Charles Cornell
Encyclopedia
Charles Olney Cornell was an American Communist.
Cornell was born on March 14, 1911 in Cochise, Arizona
. While a teacher in San Francisco in the 1930s, he became active in the American Trotskyist movement and joined the newly founded Socialist Workers Party
in 1938.
The SWP proposed that Charles Cornell go to Coyoacán
, Mexico
, where Leon Trotsky
was living in exile to work as one of his bodyguards. Cornell served on Trotsky’s staff from June 1939 to August 1940.
On May 24, 1940, Mexican Stalinists machine-gunned Trotskty's household and subsequently Charles Cornell and Otto Schüssler
, one of Trotsky's guards from Germany were arrested by the police.
At first the police suspected Trotsky and his secretaries of having organised the raid, but soon realized this to be wrong. After two days and at the personal intervention of Trotsky, both Schüssler and Cornell were released.
Cornell, who was present, could not prevent the fatal attack on Trotsky three months later on August 20, 1940 carried out by the Stalinist agent Ramón Mercader
, who had infiltrated the household and stabbed him in the back of the head with an icepick.
With Joe Hansen
, Cornell overwhelmed the assassin and handed him over to the police.
On his return to the United States
, Charles Cornell remained a member of the Socialist Workers Party
in New York City
for a couple of years, but never had any important role in the party. Eventually he gave up political activities and went into the real-estate business, first in Connecticut
, and later in Arizona
. He died on January 1, 1989.
Cornell was born on March 14, 1911 in Cochise, Arizona
Cochise, Arizona
Cochise is an unincorporated community located in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. The city was created alongside the Southern Pacific Railroad in the 1880s. The city was primarily a stop for coal and water which were needed for trains at the time. At its peak, the town had a population...
. While a teacher in San Francisco in the 1930s, he became active in the American Trotskyist movement and joined the newly founded Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (United States)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
in 1938.
The SWP proposed that Charles Cornell go to Coyoacán
Coyoacán
Coyoacán refers to one of the sixteen boroughs of the Federal District of Mexico City as well as the former village which is now the borough’s “historic center.” The name comes from Nahuatl and most likely means “place of coyotes,” when the Aztecs named a pre-Hispanic village on the southern shore...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, where Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
was living in exile to work as one of his bodyguards. Cornell served on Trotsky’s staff from June 1939 to August 1940.
On May 24, 1940, Mexican Stalinists machine-gunned Trotskty's household and subsequently Charles Cornell and Otto Schüssler
Otto Schüssler
Otto Schüssler was a German Communist. He sometimes used the pseudonyms Oskar Fischer and Julián Suárez.Schüssler was born in 1905 to a working-class family in Leipzig...
, one of Trotsky's guards from Germany were arrested by the police.
At first the police suspected Trotsky and his secretaries of having organised the raid, but soon realized this to be wrong. After two days and at the personal intervention of Trotsky, both Schüssler and Cornell were released.
Cornell, who was present, could not prevent the fatal attack on Trotsky three months later on August 20, 1940 carried out by the Stalinist agent Ramón Mercader
Ramón Mercader
Jaime Ramón Mercader del Río Hernández was a Spanish communist who became famous as the murderer of Russian Communist ideologist Leon Trotsky in 1940, in Mexico...
, who had infiltrated the household and stabbed him in the back of the head with an icepick.
With Joe Hansen
Joseph Hansen (socialist)
Joseph Leroy Hansen , was an American Trotskyist and leading figure in the Socialist Workers Party.Born in Richfield, Utah, Joseph Hansen was the oldest of 15 children in a poor working class family, and he was the only one of them who could attend college. His father, Conrad J. Z...
, Cornell overwhelmed the assassin and handed him over to the police.
On his return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Charles Cornell remained a member of the Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (United States)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for a couple of years, but never had any important role in the party. Eventually he gave up political activities and went into the real-estate business, first in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and later in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. He died on January 1, 1989.
External links
- The Lubitz TrotskyanaNet provides a biographical sketch and a selective bibliography on Charles Cornell