Bill Busick
Bill Busick | |
|---|---|
 Busick in 1937 | |
| Chairman of the Socialist Party of California | |
| In office September 27, 1930 – c. June 1932 | |
| Preceded by | Cameron H. King |
| Succeeded by | Chaim Shapiro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 26, 1904 Elyria, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | June 28, 1974 (aged 70) Alameda, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Socialist |
| Education | Oberlin College |
| Occupation | Labor organizer, restaurant owner |
William Wesley Busick[1] (May 26, 1904 – June 28, 1974)[2] was an American labor organizer and Socialist Party functionary who served as state chairman of the Socialist Party of California from 1930[3] to 1932.[4][5][6] He ran against Republican Clarence N. Wakefield for State Assembly in 1930, polling 38% of the vote, the best showing of any Socialist candidate in the state.[7] He was one of the leaders of a 1937 sit-down strike at the Douglas Aircraft Company plant in Santa Monica.[8]
Twenty years later Busick, now a restaurant owner and taxpayers' rights advocate, returned to politics when he ran a write-in campaign for governor of California in the 1966 election. Running as an independent Democrat, he presented himself as a protest vote against incumbent governor Pat Brown, who he claimed did not have the confidence of his party.[9]
Fred Okrand, former legal director of the ACLU of Southern California, remembered Busick as "a dynamic speaker, very articulate, [who] carried himself very well."[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 for William Wesley Busick". ancestry.com. St. Louis: National Archives. 14 February 1942. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ "William W Busick in the California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997". ancestry.com. Sacramento: State of California. 1974. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ "One Woman Conducts Whole Convention For Socialists At Capitol". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento. 27 September 1930. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ "Plan Socialist rally". The Indianapolis Times. Indianapolis. 3 June 1932. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ "Lecture". The Daily Bulletin. North Platte. 15 June 1932. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ "Socialist Talk To Be Offered Tonight". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. Los Angeles. 22 September 1932. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ "November 4, 1930". joincalifornia.com. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ "Big Fines Imposed On 22 Sitdowners". San Pedro News Pilot. San Pedro. 29 December 1937. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ "Busick Will Open Write-In Campaign". Oakland Tribune. Oakland. 2 October 1966. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ Balter, Michael (February 7, 1982). "Forty Years Defending the Constitution: Fred Okrand - Tape Number: II, Side One". cdlib.org. The Regents of the University of California. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
External links
[edit]- Our Campaigns - Busick, William W.
- JoinCalifornia - William W. Busick
- Ancestry - William Busick
Media related to Bill Busick at Wikimedia Commons
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