Dellinger, David

Dellinger, David (1915–  ) pacifist, peace activist, editor, author; born in Wakefield, Mass. A descendant of old New England families, he graduated from Yale University (1936) and studied at Oxford University, Yale Divinity School, and Union Theological Seminary (1939–40). His passionate pacifism would lead him to the forefront of militant, nonviolent activism. Jailed in 1940 and again in 1943 for draft resistance, upon his release in 1945 he formed the Libertarian Press printing cooperative. In 1956 he became editor and publisher of Liberation, a major voice of radical pacifism. As an opponent to American involvement in Vietnam, he was a major link to the North Vietnamese government and facilitated the release of American prisoners of war. He was arrested as a leader of the antiwar demonstration that erupted in riot at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago (1968) and was sentenced to seven years (conviction overturned). Emphasizing the need for radical change as well as nonviolence, he became editor of Seven Days magazine (1975–80). In the 1980s he moved to Vermont to teach and write. His books include Revolutionary Nonviolence (1970), More Power Than We Know (1975), and From Yale to Jail (1993).