George R. Kirkpatrick

George Ross "Kirk" Kirkpatrick (February 24, 1867 – March 23, 1937) was an American educator, anti-militarist writer and political activist. He is best remembered as the 1916 vice presidential nominee of the Socialist Party of America. He was briefly the Executive Secretary of that organization from November 1925 until May 1926.

Early years

George Ross Kirkpatrick was born February 24, 1867, in West Lafayette, Ohio, the son of a farmer. He attended Allegheny College Preparatory School before enrolling in Ohio Wesleyan University. He received his bachelor's degree from Albion College and did graduate coursework at Vanderbilt University and the University of Chicago.

Upon graduation, Kirkpatrick worked as a teacher at Kansas Methodist College and Ripon College for 4 years before moving to the Socialist Party-affiliated Rand School of Social Science in New York City.

Political career

Kirkpatrick joined the Socialist Party of America in 1903. For nearly 20 years thereafter Kirkpatrick traveled across America as a lecturer for the party, speaking to general audiences on the topic of militarism and other political and economic questions.

In 1910 he self-published his first full-length book, a blistering attack on militarism called War — What For? The first printing of 2500 copies sold out almost immediately and the book was subsequently reprinted many times over the course of the decade.

Kirkpatrick's first book would be his best known, touted by Socialist journalist William M. Feigenbaum "one of the really great works of the spirit in American history." Feigenbaum recalled: