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While not so colorful as the anthology, Thomas O'Dea's The Mormons is the most astute sociological analysis of this society yet written. O'Dea has as much knowledge and sympathy for the Mormons as any non-Mormon could be expected to have; his only fault is that he has not lived long enough among different groups of Mormons. Quite obviously, his perception of Mormonism is that of the "Wasatch Strip"--Salt Lake City and adjoining areas. He does not show sufficient awareness of Mormonism in the cities on the periphery of Mormon Country, in the rural areas...
Nevertheless O'Dea's research has been comprehensive. He has a good understanding of the Book of Mormon and of Mormon theology and history. Indeed, he devotes too much space to a mere chronicle of Mormon history. But O'Dea realizes two essential things about the Mormons: that their values and experience have been peculiarly American, and that the Mormons are not merely a religious sect, but a distinct society. Although O'Dea does not make the connection, these are the two principle reasons for the continued success of Mormonism...
...lucid writing style, O'Dea paints a vivid picture of contemporary Mormonism. Despite its conflicts, he maintains, the Mormons display a greater agreement on basic questions than any other group in the country. He thinks that while gaining a new respectability the Mormons have preserved their peculiarity and vitality, and that they have good prospects for the future. There is no reason to believe O'Dea's analysis faulty; perhaps one measure of Mormonism's vitality is the growing intellectual concern it is receiving, a concern exemplified by these two recent books. Read in combination, O'Dea's book...
...School Young Democratic Club, headed by Herbert Gleason 2L, has worked with the other Democratic clubs in the main activities, but has also sponsored projects outside of its major obligations. Workers have campaigned in Lexington for the national ticket and for Jimmy O'Dea, a candidate for district attorney and presently Democratic whip of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Other groups from the Law School club, whose membership is over 200, have done canvassing and research for Jackson J. Holtz, Democratic challenger for the seat in the United States House now occupied by Lawrence Curtis...
There is, however, another permanent political club which is consistently Democratic in its sentiment, the Harvard Liberal Union, the Harvard branch of the Students for Democratic Action. The group has cooperated in pooling its membership list, but has concentrated its main efforts on the candidacy of Jimmy O'Dea. Morris Goldings '57, former president and now Political Action Chairman, reported that the work of a small group of HLUers before the September Democratic primary was invaluable in gaining the nomination for O'Dea. O'Dea, a resident of Lowell carried that city with 25,000 votes, but could not have...