▁included ▁serving ▁as ▁ ▁General ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁USA ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁He ▁was ▁previously ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Social ist ▁Party ▁of ▁America ▁and ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Work ers ▁of ▁the ▁World , ▁leading ▁the ▁drive ▁to ▁organ ize ▁the ▁pack ing house ▁industry ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁and ▁the ▁steel ▁strike ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁William ▁Edward ▁F oster ▁in ▁Ta un ton , ▁Massachusetts ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁February ▁ 1 8 8 1 , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁Fen ian , ▁James ▁F oster , ▁who ▁had ▁fled ▁County ▁Car low ▁after ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁the ▁revolution ary ▁Fen ian ▁R ising ▁in ▁Ireland ▁and ▁the ▁waves ▁of ▁arr ests ▁that ▁drove ▁hundreds ▁of ▁others ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁His ▁mother , ▁Elizabeth ▁Mc L ough lin , ▁was ▁an ▁English ▁Catholic ▁text ile ▁worker . ▁During ▁his ▁per ip at etic ▁child hood ▁his ▁mother ▁had ▁nine ▁surv iving ▁children ▁of ▁ 2 3 ▁b ab ies ▁she ▁bore . ▁ ▁His ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁Irish ▁area ▁of ▁Sk itter een ▁in ▁Philadelphia , ▁where ▁his ▁father ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁stable man ▁and ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Irish - American ▁Fen ians . ▁F oster ▁left ▁school ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ten ▁to ▁app rent ice ▁himself ▁to ▁a ▁d ye ▁sink er . ▁F oster ▁left ▁that ▁position ▁three