Thomas Van Lear

Thomas H. Van Lear (April 26, 1869 – March 4, 1931) was an American politician who served as the 28th Mayor of Minneapolis from January 1, 1917 to January 6, 1919. Van Lear was a member of the Socialist Party of America.

Thomas Van Lear
26th Mayor of Minneapolis
In office January 1, 1917 – January 6, 1919
Preceded by	Wallace G. Nye
Succeeded by	J. E. Meyers
Personal details
Born	(1869-04-26)April 26, 1869 Maryland, U.S.
Died	March 4, 1931(1931-03-04) (aged 61) Miami, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Socialist
Profession	Machinist, politician

Early life

Van Lear was born in Maryland in 1869. As a boy, he worked in the area's coal mines and, at the age of 18, he joined the Knights of Labor. He later served in the United States Army (including a year during the Spanish–American War) before relocating to Minneapolis to work as a machinist. He soon became active with the International Association of Machinists and other trade and union groups in the city.^[1]

Career

Van Lear led two unsuccessful campaigns for the mayoralty before he was elected on November 7, 1916, with over 33,000 votes.^{[citation needed]} Van Lear did not win control of the city council, and Sheriff Otto Langum worked closely with the Minneapolis Citizens' Alliance, an anti-labor coalition of wealthy business magnates.^{[citation needed]} In office, Van Lear welcomed the People's Council of America for Democracy and the Terms of Peace to Minneapolis and refused to approve a law that would effectively ban the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).^{[citation needed]} The only Socialist mayor in the city's history, Van Lear was defeated for re-election in 1918, amid accusations that he and his supporters secretly desired a German victory in World War I.^{[citation needed][why?]} Van Lear was expelled from the Socialist Party of America in 1918. At the time, the Socialist Party was against entering World War 1, and Van Lear was in favor, causing conflict between him and the party.^[2] He later helped to form a local section of the Nonpartisan League that firmly supported the policies of Democratic President Woodrow Wilson.^{[citation needed]}

In 1919, Van Lear worked with Herbert Gaston to found the populist Minnesota Daily Star newspaper. The first issue was printed in August 1920. While the paper had some success as a political tool, it had a difficult time attracting advertisers and went bankrupt in 1924.^[3]

Death

Van Lear died on March 4, 1931.^[4]

See also

• List of elected socialist mayors in the United States