ABSTRACT
While there were many prominent figures associated with the Committee for the Nation, perhaps the most important was Dr. Edward A. Rumely, who served as its executive secretary. Rumely was an interesting figure. Rumely found some prominent businessmen sympathetic to the creation of a Committee for Rebuilding Purchasing Power and Prices to educate and agitate in behalf of reflation, including Vincent Bendix, of Bendix Aviation, and James Rand, of Remington Rand. Rumely told Roosevelt that at the instance of Vincent Bendix a committee was discussing the farm situation. Rumely responded with news of the formation of the Committee and wrote that the "Bendix Plan" might "bring about an organization of producers and manufacturers whose primary interest lies in working together to support such measures as may increase consumer purchasing power." A few days later Rumely asked Bendix to allow the use of his name as "the pivotal person" on the committee.
