Abstract:
This presentation explores the intersections of myth, memory, and history in the life of William “Billy” Gohl, an early twentieth century labor activist. It was not Gohl’s labor activism that made him one of the most famous residents in the history of the Olympic Peninsula. Instead, he is remembered as the “Ghoul of Grays Harbor,” a serial killer who terrorized the waterfront district of Grays Harbor. Many studies have estimated that Gohl murdered between forty and two-hundred men, with some true crime writers suggesting he was one of America’s most prolific murderers. Despite Gohl’s renown, he was tried and convicted of only one murder and there is surprising little evidence that he was a serial killer. To help understand why Gohl ended up in prison and why he was blamed for scores of murders, I will place the Gohl case within the context of the long and bloody history of anti-labor activism in the United States. Indeed, like thousands of other American labor and left-wing activists, Gohl ended up behind bars because of the efforts of a dedicated group of employers, labor spies, and newspaper writers.
Speakers Series Spring 2019
Time: Every second Tuesday, at 16.15-17.45, starting from 22 January 2019
Place: Pinni B building lecture hall B1096, Kanslerinrinne 1
22.01. Making A Serial Killer: Class, Conflict, and the Case of Billy Gohl
Dr Aaron Goings, IASR
19.02. Brexit, Citizenship and Sovereignty: A Short Analysis of the Court of Justice’s Judgment on the Revocation of Article 50 TEU
Professor Jo Shaw, NSR
05.03. Mobilities, Politics and Solidarities: People on the Move across and around the Mediterranean Sea
Dr Anitta Kynsilehto, NSR
19.03. Gender, Party Politics and Democracy in Europe: A Study of European Parliament’s Party Groups
Professor Johanna Kantola, SOC
02.04. From Social Interaction to Digital Connectivity: Processes of Mediatization and the Transformation of the Self
Professor Rainer Winter, Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt
16.04. Freedom of Movement - White Privilege or Universal Human Right?
Dr Jukka Könönen, IASR
14.05. From Anti-gender Wars to Black Protests: Recent Gendered Political Mobilizations in Poland
Dr Barbara Gaweda, IASR
The Speakers Series is a series of Studia Generalia Lectures in the Study of Society organized weekly by Tampere University Institute for Advanced Social Research (IASR) in cooperation with the New Social Research Programme (NSR). The lectures are given by the Research Fellows as well as the distinguished guests of the IASR and the NSR.
For the programme, please check the IASR website. Most doctoral students can also get 2 ECTS for attending a minimum of six IASR Lectures, altogether 6 ECTS at the maximum. These 2 ECTS for attending 6 lectures can be earned during two successive terms.