Gus Hall (October 8, 1910-October 13, 2000), born Arvo Kustaa Halberg, was the General Secretary of the Communist Party, USA for 40 years. As a labor leader, Hall is closely associated with the “Little Steel” strike of 1937, the organizing of the Steelworkers Union, and the birth of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, the CIO. During the 1950s Red Scare, Hall was indicted under the Smith Act and sentenced to eight years in prison for teaching Marxism-Leninism.
In 1959, Hall was elected General Secretary of the CPUSA, as the Party sought to rebuild and grow after a decade of political repression. He is the author of numerous books, dozens of pamphlets, and hundreds of articles.
