National Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill

National Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill
FormationJune 1, 1948; 76 years ago (1948-06-01)
FounderJerry J. O'Connell
DissolvedSeptember 22, 1950; 74 years ago (1950-09-22)
Purposeoppose Mundt-Nixon Bill
national chairman
Jerry J. O'Connell
treasurer
Bruce Waybur
executive treasurer
Edith Pratt
registered lobbyists
Jerry J. O'Connell, John B. Stone
Subsidiariessub-committees in Chicago, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Delaware, Philadelphia, Trenton, Denver
AffiliationsNational Lawyers Guild, Communist Party USA

The National Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill AKA "NCDMB" (1948-1950) was an American organization that sought to oppose passage of the Mundt-Nixon Bill and subject of a 15-page report of the House Un-American Activities Committee, two of whose members were US Representatives Karl E. Mundt and Richard M. Nixon.[1][2][3]

History

Background

U.S. Representative Karl E. Mundt (undated) supported the Mundt Bill while serving on HUAC

In early 1948, US Representatives Mundt and Nixon began formulating an anti-communist bill, formally House Resolution 5852, Subversive Activities Control Act of 1948, which passed the House in May 1948.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Activities

On June 1, 1948, Henry A. Wallace supporters visibly "took command" of a march on Washington to stop the Mundt-Nixon Bill from passing the Senate. Former congressional representative Jerry J. O'Connell became chairman of a "Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill." The committee claimed that more than 5,000 would march on Washington on June 2.[11] In early June 1948, the bill died in the US Senate as the 1948 United States presidential election season commenced with conventions. (See Mundt-Nixon Bill.)

The group continued existence long enough to face the next iteration of the Mundt-Nixon Bill, namely the Mundt–Ferguson Communist Registration Bill AKA the "Mundt-Ferguson Bill."[12]

It is unclear when exactly the group dissolved. During hearings in 1955, O'Connell indicated that NCDMB ended when Congress overruled President Truman's veto of the Subversive Activities Control Act of 1950, more commonly known as the McCarran Internal Security Act, i.e., September 22, 1950.[13] HUAC's annual report for 1950 cited an unspecified date in September 1950.[14]

HUAC report

U.S. Representative Richard M. Nixon (1950) supported the Mundt Bill while serving on HUAC

On December 7, 1950, HUAC issued a 15-page Report on National Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill: A Communist Lobby. At that time, HUAC's senior investigator was Louis J. Russell and director of research Benjamin Mandel. HUAC had successfully subpoenaed months of Western Union telegrams and telephone records between the committee and the National Lawyers Guild and tied both organizations to the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) and numerous Communist front organizations. HUAC also cited testimony from FBI undercover agent Matthew Cvetic.[1]

The report concluded:

The Committee on Un-American Activities is unanimous in its belief that the National Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill was organized not as a legitimate lobbying enterprise, but rather as a propaganda adjunct of the Communist Party. The work of this organization, in many instances, was performed by the Communist Party, and it was at all times wholly supported by the Communist Party.[1]

(Note: The report states its "belief.")

Organization

A number of NCDMB supporters also supported US Vice President Henry A. Wallace and his Progressive Party including Leo Isaacson, Arthur Miller, Louis Untermeyer, and Mark Van Doren (listed under "sponsors" below).

Structure

US Representative Leo Isacson (here, 1947) was an NCDMB member

The NCDMB has the following sub-organizations:

  • Chicago Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill
  • Freedom House Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill (Miami)
  • New York Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill
  • San Francisco Committee to Oppose the Mundt-Ferguson Bill
  • Santa Cruz Citizens Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill
  • Delaware Committee to Defeat the Mundt bill
  • Philadelphia Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill
  • New Jersey Citizens Committee Against the Mundt Bill
  • Colorado Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill[1]

Major financial contributors to NCDMB included:

Members

American playwright Arthur Miller (here, 1966) was an NCDMB member

NCDMB Officers included:

  • Jerry J. O'Connell, chairman and registered lobbyist
  • Bruce Waybur, treasurer
  • Edith Pratt, executive treasurer
  • John B. Stone, registered lobbyist[1]

NCDMB sponsors included:

A House document states that US Senator James E. Murray of Montana had close Communist front ties with the Daily Worker newspaper, Soviet Russia Today magazine, the National Lawyers Guild, and the International Workers Order as well as known affiliation with Jerry J. O'Connell of NCMDB.[17]

Works

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Report on National Committee to Defeat the Mundt Bill: A Communist Lobby. US GPO. 7 December 1950. pp. 4-6 (Cvetic), 7-10 (finance), 10-11 (officers), 11-12 (sponsors). Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  2. ^ Heidepriem, Scott (1988). A Fair Chance for a Free People: Biography of Karl E. Mundt, United States Senator. Leader Print. Co. p. 124. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Lawyers Guild Review". National Lawyers Guild. 1951: 44–45. Retrieved 2 December 2019. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ "Mundt-Nixon". CQ Almanac. 1948. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  5. ^ "Timeline". Nixon Library. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  6. ^ Taylor, Gregory S. (2009). The History of the North Carolina Communist Party. Univ of South Carolina Press. p. 165. ISBN 9781570038020. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  7. ^ "Control of Subversive Activities: Hearings Before the Committee on the Judiciary (United States Senate) on H. R. 5852". US Government Printing Office. 31 May 1948. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  8. ^ Nixon, Richard (1978). RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. ISBN 978-0-448-14374-3.
  9. ^ "In Washington Yesterday - The House". New York Times. 20 May 1948. p. 22. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  10. ^ Fisher, John (20 May 1948). "House Passes Mundt-Nixon Bill 319—58". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  11. ^ "Wallace Forces Take Lead on Anti-Mundt Bill March". New York Times. 2 June 1948. p. 1. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  12. ^ Morris, John D. (5 March 1950). "Senate Unit Votes New Mundt Bill: Anti-Red Measure Is Designed to Close Loopholes in Cases Such as Hiss-Chambers" (PDF). New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  13. ^ U.S. House of Representatives, Subcommittee of the Committee on Un-American Activities (1 June 1955). Investigation of Communist Activities in the Seattle, Wash. Area, Part 3. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. pp. 505–507. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  14. ^ Annual Report of the Committee on Un-American Activities for the Year 1950. 2 January 1951. pp. 25–27. Retrieved 2 December 2019. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  15. ^ Steinbacher, John A. (1971). The Child Seducers. Educator Publications. p. 192. ISBN 9780913558003. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  16. ^ "Mundt Bill Called Disaster to People: Isacson, Denying He Is Red, Scores Measure–Proponents See a 'Lie' Campaign". New York Times. 28 May 1948. p. 1. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  17. ^ "The Red Record of Senator James E. Murray" (PDF). 1951. p. 10. Retrieved 2 December 2019.