June 15, 1962: The Port Huron Statement is released, by the Students for a Democratic Society. Inspired by the labor movement, it was written at a United Auto Workers retreat outside of Port Huron, Michigan.
The Statement was a broad critique of the political and social system of the United States for failing to achieve international peace and economic justice. In foreign policy, the statement took issue with the American government's handling of the Cold War, both the existential threat of nuclear war, and the actual arms race.
In domestic matters, it criticized racial discrimination, economic inequality, big businesses, trade unions, and political parties. In addition to its critique and analysis of the American system, the statement also suggested a series of reforms: It proclaimed a need to reshape into two genuine political parties to attain greater democracy, for stronger power for individuals through citizen's lobbies, for more substantial involvement by workers in business management, and for an enlarged public sector with increased government welfare, including a "program against poverty."
The document provided ideas of what and how to work for and to improve, and also advocated nonviolent civil disobedience as the means by which student youth could bring forth the concept of "participatory democracy."
The statement also presented SDS's break from the mainstream liberal policies of the postwar years. It was written to reflect their view that all problems in every area were linked to each other. The authors, including future "Chicago Eight" member Tom Hayden, hoped that the movement would not get sidetracked on single-issue struggles but would stay focused on the broader struggles on all fronts at the same time.
The statement expressed SDS's willingness to work with groups whatever their political inclination. In doing so, they sought the rejection of the extant anti-communism of the time. In the concurrent Cold War environment, such a statement of inclusion for the heretofore "evil" Communist ideology, and by extension, socialist concepts, was definitely seen as a new, radical view contrasting with the position of much of the traditional American Left. The latter had developed a largely anti-communist orthodoxy in the wake of the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings of the 1940s and the Army-McCarthy hearings of 1954.
Without being Marxist or pro-communism, the Port Huron conference denounced anti-communism as being a social problem and an obstruction to democracy. They also criticized the United States for its exaggerated paranoia and exclusive condemnation of the Soviet Union, and blamed this for being the reason for failing to achieve disarmament and to assure peace.
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June 15, 1962 was a Friday. These baseball games were played on that day:
* The New York Yankees lost to the Cleveland Indians, 3-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Jim "Mudcat" Grant pitched a 5-hit shutout, outpitching Ralph Terry, who nonetheless went on to win the Cy Young Award that season. Al Luplow hit a home run for Cleveland. Mickey Mantle was injured, and did not play.
* The New York Mets lost to the Chicago Cubs, 5-1 at the Polo Grounds. Ernie Banks hit a home run off Roger Craig.
* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds, 13-8 at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. Frank Robinson went 3-for-5 with an RBI, but Tony Gonzalez and Roy Sievers homered for the Fightin' Phils.
* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Washington Senators, 8-3 at District of Columbia Stadium in Washington. (It was renamed Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969.) Brooks Robinson went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Milt Pappas hit a home run to help his own cause.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Braves, 9-8 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Roberto Clemente hit a home run. So did Hank Aaron, and another Brave, Mack Jones.
* The Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, 3-0 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Gene Conley pitched a 6-hit shutout. Al Kaline did not play. Carl Yastrzemski went 1-for-5 with an RBI.
* The Chicago White Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels, 7-6 at Comiskey Park in Chicago.
* The Kansas City Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins, 6-1 at Kansas City Municipal Stadium. The only Twin run came on a home run by Harmon Killebrew.
* The Houston Colt .45s beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-0 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Jim Golden pitched a 5-hit shutout to beat Don Drysdale. The Colts were renamed the Houston Astros in 1965.
* And the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants, 5-2 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Stan Musial did not play. Willie Mays did, and went 2-for-3 with a walk.
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