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Born in New York City, Michael Straight was the son of Willard Dickerman Straight and Dorothy Payne Whitney. Straight was educated at Lincoln School in New York City and after his mother's remarriage, in England at his family's Dartington Hall followed by studies at the [[London School of Economics]].

Born in New York City, Michael Straight was the son of Willard Dickerman Straight and Dorothy Payne Whitney. Straight was educated at Lincoln School in New York City and after his mother's remarriage, in England at his family's Dartington Hall followed by studies at the [[London School of Economics]].

While a student at Cambridge University in the mid-1930s, Straight became a [[Communist]] Party member and a part of an intellectual secret society known as the [[Cambridge Apostles]]. Straight worked for the [[Soviet Union]], as part of a [[espionage|spy ring]] whose members included [[Donald Duart Maclean|Donald Maclean]], [[Guy Burgess]], [[Kim Philby]], and KGB recruiter [[Anthony Blunt]]. A document from Soviet archives of a report Blunt made in 1943 to the KGB states, " As you already know the actual recruits whom I took were Michael Straight". <ref> Nigel West and Oleg Tsarev, ''The Crown Jewels: The British Secrets at the Heart of the KGB Archives'' (London: HarperCollins, 1998; New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), pg., 130.</ref>

While a student at Cambridge University in the mid-1930s, Straight became a [[Communist]] Party member and a part of an intellectual secret society known as the [[Cambridge Apostles]]. Straight worked for the [[Soviet Union]], as part of a [[espionage|spy ring]] whose members included [[Donald Duart Maclean|Donald Maclean]], [[Guy Burgess]], [[Kim Philby]], and KGB recruiter [[Anthony Blunt]]. A document from Soviet archives of a report Blunt made in 1943 to the KGB states, " As you already know the actual recruits whom I took were Michael Straight".<ref>Nigel West and Oleg Tsarev, ''The Crown Jewels: The British Secrets at the Heart of the KGB Archives'' (London: HarperCollins, 1998; New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), pg., 130.</ref>

After returning to the United States in 1937, Straight worked as a speechwriter for President [[Franklin Roosevelt]], and was on the payroll of the Department of the Interior. Beginning in 1938 Straight carried on a covert relationship with [[Iskhak Akhmerov]], the [[KGB Illegal]] [[Rezident]], or head of KGB Illegal operations. In 1940 Straight went to work in the Eastern Division of the [[U.S. State Department]].

After returning to the United States in 1937, Straight worked as a speechwriter for President [[Franklin Roosevelt]], and was on the payroll of the Department of the Interior. Beginning in 1938 Straight carried on a covert relationship with [[Iskhak Akhmerov]], the [[KGB Illegal]] [[Rezident]], or head of KGB Illegal operations. In 1940 Straight went to work in the Eastern Division of the [[U.S. State Department]].