# Americans for Democratic Action *Liberal American political organization founded in 1947* **Americans for Democratic Action** (ADA) is a liberal political organization in the United States. In its own description, as summarized by Wikipedia, it pursues social and economic justice through lobbying, grassroots organizing, research and support for progressive candidates.[^1] It was organized in January 1947 to replace an earlier body, the Union for Democratic Action (UDA).[^1][^2] [[Hubert Humphrey]] of [[Minnesota]] was among its founders. A 2011 [[United States Senate]] resolution recites that he "was a founding member of Americans for Democratic Action in the aftermath of World War II."[^3] Wikipedia's list of ADA chairs places him in that office for 1949–1950.[^1] The Senate's roster shows him as a Democratic senator from Minnesota from January 3, 1949, to December 29, 1964, and from January 3, 1971, to January 13, 1978.[^4] A second Minnesota senator, Paul D. Wellstone (D), appears on the same chairs list for 1991–1993.[^1][^4] The organization's recurring documented output is its annual Voting Record. That record scores members of Congress from 0 to 100 on 20 votes selected by its Legislative Committee.[^1] The sources assembled for this article document the ADA's Minnesota connections through the careers of these members. They do not document ADA actions taken within the state.[^1][^3] ## Who Wikipedia lists the ADA's founding members as Joseph Alsop, Stewart Alsop, Chester Bowles, Marquis Childs, David Dubinsky, Elmer Davis, John Kenneth Galbraith, Leon Henderson, Hubert Humphrey, James I. Loeb, Reinhold Niebuhr, Joseph P. Lash, Joseph L. Rauh Jr., Walter Reuther, Eleanor Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr., Arthur Schlesinger Jr., John H. Sengstacke, James Wechsler, Walter White and Wilson W. Wyatt.[^1] The proposal to dissolve the UDA in favor of a larger organization with a mass membership came from James Isaac Loeb, the UDA's executive director.[^1] The Senate resolution of 2011 independently records Humphrey as a founder.[^3] The ADA's first chair was Wilson Wyatt (1947–1948). Leon Henderson followed (1948–1949), and then Senator Hubert Humphrey (1949–1950).[^1] Later chairs on the list include Joseph L. Rauh Jr. (1955–1957), Senator George McGovern (1976–1978), Rep. Barney Frank (1984–1986), Senator Paul D. Wellstone (1991–1993) and Rep. John Lewis (1993–1995).[^1] The most recent entry is State Senator Art Haywood, from 2018 onward.[^1] In April 1948 the ADA's New York state convention elected Jonathan Bingham of Scarborough as its chairman.[^1] ## What The ADA is a membership and advocacy organization. Its activities are lobbying, grassroots organizing, research and backing progressive candidates.[^1] Its best-documented product is the annual *ADA Voting Record*. The Voting Record identifies key policy issues and gives each member of Congress a "Liberal Quotient" (LQ). A score of 0 means complete disagreement with ADA positions, and a score of 100 means complete agreement.[^1] The ADA describes its own purpose as social and economic justice.[^1] The record here documents a narrower output: a numerical rating of legislators against positions chosen by the organization's own committee.[^1] ## When - **1946**: The UDA campaigned to support left-wing Democratic members of Congress. Wikipedia describes the effort as an overwhelming failure.[^1] - **January 1947**: Wikipedia dates the ADA's formation to January 3, 1947, after which the UDA closed.[^1] The organization's own *Our History* page, as catalogued in the project's link rows, gives January 4, 1947.[^2] - **April 3, 1948**: The ADA announced that it backed a Democratic ticket of General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Supreme Court judge [[William O. Douglas]] over incumbent president Harry S. Truman.[^1] Wikipedia states that the ADA succeeded in moving Truman to the left on issues including civil rights.[^1] - **1949**: Schlesinger published *The Vital Center*. The book set out the concept that the founders adopted as their aim.[^1] ## Why The UDA drew its members from former members of the Socialist Party of America and the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies. It also drew labor leaders, liberal politicians and theologians. What these members shared was opposition to the pacifism that most left-wing organizations held in the late 1930s and early 1940s.[^1] The UDA favored intervention and internationalism abroad, a liberal and pro-union program at home, and firm anti-communism.[^1] Wikipedia states that the ADA's founders sought a progressive, pragmatic and noncommunist "vital center" in mainstream politics.[^1] ## How The LQ is computed from 20 foreign and domestic social and economic votes chosen by the ADA's Legislative Committee.[^1] A member receives 5 points for each vote cast with the ADA position and 0 points for each vote cast against it. An absence also counts as 0.[^1] The scale therefore runs from 0 to 100 in steps of five.[^1] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - **Hubert H. Humphrey, Jr.** (D) was a founding member of the ADA, according to S. Res. 184 of the 112th Congress.[^3] He chaired the ADA in 1949–1950.[^1] - **Mayor:** The resolution records that he served as mayor of [[Minneapolis]] from 1945 to 1948.[^3] - **Senate service:** The Senate roster shows him as a senator from Minnesota from January 3, 1949, to December 29, 1964. He resigned on that date after being elected [[Vice President of the United States]] on November 3, 1964.[^4] He returned to the Senate on January 3, 1971, and served until his death on January 13, 1978.[^4] - **Democratic whip:** The Senate Historical Office lists him as Democratic whip from 1961 to 1965.[^5] - **Disarmament subcommittee:** He chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on Disarmament. That subcommittee held hearings from January 25, 1956, through August 1, 1958, including public hearings in Minneapolis.[^6] - **Paul D. Wellstone** (D) chaired the ADA from 1991 to 1993.[^1] He served as a senator from Minnesota from January 3, 1991, until his death on October 25, 2002.[^4] ### What - On May 12, 2011, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) submitted S. Res. 184 for herself, Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL).[^3][^4][^5] It was agreed to on May 19, 2011, after the Committee on the Judiciary was discharged.[^3] - The resolution makes several statements about Humphrey's career: - He was a driving force behind the creation of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota.[^3] - At the 1948 Democratic National Convention, he led support for the minority civil rights plank and urged delegates to "walk out of the shadow of States' rights into the bright sunshine of human rights." The convention adopted the plank.[^3] - In 1948 he became the first Democrat from Minnesota elected to the Senate.[^3] - His work as floor leader was essential to the passage of the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]].[^3] ### When - 1945–1948: Humphrey serves as mayor of Minneapolis.[^3] - January 3 or 4, 1947: The ADA is founded. The date differs by source.[^1][^2] - 1949–1950: Humphrey chairs the ADA.[^1] - January 3, 1949: Humphrey begins Senate service.[^4] - 1961–1965: Humphrey serves as Senate Democratic whip.[^5] - 1991–1993: Wellstone chairs the ADA, during his Senate term of 1991–2002.[^1][^4] - May 19, 2011: The Senate agrees to S. Res. 184.[^3] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *Americans for Democratic Action* (revision 1378173293, retrieved 2026-10-27) — self-description; UDA origins; January 3, 1947 formation; April 3, 1948 declaration; founders; chairs list; Voting Record and LQ method. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_for_Democratic_Action [^2]: Americans for Democratic Action, *Our History* (undated) — catalogued in the project's link rows as giving the founding date January 4, 1947. https://adaction.org/about/our-history/ [^3]: U.S. Senate, *S. Res. 184, Recognizing the life and service of the Honorable Hubert H. Humphrey* (112th Congress, 1st Session; submitted May 12, 2011, agreed to May 19, 2011) — Humphrey as ADA founding member, Minneapolis mayor 1945–1948, DFL role, 1948 convention plank, Civil Rights Act of 1964 floor leadership; sponsors. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-112sres184ats/html/BILLS-112sres184ats.htm [^4]: United States Senate, *States in the Senate: Minnesota Senators* (undated) — service dates and party of Hubert H. Humphrey, Jr., Paul D. Wellstone, Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken; Humphrey's 1964 resignation note. https://www.senate.gov/states/MN/senators.htm [^5]: United States Senate Historical Office, *Democratic Party Whips* (undated) — Humphrey (D-MN) as whip 1961–1965; Durbin (D-IL). https://www.senate.gov/senators/democratic-party-whips.htm [^6]: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, *Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Volume XX, Document 99: Editorial Note* — Humphrey as chairman of the Subcommittee on Disarmament; hearings January 25, 1956–August 1, 1958, including Minneapolis. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1955-57v20/d99