The Catonsville Nine File
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Daniel BerriganPhilip BerriganDavid DarstJohn HoganTom LewisMarjorie MelvilleThomas MelvilleGeorge MischeMary Moylan
THOMAS MELVILLE
Thomas Melville, born in 1929, was ordained as a Maryknoll priest and sent to Guatemala in 1957. There he founded co-operatives and worked on economic development and land distribution programs.

Melville was exiled from Guatemala for his work in organizing peasants in opposition to the government. After leaving the order and marrying former Maryknoll sister Marjorie Bradford, he returned to the United States to advocate against U.S. government and business practices in Guatemala.

Recruited for the Catonsville action by George Mische, the Melvilles hoped to bring attention to U.S. involvement in Guatemalan affairs.

While awaiting sentencing, Melville and his wife both completed master's degrees. After serving his time, Melville earned a PhD in cultural anthropology and has continued as a scholar and activist in Guatemalan affairs. He is the author of Guatemala: Another Vietnam and Guatemala: The Politics of Land Ownership. The Melvilles currently live in Mexico.

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