Coughlin, Charles

Charles Coughlin (1891–1979) was a Depression-era Catholic priest and radio personality. Initially a religious commentator, Coughlin became famous in the United States as an opponent of big business and advocate for the poor. [Page 309]Known as Father Coughlin, he cultivated a dedicated working-class audience during the 1930s, first supporting President Franklin D. Roosevelt, then turning against his New Deal policies. Viewing government attention to the poor as a moral imperative, in 1934, Coughlin founded the National Union of Social Justice to promote his ideas. Always controversial, Coughlin was removed from the air in 1939 because of his support for European fascist regimes and his vocal anti-Semitism.

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Coughlin attended St. Michael’s College and in 1916 was ordained as a priest of the Basilican ...