TODAY June 12, 6:30 p.m. Bill Mandel on KPFA 94.1 FM

If you do not have time to read Bill's excellent autobiography, Saying No to Power, be sure to read his website, http://www.billmandel.net.
His biography is as follows:
Born NYC June 4, 1917. At age 10, spent week-end in subway collecting money for starving children of Appalachian coal miners on strike. Graduated from high school, 1931, and went to Moscow with father, a civil engineer. Attended Moscow University one semester, aiming at genetics.
Entered CCNY in New York fall 1932. Expelled spring 1933 due to part in anti-ROTC demonstration. Refused to apologize. Not readmitted. Met Tanya, same age, at 17. Living together since we were 18. At that age, became teacher of Marxism in Communist Party's Workers' School in New York. At Party's request, went to Cleveland to run its bookstore and head statewide circulation of its newspaper. Later headed Young Communist League, chiefly African-American, in Akron. Returned to New York in 1939. Daughter, Phyllis, born that year.

1940 became research assistant at American Russian Institute, New York, thanks to knowledge of Russian language. First published article 1941. First published book, The Soviet Far East And Central Asia, 1944.

United Press (UPI) Expert on Russia in World War II. Second book, A Guide To The Soviet Union,1946, was one of first two texts on that country used in American higher education. Although without formal education, invited to post-doctoral fellowship at Hoover Institution, Stanford University, 1947. Was professional lecturer. Taught at Syracuse University for U.S. Army Specialized Training Program, 1944.

Two books written under contract never published because Cold War made works not hostile to Soviet Union unacceptable. Called before U.S. Senate Internal Security (McCarran) Committee 1952, U.S. Senate (Joe) McCarthy Committee 1953, House Committee on Un-American Activities 1960.

1949, member of defense force for Paul Robeson at Peekskill Concert stoned by 2,000 fascists. 1950 broke concert blacklist against Robeson by converting own final Congressional campaign rally into Robeson concert.

1951, participated in "premature" Freedom Ride, mass mixed-race attempt in South to save seven Black men from execution.

Blacklisted from publishing 18 years, from professional lecturing 12 years, from paid academic employment 22 years, from salaried journalism permanently.

Began broadcasting on KPFA (Pacifica) 1958, and continued 37 years. Also carried on WBAI (NYC) and KPFK (Los Angeles) from their founding in 1960, intermittently for 30 and 20 years respectively.

Russia Re-Examined published 1964, British revised ed., 1965, U.S. 2nd revised ed., 1967. As with all his books, this was used in higher education. 1964-5, member Executive Committee, Free Speech Movement, U.C. Berkeley, due to popularity resulting from HUAC testimony of 1960. Taught at U.C. under various arrangements latter half of decade. Formal appointment in Sociology Dept. in 1969. Also taught at San Francisco State U., San Jose State U., Law School of Golden Gate University, San Francisco.

Soviet Women published by Doubleday-Anchor 1975, Soviet But Not Russian, University of Alberta Press and Ramparts Press, 1985.

1987-90. Participated in annual U.S.-Soviet citizen-diplomacy Peace Walks in Russia, Ukraine, and in Kazakhstan to nuclear test site. Visited USSR 20 times in all, including all 15 of the republics of that country.

On radio, re-inventor of talk show format, because only Pacifica would accept the idea, in the early post-McCarthy years, of allowing listeners to speak uncensored.

At KPFA, demanded, on air, initiation of women's programming, which began shortly thereafter. Initiated invitation of young broadcasters in 1964, when almost none were under 40. Facilitated initiation of people-of-color broadcasting by surrendering own prime-time slot when staff "could not find time slots" for such broadcasters.

Analyzed and denounced Pacifica's proposed Strategy for National Programming, 1992, as move to make stations a slightly more liberal version of NPR. Marked for dismissal. Excuse used, 1995, was that he did a broadcast supporting affirmative action instead of talking about Russia, although he had digressed from that subject one or more times every year that he was on the air.

A month later, was dismissed from his remaining show for informing listeners of this, a violation of the gag rule, although he had deliberately violated that rule every year since its institution because he believes it has no place on free speech radio.

1999. Author of an autobiography, Saying No To Power, for publication in November 1999, by Creative Arts, Berkeley. $18.50.