Obituaries : Edward Rankin; Headed Patriotic Group

Edward Rankin, a dedicated conservative who invoked the flag, the moral values of the founding fathers and the power of capitalism in his quest to preserve what he perceived as the guiding principles of American patriotism, has died at 84.

His death from lymphoma Saturday in Canoga Park marks what many see as a turning point for the Buena Park organization he headed as executive director, the Americanism Educational League.

“There’s nothing left; it’s just an empty shell,” said Orange County historian Tom Rogers.

Flag-waving just doesn’t get much play in politics anymore, said Mark P. Petracca, a professor of political science at UC Irvine.

The league was organized in 1927 by a fellow arch-conservative, Knott’s Berry Farm founder Walter Knott, to promote enduring faith in the power and importance of proclaimed patriotism.

In his role with the league, Rankin spearheaded essay contests that drew thousands of college and high school students, though the numbers have decreased from a decade ago.

Rankin wrote pamphlets and articles that he sent to newspapers nationwide. He oversaw a library that included films and videos with titles such as “The Responsibility of American Citizenship,” which were lent to schools and civic groups.

The fight to save his vision of American patriotism consumed Rankin’s life, said his wife, Beverly. She said he worked long hours to further his cause.

Born in Atlanta, Rankin graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, then moved to Los Angeles in 1936. But it was in Orange County--the land of Knott and Robert Dornan--that Rankin realized his dream.

“The purpose of the Americanism Educational League is to conduct a sustained campaign of public education to promote constitutional principles,” according to the group’s mission statement. “It also seeks to advance the private enterprise system and increase individual responsibility, and to encourage the renewal of those moral and spiritual values that guided our founding fathers in the establishment of this republic.”

The group, which has about 1,700 contributors, also honors conservatives for their contributions to national life, said Steve Knott, nephew of Walter Knott and chairman of the organization’s board of trustees. Speakers at its annual banquet have included former Vice President Dan Quayle, former federal drug czar William Bennett and former Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates.

In addition to his wife, Rankin is survived by five children--Shorter Rankin, Carolyn Mallory, Thomas Rankin, Ann Rankin and Beverly Barela--12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. Sept. 12 at St. James Presbyterian Church, 19414 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana.