• Home
  • Forum
  • Wiki 4 Men
  • About
    • Mission Statement
    • Writer’s Guidelines
      • Publishing terms and conditions
    • Editorial & Commenting Policy
    • Terms of Service
      • Privacy
    • Contact Us
  • Log in

A Voice for Men

Humanist Counter-Theory in the Age of Misandry

Coyote Gear2
You are here: Home / Article Series / Forgotten History / Dr. Vernon P. Cooley: MHRA 1927

Dr. Vernon P. Cooley: MHRA 1927

September 6, 2013 By Robert St. Estephe 6 Comments

Robert St. Estephe–Gonzo Historian–is dedicated to uncovering the forgotten past of marginalizing men. “Gonzo journalism” is characterized as tending “to favor style over fact to achieve accuracy.” Yet history – especially “social history” – is written by ideologues who distort and bury facts in order to achieve an agenda. “Gonzo” writing is seen as unorthodox and surprising. Yet, in the 21st century subjectivity, distortion and outright lying in non-fiction writing is the norm. Fraud is the new orthodoxy. Consequently, integrity is the new “transgressive.”

Welcome to the disruptive world of facts, the world of Gonzo History.

•?•

avfm-cooley-quote-r

The Alimony Club of Illinois, founded by Dr. and Mrs. Vernon P. Cooley, represents the second formally established anti-alimony organization in the US. The first, American Alimony Payers Protective Association, was founded a month earler (May 1927) in New York City by Robert Ecob. The office of the Alimony Club of Illinois opened on August 2, 1927 at 189 West Madison Street in Chicago.

As Dr. Cooley fought against his gold-digging wife in Chicago court he was inspired to organize the men sitting in jail for non-payment of alimony into a formal lobby for reform. Shortly after announcing his plan to the newspapers he received a letter threatening to bomb his home if he did not drop his court actions against his ex-wife.

It is important to note that anti-alimony was not regarded as anti-child support (even though many jurisdictions used “alimony” judgments to cover child support as well as gold-digger support). The Alimony Club of Illinois did indeed extend assistance to ex-wives who were attempting to collect child support from ex-husbands.

The early months of the Alimony Club of Illinois are well-documented. Following are two articles of particular note, the second of them penned by Dr. Cooley himself.

•?•

FULL TEXT (Article 1 of 2): Chicago, Aug. 12. – Why the alimony club?

To stop the indiscriminate awarding of alimony to gold-digging parasitic women.

The Alimony club of Illinois was created for the purpose of preserving the American home from disintegration, the abolition of legalized white slavery, the prevention of fraud and perjury and to eliminate forever the imprisonment of men for non-payment of alimony to conscienceless, vindictive wives who apparently delight in the prosecution an humiliation of “The goose that laid the golden egg.”

Because there apparently exists in Chicago no organization founded for humanitarian purposes, to which those wishing help and advice might turn with some assurance of immediate and concrete help, the creation of such an organization as this was imperative.

Primarily the intent of the law with reference to alimony was to reward a faithful, loving wife who had done her duty to her home and family.

How far we have retrograded from the original purpose of this beneficent law may be gleaned from the fact that today the securing of alimony is a highly specialized, vicious industry, made possible by an alliance between perjurers, unscrupulous attorneys and politicians.

Does a man, after divorce, owe his wife a greater duty than while the marital relations existed, in that she may commit with impunity low and degraded, be guilty of improper friendship with other men, and still receive alimony? You cannot reconcile these two ideas.

This club is to save ex-husbands from the persecution of such women.

[Dr. Vernon P. Cooley, “Purpose of Alimony Club Is Outlined by Dr. Cooley,” St. Petersburg (Fl.), Aug. 13, 1927, p. 9]

•?•

avfm-cooley-bomb

FULL TEXT (Article 2 of 2): With the alimony problem becoming a question of the hour among judges, the clergy, and many citizens, a new sensation developed yesterday when Dr. Vernon P. Cooley, whose alimony case started the discussion, received an anonymous letter, printed in a feminine head, threatening to bomb his home.

Dr. Cooley has announced a finish a finish fight in the courts against “gold-digger” wives, who view marriage simply as an aid to alimony. Frank Johnston Jr., until recently a judge of the Appellate court, has promised to present the case for Dr. Cooley to the Illinois Supreme court.

~ Letter Threatens Bombing. ~

“You and Johnston better let well enough alone unless you and your present wife want to be exposed,” the letter stated. “And what’s more your home will be bombed when you least expect it. Take warning. One Who Knows. Johnston will get his share too.” The letter was given to federal authorities.

While Dr. Cooley and his present wife, Mrs. Bessie Cooley, expressed a determination to proceed with their plans to form an association of alimony victims, and to present a strong demand for consideration in the courts. Chief Justice Joseph Sabath of the Superior court, who has heard 25,000 divorce cases – more than any other judge in the world – revealed his knowledge of the women he labeled the “alimony adventuress.”

“I have known women to come into my court who were receiving alimony from three husbands, Judge Sabath said. “There have been many cases where two husbands were paying.”

~ Tells of Deception. ~

“Of course, the laws specifies that when a divorced woman remarries, her alimony from the former husband ceases at once. But these women deceived their former mates, and continued to collect – extort would be a better word – from them. When we learn of such cases, the courts make short shrift of these adventuresses.

“This same type of woman lures men into marriage often just for the purpose of making them pay alimony. Bringing all their attractions into play, the trap the fat and jolly and prospering gentry into marriage, and immediately their attractions fade into cold disdain. Soon the husband sees his mistake, and then he’s compelled to pay alimony.

~ Stay Single to Collect. ~

“Unless they set a better prospect, these women – I have had any number of them before me demanding alimony – stay single, and for years they live, riotously and often immorality, on this deliberately gotten bounty.

“And our upper courts have held that no matter how depraved these women become, the alimony must go on, with the ex-husband paying for the liquor, the gigolos, and the love nest.”

Superior Judge Harry A. Lewis had an alimony seeking women before him yesterday and urged her to free her husband with a divorce or become reconciled with him. The wife, Mrs. Belle Glicksman, had sued for separate maintenance, demanding support from Aaron Glicksman, who owns a leather shop at 2223 Montrose boulevard.

~ Leading Men to Sin. ~

“Why should you hang on this man’s neck the rest of his life?” the judge demanded. “You want his money, but you don’t want to live with him. Man’s natural instincts move him to mate, and you are deliberately heading him to sin by your refusal to free him. Court can’t make a man virtuous.”

[“Doctor Battling Alimony Gets Bomb Threat,” Chicago Tribune (Il.), Jun. 28, 1927, p. 1]

•?•

Some photos of the second earliest known formal Men’s Rights organization in the U.S.

***

avfm-cooley-aug2-27
***
avfm-cooley-aug4-27
•?•

Share this:

  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Pocket
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr

Filed Under: Forgotten History Tagged With: Alimony, Alimony Racket, Bomb Threat, Early MHRA, Mens Rights Organization

Sponsored link

Support us by becoming a member

AVFM depends on readers like you to help us pay expenses related to operations and activism. If you support our mission, please subscribe today.

Join or donate

Gynocentrism.com

Support AVFM!


Other options
Bitcoin

Become a Patron!

Masculine Development

Now Available on Amazon

Bloodstained Men

Lillibolero

NEW FROM MOIRET ALLEGIERE

Signed Copies of Paul’s New Book

Report False Accusers

Wiki 4 Men – Editors welcome

▪▪ Male Suicide Toll Worldwide ▪▪ ▪▪▪(Cumulative since 2009)▪▪▪

■ Suicide Hotlines ■ Support Services

More videos about male suicide

The International Conference on Men’s Issues’ Series




Select Video Playlists



Also available from Amazon.com


Find out what psychology without misandry looks like

Bulletins

  • The Voice of Europe – Episode 170 – Women can’t choose non-feminism 2 years ago
  • SocFreeSpeech.com decommissioned 2 years ago
  • The Voice of Europe – Episode 169 – Welcome to the current Year+3 2 years ago
  • The Voice of Europe – Episode 168 – The current year ends tumultuously 2 years ago
  • The Voice of Europe – Episode 167 – The puncturing of the bubble 2 years ago
  • The Voice of Europe – Episode 166 – Question ALL of #MeToo 2 years ago

All Bulletins>>

Advertise at AVFM

You want to know about the real toxic masculinity?

An Ear for Men

Authoring your own life

Paul Elam and Peter Wright examine a new mythology for men, and perhaps a new model providing men with mental health services.

Men’s Rights

A Dream of Fecunda (part two)

Editor’s Note: Below is an extract from the book, The Vast and the Spurious: 25 Problems for … [Keep Reading...]

Activism

Micro activism: The social support system

Introduction As Men’s Rights Activists, we attempt to help men using “macro activism”. We try … [Keep Reading...]

Women

Aggrieved Entitlement – women’s reaction to temporary loss of chivalry

It's no secret that women feel entitled to special treatments from men based on the European culture … [Keep Reading...]

Misandry

Writing Misogyny

"How to Destroy A Man Now (DAMN)" has been taken down from Amazon. My book, "How to Destroy A … [Keep Reading...]

Sexual Politics

MGTOW is Forever

The internet has enabled hundreds of thousands of males around the world to have a unique … [Keep Reading...]

Men

How Thomas Oaster started International Men’s Day – and how feminists tried to stop him

The following is a republished article from 2016 showing how International Men's Day was started by … [Keep Reading...]

The Globe

Blogroll

  • A Voice for Male Students
  • Derechos de los Hombres
  • Owning Your Shit
  • History Of Misandry

Videoroll

  • Paul Elam
  • Typhon Blue
  • Sage Gerard
  • MRA Greatest Hits

© Copyright 2017 A Voice for Men • Log in

A Voices of Men Network site Network Terms of Service Network Privacy Policy Network DMCA Policy