On January 27, 1948, Albert F. Canwell, Republican state representative from Spokane, convened the first of two sets of high profile legislative hearings intended to expose the activities of communists in Washington State. The Joint Legislative Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities met in Seattle at the Armory of the 146th Field Artillery in what is now the Center House at Seattle Center. Over a period of ten days, the committee heard testimony from forty-six witnesses, many of them former members of the Communist Party. This first set of hearings focused on communist influence in the Washington Commonwealth Federation and the Washington Pension Union, an advocacy group that had won increased social security benefits for seniors and pensions for single mothers.
On July 19, the Canwell committee recovened to investigate the University of Washington, where one politician claimed there were over 100 Communists on the university faculty. Over the course of five days, forty-seven witnesses including twelve faculty members testified.
Below are the complete transcripts of both hearings as published in Report of Joint Legislative Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities Established by the Thirtieth Legislature Under House Concurrent Resolution No. 10 (Olympia, 1948). Witnesses are listed in the order in which they appeared.
Index (607) Complete list of persons and organizations named in hearings
Preface and House Resolution #10 (iii)
Former managing editor of the Daily Worker, gives lengthy testimony on Party policy, theory and strategy, as well as subservience to Moscow. Identifies a range of Washington and Seattle residents as Party members.
Discusses infiltration of Old Age Pension Union by the Party.
Details Communist takeover of the organization.
Discusses Communist influence on the paper, Pension Union and Washington Commonwealth Federation. Identifies several people as members, including Hugh DeLacy, John Caughlan and Howard Costigan.
Discusses Pension Union, Bill Pennock, Caughlan.
Discuss Pennock, William Dobbins, N.P. Atkinson, many others.
Similarly long list of names and Communist involvement in Seattle politics.
Former Party and Pension Union member, discusses Pennock and Communist control of the latter
Had been active in Negro Labor Congress, discusses many national policies and members of the Party. Details national Party organization at length.
Discusses Communist influence on the Local, his own de facto membership. Discusses ILWU, Pension Union, WCF
Discusses Trade Union Unity League, Comintern influence on CPUSA, time spent in Russia, ILWU, Pension Union, Newspaper Guild.
Party and the Newspaper Guild.
Discusses Workers’ Alliance, Pension Union.
Identifies Bill Pennock, DeLacy, others as Party members
Testifies about DeLacy, Dobbins, YCL activities
Testifies about life under Communism.
Communist influence on Pension Union
Testifies on Party control of Local 6 leadership.
Testifies at length about conditions in Russia.
Pension Union and the Party.
Discusses Pension Union.
Testifies on various financial contributions he gave to Party and its alleged front groups.
Identifies Bill Pennock, DeLacy as Party members.
Discusses shifts in Party line, WCF
Testifies about various Party meetings and fronts.
Discusses Everett Pension Union, Pennock, support of Pension Union for Harry Bridges defense.
Discusses attempt to wrest control of Pension Union from the left.
Testifies about Pension Union, Northwest Labor School.
Communist influence in Pension Union
Testifies about Party members in the Pension Union
Discusses Workers’ Alliance, John Caughlan, University of Washington, Pension Union, Communist influence in various unions.
Testifies about Party activities in the 1920s, Bridges, Building Service Employees, Lenin School, Comintern, espionage.
Discusses Bill Pennock and the Pension Union.
Testifies on financial dealing of the Pension Union.
Owned apartment rented by Marie Redenbaugh, who was alleged to have starved from lack of food by the Pension Union
Compares Party line and public statements by accused Communists.
Alleges Bridges and other longshore leaders are Party members
Summarizes the evidence against those affiliated with the UW and the Repertory Playhouse.
Former Army Intelligence and Security agent who infiltrated the Party in King County. Discusses UW Professors and Repertory Playhouse
UW Professor and former Party member, names other professors.
Educational Director for local Party unit.
Lengthy discussion of the CPUSA, including alleged front organizations and the Wallace campaign. Links front organizations with UW professors and includes numerous exhibits like handbills from front groups.
Former Party member, part of a unit of professionals that allegedly included UW professors. Discusses WCF and Playhouse.
Also worked in Seattle shipyard.
Admits Party membership, but says that lack of memory prevents him from naming any other members.
Discusses general Party line as it relates to activities of UW professors. Also details Communist influence on American Federation of Teachers.
Testifies to seeing numerous professors at meetings, and calls the Playhouse a recruiting center for the Party
Discusses affiliation of UW professors with alleged front groups like the Old Age Pension Union, the WCF and the Playhouse.
Admits membership, but refuses to name others.
Neighbor of Professor Philips, testifies that he had a poster of Stalin in his house.
Testifies that his son was recruited while at Western Washington University, which at the time was called the Normal School, and discusses their estrangement.
Lived in Russia in the early 1930s, testifies that he met Florence Bean James in Moscow.
Again refuses to answer questions.
Former Young Communist League member, details the organization’s activities and policies.
Claims Party membership, names professors and condemns Playhouse.
Resident of Los Angeles, former employee of Daily Worker and the Trade Union Unity League. Claims to have attended meeting in Seattle with professors and Playhouse directors.
Argues with Canwell, refuses to answer questions.
Testifies to presence of UW professors at Communist “fraction” meetings of the Pension Union.
Former pastor at Seattle church, argues that the League for Peace and Democracy functioned as a front organization. Also recalls conversation with Earl Browder.
Names Rachmiel Forschmiedt as Party member.
Further lengthy testimony on Party policy and strategies.
Admits to being former member of Party but refuses to name others.
Refuses to answer questions about his own membership.
Particularly focuses on Rader, but details front group affiliations of other professors.
Discusses front groups, Playhouse at some length. At end of testimony, Canwell becomes impatient with John Caughlan and demonstrators.
Names Florence James and Forschmiedt as members.
Canwell argues with Butterworth’s lawyer and the Professor refuses to answer questions.
Testifies against Harold Eby.
Briefly discusses Communist activity by UW students.
Testifies that Playhouse was attempting to organize active-duty soldiers at Fort Lewis.
Backs Roberts’ allegations.
Admits belonging to Party, but refuses to name other members.
Alleges Ralph Gundlach and Melvin Rader attended secret Party school and discusses Party relationship with blacks.
Refuses to answer questions.
Briefly clarifies earlier comment about blacks, identifies Forschmiedt as Party member.
Refuses to answer questions.
Also refuses to answer questions
Lists front group affiliations of Florence and Burton James, Gundlach, Ottenheimer, Rader, Butterworth, Jacobs, Phillips and Eby.
Argues with Canwell over access to attorney, Canwell ejects him from courtroom.
Further discussion of Party policy and practice on racial issues, other issues with Stalin and CPUSA. More details on Party school and insurrectionary bent of the Party.
Father of former UW student, who later lived with Gundlach and then Phillips. Finally, his son enlisted in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and was killed in Spain.
Refuses to answer questions.
Admits Party membership, refuses to name others.
Testifies against Eby.
Former President of Building Service Employees Local 6, also a former Party member. Testifies against Eby and James.
Refuses to answer questions.
Testifies at length about participation in liberal causes and his non-membership in the Party.
Denies Party membership.
Cites various newspaper articles that the professors and Playhouse directors are quoted in, alongside Communist Party policy.