Lecture: "Catholic Action, Anti-Catholicism, and National Security Politics in World War II San Francisco"

William Issel, author of "For Both Cross and Flag: Catholic Action, Anti-Catholicism, and National Security Politics in World War II San Francisco" and professor at San Francisco State University will discuss the ordeal of civic leader Sylvester Andriano, an Italian-born naturalized citizen falsely accused of being a Fascist agent in 1942. The FBI and the United States Army accepted the spurious charges and excluded Andriano from California for over a year. The evidence Issel uncovered, drawn from declassified FBI files, Catholic Church and Communist Party records, and a variety of other sources, proves Andriano was framed by Italian anti-Catholic activists and political enemies in the Communist Party. Exploring the ramification of Andriano's story, Issel presents interesting implications for contemporary issues relating to urban politics, ethnic groups, and religion in a time of war.

Admission:  free; open to the public