Georgia Lloyd (September 5, 1913 – February 18, 1999) was an American pacificist, peace activist, author, philanthropist, and world government advocate active in the realm of civil liberties and international peace efforts during the 20th century. Born into a family deeply entrenched in social activism, with social and political prestige at the time, she was the daughter of

Lola Maverick Lloyd Lola Maverick Lloyd (November 24, 1875 – July 25, 1944) was an American pacifist, suffragist, world federalist and feminist. Born in Texas to the wealthy Samuel Maverick, Maverick family, Lola Maverick married William Bross Lloyd, the son of ...

. Lloyd was a prominent figure in the mid-20th century, advocating for international cooperation and a democratic union of nations. She co-founded the

Campaign for World Government The Campaign for World Government was established in 1937 by prominent feminists and peace activists Rosika Schwimmer and Lola Maverick Lloyd. CWG emerged as the pioneering organization advocating for the establishment of a democratic federal worl ...

and was executive secretary from 1943 to 1990. She participated in the formation of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

in 1945.

Early life

Georgia Lloyd was born on September 5, 1913, in

Winnetka, Illinois Winnetka () is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, north of downtown Chicago. The population was 12,475 as of the 2020 census. The village is one of the wealthiest places in the United States in terms of household income. It was ...

. She descended from a lineage of figures who were influential in American political and social history at the time. Her paternal ancestry included

William Bross William J. Bross (November 4, 1813 – January 27, 1890) was an American politician and publisher originally from the New Jersey–New York–Pennsylvania tri-state area. He was also elected as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. He eng ...

, co-founder of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' and acting

governor of Illinois The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its we ...

, and

Henry Demarest Lloyd Henry Demarest Lloyd (May 1, 1847 – September 28, 1903) was an American journalist and political activist who was a prominent muckraker during the Progressive Era. He is best known for his exposés of Standard Oil which were written before Ida ...

, a recognized advocate for social reform. On her maternal side, she was related to Samuel Augustus Maverick, a signatory of the

Texas Declaration of Independence The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and was form ...

. She was the fourth child of pacifist

and William Bross Lloyd, heir to the ''Chicago Tribune''. The Lloyd family was deeply involved in civic responsibilities, dating back to Georgia's grandfather,

. Their home, named Wayside, stands as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

. Raised amidst discussions on civil liberties, peace, labor rights, and international relations, Lloyd was nurtured in an environment promoting civic duty and activism. Following her parents' divorce in 1916, she moved across various residences, spending formative years in the US and Switzerland, where she attended the International Fellowship School. Lloyd earned a degree in political science from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

in 1937.

Career and activism

Lloyd's activism began in her college years, lobbying for the Equal Nationality Bill in 1934 and supporting

Norman Thomas Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 – December 19, 1968) was an American Presbyterian religious minister, minister, political activist, and perennial candidate for president. He achieved fame as a socialism, socialist and pacifism, pacifis ...

's presidential campaign. Throughout her life, Lloyd was an advocate for socialism, undeterred even during the

McCarthy era McCarthyism is a political practice defined by the political repression and persecution of left-wing individuals and a campaign spreading fear of communist and Soviet influence on American institutions and of Soviet espionage in the United S ...

. She was involved in various organizations like the Chicago Civil Liberties Committee, the Keep America Out of War Congress (1941-1942), and the Socialist Party of Chicago. In December 1937, alongside Hungarian pacifist

Rosika Schwimmer Rosika Schwimmer (; 11 September 1877 – 3 August 1948) was a Hungarian-born pacifist, feminist, world federalist and women's suffragist. A co-founder of the Campaign for World Government with Lola Maverick Lloyd, her radical vision of world ...

and her mother Lola, she co-founded the Campaign for World Government (CWG). She took on the role of executive secretary for CWG in 1943, a position she held until her death in 1999. During her tenure, she attended the 1945 United Nations conference and represented CWG in numerous other international forums. She co-authored ''Searchlight on Peace Plans: Choose Your Road to World Government'' with Edith Wynner, propounding the idea of a

world government World government is the concept of a single political authority governing all of Earth and humanity. It is conceived in a variety of forms, from tyrannical to democratic, which reflects its wide array of proponents and detractors. There has ...

as a pathway to sustainable peace. Reportedly,

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

kept a copy of ''Searchlight on Peace Plans'' on her bedside table.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lloyd, Georgia 1913 births 1999 deaths People from Winnetka, Illinois American pacifists 20th-century American writers 20th-century American women writers American philanthropists American women philanthropists University of Chicago alumni

Early life

Career and activism

See also

References