New Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Biography!

Republicans did her wrong and by doing so made her a household name.

My former client, Arnie Alpert, just shared that there is a new biography of the Rebel Girl, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, who was originally from Concord, NH. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn: The Rebel Girl, Democracy, and Revolution, by Mary Ann Trasciatti was just published by Rutgers University Press. Trasciatti will present a talk about her book on Thursday, July 24, 6:30 pm, at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.

Who was Elizabeth Gurley Flynn?

According to Trasciatti, per Alpert, “‘Elizabeth Gurley Flynn is one of the most important figures in the history of the U.S. Left. Her participation in ‘the working class movement,’ as she called it, spanned nearly six decades, from 1906 to 1964. As a Socialist, then a Wobbly syndicalist, then a Communist, she organized workers into unions, led strikes in a variety of industries, supported anti-imperialist movements around the globe, galvanized resistance to fascism, protested deportation of immigrants, advocated for prison reform, championed labor and political rights for women, fought for civil rights for Black Americans, and defended civil liberties for labor activists of all ideological stripes. It is no exaggeration to claim that Flynn was involved in just about every major campaign of the Left in the first two-thirds of the twentieth century.’”

Arnie, a retired director of the American Friends Service Committee in NH, and Mary Lee Sargent, a retired history professor, compiled the data and source materials necessary to present to the NH Division of Historical Resources to justify a roadside historical marker memorializing Flynn and her connection to Concord. Flynn was born in Concord and lived in the city as a child. Alpert and Sargent also gathered more than double the required signatures to establish the community’s interest in the project.

From the Division’s guidelines, “DHR’s purpose in erecting markers is to educate the public about New Hampshire’s history, not to honor, memorialize, or commemorate persons, events, or places.” NH’s markers educate about a wide variety of topics from Lafayette’s visit to NH in 1825 (he visited Concord on June 22^nd) to the creation of the Ninja Turtles in Dover (that’s Michelangelo, Rafael, Donatello, and Leonardo).

The Flynn marker was approved and fabricated. It was officially dedicated on May 1, 2023. The marker was placed on a street corner at the back of the Merrimack County Courthouse. The location was chosen because it was state property located near where Flynn lived. The location ensured that few would know of Flynn or her marker.

(That’s a re-enactor. I am not as old as Flynn.)

Then Executive Councilors Joe Kenney and David Wheeler sprang into action (in an almost Ninja Turtle-like fashion) and dragged Governor Chris Sununu along. The Councilors, it seemed, were upset that the state “honored” a Communist with a marker (but see the stated purpose for the historical marker program).

Sununu quickly demanded the marker be removed and the NH Department of Transportation, one late night two weeks after installation, complied with his order resulting in front page coverage, rallies and lawn signs of the marker appearing all over the state.

Of course, there are statutes and regulations that govern the installation and removal of markers. Sununu ignored them and no notice was provided to Alpert and Sargent. I represented them in a civil suit in Merrimack County Superior Court to have the marker re-installed.

Ultimately, a judge dismissed the suit claiming that Alpert and Sargent lacked standing to challenge the governor’s illegal conduct even though they were the only two people in the entire world who worked to petition for the marker in the first place. Not confident of a better outcome with the NH Supreme Court, my clients decided not to appeal. The suit kept the controversy over the midnight removal of the historical marker alive for another year.

The Fate of the Flynn Marker

Alpert concludes his email with:

“You may be wondering, as I do from time to time, about the fate of our historical marker. The Division of Historical Resources assures me that the marker is being well cared for, even if our hopes of freeing it from the clutches of the government are unlikely to be realized any time soon. As you know, and as our Flynn marker project illustrated, history can be contentious when we try to tell the stories of people and movements who went against the grain of what those in power claim is the true meaning of what it means to be an American.”

Abraham Lincoln Brigade Plaque

Alpert also notes that the plaque honoring the “NH veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (who fought against fascism in the Spanish Civil War), which 25 years ago was authorized and then taken down before it could be displayed in the State House, has been liberated. The plaque is now in the possession of the World Fellowship Center, where it will be unveiled once again on Sunday, July 13 at 1:30 pm. Click here for more details about the event, and visit Alpert’s NH Radical History website to learn more about the Lincoln Brigade and the story of the plaque.”

And, John Winant

I’ll close with one last sad story of extremist Republican Executive Councilor David Wheeler trying to impose his worldview on NH. The Governor and Council are charged with accepting gifts to the state. When I was on the Council, NH was presented with a life-sized bronze statue of John Winant.

Winant was an extraordinary man. He was NH’s governor serving a term just before and one during the Great Depression. He was the chair of the board that formed the Social Security Administration under FDR and was the wartime US ambassador to Great Britain serving in London after Joe Kennedy fled the scene. Unfortunately, Governor Winant suffered from depression and committed suicide in 1947.

Wheeler argued that Winant’s suicide was reason for NH to reject the statue and refuse Winant the honor of its placement outside the state library. Kenney quickly fell in with his buddy. Fortunately, Republican Russ Prescott, Democrat Chris Pappas and I supported the acceptance of the statue and overcame the shameful Wheeler/Kenney challenge.

I should mention the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is 988. Call it without shame or remorse if you are in need.

The Book Tour Continues

I’ll speak about The Last Bake Sale in Wilmot at the Red Barn Community Center on June 25 at 6p, at the Meriden Public Library on June 26 at 6p and at the Second Congregational Church in Wilton on June 29^th at 2p.

Buy the book at The Last Bake Sale.

A Last Thought

This post was written before the likely tragic events of June 21, 2025. I will offer one thought.

How do you know when Trump is lying? Not to be churlish but the answer is whenever he is speaking.

Trump may have been right in his decision to order the bombing of Iran, though I strongly doubt it and we’ll only likely know years from now. Allies and enemies alike however will long remember his statement, “I may do it. I may not do it,” which was said at a time when he likely had already ordered the bombing. Trump traded away the credibility of the US presidency with this one thoughtless feint. After closing USAID and sidelining other aspects of US soft power, Trump has reduced US foreign power to threats and bluffs. We deserve so much better than Trump has on offer.