Simon W. Gerson (January 23, 1909 – December 26, 2004) was a top leader of the Communist Party USA. In particular, he was considered its leading expert on campaigns and election. He was the party's appointee to fill the New York City Council vacancy left by the death of Peter Cacchione, but with the council refusing to seat him. He was also an editor for The Daily Worker.[1]
In 1938, he was selected to serve as executive assistant to Stanley M. Isaacs, the borough president of Manhattan, making him the first communist to hold any appointed office in New York City. He served in the Pacific theater during World War II. Peter Cacchione, a Communist member of the New York City Council, died in 1947, and Gerson was nominated by the Communists to replace him, but the council refused to fill the vacancy. He ran for a seat on the city council in the 1948 election with the nominations of the Communist and American Labor parties. He received 118,000 votes on the Communist ballot line and 132,000 votes on the American Labor ballot line, but lost the election. He later served as Gus Hall's campaign manager during the 1980 presidential election.[2]
Si Gerson was married to Sophie Melvin, a union organiser[3] involved in the Loray Mill Strike.[4]
Gerson's papers were donated to the Tamiment Library after his death.
Works
Pete: The Story of Peter V. Cacchione, New York's First Communist Councilman (International Publishers, 1976)
Do We Have Free Elections (International Publishers)
After Fifty Years: Revisiting the U.S.S.R. (International Publishers, 1978)
