Paul Montauk
Encyclopedia
Paul Montauk was an American communist
and lifelong member of the Socialist Workers Party
.
Paul Montauk was born in Staten Island
, New York
, in 1922. His father was a jeweler and watch repairman, whose small business collapsed under the impact of the Great Depression
of the 1930s. After his mother remarried following his father's death, Montauk was raised by an aunt in the Bronx. Montauk was 16 years old when his impoverished aunt threw him on the street. He soon quit school and tried to find full-time work.
Montauk joined the Trotskyist Socialist Workers Party
's Brooklyn
branch in 1939, when he was 17 years old. It was at the outbreak of the Second World War. Faced with the draft, Montauk enlisted in the Navy after discussing his options with party leaders. The Socialist Workers Party’s official stance was to oppose the "imperialist war" and party members who were drafted took the chance to spread socialist propaganda to the other soldiers.
In the early 1950s, Montauk moved to Detroit to build the SWP branch there. The SWP faced the state of Michigan
's 1952 "Trucks Law", which made membership in organizations deemed "subversive" by the government a crime. The SWP waged a successful fight to have the law declared unconstitutional. Prevented by the employers' blacklist from working in the auto industry and being active as a socialist in the United Auto Workers
union, Montauk worked as a chef - a job he would hold off and on for the rest of his life. He participated in socialist election campaigns, and joined with others in the SWP to raise funds to donate cars for use by Black civil rights fighters in Montgomery, Alabama
, during the 1955-56 Montgomery bus boycott
. The party campaigned nationally for cars and donations, and for solidarity with the fighters in Montgomery. Montauk often spoke at public political forums and lectures despite open police and FBI intimidation.
Paul Montauk moved to Oakland
in 1959 and remained in the Bay Area through 1976. Montauk was a leader of party branches in Oakland and Berkeley
. He was the party's candidate for mayor of Oakland in 1961 and 1963.
In 1960 he married Mary Lou Dobbs, his companion for the rest of his life. Before her, Montauk had been married to Louise Keene. Montauk had two daughters, Susan and Juliette, one from each of his marriages.
As the movement against the Vietnam War
developed, particularly on the University of California Berkeley campus, Montauk helped to found the Vietnam Day Committee
, one of the principal anti-war organizations in the Bay Area.
Montauk served as a member of the Socialist Workers Party
's national committee from 1963 to 1973. He and others on the national committee supported a transition in leadership to a younger generation who were shouldering the major day-to-day responsibility for leading the party. Montauk continued to function as part of the broader party leadership after leaving the national committee.
During this time, Paul taught cooking in a Job Corps program. He also studied education, and received a masters degree in education from San Francisco State University
in 1970. He continued to work as a teacher in vocational and public schools, and was an active member of the American Federation of Teachers
for around 15 years. Prior to his retirement in 1995, Paul worked as a permanent substitute teacher at Oakland Technical High School
.
In 1976, Paul and his wife Mary Lou moved to New York
to take assignments needed by the party. Mary Lou worked on party finances. Paul worked in the SWP's national office. Among other assignments he took was in the national education department, where he edited many of the Education for Socialists bulletins used to educate party members in Marxism
.
Montauk supported the SWP’s turn to industry decision, which meant that a vast majority of the party’s members should take traditional working class jobs within the meatpacking, mining and textile industries. Some members didn’t like this idea and left the party.
In the wake of the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union
, representatives of Pathfinder Press traveled to Russia
to "save" books by Marx, Engels, and Lenin from being sold for pulp. In San Francisco, the American Communist Party closed its bookstore. Sensing what was happening, Montauk rushed to arrange to purchase their remaining stock of Marxist literature at fire sale prices.
Montauk health declined over the last decade of his life and the final few years Montauk was afflicted with Parkinson's disease
and other infirmities, but he continued to make an active contribution to the SWP. Paul participated in meetings of the SWP branch in San Francisco until the last two weeks of his life.
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and lifelong member of the Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (United States)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
.
Paul Montauk was born in Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, 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...
, in 1922. His father was a jeweler and watch repairman, whose small business collapsed under the impact of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s. After his mother remarried following his father's death, Montauk was raised by an aunt in the Bronx. Montauk was 16 years old when his impoverished aunt threw him on the street. He soon quit school and tried to find full-time work.
Montauk joined the Trotskyist Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (United States)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
's 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...
branch in 1939, when he was 17 years old. It was at the outbreak of the Second World War. Faced with the draft, Montauk enlisted in the Navy after discussing his options with party leaders. The Socialist Workers Party’s official stance was to oppose the "imperialist war" and party members who were drafted took the chance to spread socialist propaganda to the other soldiers.
In the early 1950s, Montauk moved to Detroit to build the SWP branch there. The SWP faced the state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
's 1952 "Trucks Law", which made membership in organizations deemed "subversive" by the government a crime. The SWP waged a successful fight to have the law declared unconstitutional. Prevented by the employers' blacklist from working in the auto industry and being active as a socialist in the United Auto Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
union, Montauk worked as a chef - a job he would hold off and on for the rest of his life. He participated in socialist election campaigns, and joined with others in the SWP to raise funds to donate cars for use by Black civil rights fighters in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, during the 1955-56 Montgomery bus boycott
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign that started in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, intended to oppose the city's policy of racial segregation on its public transit system. Many important figures in the civil rights movement were involved in the boycott,...
. The party campaigned nationally for cars and donations, and for solidarity with the fighters in Montgomery. Montauk often spoke at public political forums and lectures despite open police and FBI intimidation.
Paul Montauk moved to Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
in 1959 and remained in the Bay Area through 1976. Montauk was a leader of party branches in Oakland and Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. He was the party's candidate for mayor of Oakland in 1961 and 1963.
In 1960 he married Mary Lou Dobbs, his companion for the rest of his life. Before her, Montauk had been married to Louise Keene. Montauk had two daughters, Susan and Juliette, one from each of his marriages.
As the movement against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
developed, particularly on the University of California Berkeley campus, Montauk helped to found the Vietnam Day Committee
Vietnam Day Committee
The Vietnam Day Committee was a coalition of left-wing political groups, student groups, labour organizations, and pacifist religions in the United States of America that opposed the Vietnam War...
, one of the principal anti-war organizations in the Bay Area.
Montauk served as a member of the Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (United States)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
's national committee from 1963 to 1973. He and others on the national committee supported a transition in leadership to a younger generation who were shouldering the major day-to-day responsibility for leading the party. Montauk continued to function as part of the broader party leadership after leaving the national committee.
During this time, Paul taught cooking in a Job Corps program. He also studied education, and received a masters degree in education from San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
in 1970. He continued to work as a teacher in vocational and public schools, and was an active member of the American Federation of Teachers
American Federation of Teachers
The American Federation of Teachers is an American labor union founded in 1916 that represents teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; local, state and federal employees; higher education faculty and staff, and nurses and other healthcare professionals...
for around 15 years. Prior to his retirement in 1995, Paul worked as a permanent substitute teacher at Oakland Technical High School
Oakland Technical High School
Oakland Technical High School, known locally as Oakland Tech, or just simply "Tech", is a public high school in Oakland, California, and is operated under the jurisdiction of the Oakland Unified School District.-Background:...
.
In 1976, Paul and his wife Mary Lou moved to 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...
to take assignments needed by the party. Mary Lou worked on party finances. Paul worked in the SWP's national office. Among other assignments he took was in the national education department, where he edited many of the Education for Socialists bulletins used to educate party members in Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
.
Montauk supported the SWP’s turn to industry decision, which meant that a vast majority of the party’s members should take traditional working class jobs within the meatpacking, mining and textile industries. Some members didn’t like this idea and left the party.
In the wake of the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, representatives of Pathfinder Press traveled to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to "save" books by Marx, Engels, and Lenin from being sold for pulp. In San Francisco, the American Communist Party closed its bookstore. Sensing what was happening, Montauk rushed to arrange to purchase their remaining stock of Marxist literature at fire sale prices.
Montauk health declined over the last decade of his life and the final few years Montauk was afflicted with Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
and other infirmities, but he continued to make an active contribution to the SWP. Paul participated in meetings of the SWP branch in San Francisco until the last two weeks of his life.