Please join the Democratic Socialists of America and Stephanie, Alex, and Teddy Harrington in paying tribute to MICHAEL HARRINGTON (LeadingAmerican socialist,author, internationalist,activ- ist, radical,husband, father, friend, and comrade.) at A Memorial Service Friday, September 15 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Riverside Church (Riverside Drive and Claremont, between 120th and 122nd Street, New York) (Take the 1 train to 116th Street) with invited guests Irving Howe * Senator Edward Kennedy Willy Brandt * Deborah Meier Bogdan Denitch * Jack Clark Eleanor Holmes Norton Democratic Socialists of America, 15 Dutch Street, Suite 500, NY, NY 10038 (212) 962-0390 THE NEW YORK TIMES OBITUARIES WEDNESDAY, AUGUST Michael Harrington, Socialist and Author, Is Dead By HERBERT MITGANG Poverty, no one has been a more loyal Award and the Sidney Hillman Award Michael Harrington, co-chairman of ally when the night was darkest." for "The Other America." Writing in the Democratic Socialists of America The Democratic Socialists of Amer- The New York Times Book Review, and author of "The Other America," ica, whose roots are in the Socialist A. H. Raskin, senior labor columnist of which helped to encourage the Federal Party, formed in 1983 in a merger of The Times, described the book as "a Government's War on Poverty, died of the Democratic Socialist Organizing scream' of rage and a call to con- cancer of the esophagus Monday at his Committee and the New American science." While contending that Mr. home in Larchmont, N.Y. He was 61 Movement. Unlike the Socialist Party, Harrington had exaggerated both the years old. which runs its own candidates for pub- size and the intractability of the pov- Except for Norman Thomas, the So- lic office, the Democratic Socialists erty problem, Mr. Raskin went on to cialist Party's leader and longtime group simply endorses candidates. say: "The chroniclers and celebrants candidate for President, Mr. Harring- of America's upward movement are Left Wing of 'the Possible' plentiful. It is good to be reminded that ton was probably the most visible an interview how his brand spokesman for Socialist ideals in the Asked in we are still a long way from the stars." of socialism differed from the system In The New Yorker, Dwight Macdon- United States. He often served as the that had evolved in the Soviet Union American representative at interna- ald called the book "excellent and im- tional Democratic Socialist meetings. and Eastern Europe, Mr. Harrington portant" and said it analyzed the rea- said: sons for the persistence of vast poverty As a political leader, lecturer and "Put it this way. Marx was a demo- teacher and the author of 16 books, Mr. in the midst of general prosperity. crat with a small d. The Democratic After seeing reviews of "The Other Harrington was active in organiza- envision a humane social or- tional work most of his life. He was also Socialists America," President Kennedy read the Michael Harrington der based on popular control of re- work himself, according to his aides. a Distinguished Professor of Political sources and production, economic Science at Queens College in Flushing. Kennedy subsequently supported Fed- Although surgery for cancer disfig- planning, equitable distribution, femi-, eral initiatives to help the poor. What clared that he was a conscientious ob- nism and racial equality. I share an im- later became known as the War on jector. ured his face in recent years, Mr. Har- with liberals in this rington continued to maintain a youth- mediate program Poverty was largely carried out by In 1972, Mr. Harrington was ap- ful attitude and the bonhomie of an in- President Johnson after Kennedy's pointed as a professor of political sci- spiring political organizer. Illness did death. It included the expansion of ex- ence at Queens College and was named not stop him from writing and continu- isting programs like Social Security, a Distinguished Professor in 1988. ing his involvement in domestic poli- Aid to Families With Dependent Chil- He served as chairman of the League tics and international socialism. De- The War on dren and food stamps, as well as new for Industrial Democracy in 1964 and spite his poor health, he continued to programs for housing and medical was a member of the national execu- work out of the offices of the Demo- Poverty drew care. tive board of the Socialist Party from cratic Socialists in a former factory In addition to writing many newspa- 1960 to 1968. He became chairman of building in Lower Manhattan. per and magazine articles about the. the Democratic Socialists of America inspiration from philosophy of democratic socialism, in 1982 and later was co-chairman of 600 Gather for Tribute Mr. Harrington was also the author of the party. Mr. Harrington succeeded in com- his stark portrait. books on contemporary politics, includ- Mr. Harrington is survived by his pleting a seminal work, "Socialism: ing "The Next America," "The Next wife, Stephanie, and two sons, Alexan- Past and Future," that was published Left," "The Politics at God's Funeral," der Gervis, of Manhattan, and Edward last month by Arcade Publishers. In "Twilight of Capitalism," "Toward a Michael 3d, of Larchmont. Plans for a the book, he outlined a socialist future country because the best liberalism Democratic Left" and "The Accidental memorial service will be announced leads toward socialism. I'm a radical, Century." He was a member of the edi- that could create a new, progressive as I tell my students at Queens, I later. society. He said that it must be interna- but torial board of Dissent. tional; that tax policies should redis- try not to soapbox. I want to be on the In his autobiographical "Long-Dis- tribute wealth and increase growth left wing of the possible." tance Runner," Mr. Harrington wrote, without "takeover games"; that real His political views earned him a "If the best values of humanity are to control must come from below, and place on President Nixon's "enemies' survive, then we will have to go down list." Asked if this troubled him, Mr. upon which I have been run- that "the inexorable socialization of Harrington said, "I was in good compa- the road the entire planet" can become "the ning. tool, rather than the oppressor, of free iy. It would have been terrible to be "I am, in my own way, as militant as women and men." left off it." I was when I first became an active In June 1988, more than 600 friends Mr. Harrington's best-known work, radical in 1951 and infinitely more radi- and colleagues, including Senator Ed- "The Other America: Poverty in the cal than when I encountered a slum ward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massa- United States," was published by Mac- house in St. Louis in 1949. I have been chusetts, and Cesar Chavez, president millan Publishing Inc. in 1962. In the enriched beyond belief in the struggle." of the United Farm Workers, held a book he argued that there was an un- Mr. Harrington, who was born Feb. celebration in the Roseland Ballroom derclass of the poor in America, which 24, 1928, in St. Louis, started out as a in New York to honor Mr. Harrington. included tens of millions of Americans welfare worker there after attending Mr. Harrington, looking gaunt from who, though employed, lived below the the College of the Holy Cross in the effects of chemotherapy, vowed to poverty line and were neglected by Worcester, Mass., and the University continue to campaign for his socialist both the Government and the rest of of Chicago, where he earned a master's society. attended Yale beliefs as long as his health permitted. On the surface, he contended, degree in 1949. He also He described himself as "the long-dis- some Law School for a year. tance runner," the title of one of his two of these people seemed to be ignored by Afterward, he became associate edi- autobiographical works, published in official measurements of poverty be- tor of The Catholic Worker magazine, 1988. cause they own items like an automo- organization secretary of the Workers "I see Michael Harrington as deliv- bile or a television set, yet they could Defense League, a researcher and ering the Sermon on the Mount to not enjoy the nation's resources and later consultant for the Fund for the America," Mr. Kennedy said at that opportunities. Republic and editor of New American event. "Among veterans in the War on Mr. Harrington won the George Polk magazine. In the Korean War, he de-.