Gronlund, Laurence (1846–1899)

Danish-born US politician, lawyer, author, and lecturer. Originally influenced by Blaise Pascal, he became a Socialist and wrote the widely-read Cooperative Commonwealth (1884), a blend of Marxism and Christian idealism that called for the end of capitalism. Lecturing throughout the country on this theme, he edited a socialist paper, briefly held a position with the Labor Department, and then returned to lecturing and publishing. He was elected to the executive committee of the Socialist Labor Party (1888), and in the final year of his life he was on the staff of the New York Journal, in charge of labour news. Gronlund was born in Denmark and emigrated to the USA in 1867, where he practised law for a number of years.