Key Facts
Career & Education
About
Harry Radosh (1907-1990) was a Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe who became a garment worker in New York City. He was a dedicated and active organizer in the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) during the 1930s and 1940s, alongside his wife, Rose Radosh, who was also a party member. He was deeply involved in labor union activities within the garment industry, particularly with the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) and later the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA), where he tirelessly advocated for workers' rights. His activism reflected the turbulent labor struggles of Depression-era America, including strikes and organizing efforts in the needle trades. As a CPUSA member, he participated in the party's efforts to build support among immigrant and working-class communities. During the McCarthy period, he faced significant anti-communist sentiment and government scrutiny, including surveillance by the FBI and questioning regarding his political affiliations. He was the father of historian Ronald Radosh, who later documented the family's experiences and the broader history of American communism in books like 'Commies: A Journey Through the Old Left, the New Left and the Leftover Left.' Harry Radosh's unwavering commitment to communism profoundly influenced his family life, providing a formative environment for his son. His story is emblematic of the immigrant Jewish leftists who fueled American radicalism in the mid-20th century, blending personal economic hardships with ideological fervor for social change.