Jerry Rubin

Jerry Rubin – Life, Activism, and Transformation

Explore the life of Jerry Rubin (1938–1994): from fiery 1960s activist and co-founder of the Yippies and Chicago Seven defendant, to later businessman. Delve into his philosophy, impact, contradictions, and enduring legacy.

Introduction

Jerry Clyde Rubin was one of the most flamboyant and provocative figures of the 1960s counterculture movement in America. An antiwar activist, theatrical protester, writer, and later a businessman, Rubin’s life charted a dramatic arc—from confrontational agitator to capitalist participant. His story captures the hopes, tensions, and contradictions of a generation trying to remake politics, culture, and personal life. Today, his legacy provokes both admiration and critique, serving as a cautionary and inspirational tale of revolution, reinvention, and the personal vs. the political.

Early Life and Family

Jerry Rubin was born on July 14, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Robert Rubin and Esther (née Katz).

He attended Walnut Hills High School, where he co-edited the school newspaper The Chatterbox. The Cincinnati Post, covering sports and youth pages.

A sad turn in young adulthood came when both of Rubin’s parents died within about ten months of each other, leaving him as guardian for his younger brother Gil, then aged 13.

Rubin’s early life thus combined literary inclinations (journalism), responsibility toward family, cross-cultural exposure, and a sensitivity to politics and social justice.

Youth, Education & Early Political Awakening

After high school, Rubin attended Oberlin College and also studied for a time at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. B.A. in sociology from the University of Cincinnati in 1961.

In the early 1960s, Rubin relocated to Berkeley, California, attending the University of California, Berkeley.

In Berkeley, Rubin participated in organizing protests and joined the Vietnam Day Committee (VDC), a key antiwar effort, helping lead teach-ins and public demonstrations. His early confrontations with authority, interest in civil disobedience, and theatrical protest tactics began to emerge in this period.

Activism, the Yippies & the Chicago Seven

Co-founding the Yippies & Theatrical Protest

In the mid-1960s, Rubin joined forces with Abbie Hoffman and others to found the Youth International Party, popularly known as the Yippies.

Rubin himself famously made symbolic and theatrical gestures. For instance, he sometimes appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) dressed in Revolutionary-era attire or wearing Viet Cong pajamas, blowing bubbles or mocking the formality of hearings.

Another well-known stunt was dumping dollar bills onto the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, creating chaos and symbolically attacking capitalist norms. Pigasus for U.S. President at the 1968 Democratic National Convention to caricature the political process.

Rubin once encapsulated the Yippie philosophy by asserting:

“TV time goes to those with the most guts and imagination… I never understood the radical who comes on TV in a suit and tie.”

1968 Protests & the Chicago Convention

The 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago was a turning point. The Yippies, including Rubin, organized protests under the banner of the “Festival of Life” in Lincoln Park.

Rubin and other leaders were arrested and later put on trial as part of the notorious Chicago Seven (initially the Chicago Eight before Bobby Seale was separated).

During the trial, Rubin and co-defendants used theatrical strategies—dressing in robes, wearing police uniforms underneath, mocking the judge, and otherwise turning courtroom proceedings into a form of protest performance.

Rubin described the trial as “the Academy Award of protest,” seeing it not just as legal drama but a media spectacle meant to challenge legitimacy.

Broader Activism & Philosophy

Beyond Chicago, Rubin was active in organizing protests, teach-ins, and antiwar efforts through the Vietnam Day Committee and smaller local actions. DO IT!: Scenarios of the Revolution (1970) collected essays, stunts, manifestos, and illustrations to inspire direct action. Growing (Up) at Thirty-Seven (1976), he reflected on the tension between political radicalism and personal transformation, even experimenting with self-help, EST (Erhard Seminars Training), meditation, yoga, and other practices.

Midlife Shift: From Radical to Businessman

By the mid-1970s, Rubin began distancing from militant activism and embracing entrepreneurship.

He entered the financial world as a stockbroker with John Muir & Co. Business Networking Salons, Inc., hosting events and parties at places like Studio 54 to facilitate mingling among young professionals and entrepreneurs.

Rubin also ventured into health foods and nutritional supplements, promoting products like a drink called Wow! made from kelp, bee pollen, and ginseng.

This transformation earned him both criticism (from former radicals who saw him as a sell-out) and attention (from those curious about bridging idealism and capitalism). life extension, self-improvement, and personal health, investing time and resources into those domains.

Legacy, Influence & Critique

Influence

• Countercultural Icon: Rubin embodied the 1960s radical spirit in dramatic form—his theatrical protests, media savvy, and willingness to push symbolism made him a touchstone of youth rebellion.

• Strategy & Symbolism: His use of spectacle and media consciousness influenced later protest movements that recognize the need to capture attention (e.g. performance activism, guerrilla theater).

• Personal/Political Fusion: Rubin’s later emphasis on integrating inner work with activism foreshadowed currents in New Left thinking, human potential, and holistic social change.

• Cautionary Example: His shift into business is often cited in debates about co-optation, the limits of radicalism, and how integrity fares under economic pressure.

Critiques & Contradictions

• Critics accused him of abandoning his principles in pursuit of personal gain—transforming from “Yippie to Yuppie.”

• Some believe his transformation diluted his earlier moral authority, rendering him suspect to both radicals and capitalists.

• His inconsistent coherence between radical ideology and business practices invites questions about whether genuine systemic transformation can coexist with personal economic success.

• Personally, Rubin’s life was marked by tensions—between spectacle and sincerity, revolution and assimilation, idealism and pragmatism.

Notable Writings & Quotes

Key Works

• DO IT!: Scenarios of the Revolution (1970) — manifesto and guidebook for activism.

• We Are Everywhere (1971) — journalistic reflections and narratives from prison during the Chicago trial.

• Growing (Up) at Thirty-Seven (1976) — memoir and introspective exploration of personal growth, politics, and identity.

• The War Between the Sheets (1980, co-author Mimi Leonard) — offering more private reflections on relationships and sexuality.

Memorable Quotes

• “TV time goes to those with the most guts and imagination.”

• “I never understood the radical who comes on TV in a suit and tie.”

• Rubin also quipped about protest and spectacle: The more visual, surreal, provocative the stunts, the more media coverage it generates.

These statements reflect his deep awareness of media mechanics, the intersection of image and politics, and the performative nature of dissent.

Lessons from Jerry Rubin’s Life

1. Radicalism needs strategy. Symbolic protest, theatricality, and media awareness can amplify messages—but they must be grounded in substance.

2. Evolve — but with integrity. Rubin’s shift into business teaches the danger and possibility of reinvention; success lies in reconciling values, not betraying them.

3. Personal transformation matters. His later life suggests that activism without self-awareness is incomplete.

4. Challenge complacency. Rubin’s provocations insisted that apathy is complicity, even if they risked alienation.

5. Tension is inevitable. The contradictions between idealism and pragmatism are not failures but terrain to navigate creatively.

Conclusion

Jerry Rubin’s life was a spectacle as much as a struggle—one marked by audacity, impulse, reinvention, and controversy. From the radical streets of the 1960s to the corridors of business networking salons, he traversed extremes, never wholly comfortable in any static identity. His legacy invites us to ask, “How do we live the revolution in daily life?” His story complicates simple binaries of radical vs. conformist, reminding us that change demands both confrontation and negotiation, both vision and adaptation.