Art Thompson was born in Seattle, Washington in 1938. Art attended the University of Washington, the Washington Military Academy and other business related institutions, before going into business for himself.

He joined the Society in May, 1964 and rose through "the ranks" becoming a successful Area Coordinator for The John Birch Society in the 1970's. He left the staff to go back into business in 1981 and returned to the staff again in the 1990's.

In the 1980's and early 90's, his business took him all over the United States. A frequent visitor to Western Europe on business, as a tourist, and once on a political fact-finding tour for the JBS, Art was at the Berlin Wall as it was coming down. During this tour, he became acquainted with many businessmen, academics, and members of the German cabinet and European Union.

Art has also served on his small town City Council, as the chairman of his local Chamber of Commerce, as an official and an elector for the Republican Party, and as a local leader in the state of Washington for the Christian Coalition. He also served as an officer in the Select Reserve Force of the Army and National Guard.

Art has held virtually every volunteer and staff position in the Society, including National Director of Development and Communications and National Director of Field Activities. For several years, he represented the Society in a variety of media events, including appearing on "60 Minutes," and was for a short time on our Speakers Bureau.

Arthur D. Crino was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1924. He joined the U.S. Navy during World War II and rose in the ranks to become a Seaman First Class while serving on a submarine chaser in the Pacific. In 1951, he earned a degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University and soon became a Licensed Professional Engineer in both Oregon and California.

He began his professional career with the Allis-Chalmers Corporation in California. Ten years later, the firm erected a new facility in Oregon and Art headed back to the Northwest. Eventually, Siemens Corporation bought Allis-Chalmers and when the new owner moved the plant out of Oregon in 1988, Art left and formed his own Pacific Air Switch Corporation. Functioning as chairman and president of this hugely successful operation, he sold it in 1997 and retired fully in 2003.

Art and his wife, Sally, joined The John Birch Society in 1960. Appointed to the Council in 1999, he is also a member of the Society’s Executive Committee. An active member of the Society’s Speakers Bureau, he and Sally reside in the Portland suburb of Tigard.

Clark L. Curry was born in Oklahoma City in 1947. Always a proud “Sooner,” he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Central State College in Edmond, Oklahoma. Upon graduation, he immediately found employment in the insurance industry from which he has never departed. Now the president of Curry Insurance Agency, he has frequently taken time from a busy professional schedule to assist at Robert Welch University’s week-long summer camp program.

His efforts were critically important in keeping the Oklahoma legislature from ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment. Later, his personal visits with many Oklahoma legislators alerted them to the danger to the Constitution of a proposal that would convene a Conference of the States, the virtual equivalent of a constitutional convention. He also worked with other JBS members in gathering sufficient signatures to have a grand jury investigate the terrible Oklahoma City bombing.

Married in 1968, Clark and Janis have two children and six grandchildren.  He is a church elder and they actively support a Christian school.

Tragically, Clifford and his beloved wife Dorothy were killed in an automobile accident, Sunday, January 4, 2009.  Thoughts and prayers from all at The John Birch Society go out to their family as well as to the family of the third accident victim, in the other vehicle.

To those that knew Cliff and Dorothy, and it was rare to find someone in their community that did not know them given their successful family-run pharmacy, “Wasem’s”, they will be greatly missed.

Cliff was born in Clarkston, Washington, in 1928 and resided there his entire life. He graduated from Washington State College with a degree in pharmacy and joined his father in the family-owned pharmacy. Cliff became the pharmacy’s sole proprietor in 1965. Under his energetic leadership, the business diversified and provided a wide variety of products and services.

Cliff served as his county’s Republican chairman for 15 years and as an elected state representative during the 1960s. He also served on the city council and was active in his local community affairs his entire life.  He faithfully led a JBS chapter for more than 35 years.

Always an enthusiastic promoter of the Society’s programs, Cliff was known by every customer and friend as a man who stood up for his beliefs. Consequently, many in his community have rallied around his leadership.

Cliff had expended some of his boundless energy as treasurer of the local hospital and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington State Pharmaceutical Association. He accepted appointment to the National Council of The John Birch Society in 1999. Cliff had credited his wife, Dorothy, for making his widespread activities possible.

As the CEO of The John Birch Society, Art Thompson expressed, “Cliff’s influence in politics, health matters, and helping to preserve the Constitution extended all across the nation and touched literally thousands of people. He will be missed by the many, many people who loved him and Dorothy.”

Cliff leaves behind a vacant seat and very large shoes to fill on the National Council.  His tireless enthusiasm will be felt for years to come.  He and Dorothy are survived by their four children.

Daniel L. McBride was born in Los Angeles in 1949. The son of a Chapter Leader, Daniel became a member in 1963 at age 13. His college education was interrupted by the Vietnam War. Daniel joined the Army and became a Green Beret, and was later assigned to a Ranger unit in Vietnam. Because of his exemplary service, he was awarded the Purple Heart and Silver Star. Daniel is the owner of Neptune Plumbing Co., and is a long-time advertiser in The New American. Daniel has been married to his wife Tara for 34 years. They have four third-generation JBS children, each of whom has attended several Birch Camps.

David Eisenberg was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1926. After his family relocated to southern California, he received his early education in Los Angeles schools. He served in the U.S. Army during the latter stages of World War II.

Dave graduated from Inglewood, California’s Northrop University with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1948. The specialized training he received enabled him to obtain employment in one of our nation’s up-and-coming industries. Upon graduation, he began a brilliant 40-year career as a project engineer for the Hughes Aircraft Company at a southern California plant and later transferred to its Tucson, Arizona, facility in 1956. He retired in 1988.

In the early 1960s, Dave, who is Jewish, launched a determined personal effort to combat the work of The John Birch Society, having been assured by many that it was anti-Semitic. He carefully examined many of the Society’s materials and eventually met with some members. Upon learning the truth, he became a proud member and has since been a fearless and effective voice against false charges hurled at our organization. Appointed to the JBS Council in 1995, he resides with his wife, Natalie, in Tucson, Arizona.

Dominick Odorizzi was born in Ottawa, Illinois in 1926. During WWII he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as an electronics technician. In 1949 he received a BS degree in electrical engineering. He designed electronic equipment for testing missiles and radar systems for 40 years before he retired from Hughes Aircraft Company in 1989.

Dominick joined the Society in December 1961 and became a Chapter Leader and a Section Leader the following year. He still holds those positions today. He accepted appointment to the Council in 2007. Dominick and his wife Gloria, who married in 1951, now live in Porter Ranch, CA.

Birching has been a major part of their lives for all but ten of their married years. They always worked together as a team on their Birch activities. Besides becoming life members, they made their two children life members when they were in grade school. Their daughter Nancy was an active Bircher when she was a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department for over 20 years. She was a detective when she died of leukemia in 1997. Their son Michael is a JBS Chapter Leader in nearby Canyon Country. His wife and three children are all JBS members.

Dominick is perhaps best known to JBS Bulletin readers for his leadership in setting up JBS booths at the annual San Fernando Valley Fair since 1981.

F. Ward Rowley was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1932. He is a graduate of Choate School, Dartmouth College, and the Graduate School of Business at Harvard University. Surviving those years of indoctrination is a testimony to Ward’s innate conservatism. He attributes his success in avoiding capture by the liberal Establishment to the many years he spent competing in intercollegiate athletics.

During a widely divergent business career, Ward repeatedly traveled to Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Acquiring considerable expertise in the field of international marketing, he rose to become a vice president for international marketing at Allied Signal, Inc.

During Central America’s turbulence during the 1980s, he provided the Society with sound counsel about the worthiness or unworthiness of some political leaders. In addition, his knowledge of the business world has proven to be an asset to our organization.

He accepted appointment to the JBS Council in 1988. Now retired from business, Ward and his wife, Thelma, spend their winters in Florida and most of the year in and around the hills of New Hampshire in the beautiful community of New London.

George B. Wallace was born in Minnesota in 1932, but he grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After two years at the University of Wisconsin, he joined the Aviation Cadet program. In 1955, he received his wings and a commission as an officer in the U.S. Air Force.

He served several tours of duty as a fighter pilot. During the Vietnam War, George survived a combat tour flying the F-105 fighter/bomber. For his efforts, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters. He retired from the military in 1978 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Settling in Oklahoma City, he completed college in 1978, earning his bachelor’s degree at Oklahoma City University. George later founded Sunbelt Recycling Company, a firm he operated until he sold it in 2004.

Following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, he joined the Oklahoma Bombing Investigation Committee. He was instrumental in the committee’s efforts to force a county grand jury investigation of the crime and in the research and publication of the committee’s comprehensive report. He accepted appointment to the JBS Council in 2004.

Glenn J. Schmitz was born in Springfield, Minnesota, in 1935. He has never called any other community home. Starting out as a farmer, he spent two years in the U.S. Army, rising from recruit to Specialist First Class in the Signal Corps while serving in Korea after the ceasefire had been proclaimed. Glenn spent most of his working years with the State Bank of Springfield. From an entry-level position as teller, he rose in 15 years to become the bank’s president, and he held that post for another 15 years. Along the way, he attended the University of Wisconsin Banking School and served in several posts within the Independent Bankers Association of Minnesota. When his younger brother died in Vietnam, Glenn’s search for answers about that no-win war brought him to The John Birch Society. He joined in 1971 and has been a very effective Chapter Leader and Section Leader for many years. He and his wife, Donna, are very proud of their youngsters, several of whom launched their own private school that now claims 120 students in a K-8 program. Glenn was appointed by Robert Welch to the JBS Council in 1980.

Hillard W. Welch was born to Marian Probert and Robert Welch on December 4, 1925 in Cambridge, MA. Mr. Welch attended Yale University for one year before entering the U.S. Army during World War II, serving in the Field Artillery Signal Corps. After the war, Mr. Welch returned to Yale, earning his B.A. in 1948.

After graduation, he joined the staff of the family business, the James O. Welch Co., a candy manufacturing business. He served on the staff of the company until 1950, when he took a position with Chirug and Cairns, an advertising and marketing agency, where he worked until 1977, eventually rising to the position of Vice President and General Manager of the firm's Boston office.

In 1977, Mr. Welch formed an importing company in the field of opthalmic surgical instruments and systems and diagnostic cameras, working with suppliers in Germany, England, and Switzerland. He sold the business in 1997, planning to retire, but he continues to work as a consultant for companies wanting to market their medical devices in the United States and Canada.

Mr. Welch has held a variety of posts with a number of organizations and services, including: the Board of Directors of the Ameican Association of Advertising Agencies, President of the New England chapter of the National Industrial Advertsing Association, elected to the Board of Trustees of the New England Deaconess Hospital, Executive Director of the Massachussetts Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, and President of the Wequaquet Lake Protective Association. He also helped organize the Bluecoats of Barnstable, Inc., a charitable organization dedicated to assisting the families of police officers killed in the line of duty. He currently serves as Vice President and member of the Board.

Mr. Welch married Joyce K. Tyler of Brookline, MA on June 30, 1956. Mr. and Mrs. Welch have 3 wonderful daughters and eight grandchildren. He speaks French, Italian, and some German, is a former champion figure skater, and enjoys tennis, golf and sailing.

John F. McManus was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1935. At graduation from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts, he received a bachelor's degree in physics and a commission in the United States Marine Corps. After serving three years of active duty, he entered the field of electronics engineering, where he won an award from the U.S. Air Force for designing a component used in fighter aircraft.

Jack left the engineering field in 1966 to accept a full-time position with our organization. Working closely with Founder Robert Welch for many years, he was named the Society's Public Relations Director and its official spokesman. In 1991, he was appointed President.

The author of several books and numerous articles, Jack has represented the Society in hundreds of media appearances, spoken from JBS platforms in all 50 states, and written and produced several JBS films and videos. With his wife, Mary, Jack resides in Wakefield, Massachusetts.

Lloyd W.Bailey, M.D. was appointed to the JBS Council in 2008.  He received his B.S. degree from Wake Forest College in 1949, his M.D.degree from Jefferson Medical College in 1953 and completed his ophthalmology training and residency at the University of Pennsylvania and Wills Eye Hospital.  As a committed opponent of socialized medicine, he never accepted payment from government for medical services and always treated those in need without charge. 

Joining The John Birch Society and becoming a lifetime member in 1961, he later was a substitute chapter leader and chairman of the TRIM (Tax Reform Immediately) and Support Your Local Police committees.

In 1968, he drew national attention as a Republican elector when he voted independently rather than for the Republican ticket, which was permitted by North Carolina law at that time.  His vote was upheld after its legality was debated by both houses of Congress and he testified to defend the Electoral College as conceived by our founding fathers.  A lesson his children learned early was that the corrupting influence of government contaminates everything within its reach. 

He has a son who is a chapter leader, two daughters and a grandson.  He and his wife, Sarah, reside in Rocky Mount and Beech Mountain, North Carolina.

Nathaniel E. Adamson Jr. was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1919. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Virginia in 1941, he received his M.D. degree in 1944 from the same institution. He served as a medical officer during World War II and as a regimental surgeon during the Korean War.

Experiences in Korea convinced him that the United Nations was no friend of our country. In the mid-1950s, he came to know Robert Welch, the Founder of The John Birch Society.

One of the high points of Dr. Adamson's professional career was when he became an Associate Medical Director of the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company. He also remained attached to the Navy for several decades and is a retired Naval Reserve Captain. An early member and supporter of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, he has been a strong opponent of government intrusion into medicine.

Approximately one year after the Society's birth in 1958, Robert Welch formed a national Council to serve as an advisory body, and he tapped Dr. Adamson to be one of the initial members. Now retired, "Nat" resides with his wife, Anne, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

We are pleased to announce that Nelson Bunker Hunt of Texas will again serve as a member of the Council of The John Birch Society. Mr. Hunt was born in El Dorado, Arkansas. His family moved to Tyler, Texas, during his youth, and finally to Dallas. After graduating from the Hill School, Mr. Hunt attended the University of Texas prior to his service in the Navy during World War II. Like most veterans, he returned to school after discharge from the Navy, attending S.M.U. before going back into the oil business full time.

Mr. Hunt worked with his father and brothers in the Hunt Energy Corporation and its various affiliates as an active participant in oil explorations and development programs. He also initiated his own personal oil and gas exploration and development projects, concentrating on overseas exploration.

Over the past 50 years Bunker has continued his multifaceted worldwide operations, including cattle, thoroughbred horses, real estate, and a wide variety of other business ventures. He received the T.I. "Pop" Harkins award for outstanding service to the Texas Thoroughbred Association as well as being in the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

A member of The John Birch Society since 1960, Paul was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1921. He has always called Ohio’s capital city his home, and it is where he has served as a chapter leader for more than four decades.

Paul graduated from Capital University in Columbus, where he studied business and economics. Intending to become an accountant, he soon gravitated to the medical field and graduated from Ohio State University’s medical school in 1948. After serving an internship in Dayton, Ohio, he returned to Columbus, where he established a family medicine practice from which he retired in 1991. Still active in the medical field, he accepted appointment as a medical director at a local hospital, where he specializes in treating drug addiction.

A past president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Paul has spent considerable time fighting to keep the federal government out of the medical field. An outspoken opponent of drug abuse, he has tangled frequently with forces that want to legalize marijuana use. His article about marijuana’s dangers appeared in The New American magazine in October 1997.

With his strongly supportive wife Mildred, to whom he was married in 1953, he is the proud parent of three sons and 16 grandchildren.

Ray Clark was born in 1941 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. His family relocated to Southern California in 1951. He claims that diligent study of the American government helped him not only to pass the U.S. citizenship exam in 1961 but also made him a strong defender of the U.S. Constitution.

Ray joined The John Birch Society in 1963 and has functioned as a Chapter Leader, Section Leader, and volunteer Coordinator. After working for several years in nutrition stores owned by others, he opened his own Clark’s Nutritional Center in Riverside, California, in 1970, and now has branches in San Bernardino and Loma Linda. He is a graduate of the Donsbaugh University School of Nutrition in Huntington Beach, California.

Each of the Clark establishments sells a huge amount of John Birch Society literature from large and conspicuous displays. Ray has been a leader in the fight against unconstitutional federal regulatory agencies, especially the Food and Drug Administration’s attempt to gain control over the vitamin and health products industry.

Appointed to the Council in 1999, Ray and his wife, Carol, reside in Lake Arrowhead, California.

Robert K. Bell has never called anywhere but Tulsa, Oklahoma, his home. Born in 1940, he is a graduate of the University of Tulsa. Immediately after finishing school, he teamed up with his father at Bell’s Amusement Park and soon became its owner.

Bob’s early warnings to fellow park owners about the plans of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to impose its examiners on their industry won him a special award presented by grateful peers at their annual convention. He later challenged the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s intention to acquire jurisdiction over their industry. Taking this matter all the way to Denver’s 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, he won his case with such unimpeachable evidence that the federal government dropped the plan.

Bob and his wife, Sally, also helped to scuttle the dangerous Equal Rights Amendment by persuading key members of the Oklahoma legislature to vote against ratification. They have both served in numerous capacities at the Robert Welch University Summer Camps. Appointed to the Council in 1995, Bob continues to serve as a local JBS leader and speaker for the national JBS Speakers Bureau.

Robert M. Owens was born in Connecticut in 1973. He is an alumnus of Ohio Wesleyan University, Oxford University (St. Catherine's College) and Capital University Law School. Robert is a trial lawyer with offices in Delaware, Ohio, where he and his wife Teri reside. Robert has previously served as a village prosecutor in Delaware County.

Robert and Teri joined the Society in April of 2004 and both serve as JBS volunteer leaders – Robert as Chapter Leader and Teri as Assistant Chapter Leader. Robert also works in his local community as a leader in various political and civic organizations.

We are pleased to announce that Ronald Arlen Britton of Midland, Texas will serve as a member of the Council of The John Birch Society.  Mr. Britton was born in El Paso, Texas.  His father was in the Army Air Corps and they moved throughout his youth living  in Arizona, California, Florida and Ohio. After graduating from Westchester High School in Westchester, California, Mr. Britton attended what is now Oklahoma State University. Mr. Britton then spent five and one-half years as a Naval Jet Fighter Pilot on the Nuclear Carrier USS Enterprise.  He returned to Midland, Texas after discharge from the U. S. Navy and entered into the oil business full time.  Mr. Britton is President and CEO of Rohill Energy, Inc. and is now currently managing Rohill Operating Company with other various affiliated companies in oil and gas exploration and development programs.  Mr. Britton is a registered Professional Engineer in Texas and Oklahoma.

Over the past fifty years Ron has continued in the oil and gas business. He also operates Rafter R Cattle Company, and a wide variety of other business ventures.
  
In 1962 he married Susan Alstrin of Midland, Texas.  They are the parents of three children and three grandchildren.  Ron, his wife and family have been active participants in many organizations.  He is past chairman of the Palmer Drug Abuse Program, has served on the Executive Committee of the International Association of Drilling Contractors, has served on the Midland Independent School Board and serves as a lifetime Colonel in the Commemorative Air Force.

Mr. Britton is a lifetime member of The John Birch Society and currently serves as Chairman of the Midland Business and Professional Chapter in Midland, Texas. 

Sterling E. Lacy’s life is as interesting as it has been varied. An ordained minister, he has served for over 40 years in churches in Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. An accomplished scholar, he holds three graduate degrees, including a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Christian psychology.

Seeking to serve and assist others, he continues to work as a family counselor, something he has done for over 35 years, having counseled more than 10,000 clients in that time. Author of the best-selling book Valley of Decision: A Christian Primer to the Political Arena, he has also dedicated substantial time to education, having served as President of Christian Heritage College in Arkansas and Superintendent of Topeka Christian Academy in Kansas.

Mr. Lacy has long been an ardent member and support of The John Birch Society. Over his 40-year-long involvement with the Society he has been not only an active member but also a Chapter Leader and a Coordinator. As part of the Society’s Speakers Bureau, Mr. Lacy gave dozens of speeches and presentations during the 1970s and 1980s. Mr. Lacy has been married to his wife, Jean, for 48 years and has been blessed with 3 children and 9 grandchildren. The Lacy’s reside in Texarkana, Texas.

Thomas D. Sellers was born in Detroit in 1933 and has always called Michigan his home. In 1956, he earned bachelor’s degrees in business administration and art history from Albion College in nearby Albion, Michigan.

Upon graduation, Tom spent three years honing his business skills as an employee of the Burroughs Corporation. He teamed up with his father in 1959 at the Dean Sellers Ford agency. In 1970, he purchased the firm outright and eventually moved it to a new location in Troy, Michigan, where it has become a highly respected industry leader. Under his leadership, the firm has grown to be the largest Ford dealership in the state of Michigan.

Tom has long worked to build a better appreciation of the importance of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and to educate Americans about their true meaning. He has also been active in a variety of civic affairs, especially the Troy Rotary Club.

He became a member of The John Birch Society in 1977 and accepted appointment to the JBS Council in 1985. He and his wife, Nona, reside in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

William H. Blewster first saw the light of day in Houston, Texas, in 1939. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business from Texas A&M University in 1962.

After graduation, Bill entered the U.S. Navy’s flight training program. Commissioned as an Ensign and awarded his wings as a Navy Flight Officer, he specialized in navigation and air intelligence. Deployments took him to Alaska and Japan from his home base at Whidbey Island, Washington. He left active service in 1965 with the rank of full Lieutenant.

The Blewster family settled for a time in Houston, and Bill began his life’s work in the insurance industry. In 1972, the family relocated to Phoenix, where Bill’s expertise in his field won him promotion to president of an insurance company that was later sold to a large international brokerage firm. In 1985, he launched his own Blewster Insurance Services, Inc., providing a wide array of coverage but specializing in commercial insurance.

He accepted appointment to the Council in 2003. From their home in Mesa, Arizona, Bill and his wife, Barbara, a former Arizona state representative, continue as JBS activists.