Tom Bethell - Eric Hoffer: The Longshoreman Philosopher

Tom Bethell

HOOVER INSTITUTION PRESS

STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CALIFORNIA

The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, founded at Stanford University in 1919 by Herbert Hoover, who went on to become the thirty-first president of the United States, is an interdisciplinary research center for advanced study on domestic and international affairs. The views expressed in its publications are entirely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff, officers, or Board of Overseers of the Hoover Institution.

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Hoover Institution Press Publication No. 616

Hoover Institution at Leland Stanford Junior University, Stanford, California, 94305-6010

Copyright 2012 by Tom Bethell.

Copyright for the selections from the published and unpublished works of Eric Hoffer is held by Eric Osborne, successor-in-interest to the estate of Eric Hoffer.

Photo on title page is Eric Hoffer reading in the old San Francisco Public Library; photographer, George Knight; appears with the permission of The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library. Other photo credits are printed adjacent to each photo.

The photographs included in this volume were mostly found in the collections of the Hoover Institution Archives, supplemented by a few from outside sources. Efforts have been made to locate the original sources, determine the current rights holders, and, if needed, obtain reproduction permissions. Upon verification of any claims to rights in the photos reproduced in this book, any required corrections or clarifications will be made in subsequent printings or editions.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher and copyright holders.

First printing 2012

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bethell, Tom, 1936

Eric Hoffer : The longshoreman philosopher / Tom Bethell.

p. cm. (Hoover Institution Press publication series ; no. 616)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8179-1414-1 (cloth : alk. paper)

ISBN 978-0-8179-1415-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)

ISBN 978-0-8179-1416-5 (e-book)

1. Hoffer, Eric. 2. Social reformersUnited StatesBiography. 3. PhilosophersUnited StatesBiography. I. Title. II. Series: Hoover Institution Press publication ; 616.

HN65.H54 B47 2012

303.484092dc232011037057 [B]

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between Chapters Two and Three

I am grateful to the ever-helpful staff of the Hoover Institution Archives, the main source of the information in this book. I also thank the late Lili Fabilli Osborne, with whom I had numerous conversations about Eric Hoffer; she died in September 2010, as the writing of the book was coming to an end. Thanks also to Lilis sons, Eric and Stephen, who shared their memories. In her blunt fashion, Lilis sister Mary Fabilli also told what she knew. My particular thanks go to Stacy Cole, who sat for several interviews and who probably knew Hoffer better than anyone beyond Lili and her family. Additional thanks are due to the late Joe Gladstone and his son, Rick; and to Tom Lorentzen, James T. Baker, Bill Fredlund, and John McGreevy. Thanks to those who answered letters, among them Richard Pipes and Calvin Tomkins.

The book would not have been possible without the generous support of John Raisian, the director of the Hoover Institution. My thanks also go to Barbara Egbert, whose editorial assistance greatly improved the manuscript.