William Dudley Pelley, American screenwriter and politician, founded the Silver Legion of America (d. 1965)
William Dudley Pelley (March 12, 1890 – June 30, 1965) was an American writer, occultist, spiritualist and fascist political activist.
He came to prominence as a writer, winning two O. Henry Awards and penning screenplays for Hollywood films. His 1929 essay "Seven Minutes in Eternity" marked a turning point in Pelley's career, earning a major response in The American Magazine where it was published as a popular example of what would later be called a near-death experience. His experiences with mysticism and occultism drifted towards the political, and in 1933 Pelley founded the Silver Legion of America, a fascist paramilitary league. He ran for president of the United States in 1936 as the candidate for the Christian Party.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sedition in 1942, and released in 1950. Upon his death, The New York Times assessed him as "an agitator without a significant following".