Willis Carto - Other Activities in The 1950s and 1960s

Other Activities in The 1950s and 1960s

In 1966, Carto acquired control of The American Mercury via the Legion for the Survival of Freedom organization. The magazine was once a highly respected periodical associated with H.L. Mencken, but was failing by the time Carto acquired it. It was published until 1980.

Carto ran a group called Youth for George Wallace to aid the third party presidential campaign of George Wallace in 1968. When the campaign failed, he converted what remained of the Youth for George Wallace organization into the National Youth Alliance. As National Chairman for this group, Carto was successful in recruiting William Luther Pierce, who later became famous for his authorship of The Turner Diaries. Eventually Carto lost control of the National Youth Alliance to Pierce, who transformed it into the National Alliance, which is today a white nationalist and white separatist political organization.

On September 10, 1971, the conservative opinion magazine National Review published a detailed critique of Carto's activities up to that point. It was titled "Liberty Lobby - Willis Carto and his Fronts."