Milton Sanford Mayer

Milton Sanford Mayer (1908–1986) was an American journalist, educator, and pacifist known for his incisive moral and political writing. A contributing editor to The Progressive and a professor at several universities, he devoted his career to challenging conformity and exposing the dangers of authoritarianism. His most celebrated work, "They Thought They Were Free," remains a landmark of political journalism — a chilling firsthand account of how ordinary Germans embraced Nazism. Deeply influenced by Quaker values, Mayer was a lifelong advocate for peace and civil liberties, whose writing combined intellectual rigor with a passionate commitment to human dignity and conscience.