Arnold Petersen
Introduction '''Arnold Petersen''' (April 16, 1885 – February 5, 1976) was the National Secretary of the Socialist Labor Party of America from 1914 to 1969.Petersen played a major role as spokesman for that party and as a promoter of the De Leonist version of Marxist theory in the 20th century.
Biography Arnold Petersen was born in Odense, Denmark, the son of a tailor. After graduating college, he immigrated to the United States and worked in a paper box factory. In 1907, he joined the Socialist Labor Party.Daniel De Leon nominated Petersen to be national secretary a few months before his death in May 1914.As national secretary, Petersen restructured the party and saved it from bankruptcy. He was also a prolific author, writing over fifty books, including a series of biographical monographs on De Leon, collected as ''Daniel De Leon: Social Architect''.When he retired as Socialist Labor Party of America leader in 1969, he had been the organizations leader for fifty five of the organization's ninety-four years of existence, and seventy-nine years as a "De Leonist" organization (which the party dates from 1890).A longtime resident of Teaneck, New Jersey, he died on February 5, 1976, in Paterson, New Jersey.
Selected works *''Unemployment and overproduction'' (1930)*''The virus of anarchy: Bakuninism vs. Marxism'' (1932)*''Manifesto on War. Decay and corruption of international capitalism'' (1937)* ''Constitution of the United States : Founding of the Bourgeois Republic'' New York : New York Labor News Company, 1937* ''Daniel De Leon: From Reform to Revolution 1886–1936'' New York: New York Labor News Co., 1937* ''De Leon the uncompromising'' New York: New York Labor News Co., 1939*''Daniel De Leon: social architect'' (1941)*''From reform to bayonets'' (1941)*''Inflation of Prices or Deflation of Labor?'' (1942)*''Karl Marx and Marxian science'' (1943)* ''Daniel de Leon: Internationalist'' New York: New York Labor News Co., 1944*''Daniel De Leon: Social scientist'' (1945)*''Marxism vs. Soviet despotism'' (1959)*''Socialism and human nature'' (1962)*''Bourgeois Socialism: Its Rise and Collapse in America'' (1963)
References
Sources * ''Biographical Dictionary of the American Left'' (Bernard K. Johnpoll and Harvey Klehr editors ( "Arnold Petersen" by John Gerber, pp. 314–5.Westport, CN: Greenwood Press. 1986
Other sources *Girard, Frank and Ben Perry, ''Socialist Labor Party, 1876–1991: A Short History'' (Philadelphia, PA: Livra Books, 1991)* Hass, Eric ''The Socialist Labor Party and the Internationals'' (New York Labor News Co. 1949)*Quint, Howard ''The Forging of American Socialism: Origins of the Modern Movement: The Impact of Socialism on American Thought and Action, 1886–1901'' (Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1953)
External links *  	Arnold Petersen	Selected quotes