In 1979, Alan filed a landmark civil rights lawsuit that became known as the Gelfand Case. It arose after his expulsion from the Socialist Workers Party (SWP)—which had once been the Trotskyist party in the United States—because he demanded answers about evidence that Joseph Hansen, a longtime SWP leader, had met secretly with the Soviet secret police (GPU) in 1938 and with the FBI following Trotsky's assassination in 1940. Gelfand also challenged the party's defense of Sylvia Franklin (née Callen), the personal secretary of James P. Cannon, despite overwhelming proof that she had been a GPU agent.
As the obituary notes, citing a letter written by David North to Alan in July: "The Gelfand Case made possible the verification and vindication of the International Committee's investigation into and exposure of the conspiracy that led to the assassination of Trotsky and the combined Stalinist-imperialist assault on the Fourth International."
The fight for Security and the Fourth International was bound up with the defense of the entire history of the Trotskyist movement—the continuity of Marxism against the betrayals and crimes of Stalinism. Alan pursued the fight for historical truth through years of legal struggle, while simultaneously working as a public defender in Los Angeles and defending the rights of the most vulnerable.
Alan's moral and political strength came not from sentiment, but from perspective. He upheld the principles of Marxism, defended the continuity of Trotskyism, and remained politically active until his final days.
In one of his last statements to a comrade, Alan said: "It's hard to say goodbye. But I have joy in my heart and a smile on my face, and confidence in the movement and in my comrades."
These words were the expression of a lifetime spent fighting for the highest ideals, grounded in a clear understanding of history, class struggle, and revolutionary politics.
We encourage every comrade, supporter, and reader to read and study this tribute carefully. The life of Alan Gelfand is a testament to the power of ideas and the strength that comes from a principled political perspective.
The Socialist Equality Party 2025 Summer School, held between August 2 and August 9, featured an extensive review of the Security and the Fourth International investigation, examined within the broader context of the history of the Trotskyist movement.
The WSWS has been publishing all the lectures from this critical event and will soon post the lectures specifically focused on the Gelfand Case. We encourage all readers to study this material carefully.
![Alan Gelfand in 2013 [Photo: David North/WSWS]](https://d15k2d11r6t6rl.cloudfront.net/pub/bfra/krjeilsb/y8z/z7y/15f/0ffe82d8-6ae8-4afd-9590-2cd2f8f83f39.jpeg "Alan Gelfand in 2013 [Photo: David North/WSWS]")
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