John F. McManus joined the staff of The John Birch Society in August 1966, serving originally as a field coordinator for several New England states. In 1968, he was transferred to a position at the Society’s national headquarters.
In 1973, Mr. McManus accepted the appointment by Robert Welch, the Society’s Founder, as the organization’s Director of Public Affairs. In this post, he became the Society’s chief media representative throughout the nation. He has appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs.
Mr. McManus was named the president of The John Birch Society in 1991 and served as such until January 1, 2016. He also served many years as Publisher of The New American and the JBS Bulletin.
Mr. McManus wrote and produced numerous audiovisual programs, including the popular DVD Overview of America, which is a moving tribute about America’s constitutional roots. He has also written several books including Financial Terrorism (1993), Changing Commands: The Betrayal of America’s Military (1995), William F. Buckley, Jr.: Pied Piper for the Establishment (2002), The Insiders (2004), and The John Birch Society: Its History Recounted by Someone Who Was There.
Born in 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. McManus graduated Holy Cross College in Massachusetts. He served on active duty as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps for three years. For six years before accepting a staff position with the Society, he was employed as an electronics engineer. The father of four and grandparent of several, Mr. McManus was married to the former Mary Helen O’Reilly of Boston. He passed away on March 4, 2024.