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[[Image:454px-Whittaker Chambers.jpg|right|thumb]]

[[Image:454px-Whittaker Chambers.jpg|right|thumb]]

'''Jay Vivian (Whittaker) Chambers''' (April 1, 1901 – July 9, 1961) was an American intellectual, editor of Communist publications, foreign editor of ''Time'' magazine, Soviet spy, and opponent of Communism. He is best known for his accusation and testimony against a senior American diplomat [[Alger Hiss]] charging him in 1948 with being a Soviet spy.  The spectacular case dominated politics in the late 1940s, leading to Hiss's conviction, and the rise of [[Richard Nixon]]. Chambers wrote for [[William Buckley]]'s ''National Review''. His ''Witness'' (1952) is one of the great autobiographies in American literature.

'''Whittaker Chambers''' (born Jay Vivian Chambers, April 1, 1901 – July 9, 1961) was an American intellectual, editor of Communist publications, foreign editor of ''Time'' magazine, Soviet spy, and opponent of Communism. He is best known for his accusation and testimony against a senior American diplomat [[Alger Hiss]] charging him in 1948 with being a Soviet spy.  The spectacular case dominated politics in the late 1940s, leading to Hiss's conviction, and the rise of [[Richard Nixon]]. Chambers wrote for [[William Buckley]]'s ''National Review''. His ''Witness'' (1952) is one of the great autobiographies in American literature.

==Youth and Education==

==Youth and Education==

Chambers was born in Philadelphia, [[Pennsylvania]] and spent much of his youth in Brooklyn and Long Island, New York. He was described in childhood as a loner whose parents frequently separated. After graduating from high school in 1919, he worked for two years in a bank before enrolling in Columbia University in 1921, where he discovered communism. At Columbia University, his instructors recalled him as a talented writer who rarely went to class. He was expelled in 1922; some accounts attribute it to a blasphemous play he wrote while others attribute it to his simply not going to class.

Chambers was born in Philadelphia, [[Pennsylvania]] and spent much of his youth in suburban Long Island, New York. He got along poorly with his father, an artist and illustrator; he was on better terms with his mother, a former actress, and his grandfather, a leading political journalist. He had a miserable childhood as a loner whose parents frequently separated. After graduating from high school in 1919, he bummed around the country, discovering an empathy with the under class.  A brilliant student of language and culture, he displayed depth at Columbia University, where he was influenced by professors Mark Van Doren and of such friends as Meyer Schapiro, Louis Zukofsky, Clifton Fadiman, Langston Hughes, and Lionel Trilling. His poetry, drama, and stories convinced Columbia literary circles that he could become a major American writer--even a great poet. But Columbia expelled him in 1922--perhaps for a blasphemous play, or more likely for skipping class. No matter, he was a convert to Communism and the Party was now all that mattered.  

 

==The [[Ware Group]]==

==The [[Ware Group]]==

 

In 1925, Chambers joined the [[American Communist Party]] and edited Communist periodicals, including ''[[Daily Worker|The Daily Worker]]'' and ''[[New Masses|The New Masses]]''.  Chambers joined the Communist underground in the spring of 1932. In 1933, he was sent to Moscow for intelligence training and when he returned to the United States, his main controller was [[J. Peters|Josef Peters]].  Peters introduced Chambers to [[Harold Ware]], head of the Ware group, a Communist underground cell in Washington that included [[Alger Hiss]], [[Henry Collins]] and [[Lee Pressman]].  Hiss, meanwhile, took a job on the legal staff of the [[Agricultural Adjustment Administration]].  Chambers worked in Washington as an organizer among Communists in the city and as a courier between New York and Washington for stolen documents which where delivered to [[GRU]] ''Illegal [[Rezident]]'' [[Boris Bykov]].  He worked in this capacity from 1934 until he left the Communist party in 1938 having been alienated by the [[Great Purge]] of [[Josef Stalin]].  Chambers tried to convince Hiss to leave the party also; the two sat up all night after dinner one night arguing the point.  Chambers recounted how Hiss, tears streaming down his face, refused to break with the Party because of his loyalty to his friends.  It was the fanaticism of Hiss's wife, Chambers believed, that kept him in the party.

In 1925, Chambers joined the American Communist Party and wrote and edited for communist periodicals, including ''[[Daily Worker|The Daily Worker]]'' and ''[[New Masses|The New Masses]]''.  Chambers joined the Communist underground in the spring of 1932. In 1933, he was sent to Moscow for intelligence training and when he returned to the United States, his main controller was [[J. Peters|Josef Peters]].  Peters introduced Chambers to [[Harold Ware]], head of the Ware group, a Communist underground cell in Washington that included [[Alger Hiss]], [[Henry Collins]] and [[Lee Pressman]].  Hiss, meanwhile, took a job on the legal staff of the [[Agricultural Adjustment Administration]].  Chambers worked in Washington as an organizer among Communists in the city and as a courier between New York and Washington for stolen documents which where delivered to [[GRU]] ''Illegal [[Rezident]]'' [[Boris Bykov]].  He worked in this capacity from 1934 until he left the Communist party in 1938 having been alienated by the [[Great Purge]] of [[Josef Stalin]].  Chambers tried to convince Hiss to leave the party also; the two sat up all night after dinner one night arguing the point.  Chambers recounted how Hiss, tears streaming down his face, refused to break with the Party because of his loyalty to his friends.  It was the fanatacism of Hiss's wife, Chambers believed, that kept him in the party.

Chambers saved a collection of documents he received from Hiss to protect himself and his family against retribution from the secret apparatus as occurred in the [[Juliet Poyntz]] case.  Ten years later they became known as the "pumpkin papers."

Chambers saved a collection of documents he received from Hiss to protect himself and his family against retribution from the secret apparatus as occurred in the [[Juliet Poyntz]] case.  Ten years later they became known as the "pumpkin papers."

==Trial of the Century==

==Trial of the Century==

After the war, Chambers' story caught the attention of a freshman Representative from [[California]], [[Richard Nixon]]. On August 3, 1948, Chambers testified before the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]] and presented a list of what he said were members of an underground communist network working within the United States government in the 1930s and 1940s. One of the names on that list was that of a State Department official who had participated in the creation of the United Nations: [[Alger Hiss]].  The official White House response was to dismiss the case as a "[[red herring]]." Internally, White House staffers set about discreditting Chambers.

After the war, Chambers' story caught the attention of a freshman Representative from [[California]], [[Richard Nixon]]. On August 3, 1948, Chambers testified before the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]] and presented a list of what he said were members of an underground communist network working within the United States government in the 1930s and 1940s. One of the names on that list was that of a State Department official who had participated in the creation of the United Nations: [[Alger Hiss]].  The official White House response was to dismiss the case as a "[[red herring]]." Internally, White House staffers set about discrediting Chambers.

Chambers had skeptics. Hiss was well educated and had a long list of achievements to his name, and he vehemently denied the charges. Comparatively, Chambers was a drifter. Hiss had credibility; Chambers' story seemed fantastic, with little hard evidence. Hiss used this to his advantage, maligning Chambers in the press. Hiss even fabricated stories about Chambers having homosexual experiences, and used them to smear Chambers in public.

Chambers had skeptics. Hiss was well educated and had a long list of achievements to his name, and he vehemently denied the charges. Comparatively, Chambers was a drifter. Hiss had credibility; Chambers' story seemed fantastic, with little hard evidence. Hiss used this to his advantage, maligning Chambers in the press. Hiss even fabricated stories about Chambers having homosexual experiences, and used them to smear Chambers in public.

On May 31, 1949, amidst unprecedented hype, Alger Hiss's perjury trial began.  After that trial ended in a [[hung jury]], a second was held, which ended with a one count conviction of Hiss on January 21, 1950.  By then, Chambers had made a total of 14 appearances. Because of his testimony, he resigned from his position at ''Time'' and, at one point during the trial, Chambers attempted suicide.

On May 31, 1949, amidst unprecedented hype, Alger Hiss's perjury trial began.  After that trial ended in a [[hung jury]], a second was held, which ended with a one count conviction of Hiss on January 21, 1950.  By then, Chambers had made a total of 14 appearances. Because of his testimony, he resigned from his position at ''Time'' and, at one point during the trial, Chambers attempted suicide.

In the aftermath, the Hiss trial cast a shadow among a sceptical public upon the credibility of many Democrats, liberals, and even President Truman himself.  Chambers relates how he was told, except for him, the whole political climate of the early [[Cold War]] would have been different.

In the aftermath, the Hiss trial cast a shadow among a skeptical public upon the credibility of many Democrats, liberals, and even President Truman himself.  Chambers relates how he was told, except for him, the whole political climate of the early [[Cold War]] would have been different.

Congressman Richard Nixon was so skeptical of his background, he asked FBI Director Hoover to do a thorough background check. Nixon feared Chambers was a homosexual and had been confined to a mental hospital. The FBI found gaps in Chambers life story for which Chambers could not account.

Congressman Richard Nixon was so skeptical of his background, he asked FBI Director Hoover to do a thorough background check. Nixon feared Chambers was a homosexual and had been confined to a mental hospital. The FBI found gaps in Chambers life story for which Chambers could not account.