Profile Text
Birth Name: Eugene Victor Debs
Date of Birth: November 5, 1855
Place of Birth: Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.
Date of Death: October 20, 1926
Place of Death: Elmhurst, Illinois, U.S.
Ethnicity: Alsatian [German, possibly French]
Eugene V. Debs was an American socialist, political activist, and trade unionist. He was one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). He was City Clerk of Terre Haute, Indiana, from September 1879 to September 1883, Grand Secretary and Treasurer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, from July 13, 1880 to February 1, 1893, a Member of the Indiana House of Representatives, from January 8, 1885 to January 6, 1887, President of the American Railway Union, from April 17, 1893 to June 15, 1897, and National Chairman of the Socialist Party of America, from July 8, 1924 to October 20, 1926.
He was the Social Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States in 1900 , and the Socialist Party’s nominee for President of the United States in 1904 , 1908 , 1912 , and 1920 .
Eugene was the son of Marguerite Marie (Bettrich) and Jean Daniel Debs. His parents were from Colmar, Alsace, France. It appears likely that at least his mother (and probably his father as well) were ethnic Germans.
He was married to Kate Metzel, until his death.