born March 7, 1844, New Canaan, Conn., U.S.
died Sept. 21, 1915, New York, N.Y.
U.S. social reformer.
He was an early agitator against abortion and pornography, lobbying successfully for the enactment (1873) of a severe federal statute outlawing the transportation of obscene matter in the mails (the Comstock Law). In that same year, he founded the Society for the Suppression of Vice, which he directed until his death. As a special agent of the U.S. Post Office (1873–1915), he conducted spectacular raids on publishers and vendors. His books include Traps for the Young (1883) and Morals Versus Art (1888).