CUNY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE

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"Coudert Victims Suffer Tragic Fate in Witch-Hunt"

This article and accompanying photo from The Daily Worker, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, features comments from labor leader Bella Dodd highlighting the plight faced by many of City College's instructors whose futures were in limbo due to the Rapp-Coudert hearings. Each was accused of having communist ties and, as a result of their suspension and ultimate firing, many instructors would indeed struggle to find work. The majority were unable to re-enter academia following their dismissal from City College. Dodd spoke before a crowd of students in front of CCNY's flagpole on May 27, 1941.

The Rapp-Coudert Committee, a New York State initiative, was organized in June 1940 to investigate and identify "subversive activities" and persons in New York City's public schools and colleges. State officials sought to rid publicly funded schools and colleges of undesired "red" influence. They did so by holding private then public hearings from September 1940 through December 1941, issuing subpoenas and interrogating more than 500 faculty, staff, and students. City College, in particular, became a target of the committee with dozens of faculty and staff appearing before the committee and ultimately being suspended or fired because of their refusal to cooperate with the committee.

Creator | Daily Worker
Date Created | May 28, 1941
Rights | Obtain From Daily Worker
Item Type | Text (Article / Essay)
Cite This document | Daily Worker, “"Coudert Victims Suffer Tragic Fate in Witch-Hunt",” CUNY Digital History Archive, accessed March 19, 2024, https://cdha.cuny.edu/items/show/3882.

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