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W. Cleon Skousen

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 68.9.117.21 (talk) at 20:00, 24 July 2010 (→‎Political: why add forward added after his death, maybe add to Beck's bio). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

W. Cleon Skousen
OccupationLaw enforcement
University professor
Political speaker
CitizenshipUnited States
EducationLawyer
Alma materSan Bernardino Valley College
George Washington University Law School
GenrePolitics
Religion
SubjectAnti-communism
Conspiracy theories
American history
Latter Day Saints religion
Notable worksFive Thousand Year Leap
The Naked Communist
SpouseJewel Pitcher (m. 1936)
ChildrenEight
RelativesNephews: Joel Skousen, Royal Skousen, Mark Skousen
Website
http://www.skousen2000.com/biography.htm

Willard Cleon Skousen (January 20, 1913 – January 9, 2006) was an American author and conservative political commentator.

Skousen was an anti-communist supporter of the John Birch Society,[1] whose works involved a wide range of subjects including the Six-Day War, Mormon eschatology, New World Order conspiracies, and even parenting.[2] His most popular works are The 5,000 Year Leap and The Naked Communist.

Early life and education

Skousen was born on a dryland farm in Raymond, Alberta, Canada, the second of nine children of Royal Pratt and Margarita Bentley Skousen, who were U.S. citizens.[3]. He lived in Canada until he was ten years old, then moved with his family to California. In 1926, Skousen went to the Mormon colony, Colonia Juarez, Mexico for two years to help his seriously ill grandmother. While there, he attended the Juarez Academy. Skousen then returned to California, graduating from high school in 1930. At the age of 17 he traveled to Great Britain as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[4][5]

After completing his missionary service, Skousen attended San Bernardino Valley Jr. College, graduating in 1935. He married Jewel Pitcher in August 1936, and they raised eight children together. He graduated with an LL.B. from George Washington University Law School in June 1940 (the school updated his degree as Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 1972 with its degree nomenclature).[6]

Professional life

In June 1935, Skousen went to work for the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, a New Deal program to subsidize farmers.[7] Soon thereafter, he found employment with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), working as a messenger while attending law school at night. In 1940, after getting his law degree and passing the Washington D.C. bar exam, he became an FBI Special Agent.[5] FBI memos have described his work at the Bureau as mainly clerical and administrative.[8] Skousen left the FBI in 1951. Ironically, the FBI would maintain a file on Skousen that would come to number more than 2,000 pages.[8]

From 1951 to 1955, he taught at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. In 1956, Salt Lake City mayor Adiel Stewart hired Skousen to serve as Police Chief in the wake of a police department scandal.[5] Skousen was a well-respected police chief for nearly four years.[9] In 1960, newly-elected mayor J. Bracken Lee dismissed Skousen shortly after Skousen raided an illegal poker club where Lee was in attendance.[10][11] National Review commentator Mark Hemingway characterized the gathering as "a friendly card game."[12] Skousen supporters protested the abrupt firing by disrupting a city council meeting[13] and planting burning crosses on Lee's lawn.[14] Lee characterized Skousen's strict enforcement of anti-gambling laws as Gestapo-like[9][15]. Lee said that although Skousen was an anti-communist, he "ran the police department in exactly the same manner as the Communists in Russia operate their government."[12] Time magazine reported in 1960 that Skousen's "real offense seemed to be that he had failed to show enough enthusiasm for Lee's determination to slash the police-department budget." [9] Lee told a friend that Skousen was "one of the greatest spenders of public funds of anyone who ever served in any capacity in Salt Lake City government", and a "master of half truths".[12] According to the NCCS, (an organization founded by Skousen), Skousen had eliminated the sources of illegal activity in the city by 1959.[16] After Skousen's firing (according to the NCCS), his model police programs were dismantled, and crime increased, on the average, by 22%.[16]

Skousen continued his involvement in law enforcement issues by working as the editor of the police journal, "Law and Order," for fifteen years. He also served as Field Director for the American Security Council He returned to Brigham Young University as a Professor in the Religion Department in 1967, retiring in 1978.

Political life

Throughout the 1960s, Skousen was admired by members and leaders of the John Birch Society although members of the more mainstream conservative movement — notably William F. Buckley[12] and the American Security Council[8] — snubbed Skousen out of fear that his conspiracy theory views would hurt the credibility of the conservative movement. Skousen used Birch Society magazines as source and reference material,[5] and was pictured on the cover of its magazine, American Interest. Although he was never officially a member of the organization, he was a member of its speakers' bureau and lectured at John Birch Society events throughout the United States for many years. A 1962 FBI memo described Skousen as affiliating with an "extreme right-wing" group which was promoting "anticommunisum for obvious financial purposes"[8] Skousen authored a pamphlet titled The Communist Attack on the John Birch Society, characterizing criticism of the Society as incipient communism.[12]

Following the U.S. presidential election of 1980, Skousen was appointed to the Council for National Policy, a think tank composed of politicians, scholars and academics who supported the political views of President Ronald Reagan and offered advice and policy proposals to his administration. Skousen's proposals included a plan to convert the Social Security system to private retirement accounts, as well as a plan that he claimed would completely wipe out the national debt.

Although Skousen was not a tax protester, he did campaign for several proposals to eliminate the federal income tax. One proposal, the Liberty Amendment, precluded the federal government from involvement in any activities that competed with private enterprise and returned federally-owned land to the states.

In 1970, the LDS church was under considerable attack for its refusal to ordain blacks into its priesthood. In response, Skousen penned an article “The Communist Attack on the Mormons” in which he accused critics of “distorting the religious tenet of the Church regarding the Negro and blowing it up to ridiculous proportions” and of serving as Communist dupes.[12] The LDS church reversed its stance in 1978.

In 1971, Skousen founded a non-profit educational foundation, "The Freeman Institute" which sought to provide students a place to read both sides of any political issue from original sources. In 1982, the institute became the National Center for Constitutional Studies (NCCS), a national organization headquartered in Malta, Idaho.[17]

While the LDS had been extremely supportive of Skousen in the 1960s and early 1970s, by 1979, the First Presidency sought to distance itself from the controversial writer and Brigham Young University professor. It issued a letter against promoting Skousen in LDS wards and temples, stating: “This instruction is not intended to express any disapproval of the right of the Freemen Institute and its lecturers to conduct such meetings or of the contents of the lectures. The only purpose is to make certain that neither Church facilities nor Church meetings are used to advertise such events and to avoid any implication that the Church endorses what is said during such lectures.”[12]

Skousen was a member of the Meadeau View Institute, but resigned citing "irregularities" in management.[18] While at the Institute, he mentored Oliver DeMille, and his influence helped shape George Wythe University, a private, unaccredited university in Cedar City, Utah, which grew out of the Meadeau View. Skousen's books are still used as texts at the school.[19][20]

Views

From The Naked Capitalist, Skousen's review
of Carroll Quigley’s Tragedy and Hope

“Power from any source tends to create an appetite for additional power... It was almost inevitable that the super-rich would one day aspire to control not only their own wealth, but the wealth of the whole world.”[21] “As I see it, the great contribution which Dr. Carroll Quigley unintentionally made[...]was to help the ordinary American people realize the utter contempt which the network leaders have for ordinary people. Human beings are treated en masse as helpless puppets on an international chess board where giants of economic and political power subject them to wars, revolution, civil strife, confiscation, subversion, indoctrination, manipulation and outright deception as it suits their fancy and their concocted schemes for world domination.”[22]

Skousen spoke against communism,[23] throughout his career. He stood fast with John Birch Society co-founder Robert W. Welch Jr.'s contention that President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a communist agent. He did not believe the U.S. should establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, claiming that the U.S. State Department was engaging in treason with respect to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's visit to "his old friend Mao Tse-tung." [24] In the 1970s, he spoke to a Latter-day Saint group aboard a cruise ship returning from Israel, stating that the previous ten U.S. national elections had been illegitimate because voters had not truly had a choice. He also referred to what he argued was the betrayal of Chiang Kai-shek.[25]

Skousen spoke of billionaire banker David Rockefeller as being one of the most powerful men in the world. Skousen criticized Rockefeller for praising Mao Zedong in a 1973 New York Times article, in which he stated that the communist leader was one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century.[26] Later Skousen claimed that the Rockefellers and Wall Street had conspired to elect Jimmy Carter president.[12] Skousen was also known as a strong supporter of law and order and believed that local police departments were being undermined in order to promote a national police state.[5]

Skousen has had some vocal critics. In 2007, National Review commentator Mark Hemingway labeled Skousen an "...all-around nutjob", while remarking that The Naked Communist was "so irrational in its paranoia that it would have made Whittaker Chambers blush."[12]

Writings

Skousen authored The Naked Communist and was the source of the publication "1963 Communist Goals" list.[27] In 1970, he wrote The Naked Capitalist based on the book Tragedy and Hope by Carroll Quigley, which claimed that top Western merchant bankers, industrialists and related institutions were behind the rise of Communism and Fascism around the world.[28] The Naked Capitalist has been cited by many, including Cleon Skousen's nephew Joel Skousen, as proof of a "New World Order" strategy to create a One World Government.

In 1987, controversy erupted in California when the state briefly considered using Skousen's book, The Making of America, as a textbook for California schools. Statements in the book regarding slavery, and its use of the term "pickaninny" as a label for slave children engendered a heated debate as to whether the book was appropriate. The state commission's Executive Director, a former colleague of Skousen at the National Center for Constitutional Studies, asserted that these statements were "largely taken out of context" from a 1934 essay on slavery by the historian Fred Albert Shannon that Skousen had included in his book.[29][30] Skousen highlights the global history of slavery as independent of color or race in The Making Of America claiming that "... the emancipation of human beings from slavery is an ongoing struggle. Slavery is not a racial problem. It is a human problem."[31]

In fall of 2007, political commentator Glenn Beck began promoting The 5,000 Year Leap on his show, describing it as "divinely inspired" and written by someone "much more intelligent than myself".[32] That book claims that the U.S. Constitution was actually based on Christian virtue as well as Enlightenment philosophy.[8] Skousen's son Paul Skousen asked Beck to write the foreword for a new edition of the book. Texas Governor Rick Perry has also promoted the book.[33][34]

After Glenn Beck began promoting Skousen's The 5,000 Year Leap in March 2009, it went to number one in sales on the Amazon.com charts and stayed in the top 15 throughout the following summer. In September 2009, the book was being sold at 9-12 Project meetings and was often used as source material for 9-12 Project speakers.[8]

Selected writings

Political

  • Skousen, W. Cleon (2009-03-19). The Five Thousand Year Leap. Franklin, Tennessee: American Documents Publishing, LLC. p. 356. ISBN 0981559662. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |editors= ignored (|editor= suggested) (help)
  • The Making of America: The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution (2nd ed.). Malta, Idaho: National Center for Constitutional Studies. 1985. p. 888. ISBN 0880800178.
  • The Miracle of America (Paperback ed.). National Center for Constitutional Studies. 1977. ASIN: B000J5A9XY
  • The Naked Communist (11th ed.). Salt Lake City, Utah: Ensign. 1962. p. 408. ASIN: B000NKE3M
  • The Naked Capitalist. self-published. 1962. ASIN: B000GDX9D6

Religious

  • Brother Joseph: Seer of New Dispensation (Volume 1). Pleasant Grove, Utah: Verity Publishing. 2007. ISBN 978-0934364270. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Treasures from The Book of Mormon Volume 1 (First Nephi-jacob 7) (Paperback ed.). Salt Lake City, Utah: Ensign Publishing. 1998. p. 329. ASIN: B000Q8120S
  • A Personal Search for the Meaning of the Atonement (Audio cassette ed.). {{cite book}}: Text "Ensign Productions" ignored (help); Text "publisher" ignored (help) ASIN: B000QXLQYA
  • So You Want To Raise A Boy? (1994 ed.). Salt Lake City, Utah: Ensign. p. 346. ISBN 978-0934364157.
  • Isaiah Speaks to Modern Times. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ensign. 1984. {{cite book}}: Text "isb978-0910558259" ignored (help)
  • The Third Thousand Years. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. 1964. ISBN 0884941221.
  • The Fourth Thousand Years: From David to Christ. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. 1966. ISBN 0884941477.
  • The Real Story of Christmas; and Authoritative Historical Sources Compiled from The Scriptures. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Co. 1958. ASIN: B000WLY4UY
  • The First Two Thousand Years. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. 1953. ISBN 0884940292.
  • Prophecy and Modern Times. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Books. 1948. p. 150. ASIN: B0007EXO02

Notable relatives

Skousen has several notable nephews including Joel Skousen, a survivalist and political author; Royal Skousen, a linguist; Mark Skousen, a libertarian economist and author; and Neil Skousen, a Utah attorney.

See also

References

  1. ^ Skousen, Cleon (1963), The Communist Attack on the John Birch Society
  2. ^ Zaitchik, Alexander (September 16, 2009), "Meet the Man who Changed Glenn Beck's Life", Salon Magazine
  3. ^ "Death: Rita Skousen Miller". Deseret News. 1998-05-08. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
  4. ^ Skousen, Eric N. (2006-01-14). "Eulogy for Dr. W. Cleon Skousen". Skousen2000.com. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
  5. ^ a b c d e Mass, Warren (2006-04-06). "In Memoriam: He definitely made a difference". The New American. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  6. ^ "W. Cleon Skousen 1913-2006 Biography". Retrieved 2009-11-19. {{cite web}}: Text "Official website of W. Cleon Skousen" ignored (help)
  7. ^ The agency made payments to farmers for letting fields lie fallow "Farming in the 1930s". Living History Farm. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Zaitchik, Alexander (2009-09-16). "Meet the man who changed Glenn Beck's life". News Feature. Salon. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
  9. ^ a b c Staff writer (1960-04-04). "Utah: Nettled Nickel-Nipper". Time. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  10. ^ Haddock, Sharon (2009-03-20). "Beck's backing bumps Skousen book to top". Deseret News. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  11. ^ "Political Feud in Salt Lake City: J. Bracken Lee and the Firing of W. Cleon Skousen", Utah Historical Quarterly, Volume 42, No. 4, 1974, p. 316 article by Dennis L. Lythgoe
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hemingway, Mark (2007-08-06). "Romney's Radical Roots". National Review Online. Retrieved 2009-02-16. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ "Chief Skousen Order Holds Despite Protest". Deseret News Salt Lake Telegram. 1960-03-22. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
  14. ^ Lythgoe, Dennis (1994-09-13). "`Brack' Has Been A Fiery Presence In Utah". Deseret News. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
  15. ^ Drum, Kevin (2005-02-24). "Review of Before the Storm". Political Animal. Washington Monthly. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  16. ^ a b "In Memoriam of W. Cleon Skousen". Newsletter. National Center for Constitutional Studies. 2006-02. Retrieved 2009-11-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "National Center for Constitutional Studies Home Page". NCCS.net. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
  18. ^ Parkinson, Paul (1994-07-26). "Backers Tried In Vain To Recover Losses". Deseret News. Retrieved 19 November 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "Master of Arts, Political Economy Graduation Requirements". George Wythe University. 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  20. ^ "The Freshman Year". George Wythe University. 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  21. ^ "Third World Traveler: Excerpt from Naked Capitalist". ThirdWorldTraveler.com. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  22. ^ "Skousen American Education Foundation: Naked Capitalist". Skousen2000.com. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  23. ^ Skousen, W. Cleon (1958). The Naked Communist. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ensign Publishing Co.
  24. ^ Staff writer (1973-11-15). "Visit to Mao". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  25. ^ "Speech by Dr. W. Cleon Skousen". Google Videos. circa 1976. Retrieved 2009-11-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ "Cleon Skousen vs. David Rockefeller". Speech. YouTube. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  27. ^ Skousen, W. Cleon (2009-10-28). "Communist Goals as read into the Congressional Record". Representative Wally Herger (R-CA 2nd). Retrieved 2009-11-29.
  28. ^ Skousen's aim in writing The Naked Capitalist was to summarize the ideas in Carroll Quigley's books Tragedy and Hope and The Anglo-American Establishment and thus make them accessible to a wider audience, (see Warren Mass's article in the New American). However, Quigley disavowed Skousen's interpretations of his work."Round Table Review: The Naked Capitalist". University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library. 1970. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  29. ^ "Probe Ordered in State Panel's Sale of 'Racist' Book". Retrieved August 12, 2009.
  30. ^ Bishop, Katherine (February 16, 1987). "Bicentennial Panel In California Assailed Over 'Racist' Textbook". The New York Times. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
  31. ^ Skousen, W. Cleon. The Making of America. p. 728.
  32. ^ "The 5000 Year Leap". Retrieved September 15, 2009.
  33. ^ "Rick Perry's radical right-wing reader". Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  34. ^ "Fiscal Conservatism and the Soul of the GOP". Retrieved September 24, 2009.
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