University of Virginia Library

Wilkinson To Speak
On Repressive Laws

By ELIZABETH JOHNSON

Frank Wilkinson, who
gained national attention by
challenging the constitutionality
of the House
Un-American Activities
Committee (HUAC), will be
speaking at the University on
Nov. 12 and 13.

Currently the Executive
Director of the National
Committee Against Repressive
Legislation, Mr. Wilkinson will
speak both Sunday, in Metcalf
Lounge at 9 p.m., and Monday,
in the Graduate Student
Lounge at 3 p.m.

Mr. Wilkinson's topic will
be "Repressive Legislation: A
Post-Election View."

Mr. Wilkinson planned to
be a Methodist minister in his
early years, but after taking a
world tour of poverty areas he
turned to social activism.

In 1942 he became the
first manager of an integrated
public housing project in
Watts. Because of his advocacy
of integration in non-ghetto
areas and his outspoken
opposition to political
inquisitions, he was ousted
from his position as Assistant
Housing Director of Los
Angeles.

Refusing to testify before
the House Un-American
Activities Committee on First
Amendment grounds, Mr.
Wilkinson challenged the
constitutionality of the HUAC
in 1956 and again in 1958.

He was represented by the
American Civil Liberties Union.
However, he lost a test case in a
5-4 decision before the U.S.
Supreme Court in 1961, and
subsequently spent one year in
Federal prison.

Mr. Wilkinson has been the
executive director of the
National Committee Against
Repressive Legislation
(NCARL) since the
organization was founded in
1960.

The NCARL engages in
"educational and political
action work to protect free
speech and association rights
under attack from inquisitorial
committees, government
surveillance, and repressive
laws."

Mr. Wilkinson's address is
sponsored by the
Lefevre-Metcalf Association in
conjunction with the local
ACLU chapter.