Flynn, Elizabeth Gurley (1890-1964), was an American labor leader. In 1961, she became the first woman to head the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA).
Flynn was born on Aug. 7, 1890, in Concord, N.H. Her parents often took her to socialist meetings after the family moved to New York City in 1900. When she was 15 years old, Flynn began to speak on street corners for workers’ rights. In 1906, she joined the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), an early labor union (see Industrial Workers of the World ). She remained active in the IWW for 10 years, during which time she led several strikes.
Many of the people who opposed U.S. involvement in World War I (1914-1918) were accused of disloyalty and sent to prison under the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918. In 1919, Flynn turned her attention toward the legal and political defense of such individuals. Flynn’s experiences with these cases led her to help form the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 1920.
Flynn joined the Communist Party in 1937. After World War II (1939-1945), anti-Communist feeling was high in the United States. Many members, and especially the leaders, of the Communist Party were jailed for violating the Smith Act. Similar to the Espionage and Sedition Acts, the Smith Act was used by the U.S. government in the early years of the Cold War to target opponents of U.S. policy (see Cold War ). Flynn organized and raised money for the defense of these party members. She herself was charged with violating the Smith Act in the early 1950’s and was convicted in 1953. Flynn spent from January 1955 to May 1957 in prison. After her release, Flynn became head of the Communist Party of the United States. She died in Moscow on Sept. 5, 1964, during a visit to the Soviet Union.
