Ralph Waldo Tillotson was born in Ohio in 1885, but his family moved to Erie shortly thereafter and he remained in Erie the rest of his life. In 1907, Tillotson joined the Metal Polishers Union and Eugene Debs' Socialist Party. From 1908 to 1919, he unsuccessfully ran for various public offices. He later dedicated himself to promoting organized labor, receiving an appointment to the Erie regional directorship of the Congress of Industrial Organization. In 1957, he was appointed a national CIO representative, a position that he held until his retirement in 1964.
Tillotson was twice a candidate for Mayor of Erie. It was alleged that he spread anti-American propaganda and endeavored to interfere with the carrying out of the draft. Tillotson, a Socialist leader, was retried on charges of violating the espionage act, was found guilty for a second time by jury in the United States District Court on March 20, 1919.
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| Mr. Tillotson also kept himself busy by writing for Popular Mechanics. |