collective security can be understood as a security arrangement, regional or global, in which each state in the system accepts that the security of one is the concern of all, and agrees to join in a collective response to threats to, and breaches of, the peace...
which seemed at odds with the isolationist and pacifist spirit of the pledge.
Merger
With the NSL and the SLID working together so often, sentiment in favor of amalgamation began to form within both groups. The NSL took the first steps toward unity by inviting the LID to the Student Congress Against War in Chicago in December 1932. Though organized on the basis of the Communist-led World Congress Against War, that had been held that August in Amsterdam, the NSL succeeded in toning down the Third PeriodThird Period
The Third Period is a ideological concept adopted by the Communist International at its 6th World Congress, held in Moscow in the summer of 1928....
anti-socialist rhetoric, and succeeded in getting the LID behind the Congress, as well as many pacifist organizations. The NSLs conference later that month officially proposed a merger.
Despite being rebuffed, they passed another pro-amalgamation resolution the next year. The SLID was initially suspicious of the NSLs proposals; they regarded themselves as the more genuinely democratic group and were weary of the NSL uncritical view of the USSR. Nevertheless after the success of the April 1935 peace strike and growing sentiment in favor of anti-fascist unity in the face of repression, the SLID merged with NSL and a group of unorganized liberal students to form the American Student Union
American Student Union
The American Student Union was a national left-wing organization of college students of the 1930s, best remembered for its protest activities against militarism. Founded by a 1935 merger of Communist and Socialist student organizations, the ASU was affiliated with the American Youth Congress...
in December 1935.
Publications
- Student Conference on Negro Student Problems: Report on the Conference and the Program and Resolutions, Adopted at Columbia University, April 17, 1933. New York: National Student Committee Negro Student Problems, 1933.
- Building a Militant Student Movement: Program of the National Student League. New York: National Student League, 1934.
- Students Fight War. New York: National Executive Committee of the National Student League, 1935.
External links
- The Struggle for Free Speech at CCNY, 1931-42 on-line exhibition: Student Rebels