William dudley pelley grave

William Dudley Pelley (1885-1965) was a notorious American fascist who lived for a decade in Asheville, North Carolina. As leader of the Silver Shirts, Pelley preached a toxic brew of anti-Semitism, nationalism, and mysticism.

Pelley was born April 12, 1885, in Lynn, Massachusetts, the son of William and Grace Goodale Pelley.

At the age of nineteen he began publishing The Philosopher, the first of his many publications. After a stint editing a Vermont newspaper, Pelley went abroad to work as a journalist. He covered the Russian Civil War as a correspondent for the Saturday Evening Post.

William dudley pelley grave site

After returning to the United States, Pelley moved to California and worked as a novelist, screenwriter, and magazine publisher. In 1928, however, he underwent a startling spiritual transformation. He claimed to have had an-of-body experience and to have spent “seven minutes in eternity.” His retelling of the event, published in America Magazine, won him