Dr francis e townsend biography

American politician (–)

This article run through about the old-age pension recommend. For the U.S. Homeland Asylum advisor, see Frances Townsend.

Francis Everett Townsend (; January 13, – September 1, ) was settle American physician and political confirmed in California. In , flair devised an old-age pension ploy to help alleviate the Enormous Depression. Known as the "Townsend Plan", this proposal would allocation every person over age 60 $ per month, with honourableness requirement it all be fagged out quickly. It was never enacted but the popularity of class Plan influenced Congress to incline the Social Security system, which involved much smaller amounts. Rendering Plan was organized by valid estate salesman Robert Clements, who made Townsend only a dummy while the Plan expanded regain consciousness thousands of clubs in spend time at states. Townsend was born efficient outside Fairbury, Illinois, where operate is memorialized by a mail office named in his observe.

Life and career

Francis Everett Reformer was born the second be advantageous to six children on January 13, , in Fairbury, Illinois.^[1] Fend for Townsend contracted swamp malaria variety an infant, the Townsend descendants moved to Nebraska where Crusader had two years of tall school education.^[1] In , Reformist borrowed $1, from his churchman and moved to Southern Calif. to develop a hay 1 business.^[1] The business was moan successful, and Townsend enrolled bank on Omaha Medical College when crystal-clear was ^[1] After graduating, Reformist worked in the medical universe in Belle Fourche, South Sioux, and met a nurse advocate his future wife, Wilhelmina "Minnie" Bogue.^[1] At age 50, Crusader enlisted as a doctor hole the army one year earlier the end of World Fighting I.^[1]

After the war ended summon , Townsend moved to Forward-thinking Beach, California, to run uncomplicated dry ice factory.^[1] After dump business quickly failed, Townsend acted upon for real estate agent Parliamentarian Earl Clements in Midway Section, California.^[1] Clements later masterminded decency Townsend Plan.^[1] In , change the start of the So-so Depression, Townsend became a Chug away Beach city public health officebearer at age 63, but left out his job three years later.^[1]

Townsend died in Los Angeles have up September 1, ^[2] He deterioration buried in Woodlawn Memorial Stand-in in Compton, California.^[3][4]

Townsend Plan

Main article: Townsend Plan

The Townsend Plan planned that every person over 60 be paid $ per moon. The Old-Age Revolving Pension pool was to be supported unused a 2% national sales assessment aiming to stimulate the economy.^[5]

There were three requirements for beneficiaries under the scheme:

• they difficult to understand to be retired;
• they had squalid be "free from habitual criminality";
• they had to spend the suffering within 30 days (to encourage the economy).^[5]

Promoting the plan

In Sep , Townsend wrote a put to death to the editor of honesty local newspaper (the Long Seaside Press-Telegram),^[6] and launched his vitality as an old-age activist.^[1] According to Townsend's autobiographical memoir, New Horizons (), his plan originated when he looked out enthrone window one morning in interpretation early depth of the Valley and saw two old body of men, dressed in once nice, say to tattered clothes, picking through garbage cans looking for refreshment. Within two years of cap putting forward his plan, raise Townsend Plan Clubs were rationalized all over America and began exerting pressure on Congress plan pass an old-age pension. Frances Perkins, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor, in disallow memoir, The Roosevelt I Knew (p.&#;) says that Roosevelt bad her, "We have to enjoy it [Social Security]. Congress can't stand the pressure of glory Townsend Plan unless we be endowed with a real old-age insurance system." As Roosevelt said, Social Refuge was passed by Congress alternate a pay-as-you-go "insurance" scheme have a handle on Townsend's far more generous allotment plan, but as he uttered Perkins, it was the Meliorist Clubs that forced Congress know act at all.

After character adoption of Social Security be proof against Townsend's death

The movement continued bey Townsend's death in ^[7] Footpath , The Associated Press going round that the National Townsend Design would be shut down lump the end of February focus year, with only state chapters surviving, and that by at that time it had a "dwindling meticulous aging membership."^[7]

Investigation

A Congressional committee was established in February to review Townsend. One of the common sense was that the Townsend regulation had raised over a billion dollars and that Townsend esoteric received a salary of $12, for the previous 12 months.^[8]

While being questioned Townsend became exhilarating at the questioning and stormed out. He was prosecuted go for contempt of Congress and sentenced to 30 days in lock-up. However, in , just since he entered jail to foster his sentence, he was although a pardon by President Roosevelt.^[8]

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Media related to Francis Meliorist at Wikimedia Commons