Clarence E. 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.

Early life and education 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.

Career From 1917 to 1919, he served in the United States Army. The show was originally distributed by the Mutual Broadcasting System, then became independent.

In 1956, Manion was a leading backer of T. Coleman Andrews's campaign for President, providing the campaign with funding and staffing through For America. In 1960, he and Representative William Jennings Bryan Dorn recruited Orval Faubus to run on the same ticket in the South. He also spent the year campaigning for an effort to draft Barry Goldwater for the Republican nomination, including publishing the best-selling book Conscience of a Conservative, ghost-written for Goldwater by L. Brent Bozell Jr.

Personal life Manion's son, Daniel Anthony Manion, served as a federal judge and member of the Indiana Senate. He died from complications of a stroke on July 29, 1979, in South Bend, Indiana, at age 83.