Letters from the Periphery: L.E. Faulkner’s Crusade Against Communism

This thesis explores L.E. Faulkner’s political activism. Faulkner, a railroad executive from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, launched a number of anti-communist crusades throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Utilizing his personal correspondence, political articles, and newspapers, this thesis argues that anti-communist networks were influential and powerful tools used by Faulkner and other local activists to shape the national discourse around anti-communism. Faulkner created an interconnected web of anti-communists that linked protestant fundamentalism, capitalist advocacy, racial politics, and Americanism. His 1943–1944 civic education campaigns with Rotary International and Kiwanis International and his 1954 opposition to the World Council of Churches serve as case studies demonstrating how he organized and recruited leaders and organizations in the church, business community, and civic organizations into his grand coalitions. Frequently, Faulkner acted as an intermediary between America’s regional small towns and rural communities and prominent leaders. The image of Senator Joseph McCarthy, the House Un-American Activities Committee, and the Hollywood blacklists present a Washington-based portrayal of the Second Red Scare in the United States. Faulkner’s campaigns showcase how local elites were fundamental. Ultimately, this thesis highlights the significance of grassroots political mobilization and expands the historiography of where, when, how, and by whom the war on communism was waged in the United States.