John Birch Society Wrongdoing Exposed in Santa Barbara
In 1961, the city of Santa Barbara was plagued by an onslaught of
anonymous phone calls launched by the John Birch Society. In the phone calls
the Birchers implied that certain educators, clergy and other community leaders
were involved in
a communist conspiracy. People were fearful that their employer, coworkers or
neighbors might receive such a phone call naming them.
It was found out that the John Birch Society was responsible for the smear campaign and the
Santa Barbara News-Press exposed their detestable doings in a series of articles.
Thomas M. Storke, the News-Press' editor,
denounced
the John Birch Society for their under-handed attacks on local leaders in an editorial
published early the following year on February 16, 1961. The piece won the
1962 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing.
The city of Santa Barbara, a two hour drive up the coast from Los Angeles, has a wonderful
climate, clean air, and beautiful beaches. Many people go to Santa Barbara just to spend several
hours dining and shopping on State Street.
