Reverend C. A. Rexroad: Exalted Cyclops of Spokane

In Spring of 1923, working with Spokane Kleagle Orrin S. Smith, Rev. C. A. Rexroad of Corbin Park Methodist church became Exalted Cyclops (chapter president) of the Spokane Klan chapter, then chartered Washington State Klan No. 2. Rexroad was a popular revivalist preacher in Spokane and preached conservative values that were very much in line with the social principles of the Klan. Rexroad was known for serving as a captain and chaplain during the first world war and also served as the chaplain for the regional branch of the American Legion.

            Rexroad’s positions of power within other regional institutions made him an effective choice for attracting new members and gaining power in Eastern Washington. Additionally, the secrecy of the Klan proved effective for building Klan power without raising unwanted attention. While Rexroad came to run the Spokane chapter in Spring of 1923, this information was not public until roughly a year later when the news of Rexroad’s Klan involvement was published in the Spokane Chronicle. The secrecy of this information allowed Rexroad to pursue a Klan agenda through his community involvement without the Klan being publicly involved. Notably, in spring of 1923, the Klan donated $25 to the American Legion in which Rexroad served.

March 4^th, 1924, to his discontent, the Spokane Chronicle published a story revealing Rev. C. A. Rexroad of Corbin Park Methodist Church to be the Exalted Cyclops of the Spokane Chapter of the Klan. Rexroad’s position of leadership was controversial due to his many other involvements in the Spokane regional community. Rexroad was soon asked to resign as chaplain of the Washington National Guard. Similarly, the Klan received criticism from the American Legion, an organization Rexroad was a prominent member within. Within the Methodist Church System of Spokane, Rexroad’s position was met with mixed response, some preachers calling the Klan Un-American and Condemning Rexroad and others voicing the opinion that his Klan involvement should not bear negatively on him.

Rexroad responded in the papers by defending the Klan as a necessary institution in the US and refusing to step down from any of his other positions. Outside of the papers, Rexroad hosted two public events admitting to his position of leadership and urging the white protestants of Spokane to embrace and appreciate the Klan. Rexroad speaking from his usual pulpit at Corbin Park Methodist Church, both events drew substantial attendance—the first on March 10^th reportedly drawing upwards of 500.

Following Rev. Rexroad’s exposure as Exalted Cyclops, he began acting as the public spokesperson of the Spokane Ku Klux Klan. Rexroad’s opinion on political issues became reported as the opinion of the Spokane Klan. While Rexroad responded to the Exposé in the Spokane Chronicle negatively and referred to it as an attack, the Cyclops was still very much able to promote the Klan publicly, his events drawing large crowds of Klansmen and non-affiliated curious members of the community alike.