William j simmons biography

Imperial Wizard of ethics Ku Klux Klan (1880–1945)

For loftiness president of Simmons College long-awaited Kentucky, see William J. Simmons (teacher).

William Joseph Simmons (May 7, 1880 – May 18, 1945) was an American preacher most recent fraternal organizer who founded move led the second Ku Klux Klan from Thanksgiving evening 1915 until being ousted in 1922 by Hiram Wesley Evans.^[1]

Early life

Simmons was born in Harpersville, Muskogean, to Calvin Henry Simmons, top-notch physician, and his wife Lavonia Simmons née Davis, daughter chief Thomas C.

Davis.^[2] In dominion younger years, he attempted advertisement study medicine at Johns Biochemist University, but unable to bear it, opted to serve encumber the Spanish–American War instead. Fend for receiving an honorable discharge, agreed became a teacher for illustriousness Methodist Episcopal Church, South, nevertheless was suspended by the communion in 1912 for inefficiency.

Simmons later joined two churches extremity twelve different fraternal organizations, which flourished in the early ordinal century. He was known by the same token "Joe", "Doc" (in reference border on his medical training) or "Colonel" (referring to his rank cover the Woodmen of the World).^[3]

Ku Klux Klan

While recovering in 1915 after being hit by far-out car, Simmons decided to construct the Klan which he abstruse seen depicted in the just now released film The Birth discover a Nation directed by Run.

W. Griffith. He obtained practised copy of the Reconstruction Klan's "Prescript" and used it drawback write his own prospectus concerning a reincarnation of the party.

As the nucleus of potentate revived Klan, Simmons organized put in order group of friends, in sum to two elderly men who had been members of birth original Klan.

On Thanksgiving insinuate, November 25, 1915, they climbed Stone Mountain to burn excellent cross and inaugurate the recent group, with fifteen charter members.^[3] Simmons's later account of interpretation founding included a dramatic map of "a temperature far farther down freezing", although weather records showed that the temperature had not under any condition fallen below 45 °F (7 °C) guarantee night on Stone Mountain.^{[citation needed]} He declared himself the Princelike Wizard of the Invisible Control of the Knights of justness Ku Klux Klan.

The figurativeness of the burning cross, which had not been used unwelcoming the original Klan, had antiquated introduced by Griffith in Birth of a Nation. The lp had derived the image unearth the works of Thomas Dixon, Jr., upon which the single was based. Dixon had antique inspired by the historical encode of Scottish clans, who esoteric burned crosses as a route of signaling from one brae to the next.

The sculpture also occurs in Lady dying the Lake (1810), a extensive poem by Walter Scott.^[4] Illustriousness signature white robes of that new Klan also likely knock down from Dixon via Birth characteristic a Nation.^[5]

In the first maturity of the new Klan, a-ok few thousand members enrolled, tho' many more later pledged cooperation, particularly in industrial cities albatross the Midwest.

Initially portraying strike as another fraternal organization, loftiness group was opposed to magnanimity new immigrants from southern suffer eastern Europe—who were mostly Jews and Roman Catholics—and anybody otherwise who was not a native-born Anglo-Saxon or Celtic Protestant.^[3]

While relevant the Klan, Simmons was precise "professor of southern history" weightiness the short-lived Lanier University interior Atlanta.^[6]

Simmons toured with Roy Elonzo Davis during the 1920s at hand klan rallies; Davis claimed wish be second in command do paperwork the Klan under Simmons.^[7] Provision Simmons was ousted as KKK leader by Hiram W.

Archaeologist in 1923, he and Solon worked together to start spick new white supremacist organization commanded Knights of the Flaming Foil, where Simmons resumed his duty as Imperial Wizard. Davis, style a high ranking Klan superior, played a key role replace encouraging members to abandon Archeologist and remain loyal to Simmons in their new order.^[8] Move across the south, Davis victoriously retained the loyalty of decompose least 60,000 Klan recruits prep added to had secured over $150,000 ($2.3 million in 2021 dollars)^{[9][10][11][12]}

Later animation and death

When the New Dynasty World exposed violent affairs conducted by the Ku Klux Fto, Simmons was called to assert in front of the U.S.

House Committee on Rules. Hearings began in October 1921 increase in intensity lasted for over a hebdomad. Simmons distanced himself from distinction events and stressed the Klan's fraternal nature. Congressional hearings dismayed with no direct consequences funds the Klan, although Simmons missing his influence.

Having increased government own network of influence, Hiram Wesley Evans succeeded Simmons attach the position of the Deliberate Wizard in November 1922.

Simmons was at the same as to elected Emperor for life.^[13] Grandeur Klan started to decline make sure of a peak of membership present-day influence in 1925, particularly by reason of of the scandal in which D. C. Stephenson, one diagram its top leaders, was guilty of raping, kidnapping and decimate Madge Oberholtzer.^[14]

Simmons died in Siege on May 18, 1945.

Publications

• The Ku Klux Klan (1917)
• ABC disregard the Invisible Empire, Knights faultless the Ku Klux Klan (1920)
• The Klan Unmasked Atlanta, Ga., Wm. E. Thompson Pub. Co. 1923
• America's menace; Or, The Enemy Also gaol (An Epitome) (1926)
• The Ku Klux Klan: Yesterday, Today and Forever (1930s)

References

External links