Darlington Hoopes
Darlington Hoopes (September 11, 1896 – September 25, 1989) was an American politician and lawyer who served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a member of the Socialist Party of America. He served as chairman of the Socialist Party of America from 1946 to 1968.
Darlington Hoopes
September 11, 1896
LaVale, Maryland, U.S.
September 25, 1989 (aged 93)
Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Hazelette Miller
3
Hoopes was born in LaVale, Maryland, and educated at the George School and the University of Wisconsin School of Agriculture. He ran for multiple offices with the Socialist nomination and served in multiple position within the Socialist Party; with him later becoming chairman of the party.
He served as the Socialist Party's vice-presidential nominee during the 1944 presidential election and as the party's presidential nominee during the 1952 and 1956 presidential elections. Hoopes conducted the last presidential campaigns of the Socialist Party of America. He briefly joined the Social Democratic Federation in the 1930s before returning to the Socialist Party and later joined the Socialist Party USA after the dissolution of the Socialist Party.
Early life[edit]
Darlington Hoopes was born on September 11, 1896, in LaVale, Maryland, to Quaker parents. He graduated from the George School in 1913, and attended the University of Wisconsin School of Agriculture. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar Association in 1921. He married Hazelette Miller, with whom he had three children.[1][2][3][4]
Career[edit]
Early and party politics[edit]
Hoopes ran to be the Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Berks County, Pennsylvania, with the Socialist nomination in 1927, 1929, and 1957.[5][6][7][8][9] From 1928 to 1932, he served as Assistant City Solicitor of Reading and then as City Solicitor of Reading from 1936 to 1940.[1] He served as the Socialist nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania during the 1946 elections.[10]
Hoopes became a member of the Socialist Party of America in 1914.[1] During the 1920s he served as secretary of the Socialist Party of Pennsylvania.[11] Hoopes served as a member of the national Socialist executive committee during the 1930s.[12] Hoopes was selected to serve as the chairman of the Socialist Party of America's 1934 national convention by a vote of 69 to 61 against George E. Roewer.[13] He served as chairman of the Socialist Party of America from 1946 to 1968.[14] Hoopes joined the Socialist Party USA in 1973.[15]
In 1936, the Socialist Party of Pennsylvania severed its connection with the Socialist Party of America over ideological and tactical differences.[16] Hoopes remained with the state organization outside of any national organization. On February 7, 1937, the Socialist Party of Pennsylvania called an "Eastern States Conference of Social Democratic Organizations" in Philadelphia which moved forward towards establishing a new organization, the Social Democratic Federation.[16] Hoopes was named to the 7 member committee which issued a call for a National Convention in Pittsburgh, to be held May 29–31, 1937.[16]
Later life[edit]
From 1957 to 1962, Hoopes served as president of the Pennsylvania Equal Rights Council. He also served as president of the Berks County Bar Association from 1961 to 1962.[1] On September 25, 1989, Hoopes died in a nursing home in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania of natural causes.[31][1]