Raymond L. Frick
Attorney at Law
233 Sansome Street
San Francisco 4
Sutter 1-5510
Mr. John Francis Neylan
Attorney at Law
One Montgomery Street
San Francisco, California
I am writing you for two reasons. First, because as one who has been closely identified with the Hearst publications I feel sure that you are as deeply concerned over the spread of Communism in America as I am, and second, because you are a member of the Board of Regents of the University of California.
I have a copy of the Third Report Senate Investigating Committee on Education compiled by a Committee of the California Legislature, of which Committee Senator Nelson S. Dilworth is Chairman. On page 93 of this report the following appears:
"Kenneth MacGowan is now teaching at the University of California at Los Angeles, and prior to his employment by the Board of Regents, was a motion picture writer and director. At the time he was being considered for his position on the faculty of the State University in 1946, that institution made a written inquiry of the California Legislature's Committee on Un-American Activities as to the affiliations of Mr. MacGowan, and the documented record was immediately forwarded as requested. A few days thereafter Mr. MacGowan was a member of the faculty. No doubt the Committee has records of other persons who have been connected with Communist front organizations in the event the State University has vacancies on its teaching staff (Cal. 1947, 70).
Mr. MacGowan has been affiliated with the following Communist front organizations:
Motion Picture Artist's Committee (US783); Member of the Executive Committee with: John Howard Lawson and Herbert Sorell.
Writers Congress (US 790); other members were: John Howard Lawson, Cary McWilliams, Hanns Eisler.
― 2 ―People's Education Center, (Cal. 1947, 70); other members of the faculty and administrative staff of this Communist school were: Dorothy Healy, Chairman of the Communist Party of Los Angeles County, John Howard Lawson, Bruce Minton, since expelled from the Communist Party, Meyer Frieden, organizer for the Young Communist League, (Cal. 1947, pp. 70-71)
Hollywood Quarterly (Cal. 1947, 107); other contributors to this magazine jointly sponsored by the State University and the Hollywood Writers Mobilization: John Howard Lawson.
Hollywood Community Radio Group (Cal. 1947, 179); other members were: Carey McWilliams, Robert W. Kenney.
1947 Statewide Legislative Conference (Cal. 1947, 241-242); other members were: John Howard Lawson, Carey McWilliams, Robert W. Kenney, Helen Wheeler, Bishop Edward L. Parsons.
Hollywood Writers Mobilization (Cal. 1947, 108); other members were: John Howard Lawson, Carey McWilliams.
Hollywood Democratic Committee (Cal. 1947, 108); other members were: John Howard Lawson.
Hollywood Independent Citizens Committee of the Arts, Sciences and Professions, (Cal. 1947, 108); other members were: Robert W. Kenney, Carey McWilliams, John Howard Lawson."
Incidentally, I might say that I do not know Mr. MacGowan from Adam but I just happened to come across the reference to him while glancing through the above mentioned report.
I have been in correspondence with Dr. Robert Gordon Sproul, President of the University of California, R. E. Combs, Esq., Attorney at Law, Counsel for the Tenney Committee, and Mr. Tenney himself, and I have been advised by Dr. Sproul that "my staff has made a diligent search of the files and has not been able to find any evidence substantiating the statement about which you inquire, i.e., no record of any inquiry by an officer of this University to the Committee on Un-American Activities concerning Mr. Kenneth MacGowan has been found, nor can I find any officer who remembers making such a `written inquiry', as stated in your letter * * *".
However, I have since established through correspondence with Mr. Combs that a request for a report on Mr. MacGowan was
For months I have been attempting to ascertain the identity of this individual but have finally given it up and have now written Dr. Sproul again and have apprised him of the information I have received anent the request for and receipt of the report. Incidentally, Dr. Sproul in former correspondence has taken the position that since his employment "Professor MacGowan has done a distinguished job and I know of no complaints concerning his public or private life either on the ground of Communism, Communistic affiliations or otherwise." I have told Dr. Sproul that I am not nearly so much concerned with Mr. MacGowan's activities since his employment by the University of California at Los Angeles as I am with the question as to why he was hired in the first place in view of the report received by the University of California.
I have also suggested to Dr. Sproul that in view of my advices to him I feel he owes it to the University of California, not to mention the people of the State of California, to call in Mr. MacGowan personally and ask him if he did in fact belong to the various organizations set forth in the Third Report Senate Investigating Committee On Education and if so, if he still is a member of any or all of them.
I am now advised by the University of California that Mr. MacGowan, in addition to his original employment in 1946, had his contract renewed in 1947, 1948, and his contract for 1949 will come up for renewal on or about July 1, 1949.
I am writing you with the thought in mind that as a member of the Board of Regents of the University of California you may wish to look into this matter and possibly interview Mr. MacGowan yourself. It will also be interesting to learn whether Mr. MacGowan takes the loyalty oath which I understand from the press the Board of Regents will hereafter require as a condition precedent to employment by the University of California.
I would very much like to hear from you on this matter and would greatly appreciate learning the outcome of any investigation which you may see fit to undertake.
I might take this occasion to say to you that I have always admired the great fight that the Hearst papers have for all these years carried on in an effort to assist in exposing and stamping out Communism in America.
RLF:hm
Courtesy of University Archives, The Bancroft Library, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-6000; http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/info
http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb938nb976&brand=oac4
Title: Letter to John Francis Neylan, June 21, 1949
By: Frick, Raymond L, Author
Date: June 21, 1949
Contributing Institution: University Archives, The Bancroft Library, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-6000; http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/info
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