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<div style="background: #ccf; font-weight: bold; padding: 1px 3px 1px 3px;">This article is part of the<br/>[[Venona project|Venona]]<br/>series.</div>

<div style="background: #ccf; font-weight: bold; padding: 1px 3px 1px 3px;">This article is part of the<br/>[[Venona project|Venona]]<br/>series.</div>

[[CPUSA#Secret_apparatus|Secret apparatus]]<br/>

[[CPUSA#Secret apparatus|Secret apparatus]]<br/>

[[Abraham Lincoln Brigade]]<br/>

[[Abraham Lincoln Brigade]]<br/>

[[TASS]]

[[TASS]]

'''Samuel Simon Krafsur''' (January 10, 1913<ref>U. S. Social Security Death Index</ref> &ndash; June 1983) was a Boston-born journalist who worked for the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] news agency [[TASS (USSR)|TASS]] during [[World War II]]. He was also known as '''Bill Krafsur'''.<ref>[http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:zvSmw-tjBF8J:www.alba-valb.org/volpdf/vol_1938_04.pdf+%22Bill+Krafsur%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us The Volunteer For Liberty, Vol. 1, No. 3, April, 1938]</ref>

'''Samuel Simon Krafsur''' (January 10, 1913<ref>U. S. Social Security Death Index</ref> &ndash; June 1983) was a Boston-born journalist who worked for the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] news agency [[TASS (USSR)|TASS]] during [[World War II]]. He was also known as '''Bill Krafsur'''.<ref>[http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:zvSmw-tjBF8J:www.alba-valb.org/volpdf/vol_1938_04.pdf+%22Bill+Krafsur%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us The Volunteer For Liberty, Vol. 1, No. 3, April, 1938]</ref>

Krafsur was mentioned in the [[Venona]] intercepts under the codename IDE. He was used by the [[KGB]] during the war as a source of information and for recruiting journalists as informants and agents, and is referred to in the [[NSA]] archives as a "KGB agent".<ref>National Security Agency Archives[http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps33230/www.nsa.gov/docs/venona/monographs/monograph-1.html], National Cryptological Museum, [http://www.nsa.gov/museum/museu00040.cfm] Custodian of documents for the Army Signals Intelligence Corp.</ref><ref>[http://www.nsa.gov/venona/venon00116.cfm?CFID=2412771&CFTOKEN=59316524&jsessionid=c830b21ad087a$5FoV$B#17]</ref>

Krafsur was mentioned in the [[Venona]] intercepts under the codename IDE. He was used by the [[KGB]] during the war as a source of information and for recruiting journalists as informants and agents, and is referred to in the [[NSA]] archives as a "KGB agent".<ref>National Security Agency Archives [http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps33230/www.nsa.gov/docs/venona/monographs/monograph-1.html], National Cryptological Museum, [http://www.nsa.gov/museum/museu00040.cfm] Custodian of documents for the Army Signals Intelligence Corp.</ref><ref>[http://www.nsa.gov/venona/venon00116.cfm?CFID=2412771&CFTOKEN=59316524&jsessionid=c830b21ad087a$5FoV$B#17]</ref>

==Family==

==Family==

==Early career==

==Early career==

In 1934, Krafsur joined the [[Communist Party of America]].<ref>The Venona Secrets: Exposing America's Cold War Traitors, Herbert Romerstein, Eric Breindel, page 430</ref> He attended Northeastern University for a year.<ref>''Venona: Decoding Espionage in America'', John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, Yale University Press, (1999), pgs. 242–244, 248.</ref> Before going to [[Spain]] to fight with the [[Abraham Lincoln Brigade]] during the [[Spanish Civil War]],<ref>[http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:RQEKkR4YxdoJ:www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/spanjews.pdf+Krafsur+Boston+%2268+Phillips%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us Jews Who Served in the Spanish Civil War, by Martin Sugarman]</ref>he lived at 68 Phillips Street in Boston. Krafsur was wounded in Spain in May of 1937 and returned to the States in July. That same year he married Dixie Elizabeth Scoville in [[Vermont]].<ref>[http://genealinks.com/cgi-bin/marriages.cgi/?Dix GeneaLinks, Online Marriage Records for Your Genealogy]</ref>  

In 1934, Krafsur joined the [[Communist Party of America]].<ref>The Venona Secrets: Exposing America's Cold War Traitors, Herbert Romerstein, Eric Breindel, page 430</ref> He attended Northeastern University for a year.<ref>''Venona: Decoding Espionage in America'', John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, Yale University Press, (1999), pgs. 242–244, 248.</ref> Before going to [[Spain]] to fight with the [[Abraham Lincoln Brigade]] during the [[Spanish Civil War]],<ref>[http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:RQEKkR4YxdoJ:www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/spanjews.pdf+Krafsur+Boston+%2268+Phillips%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us Jews Who Served in the Spanish Civil War, by Martin Sugarman]</ref> he lived at 68 Phillips Street in Boston. Krafsur was wounded in Spain in May 1937 and returned to the States in July. That same year he married Dixie Elizabeth Scoville in [[Vermont]].<ref>[http://genealinks.com/cgi-bin/marriages.cgi/?Dix GeneaLinks, Online Marriage Records for Your Genealogy]</ref>  

In 1938 Krafsur was a member of the editorial staff of ''The Volunteers for Liberty'' a newspaper which was an, "organ of the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade" organization out of 125 West 45 Street in New York City.<ref>The Volunteer For Liberty, Vol. 1, No. 3, April, 1938</ref> In April of 1938 he was in charge of finding veterans to tell their war sotries to be made into radio plays written by [[Irwin Shaw]].<ref>The Volunteer For Liberty, Vol. 1, No. 3, April, 1938</ref> From 1939 to 1941 he worked as a secretary to his brother-in-law journalist and novelist Elliot Paul.<ref>[http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/tamwag/alba_267/bioghist.html Tamiment Library ]</ref>

In 1938 Krafsur was a member of the editorial staff of ''The Volunteers for Liberty'' a newspaper which was an, "organ of the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade" organization out of 125 West 45 Street in New York City.<ref>The Volunteer For Liberty, Vol. 1, No. 3, April, 1938</ref> In April 1938 he was in charge of finding veterans to tell their war sotries to be made into radio plays written by [[Irwin Shaw]].<ref>The Volunteer For Liberty, Vol. 1, No. 3, April, 1938</ref> From 1939 to 1941 he worked as a secretary to his brother-in-law journalist and novelist Elliot Paul.<ref>[http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/tamwag/alba_267/bioghist.html Tamiment Library ]</ref>

He began working for TASS in New York in 1941<ref> Scope of Soviet Activity in the United States: Hearing Before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee of the Judiciary, United States Senate, 84th Congress Second Session [85th Congress First Session] Transcript, April 17, 1956</ref>  after being recruited by the Soviet agent [[Vladimir Pravdin]].  Krafsur spent he Summer of 1941 working in New York and was sent down to Washington, D.C. in October of that year. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, he was located in Washington perminently.<ref>Scope of Soviet Activity in the United States: Hearing Before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee of the Judiciary, United States Senate, 84th Congress Second Session [85th Congress First Session] Transcript, April 17, 1956</ref>

He began working for TASS in New York in 1941<ref>Scope of Soviet Activity in the United States: Hearing Before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee of the Judiciary, United States Senate, 84th Congress Second Session [85th Congress First Session] Transcript, April 17, 1956</ref>  after being recruited by the Soviet agent [[Vladimir Pravdin]].  Krafsur spent he Summer of 1941 working in New York and was sent down to Washington, D.C. in October of that year. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, he was located in Washington perminently.<ref>Scope of Soviet Activity in the United States: Hearing Before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee of the Judiciary, United States Senate, 84th Congress Second Session [85th Congress First Session] Transcript, April 17, 1956</ref>

Krafsur was considered an important asset to the KGB because of the many contacts he had with other newsmen. He was the deputy TASS bureau chief in [[Washington, D.C.]] and the [[FBI]] spent a lot of time and effort trying to identify who he was under his codename IDE.<ref>''Venona: Decoding Espionage in America'', John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, Yale University Press, (1999), pgs. 242–244, 248.</ref>

Krafsur was considered an important asset to the KGB because of the many contacts he had with other newsmen. He was the deputy TASS bureau chief in [[Washington, D.C.]] and the [[FBI]] spent a lot of time and effort trying to identify who he was under his codename IDE.<ref>''Venona: Decoding Espionage in America'', John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, Yale University Press, (1999), pgs. 242–244, 248.</ref>

On August 17, 1944, Krafsur attended an off-the-record press conference in which Secretary of State [[Cordell Hull]] made an off-the-record remark concerning the Soviet Union. Krafsur reported the comment to the NKVD.<ref>The Venona Secrets: Exposing America's Cold War Traitors, Herbert Romerstein, Eric Breindel, page 430</ref>   

On August 17, 1944, Krafsur attended an off-the-record press conference in which Secretary of State [[Cordell Hull]] made an off-the-record remark concerning the Soviet Union. Krafsur reported the comment to the NKVD.<ref>The Venona Secrets: Exposing America's Cold War Traitors, Herbert Romerstein, Eric Breindel, page 430</ref>   

Although Krafsur is supposed to have left TASS in October 1949,<ref> Scope of Soviet Activity in the United States: Hearing Before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee of the Judiciary, United States Senate, 84th Congress Second Session [5th Congress First Session] Transcript, April 17, 1956</ref> he was mentioned in a newspaper article of November 26, 1949 as S.S. Krafsur as having press credentials along with five others out of the Washington office.<ref>The Evening Standard, "Monty Has Private Bodyguard for His Beret," George Dixon, page 10.</ref>

Although Krafsur is supposed to have left TASS in October 1949,<ref>Scope of Soviet Activity in the United States: Hearing Before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee of the Judiciary, United States Senate, 84th Congress Second Session [5th Congress First Session] Transcript, April 17, 1956</ref> he was mentioned in a newspaper article of November 26, 1949 as S.S. Krafsur as having press credentials along with five others out of the Washington office.<ref>The Evening Standard, "Monty Has Private Bodyguard for His Beret," George Dixon, page 10.</ref>

== Later life ==

== Later life ==

In 1950 Krafsur purchased a toy store in Bethesda called Roger's Toy Store. He later resided at 6423 Dahlonega Road, Washington 16, D. C. and worked in Rockville at the Rockville Toy Craft.<ref>''Venona: Decoding Espionage in America'', John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, Yale University Press, (1999), pgs. 242–244, 248.</ref> On February 24, 1956 Krafsur testified before a Senate sub-committee.<ref>Scope of Soviet Activity in the United States: Hearing Before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee of the Judiciary, United States Senate, 84th Congress Second Session [85th Congress First Session] Transcript, April 17, 1956</ref>  

In 1950 Krafsur purchased a toy store in Bethesda called Roger's Toy Store. He later resided at 6423 Dahlonega Road, Washington 16, D. C. and worked in Rockville at the Rockville Toy Craft.<ref>''Venona: Decoding Espionage in America'', John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, Yale University Press, (1999), pgs. 242–244, 248.</ref> On February 24, 1956 Krafsur testified before a Senate sub-committee.<ref>Scope of Soviet Activity in the United States: Hearing Before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee of the Judiciary, United States Senate, 84th Congress Second Session [85th Congress First Session] Transcript, April 17, 1956</ref>  

According to his son, Elliot Scoville Krafsur, "S. S. Krafsur was 'uncooperative' with the [[House Committee on Un-American Activities|House Un-American Activities Committee]] in 1956 because they only wanted him to name publicly people he might have thought were communists or communist supporters."<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Samuel_Krafsur Elliot Scoville Krafsur, August 31, 2005</ref> Krafsur resigned from his toy job on the Saturday before his testimony on April 17, 1956, when he was invited to testify under oath for Subcommittee To Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws. Krafsur took the Fifth when asked if he had ever used another name or belonged to the Communist Party. He did state that after December 1940 and while working for TASS he was not a member of the Communist Party. Apart from the questions relating to his being a Communist he answered all the questions put to him and was far from being uncooperative, at least at this meeting, as his son suggested. He was asked no questions as to who he believed was or was not a party member.<ref>Scope of Soviet Activity in the United States: Hearing Before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee of the Judiciary, United States Senate, 84th Congress Second Session [85th Congress First Session] Transcript, April 17, 1956</ref>  

According to his son, Elliot Scoville Krafsur, "S. S. Krafsur was 'uncooperative' with the [[House Committee on Un-American Activities|House Un-American Activities Committee]] in 1956 because they only wanted him to name publicly people he might have thought were communists or communist supporters."<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Samuel_Krafsur Elliot Scoville Krafsur, August 31, 2005]</ref> Krafsur resigned from his toy job on the Saturday before his testimony on April 17, 1956, when he was invited to testify under oath for Subcommittee To Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws. Krafsur took the Fifth when asked if he had ever used another name or belonged to the Communist Party. He did state that after December 1940 and while working for TASS he was not a member of the Communist Party. Apart from the questions relating to his being a Communist he answered all the questions put to him and was far from being uncooperative, at least at this meeting, as his son suggested. He was asked no questions as to who he believed was or was not a party member.<ref>Scope of Soviet Activity in the United States: Hearing Before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee of the Judiciary, United States Senate, 84th Congress Second Session [85th Congress First Session] Transcript, April 17, 1956</ref>  

From 1959 to 1978 he worked for Reuter news agency as the office manager in Washington, D.C. and then as a correspondent covering commodity and financial news from 1968 on.  He lived in St. Petersburg, Florida and died, at the age of seventy, in Memphis, Tennesee in June 1983.<ref>U. S. Social Security Death Index</ref>

From 1959 to 1978 he worked for Reuter news agency as the office manager in Washington, D.C. and then as a correspondent covering commodity and financial news from 1968 on.  He lived in St. Petersburg, Florida and died, at the age of seventy, in Memphis, Tennesee in June 1983.<ref>U. S. Social Security Death Index</ref>

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[[Category:KGB Agents and Sources]]

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