Leon Greenbaum
Leon Greenbaum was an American socialist official, writer, lecturer and candidate from Missouri. Greenbaum was a multi-time candidate of the short-lived Social Democratic Party of America; in 1900, he was the nominee for Lieutenant Governor and in 1901 for mayor of St. Louis. Upon the formation of the Socialist Party of America in 1901, party headquarters were located in St. Louis and Greenbaum was the party's first Executive Secretary. During this time, he was also an organizer for the American Federation of Labor.[1]
During his time as Executive Secretary, Greenbaum oversaw the difficult task of merging 23 loosely affiliated state parties into a national organization. For example, the Social-Democratic Party of Wisconsin refused to apply for a national charter and remained in the party "with all of the privileges but none of the obligations". There was also often conflict in deciding how to engage with the existing trade union and labor party movements.[2]
Greenbaum was removed from office by a vote of 16-6 following his encouragement of the Socialist Party of California's fusion with the Union Labor Party in the 1902 local and state elections.[3]
