Karlis Leyasmeyer and the Christian Speaking Circuit: A Latvian Refugee and Anti-Communism in 1950s America

• In Event: Historical Perpectives in Politics

Abstract

In 1949, Karlis Leyasmeyer – a displaced person from Latvia by way of Germany – arrived in Philadelphia, PA with his wife, Milda, and three kids. Though he arrived as a professor with an interest in the social sciences and religion, he soon became a sought-after speaker for what we have defined as the “Christian Speaker’s Circuit.” Organized by evangelical groups such as Youth for Christ, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Leyasmeyer would go on to give close to a thousand public lectures at colleges, churches, and civic organizations on the evils of communism, the goodness of Christianity, and the promises of democracy. How Leyasmeyer so quickly came to prominence, how he is portrayed by the media, and how he is situated within the context of the anti-communist movements of that time is the subject of this research. Using the scholarship related to ethnic anti-communism, we will explore the political, cultural, and religious dimensions of Leyasmeyer’s life and work. What are Leyasmeyer’s unique contributions to anti-communist expression among Baltic refugees? But also, how does he fit into the general trends of this era, especially the conflated nature of evangelical Christianity, and conservative politics?

Short Bio

Joseph M. Ellis is a Professor of Political Science and Assistant Dean in the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences at Wingate University in Wingate, North Carolina. He received his B.A. from Winthrop University and his M.A. and Ph.D from Temple University, all in the discipline of political science. His research interests include the Baltic States, Scandinavia, and Russia. He has written extensively on contemporary Baltic politics.

Ieva Zake is Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Millersville University. Zake received her bachelor’s degree in philosophy at the University of Latvia, her master’s degree in women’s studies at Ohio State University and doctorate in sociology at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. As a teacher and a scholar, she works on the intersection of political and historical sociology, sociological theory and issues of immigration, nationalism and intellectuals. She is the author of "American Latvians: Politics of a Refugee Community" and an edited volume, "Anti-Communist Minorities in the US: Political Activism of Ethnic Refugees."

Clare Sheedy is an undergraduate student in the Dept. of History and Political Science at Wingate University. A native of Plymouth, Indiana, Sheedy is a member of the Women's Volleyball team, and was recently awarded a summer research grant for her work on Karlis Leyasmeyer.

Authors

• Joseph M. Ellis, Wingate University

• Ieva Zaķe, Millersville University

• Clare Sheedy, Flagler College