Science Rules: The Bizarre Story of St. Joseph's Chapter of Technocracy Inc.

By Leyton Furlong

The 1930s were a turbulent time for Northwest Missouri. With the Great Depression in full swing, social unrest, mass demonstrations, unemployment, and racial tensions were at an all-time high. Although the New Deal had made some progress in guiding America's economic recovery, many viewed it as insufficient for aiding the millions of Americans still grappling with the Depression's effects. In cities like St. Joseph and Kansas City, some locals began to look into radical alternatives to the democratic system that led to the Depression. Some joined the Communist Party, or its sponsored labor unions; others supported the populist and antisemitic National Union for Social Justice led by Father Charles Coughlin.

However, one mysterious group that set up shop in town offered a radically different alternative, one that would do away with politicians, wasteful spending, democracy, and even the concept of money itself. Led by the enigmatic researcher Howard Scott, Technocracy Incorporated envisioned a united North American continent governed and managed by scientists, doctors, and engineers rather than elected politicians and businessmen, who would be able to distribute goods evenly and engineer solutions to just about any social problem ailing North America. Scott's ideas made headlines in 1932 and attracted attention from the most influential members of society. Although interest had largely waned by 1938, there were still dedicated chapters (or sections) all over the continent. Section 9439 covered the locations in Kansas City, Independence, and St. Joseph.

Mr. Gilbert

In St. Joseph, the movement was led by a postal carrier and aspiring researcher by the name of Lee Gilbert. Lee was something of a jack of all trades. Born near Union Star, MO, in 1895, he lost both of his parents at a young age and lived in foster care. As a young man, he served in both the American Intervention in the Mexican Civil War and the First World War, rising to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. During World War One, he was placed in charge of a railroad hub in France and gained experience in managing transportation. On top of working as a mailman, He was also a member of the King City band, an employee of the Illinois Central Railroad, and a graduate of the Chillicothe School of Business.

A talented and well-accomplished man like Lee Gilbert was precisely the demographic Scott and his movement of scientific utopians sought to recruit. Gilbert first became interested in Technocracy in 1932 while living in California, the heart of the Technocracy movement. He quickly became infatuated with the idea of an impending economic catastrophe that only men like him could solve and became an early member. From there, he got into contact with Howard Scott, who encouraged him to return to Missouri and begin work recruiting members of the organization in St. Joseph. In 1938, Lee returned to Missouri and set up a local headquarters at 2020 St. Joseph Avenue and later moved his location to 1906 St. Joseph Avenue in 1940. Between 1938 and 1942, Lee attracted about 24 to 25 members to the movement in total. Some prominent figures in the movement included the minister of the St. Joseph Unity Center, Dr. Ralph O’Day, who taught a doctrine of Christian mysticism and faith healing, and a store clerk and war veteran named William E. Johnson. On top of organizing lengthy introductory courses for recruits, they organized countless speaking events featuring members throughout the continent at the Y.W.C.A building with speakers from across North America to sell their vision of a new society.

In Science We Trust

Now, just what exactly was this vision that Howard Scott and his followers held to? The technocrats believed that in an era of machines and professionals, liberal democracy and capitalism stood in the way of an abundant and efficient society. In their view, the Great Depression was a litmus test for their beliefs and an opportunity to implement their goals. Technocracy Inc. believed in the centralization of all resources, wealth, and industry into a board of professionals, and goods were to be distributed to citizens as needed. Although socialist in nature, the movement dismissed leftism and communism as bland and unimaginative. To avoid the pitfalls of communism, the Technocrats sought to maximize productive capacity by uniting all of North America into a single superstate known as the North American Technate and acquiring as many resources as possible.

One interesting note was their opposition to the concept of money, or as they called it, "the price system". They believed that money, which could be hoarded and unevenly distributed, was not an accurate reflection of what industries were able to produce nor a scientific reflection of how much energy was actually being used to produce products. Instead of money, the technocrats believed in energy credits being assigned to workers that entitled them to a ration of whatever supplies were available. Furthermore, the calendar would be redesigned to ensure factories could function 24/7 while ensuring workers enjoyed 4-hour workdays.

Technocracy Inc. in many ways functioned much like a cult. Members wore grey suits and ties with the trademark red and grey monad logo. Members were required to undergo extensive training in 22 lessons that taught them the basics of evolution, physics, energy, economics, engineering, and, of course, the principles of Technocracy. Despite being radicals in their own right, they were never explicitly political and refrained from advocating for violence or picking sides in partisan politics.

 Although Lee and his acolytes were optimistic about the future that Technocracy promised, not everyone in town was so convinced. In St. Joseph, there were plenty of critics to be found. In 1933, Rabbi Myron Meyer gave an analysis of Technocracy in a speech at the Y.W.C.A., in which he concluded that although Technocracy provided a framework for analyzing industrial development, it ultimately provided no clear solution for the problems of America. Others in town argued that the movement was a godless organization that posed a threat to the American way of life. Many saw technocracy as no different from fascism, nazism, communism, or any other totalitarian ideology that had consumed Europe. This particular criticism became more pronounced with America’s entry into the Second World War.

Total Conscription

The fall of St. Joseph’s Technocracy movement came with America’s entry into the Second World War in 1941. At first, there was a great deal of optimism for America’s entry. Technocracy Inc. saw this as an ideal opportunity to not only prove their loyalty to America but also a springboard for ascending to power. In 1942, Technocracy Inc. began to campaign for “Total Conscription”. In St. Joseph, Dr. O’Day outlined what this would look like. In a speech at the Y.W.C.A. in May of 1942, Dr. O’Day argued that the Government must take complete control of American life under the technocratic model to see through the war, stating, “The government must take over. The Technocracy plan for victory is total conscription of men, machines, materials, money, with service from all and profits to none until six months after the war. We are advocating this only for the duration of the war and for six months afterward. Then, we can go back to the old struggle. Personally, I don’t think we’d want to.”

 The attendance for this event was fairly lackluster and cemented public opinion against the local chapter as being little more than crackpots at best and nazi-sympathizers at worst. O’Day’s words clearly betrayed a desire to use the war as an opportunity to establish the total scientific utopia that they had worked so hard to establish. However, with or without the “Total Conscription” campaign, public interest in Technocracy has faded away as the focus has now shifted towards winning the war. Lee Gilbert himself put Technocracy on pause by mid-1942 to support the war effort by organizing a local band and dedicating the local chapter building as a youth center. Lee Gilbert left St. Joseph for Kansas not long after the war, where he died in 1966. Technocracy Inc. never returned to St. Joseph. A Perplexing Legacy

Technocracy Inc. continued to decline through the post-war period with occasional resurgence every so often. Today, Technocracy Inc. exists as a small and irrelevant think tank of about 15 or so people. However, in an age of rapid technological advancements in computing and artificial intelligence, Technocracy Inc.'s influence has never been more apparent. Tech giants like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk (whose grandfather was actually a member of Technocracy Inc.) have increasingly attempted to insert their interests into state policy. The building of AI data centers, Flock cameras, the proposition of annexing Greenland, and the short-lived DOGE agency are all strikingly similar to many of the policies that were once advocated for by Technocracy Inc. As proposals for data centers continue to pop up across Northwest Missouri, the questions Technocracy Inc. raised about elected representatives vs. scientists and engineers have never been more important. The speeches at the Y.W.C.A auditorium have ceased; the posters are long gone, and the abandoned Technocracy Inc. Building at 1906 St. Joseph Avenue is now rotting away and decaying, but the Legacy of Technocracy Inc. is alive and well and may remain so for a long time.