John Birch Society

John Birch Society, U.S. anti-Communist organization. Established in 1958 by Robert Welch and named after a U.S. military officer killed by Chinese Communists in 1945, the society grew to 3,000 chapters by fueling fears of Communist plots in the United States and around the world. Its controversial methods include “smear campaigns” launched against public officials they believe to be Communist sympathizers.