James P. Cannon

James Patrick Cannon (February 11, 1890 – August 21, 1974) was an American Trotskyist and a leader of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP).

Born on February 11, 1890, in Rosedale, Kansas, Cannon was the son of Irish immigrants with strong socialist convictions. He joined the Socialist Party of America (SPA) in 1908 and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in 1911. He was personally trained by "Big Bill" Haywood, a top IWW leader, and was an IWW organizer throughout the Midwest from 1912 to 1914.

Following his expulsion in 1928 from the pro-Stalinist Communist Party USA, Cannon helped establish the American Trotskyist movement. He co-founded and led the Communist League of America, which then merged into the Workers Party of the United States. In 1938, he was elected National Secretary of the Socialist Workers Party. During World War II, he was imprisoned for opposing America's involvement in the conflict. In 1953, Cannon stepped down as National Secretary and moved to California. At the time of his death in Los Angeles in August 1974, he held the position of national chairman emeritus of the SWP. Provided by Wikipedia