Louis Gitlow, father of early Communist Party leader Ben Gitlow, husband to Kate Gitlow, himself a long-standing Socialist militant and founder of U.S. Communism, dies at 59.

‘Ben Gitlow’s Father Dies of Pneumonia; Radical Many Years’ from The Daily Worker. Vol. 4 No. 118. June 1, 1927.

Louis Gitlow, 59, father of Ben Gitlow, member of the Central Committee, Workers (Communist) Party died here last Saturday afternoon after a short illness. He was buried in the Workmen’s Circle cemetery on Sunday.

Gitlow, who has been troubled with heart trouble for a long time, developed pneumonia recently. He died at his home, 1175 Girard Ave., Bronx, where the funeral was held.

At the cemetery, Jack Stachel, acting general secretary, New York organization, Workers (Communist) Party, spoke. Other speakers were Ludwig Landy and Henry Fruchter, Gitlow’s son-in-law.

Louis Gitlow had been active in the labor movement of this country for many years. He was among the founders of the Voice of Labor, one of the first papers issued by the Socialist Labor Party. When the Socialist Party was formed he joined that organization, later affiliating with the Communist Party, being a member until the day of his death.

Comrade Gitlow’s widow, Kate Gitlow, is secretary of the United Council of Workingclass Housewives.

‘District Executive Lauds Fine Work of Late Louis Gitlow’ from The Daily Worker. Vol. 4 No. 119. June 2, 1927.

The death of Louis Gitlow, father of Ben Gitlow, is mourned in an official statement by the executive committee of District 2, Workers (Communist) Party. The statement reads:

In the death of Comrade Louis Gitlow, the Workers (Communist) Party has lost a loyal, devoted and persistent fighter in the cause of the emancipation of the working class.

To many Comrade Louis Gitlow was known as the father of Benjamin Gitlow, an outstanding leader of the Party. But Comrade Louis Gitlow was not merely the father of Benjamin Gitlow. Comrade Gitlow leaves behind him nearly forty years of activity in the labor, Socialist and Communist movement. He was one of the early members of the Socialist Labor Party and helped to found the Voice of Labor.

When the Socialist Party was formed he was a charter member and was always to be found in the left wing of that Party. He helped to form the official left wing and when the split occurred in 1919 joined the Communist Labor Party. He then worked for the unification of the Communist forces in America and up to the date of his death was an active member of the Workers (Communist) Party.

Comrade Louis Gitlow died at his post. Only a short while ago, when he was already ill, he could be found every day until four o’clock in the morning working for the defense bazaar to help the cloakmakers and furriers in their struggle. Comrade Louis Gitlow was one of the founders of and active workers in the International Labor Defense.

Comrade Louis Gitlow leaves behind him his son, Benjamin Gitlow, and his wife, Mother Gitlow, who remains to carry on the work to which he devoted his life.

The Daily Worker began in 1924 and was published in New York City by the Communist Party US and its predecessor organizations. Among the most long-lasting and important left publications in US history, it had a circulation of 35,000 at its peak. The Daily Worker came from The Ohio Socialist, published by the Left Wing-dominated Socialist Party of Ohio in Cleveland from 1917 to November 1919, when it became became The Toiler, paper of the Communist Labor Party. In December 1921 the above-ground Workers Party of America merged the Toiler with the paper Workers Council to found The Worker, which became The Daily Worker beginning January 13, 1924.

PDF of full issue 1: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1927/1927-ny/v04-n118-NY-jun-01-1927-DW-LOC.pdf

PDF of full issue 2: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1927/1927-ny/v04-n119-NY-jun-02-1927-DW-LOC.pdf