▁attended ▁public ▁elementary ▁school ▁and ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁Min ne apolis . ▁He ▁married ▁L yd ia ▁Winter ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 2 8 . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Social ist ▁ ▁The ▁young ▁man ▁was ▁rad ically ▁incl ined ▁from ▁an ▁early ▁age , ▁joining ▁the ▁Social ist ▁Party ▁of ▁America ' s ▁youth ▁section , ▁the ▁Young ▁People ' s ▁Social ist ▁League ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁the ▁Social ist ▁Party ▁itself ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Work ers ▁of ▁the ▁World . ▁He ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Minnesota ▁for ▁two ▁years , ▁st arring ▁on ▁the ▁football ▁team . ▁The ▁radical ▁A bern ▁sta unch ly ▁opposed ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁and ▁following ▁American ▁entry ▁into ▁that ▁conflict ▁he ▁refused ▁induction ▁into ▁the ▁military ▁on ▁political ▁grounds . ▁This ▁ref us al ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁military ▁resulted ▁in ▁his ▁exp ulsion ▁from ▁the ▁university ▁and ▁ultimately ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁six - month ▁prison ▁term . ▁ ▁Commun ist ▁A bern ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁of ▁America ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁its ▁establishment ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁or ▁shortly ▁there after . ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁the ▁US ▁Department ▁of ▁Justice ▁attempted ▁to ▁make ▁A bern ▁a ▁test ▁case ▁for ▁the ▁deport ation ▁of ▁al ien ▁radical s ▁cit ing ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁membership ▁as ▁sole ▁grounds ▁for ▁action . ▁He ▁was ▁saved ▁from