FATHER COUGHLIN was a Canadian-born Catholic priest noted as founder of the million-member National Union for Social Justice (Union Party), but more known for his weekly radio sermons from Birmingham, Michigan, that drew an audience of around 30 to 40 million. Those 40 million listeners were approximately one-third of Americans. Coughlin was one of the first to realize the potential of radio, and his message of sympathy for the distressed person, dislike for exploitive big business, and indifferent big government resonated with millions of listeners.

Coughlin was a natural public speaker, almost mesmerizing. With strong encouragement from his mother, he entered the priesthood in Toronto, Canada, in 1916. His first work was as professor at Assumption College, Windsor, Ontario. His ability to manipulate through words was ...