Minutes of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, June 13, 1956
Record Group 233: Records of the U.S. House of RepresentativesSeries: Committee PapersFile Unit: Minutes of Full Committee and Subcommittee Meetings of the Internal Security Committee During the 80th through 93rd CongressesÂ
COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES
June 13, 1956
The Committee on Un-American Activities met in executive session on Wednesday, June 13, 1956, in Room 225, Old House Office Building, The following members were present:
Francis E. Walter, Chairman
Morgan M. Moulder
Clyde Doyle
James B. Frazier, Jr.
Edwin E. Willis
Bernard W. Kearney
Gordon H. Scherer
Also present were Richard Arens, Director; Frank S. Tavenner, Jr., Counsel; Juliette P. Joray, Clerk; Donald T. Appell, Investigator; and Richard S. Weil, Research Analyst.
The Chairman called the meeting to order at 9:20 A. M.
Mr. Walter reported to the Committee that he was Chairman of a subcommittee appointed by him composed of himself, Messrs. Clyde Doyle, Bernard W. Kearney and Gordon Scherer, to conduct a hearing on June 12, 1956; that the subcommittee had unanimously agreed that the facts relating to the refusal of PAUL ROBESON to answer pertinent questions before the said subcommittee and the facts relating to the willful and deliberate misconduct on the part of PAUL ROBESON, amounting to refusal or default in the giving of testimony and obstruction of the committee in a hearing conducted in the Caucus Room, House Office Building, Washington, D. C., on June 12, 1956, be referred and submitted to the Committee on Un-American Activities as a whole, with a recommendation that the witness be cited for contempt of the House of Representatives in the manner and form provided by law.
The report of the facts relating to the refusal of PAUL ROBESON to answer pertinent questions, and the facts relating to his willful and deliberate misconduct, was submitted to the Committee, upon which a motion was made by Mr. Scherer and seconded by Mr. Frazier, that the subcommittee's report of the facts be, and the same is hereby approved and adopted, and that the Committee on Un-American Activities report and refer the refusal of PAUL ROBESON to answer pertinent questions before the said subcommittee, and his willful and deliberate misconduct before said subcommittee, together with all the facts in connection therewith, to the House of Representatives, with the recommendation that the witness be cited for contempt of the House of Representatives for his refusal to answer pertinent questions and for his said willful and deliberate misconduct, to the end that he may be proceeded against in the manner and form provided by law. The motion was unanimously carried. Mr. Walter reported to the Committee that he was Chairman of a subcommittee appointed by him, composed of himself, Messrs. Clyde Doyle, Bernard W. Kearney and Gordon Scherer, to conduct a hearing on June 12, 1956; that the subcommittee had unanimously agreed that the facts relating to the refusal of CLARK FOREMAN to produce certain documents before the said subcommittee, pursuant to a subpoena duces tecum requiring their production, and the refusal of CLARK FOREMAN to deliver the said documents to the said subcommittee in a hearing conducted in the Caucus Room, House Office Building, Washington, D. C., on June 12, 1956, be referred and submitted to the Committee on Un-American Activities as a whole, with a recommendation that the witness be cited for contempt of the House of Representatives in the manner and form provided by law.
The report of the facts relating to the refusal of CLARK FOREMAN to produce certain documents before the said subcommittee, pursuant to a subpoena duces tecum requiring their production and the refusal of CLARK FOREMAN to deliver the said documents to the said subcommittee, was submitted to the Committee, upon which a motion was made by Mr. Kearney, and seconded by Mr. Frazier, that the subcommittee's report of the facts be, and the same is hereby approved and adopted, and that the Committee on Un-American Activities report and refer the refusal of CLARK FOREMAN to produce certain documents before the said subcommittee pursuant to a subpoena duces tecum requiring their production and the refusal of CLARK FOREMAN to deliver the said documents to the said subcommittee, together with all the facts in connection therewith, to the House of Representatives, with the recommendation that the witness be cited for contempt of the House of Representatives for his refusal to produce certain documents before the said subcommittee pursuant to a subpoena duces tecum requiring their production and the refusal of said witness to deliver the said documents to the said subcommittee, to the end that he may be proceeded against in the manner and form provided by law. The motion was unanimously carried.
Mr. Walter reported to the Committee that he was Chairman of a subcommittee appointed by him composed of himself, Messrs. Clyde Doyle, Bernard W. Kearney and Gordon Scherer, to conduct a hearing on June 12, 1956; that the subcommittee had unanimously agreed that the facts relating to the refusal of OTTO NATHAN to answer pertinent questions before the said subcommittee and to produce certain documents before the said subcommittee, pursuant to a subpoena duces tecum requiring their production in a hearing conducted in the Caucus Room, House Office Building, Washington, D. C., on June 12, 1956, be referred and submitted to the Committee on Un-American Activities as a whole, with a recommendation that the witness be cited for contempt of the House of Representatives in the manner and form provided by law.
It was unanimously agreed that action on this report relating to OTTO NATHAN, be deferred, and that counsel study the record.Â
A motion was made by Mr. Scherer, seconded by Mr. Frazier, and unanimously carried, that a transcript of the testimony of Louis Boudin be referred to the Department of Justice for consideration of prosecutive action for perjury, arising from his qualified denial of Communist Party membership.
A discussion followed concerning the proposed hearings of the Fund for the Republic. Mr. Doyle wanted to make it absolutely clear that he thought the Committee should hear the proponents of the Fund as well as the opponents.
The question of the appearance before the Committee of Dr. J. B. Matthews was discussed, but no decision was reached.
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