Robert Henry Winborne Welch Jr. (December 1, 1899 – January 6, 1985) was an American businessman, political organizer, and conspiracy theorist. He was wealthy following his retirement from the candy business and used his wealth to sponsor

anti-communist Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when the United States and th ...

causes. He co-founded the

John Birch Society The John Birch Society (JBS) is an American right-wing political advocacy group. Founded in 1958, it is anti-communist, supports social conservatism, and is associated with ultraconservative, radical right, far-right, or libertarian ideas. ...

(JBS), an American extreme

right-wing Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, autho ...

political

advocacy group Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the develop ...

, in 1958 and tightly controlled it until his death. He was highly controversial and criticized by liberals, as well as some mainstream conservatives, including

William F. Buckley Jr. William Frank Buckley Jr. (born William Francis Buckley; November 24, 1925 – February 27, 2008) was an American public intellectual, conservative author and political commentator. In 1955, he founded ''National Review'', the magazine that stim ...

Early life

Welch was born in

Chowan County, North Carolina Chowan County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

...

, the son of Lina Verona (née James) and Robert Henry Winborne Welch Sr. As a child, he was considered "gifted" and received his early education at home from his mother, a school teacher. His boyhood home was in Stockton, North Carolina. Welch enrolled in high school at the age of ten and was admitted to the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which r ...

at the age of twelve, the youngest student ever to enroll there. He was a fundamentalist

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christianity, Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe ...

and, by his own admission, was "insufferable" in his attempts to convert his fellow students. Welch attended the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...

and

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

but did not graduate from either institution.

Business career

Welch founded the Oxford Candy Company in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, behi ...

, a one-man operation until he hired his brother James to assist him. James Welch left to found his own candy company in 1925. The Oxford Candy Company went out of business during the Great Depression, but his brother's company, the

James O. Welch Company James O. Welch Company was an American confectionery manufacturer. James O. Welch (1906–1985) founded the company bearing his name in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1927. The company introduced many enduring brands, including Junior Mints, Suga ...

, survived, and Welch was hired by his brother. Welch became director of sales and advertising for the company. The company began making caramel lollipops, renamed Sugar Daddies, and Welch developed other candies such as Sugar Babies, Junior Mints, and Pom Poms. Welch retired a wealthy man in 1956.

Early political activism

From his teenage years, Welch was an anti-communist. He was a strong adherent of

conspiracy theories A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a neg ...

believing many individuals and organizations were part of an international communist plot. In his own words, the American people consisted of four groups: "Communists, communist dupes or sympathizers, the uninformed who have yet to be awakened to the communist danger, and the ignorant." Welch supported the

America First Committee The America First Committee (AFC) was the foremost United States isolationist pressure group against American entry into World War II. Launched in September 1940, it surpassed 800,000 members in 450 chapters at its peak. The AFC principally supp ...

, supported Robert Taft’s 1940 presidential candidacy, and supported

classical liberal Classical liberalism is a political tradition and a branch of liberalism that advocates free market and laissez-faire economics; civil liberties under the rule of law with especial emphasis on individual autonomy, limited government, econ ...

ideals. Prosperous from the candy business, Welch became a director of the

Chambers of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ...

in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, and also a national councilor of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He also became a director of a local bank and joined the school board of

Belmont, Massachusetts Belmont is a New England town, town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It is a western suburb of Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States; and is part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, the town's p ...

, where he lived. He became a

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

official in Massachusetts and ran and lost a primary election in 1950 for

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

of the state. He joined the National Association of Manufacturers' board of directors, and also served as a regional vice president and chairman of its education committee. In 1952, he supported Robert A. Taft's unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination and was a prominent campaign contributor to

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

Senator

Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visi ...

's re-election campaign. In 1956, he began the magazine ''One Man's Opinion'' (later renamed ''American Opinion'').

John Birch Society

Welch founded the

(JBS) in December 1958. Starting with eleven men, Welch greatly expanded the membership, exerted very tight control over revenues and set up a number of publications. At its height, the organization claimed it had 100,000 members. Welch distrusted outsiders and did not want alliances with other groups (even other anti-Communists). He developed an elaborate organizational infrastructure in 1958 that enabled him to keep a very tight rein on the chapters. Its main activity in the 1960s, says Rick Perlstein, "comprised monthly meetings to watch a film by Welch, followed by writing postcards or letters to government officials linking specific policies to the Communist menace". In 1962, William F. Buckley Jr., in his magazine, ''

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...

'', denounced Welch as promoting conspiracy theories far removed from common sense. While not attacking the members of the Society directly, Buckley concentrated his fire upon Welch in order to prevent his controversial views from tarnishing the entire conservative movement. Divergent

foreign policy A state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterally or through ...

views between Buckley and Welch also played a role in the break. Being in the tradition of an older, Taftian conservatism, Welch favored a foreign policy of "Fortress America" rather than "entangling alliances" through

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

and the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...

. For this reason, Welch combined a strong anti-Communism with opposition to the bipartisan Cold War consensus of armed internationalism. Beginning in 1965, he opposed the escalating U.S. role in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. In the view of the more hawkish Buckley, Welch lacked sufficient support for U.S. political and military leadership of the world. Welch was the editor and publisher of the Society's monthly magazine ''American Opinion'' and the weekly ''The Review of the News'', which in 1971 incorporated the writings of another conservative activist, Dan Smoot. He also wrote ''The Road to Salesmanship'' (1941), ''May God Forgive Us'' (1951), ''The Politician'' (about Eisenhower) and ''The Life of John Birch'' (1954). A collection of his essays was edited into a book. ''The New Americanism'', which later became the inspiration for '' The New American''. In the 1960s, Welch began to believe that even the Communists were not the top level of his perceived conspiracy and began saying that communism was just a front for a Master Conspiracy, which had roots in the

Illuminati The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on 1 ...

; the essay "The Truth in Time" is an example. He referred to the Conspirators as "The Insiders", seeing them mainly in internationalist financial and business families such as the

Rothschilds The Rothschild family ( , ) is a wealthy Ashkenazi Jewish family originally from Frankfurt that rose to prominence with Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), a court factor to the German Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel in the Free City of F ...

and Rockefellers, and organizations such as the Bilderbergers, the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is a nonprofit organization that is independent and nonpartisan. CFR is based in New York Ci ...

, and the

Trilateral Commission The Trilateral Commission is a nongovernmental international organization aimed at fostering closer cooperation between Japan, Western Europe and North America. It was founded in July 1973 principally by American banker and philanthropist David R ...

. As a result of his conspiracy theories, the John Birch Society became synonymous with the "radical right." In 1983, Welch stepped down as president of the John Birch Society. He was succeeded as president by Congressman Larry McDonald, who died a few months later when the airliner he was on was shot down by the Soviet Union.

Welch's ''The Politician''

Republican criticism of the John Birch Society intensified after Welch circulated a letter in 1954 calling President Dwight D. Eisenhower a possible "conscious, dedicated agent of the Communist Conspiracy". Welch went further in a book titled ''The Politician'', written in 1956 and privately printed, rather than by the JBS, for Welch in 1963. It was his personal "fact-finding" mission and was not part of the materials or the formal beliefs of the JBS. Welch claimed President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

had known about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in advance but said nothing because he wanted to get the U.S. into the war. The book spawned much debate in the 1960s over whether the author really intended to call Eisenhower a Communist. G. Edward Griffin, a friend of Welch, claims that he meant collectivist, not Communist. The charge's sensationalism led many conservatives and Republicans to shy away from the group.

Political views

Welch accused Presidents Truman and

Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

of being communist sympathizers and possibly Soviet agents of influence. He alleged that Eisenhower was a "conscious, dedicated agent of the communist conspiracy", and that Eisenhower's brother Milton was the President's superior in the communist apparatus. President Eisenhower never responded publicly to Welch's claims. According to Princeton University historian Sean Wilentz, "Wherever he looked, Welch saw

Communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...

forces manipulating American economic and foreign policy on behalf of totalitarianism. But within the United States, he believed, the subversion had actually begun years before the

Bolshevik Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mome ...

. Conflating modern liberalism and

totalitarianism Totalitarianism is a form of government and a political system that prohibits all opposition parties, outlaws individual and group opposition to the state and its claims, and exercises an extremely high if not complete degree of control and reg ...

, Welch described government as 'always and inevitably an enemy of individual freedom.' Consequently, he charged, the

Progressive era The Progressive Era (late 1890s – late 1910s) was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States focused on defeating corruption, monopoly, waste and inefficiency. The main themes ended during Am ...

, which expanded the federal government's role in curbing social and economic ills, was a dire period in our history, and

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of P ...

'more than any other one man started this nation on its present road to totalitarianism' ... In the 1960s, Welch became convinced that even the Communist movement was but 'a tool of the total conspiracy.' This master conspiracy, he said, had forerunners in

ancient Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...

, and sprang fully to life in the 18th century, in the 'uniformly Satanic creed and program' of the

Bavarian Illuminati The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on 1 ...

. Run by those he called 'the Insiders', the conspiracy resided chiefly in international families of financiers, such as the

and the Rockefellers, government agencies like the

Federal Reserve System The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States of America. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, after a ...

and the Internal Revenue Service, and nongovernmental organizations like the

Bilderberg Group The Bilderberg meeting (also known as the Bilderberg Group) is an annual off-the-record conference established in 1954 to foster dialogue between Europe and North America. The group's agenda, originally to prevent another world war, is now def ...

, the

, and the

Personal life

Welch was married to Marian Probert Welch and had two sons. He died on January 6, 1985.

Works

* ''May God Forgive Us: A Famous Letter Giving the Historical Background of the Dismissal of General MacArthur'' (1952). Henry Regnery Company. * ''Again, May God Forgive Us!'' (1952). Belmont, Mass.: Belmont Publishing Company. * ''The Blue Book of The John Birch Society'' (1959). Belmont, Mass.: Western Islands.
Full text.

''The Life of John Birch: In the Story of One American Boy, the Ordeal of His Age''
(1960). Belmont, Mass.: Western Islands. . * ''The Politician: A Look at the Political Forces that Propelled Dwight David Eisenhower into the Presidency''. Appleton, Wis.: Robert Welch University Press (1963).
''The New Americanism: And Other Speeches and Essays''
(1966). Belmont, Mass.: Western Islands. . . * ''The Romance of Education'' (1973). Boston: Western Islands. .

References

External links

The John Birch Society

''The New American''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Welch, Robert W. Jr. 1899 births 1985 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American essayists 20th-century American male writers 20th-century Baptists American anti-communists American anti–Vietnam War activists American conspiracy theorists American magazine editors American male non-fiction writers American political writers Baptists from New York (state) Baptists from North Carolina Businesspeople from New York City Businesspeople in confectionery Harvard Law School alumni John Birch Society members Massachusetts Republicans Military personnel from Massachusetts Non-interventionism People from Belmont, Massachusetts People from Chowan County, North Carolina United States Naval Academy alumni University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni Writers from North Carolina