Clarence Manion

Clarence E. "Pat" Manion (July 7, 1896 – July 29, 1979) was an American lawyer and conservative radio talk show host who was dean of Notre Dame Law School from 1941 to 1952. He hosted the radio show Manion Forum which later aired on television.

Manion served as a Vice Chairman for the John Birch Society.

Manion was born in Henderson, Kentucky on July 7, 1896. His father was a successful sidewalk contractor. He graduated from St. Mary's College in Marion County, Kentucky in 1915. He received a Master of Arts in 1916 and Master of Philosophy in 1918 from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. While at Catholic University, he led an election night rally for Woodrow Wilson's reelection in 1916, leading calls to stay out of World War I. In 1922, he graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School. While still a law student, he was an instructor in American history.

From 1917 to 1919, he served in the United States Army. From 1922 to 1925, he practiced law with the firm of Walker and Walker in Evansville, Indiana.

In 1925, Manion became a professor of law at Notre Dame. In 1939, he published a government textbook for parochial schools, Lessons in Liberty. The textbook reflected Manion's belief that government's duty was to guarantee a decent standard of living and was largely supportive of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

He became Dean of Notre Dame Law in 1941. He retired from the university in 1952.

As a young law professor, Manion was an active member in the Indiana Democratic Party. He ran unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate in 1932 and 1934, respectively. In each campaign, he failed to win the Democratic nomination.

Manion was an active anti-interventionist, and when President Roosevelt began calling for military mobilization in 1940, Manion joined the America First Committee, a non-partisan organization opposed to American involvement in World War II. He was also an ardent anti-communist.