The Southern Publicity Association was a fund-raising agency whose clients included the Anti-Saloon League, the Ku Klux Klan, the Red Cross. The firm was owned and operated by Edward Young Clarke and Mary Elizabeth Tyler. While working with the Klan during its resurgence in the 1920s, the agency was paid for signing up members. They organized recruiters on the national level who were also paid a commission. Their Klan recruitment operation was largely successful in the Southern United States.[1]
Founding member Elizabeth Tyler was the first major female Klan leader of the 1920s and Edward Clarke had previous experience with fraternal organizations, having previously worked with the Woodmen of the World. Tyler herself was a member of the Daughters of America, which was a female organization associated with the Junior Order of United American Mechanics (an anti-Catholic fraternal organization). When Tyler and Clarke first met, Clarke was a festival organizer in the American South.[2] They met when they were both involved in the "great Harvest Festival" in Atlanta, Georgia. Together they created the Southern Publicity Association. During the early years of the Association, they worked with low-revenue generating clients like the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the YMCA.[3]
Ku Klux Klanedit
They entered into a contract with William Joseph Simmons, agreeing to recruit members for the Klan in exchange for a percentage of the $10 initiation fee. Within six months they had recruited 85,000 new members for the Klan. They accomplished this by expanding the Klan's traditional Reconstruction era hatred of blacks. During this period of the Klan's second resurgence, under the guidance of the Southern Publicity Association, the Klan targeted Catholics, Jews, nonwhites, Bolsheviks and immigrants. Paid organizers, called Kleagles would identify sources of conflict for native-born White Protestants on the community level, and target those groups in their recruitment campaigns.[4]
Tyler has said that the Association was first put in touch with Simmons after her son-in-law joined the Klan. She has said:
We found Colonel Simmons was having a hard time [getting] along. He couldn't pay his rent. The receipts were not sufficient to take care of his personal needs. He was a minister and a clean living and thinking man, and he was heart and soul for the success of the Ku Klux Klan. After we had investigated it from every angle, we decided to go into it with Colonel Simmons and give it the impetus that it could best get from publicity.[3]
Their campaign to promote the Klan emphasized anti-Catholiscm and "one hundred percent Americanism". They promoted the Klan's image of guarding socially conservative values by advertising Klan opposition to bootlegging, gambling, drugs, sexual liberty, Sabbath violation, non-traditional gender roles and "virtually anything and everything that might be deemed morally scandalous."[5]
Other Clientsedit
The Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association, who sued Clarke alleging that he had embezzled $1,000 and claiming another $4,000 was unaccounted for[3]
Blee, Kathleen M. (2008). Women of the Klan: Racism and Gender in the 1920s. University of California Press. ISBN978-0-520-94292-9.
Cooper Jr, William J.; Terrill, Thomas E.; Childers, Christopher (2016). The American South: A History, Volume II: From Reconstruction to the Present. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN978-1-4422-6230-0.
Wade, Wyn Craig (1998). The Fiery Cross: The Ku Klux Klan in America. Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-512357-9.
Flora, Joseph (2002). The Companion to Southern Literature. Louisiana State University Press. ISBN9780807126929.
February 16, 2024
southern, publicity, association, fund, raising, agency, whose, clients, included, anti, saloon, league, klux, klan, cross, firm, owned, operated, edward, young, clarke, mary, elizabeth, tyler, while, working, with, klan, during, resurgence, 1920s, agency, pai. The Southern Publicity Association was a fund raising agency whose clients included the Anti Saloon League the Ku Klux Klan the Red Cross The firm was owned and operated by Edward Young Clarke and Mary Elizabeth Tyler While working with the Klan during its resurgence in the 1920s the agency was paid for signing up members They organized recruiters on the national level who were also paid a commission Their Klan recruitment operation was largely successful in the Southern United States 1 Contents 1 Background 2 Ku Klux Klan 3 Other Clients 4 Notes 5 ReferencesBackground editFounding member Elizabeth Tyler was the first major female Klan leader of the 1920s and Edward Clarke had previous experience with fraternal organizations having previously worked with the Woodmen of the World Tyler herself was a member of the Daughters of America which was a female organization associated with the Junior Order of United American Mechanics an anti Catholic fraternal organization When Tyler and Clarke first met Clarke was a festival organizer in the American South 2 They met when they were both involved in the great Harvest Festival in Atlanta Georgia Together they created the Southern Publicity Association During the early years of the Association they worked with low revenue generating clients like the Red Cross the Salvation Army and the YMCA 3 Ku Klux Klan editThey entered into a contract with William Joseph Simmons agreeing to recruit members for the Klan in exchange for a percentage of the 10 initiation fee Within six months they had recruited 85 000 new members for the Klan They accomplished this by expanding the Klan s traditional Reconstruction era hatred of blacks During this period of the Klan s second resurgence under the guidance of the Southern Publicity Association the Klan targeted Catholics Jews nonwhites Bolsheviks and immigrants Paid organizers called Kleagles would identify sources of conflict for native born White Protestants on the community level and target those groups in their recruitment campaigns 4 Tyler has said that the Association was first put in touch with Simmons after her son in law joined the Klan She has said We found Colonel Simmons was having a hard time getting along He couldn t pay his rent The receipts were not sufficient to take care of his personal needs He was a minister and a clean living and thinking man and he was heart and soul for the success of the Ku Klux Klan After we had investigated it from every angle we decided to go into it with Colonel Simmons and give it the impetus that it could best get from publicity 3 Their campaign to promote the Klan emphasized anti Catholiscm and one hundred percent Americanism They promoted the Klan s image of guarding socially conservative values by advertising Klan opposition to bootlegging gambling drugs sexual liberty Sabbath violation non traditional gender roles and virtually anything and everything that might be deemed morally scandalous 5 Other Clients editThe Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association who sued Clarke alleging that he had embezzled 1 000 and claiming another 4 000 was unaccounted for 3 The Armenian Relief Fund 3 Notes edit Cooper Jr Terrill amp Childers 2016 p 686 Blee 2008 p 20 a b c d Wade 1998 p 154 Blee 2008 p 21 Flora 2002 p 411 References editBlee Kathleen M 2008 Women of the Klan Racism and Gender in the 1920s University of California Press ISBN 978 0 520 94292 9 Cooper Jr William J Terrill Thomas E Childers Christopher 2016 The American South A History Volume II From Reconstruction to the Present Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 978 1 4422 6230 0 Wade Wyn Craig 1998 The Fiery Cross The Ku Klux Klan in America Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 512357 9 Flora Joseph 2002 The Companion to Southern Literature Louisiana State University Press ISBN 9780807126929 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Southern Publicity Association amp oldid 1195159594, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
