This guide was created in support of the St. Kate's Reads program held on March 31, 2022: a discussion of The Fierce Life of Grace Holmes Carlson: Catholic, Socialist, Feminist, led by author Donna T. Haverty-Stacke. This program was a collaboration between the Center for Women, St. Kate's Archives, and Alumni Relations. If you missed this program, watch the recording!
Learn more about Grace Carlson by exploring the resources in this guide, which includes scanned versions of documents from the St. Kate's Archives. Check out Haverty-Stacke's excellent book from the library!
The Fierce Life of Grace Holmes Carlson by
Shares the story of the revolutionary Marxist and Catholic Grace Holmes Carlson and her life-long dedication to challenging social and economic inequality On December 8, 1941, Grace Holmes Carlson, the only female defendant among eighteen Trotskyists convicted under the Smith Act, was sentenced to sixteen months in federal prison for advocating the violent overthrow of the government. After serving a year in Alderson prison, Carlson returned to her work as an organizer for the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) and ran for vice president of the United States under its banner in 1948. Then, in 1952, she abruptly left the SWP and returned to the Catholic Church. With the support of the Sisters of St. Joseph, who had educated her as a child, Carlson began a new life as a professor of psychology at St. Mary's Junior College in Minneapolis where she advocated for social justice, now as a Catholic Marxist. The Fierce Life of Grace Holmes Carlson: Catholic, Socialist, Feminist is a historical biography that examines the story of this complicated woman in the context of her times with a specific focus on her experiences as a member of the working class, as a Catholic, and as a woman. Her story illuminates the workings of class identity within the context of various influences over the course of a lifespan. It contributes to recent historical scholarship exploring the importance of faith in workers' lives and politics. And it uncovers both the possibilities and limitations for working-class and revolutionary Marxist women in the period between the first and second wave feminist movements. The long arc of Carlson's life (1906-1992) ultimately reveals significant continuities in her political consciousness that transcended the shifts in her particular partisan commitments, most notably her life-long dedication to challenging the root causes of social and economic inequality. In that struggle, Carlson ultimately proved herself to be a truly fierce woman.
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Dr. Grace Holmes Carlson (1906-1992) was a 1929 graduate of the College of St. Catherine and earned a Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Minnesota. She was later a beloved teacher and administrator of St. Mary’s Junior College, which became the Minneapolis campus of St. Catherine University. She was also an activist who served a prison term, a leader in the Socialist Workers Party, and an ardent Catholic. Read on for her fascinating story!
Grace Carlson in 1983
From humble working-class beginnings in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul, Carlson went on to run for Vice President of the United States on the Socialist Workers Party ticket in 1948. She was the first female vice-presidential candidate from a major political party. She was also a fierce advocate for organized labor, civil rights, and other social justice issues her entire life.
Grace Carlson in 1948
In 1952, influenced by the Sisters of St. Joseph who had educated her, Carlson made a much-publicized departure from the Socialist Workers Party in order to return to the Catholic Church.
Carlson with her close friend, Sr. Anne Joachim
Moore, President of St. Mary's Junior College, 1981
In 1955, Grace began teaching psychology at St. Mary's School of Nursing, where she was also director of student social activities. When the school became St. Mary's Junior College in 1964, she played an important role in designing the new curriculum. She was a strong promoter of SMJC, and her support continued even after her retirement in 1979. For example, she contributed a column to Good News (the SMJC newsletter) titled "Carlson's Continuing Commentary," in which she highlighted the good work of people from the SMJC community. In 1982, she donated money to create an emergency loan fund, so that students in financial crisis could continue their education. Going the extra mile to help students succeed was typical of Grace Carlson.
Carlson, dressed in white uniform during her days as an instructor at St. Mary's School of Nursing
Grace Carlson was known for her hospitality and cooking. Her recipes were compiled into two cookbooks that were sold as fundraisers for St. Mary's Junior College.
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