JFK Assassination System ; Date: 6/15/201 Identification Form Agency Information AGENCY: FBI RECORD NUMBER: — 124-10283-10275 RECORD SERIES: HQ AGENCY FILE NUMBER:  100-30067-58 Document Information ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM: SAC, NY TO: DIRECTOR, FBI TITLE: DATE: — 10/16/1953 PAGES: 41 SUBJECTS : JOP, BKG, RES, REL, EMP, AFFIL, CP, PUBLICATIONS, ASSOC DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: — Secret RESTRICTIONS: — 1B; 1C; 4 CURRENT STATUS: — Redact DATE OF LAST REVIEW: — 02/02/1998 OPENING CRITERIA: = INDEFINITE COMMENTS : INC RPT, TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 2 v9.1 4 | DocId: 32303263 Page 1
aoe ij 3 ae " a ; | t SECURITY tetaiion eg ira FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVES SATION yayte Tris cave ORIGINATED at NEW YORK CV Mor mA CAT REPORT MADE aT OE HEN PERIOD F R ice MAD . | tole Mabe Ry ws NEW YORK 0 hr 16 1953 eeate 9 33 _ THORNTON M. woop TITLE > °2 8,29 > ’ CHARACTER OF CASE JOHN PITTMAN INTERNA) SECURITY - ¢ SYNOPSIS orcldet/ Nd 4 C 1! leg ° ¥ PITTMAN resides at 60 West 10lst Street, NYC, ana has been em- ABLS Ployed as Foreign Editor, "Daily Worker! and "The Worker since © 4. h/2h/51, Subject wag previously Associate Editor, "the Worker", and the Negro Affairs Editor of "The worker" and the "Daily Worker", [PrToMan reported to have attended meeting in Europe ,(¢] 1946, with ILLIAM Z. FOSTER and French Communist leaders, JACQUES DUCLOS, ANDRY. MARTY, and T OREZ, together with alleged Comintern representative, winttans J PITTMAN has been designated & speaker by CP and has addressed P meetings, He attended 1950 Convention, CP,USA, NYC, December 1950 and was elected to Convention's Press Committee, PITTMAN reported the San Francisco Japanese Peace Treaty Conference for "Daily Worker" and "Daily ; Peoples World", September 1951. He has been an instructor for : Jefferson School of Social Science from 1919 to date and has 4 written for publications, "People's Voice", "Jewish Life", and Masses and Mainstream", Subject reported to have married MARGRIT ADLER, liheler Editor, German-American", November 1950, 4s Qylad, oF olilton BY Say AhG INPOSMARTON CONTAINED i jee yg -27- vy DECLASSIFY ON: aEXs (a NOLASS1PLED EXCEPS q . SFE) WHERE SHOWN QTHERWISR, 4 ~ DETAILS: All informants utilized in this report are of > “nown reliability unless otherwise stated, REQ. Rect [AZ a aa Ciassivie “ st XN ~2e iy | i a NGLO va WARDED, ai _ aN Cuanoe r ~ Bo Nor Ware ny THESE SPACES | ' | a LO te 7 FSORDED | 50 . Pa ; COPIES OF THIS REPORT Mt af ‘ " A & fe.) purean (RM) an 7). 38 'New York (100-88366 yo : COPY IN FILE DANES SE PRP ORIOAED RB o Wy BBR U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFIee * A. PERTY OF FBI—THIS CONFIDENTIAL REPOKPIR DIES SPEOR * TO WHICH LOANED, Docld: 32303763 Page 2?
NY 100-88368 | “ath nce "Glosg Ludowy" _ PehS has described this publication as a Polish-English language paper published at Detroit, Michigan, which closely follows the Communist Party line. International conference of Aid to Democratic Greece. The New York Greek language daily "National Herald" in its April 22, 1948 issue described this con- ference as a Communist conference designed to provide aid to "Markos! bandits" ° "Jewish Life" Prior to August 1951 this magazine was self-identified in its masthead as the organ of the Morning Freiheit. Association. Tel, on November 15,.19l,9 advised that the Morning Freiheit Association was the "central organ of Jewish-Communist activity in the United States". Since July 1951 this publication identifies itself as being published by the Progressive Jewish Life, Incorporated. In its issue of April 22, 1952, page 22, the magazine sent thirtieth birthday greetings to the "Morning Freiheit™ stating, - « eWe Of Jewish Life owe a special debt 'to the Morning Freiheit for we are its English speaking offspring." "wasses and Mainstream" This is a monthly publication which first appeared in the issue of March 1918. It was self-identified in this issue as a merged publication from "New Masses" and "Mainstream" which would be Marxist in editorial gpoiie An advertisement appearing in "The Worker" February 8, 193° stated that "Masses and Mainstream" would "provide Marxist initiative and leadership at the cultural front", La Telepress" T-6 advised on March 9, 1951 that "Telepress" was a Communist controlled news agency with headquarters in. Prague, Czechoslovakia, and correspondents in many parts of the globe.(s) Docld: 32303763 Page 3
: VEDRET The records of. the New York City Board of Health, Borough of Manhattan, were reviewed by SE GERARD M. LENAHAN on December 7, 1951, sweh records reflecting birth certificate number 14747 (1951) reported the birth of CAROLE PITTMAN on April 13, 1951 at the French Hospital, New York City. This certificate listed the father, JOHN, as having been born at Atlanta, Georgia, age l5, and occupied as a newspaper journalist. The following background information” appeared concerning the mother, MARGRIT ADLER: She was 31 years of age and was born in Germany. The residence was reflected for. the couple as 60 West 1Olst Street, New York City. 2. Residence It was ascertained by the writer on September 28, 1953 that PITTMAN continues to reside at apartment 5-B, 60° West 10lst Street, New York, New York. 3. Employment The "Daily Worker", July 29, 1953, page 3, column le2, described PITTMAN as. Foreign Editor of the "Daily Worker" and "The Worker", III. SUBVERSIVE CONNECTIONS le Communist Party, USA T-3, on September 12, 1951, stated PITTMAN was personally known to him as a member of the CP for several years prior to 192. On January h, 1947 T-9 reported that several Communists from different countries had held conferences wi th the French Communist leader, JACQUES DUCLOS » indicating these meetings to have been held in the latter part of 196. According to T-S, one such meeting was hele at the neamere(e) Docld: 32303763 Page 4
of the Central Committee of the French CP, li rue Le Pelitier, Paris, ang had been 8 ended in par. bY the following Communists: fre WILLI OSTER , TIMNS UCK DOLORES BARRURI, MAURIC. (fionE2. ANDR Mee » and one GEORGE “WILLIAMS, alias ICHAILOV, Comintern delegate, as “well ‘as DUCLOS. “According fo “t-9, PITTMAN attended this meeting and acted as tHe interpreter (5) The informant also pointed out ‘that one of the main items discussed at this meeting was methods that could be used by the CP, USA to effect a merger of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and the American Federation of Labor (AFofL), and how such a-merger would benefit the CP, USA. G&S - T+10 advised on August 9, 195 ‘that PITTMAN had forwarded a report on "Our Press" to BETTYXGANNETT on June 12, 19,7. At that time PITTMAN, according to T=10<Y was in San Francisco on a trip and expected to return to New York on June 26, 194.7. PITTMAN asked GANNETT to secure approval for him to attend a plenum (of the CP, USA) to be held on or subsequent to June 26, 1947. On February 17, 1918, T+10 made available a two page copy of a report entitled: "Memo on Educational Apparatus" 2 which in part was self-identified as to purpose, as a guararitee that the ideological work of the county organization would be given the proper leadership and the day- to-day attention from the Education Department, as well as to insure the proper functioning of the county Education Department through the assignment of necessary personnel and establishment of collective work in all phases of educational work. Under the organization for the educational apparatus, PITTMAN was listed as one of the persons proposed for agitation and propaganda work. jf On July 20, 1948, T-10 advised that PITTMAN _, j/ Wrote BUGENEJDENNIS concerning reassignment of "comrade" A SEES -ATTERSON to the "New Defense Organization", PITTMA inted out that PATTERSON might be best assigned in writing a book setting forth the experience and viewpoint of a Negro Communist. He recommended PATTERSON to DENNIS as the best Negro Communist to write such a book. \ Docld: 323032763 Page 5
| NY 100-88368 stealth alls T-23 advised on February 5, 1951 that an _ open meeting of the Friends of the ‘Philadelphia Worker" was held at Garvey Memorial Hall, 1611 West Columbia Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 28, 1951. PITTMAN ‘was the featured speaker and spoke on the subject: “What Korea Means to the Negro People". In his speech, according to T+23, he criticized the alleged intervention of the United States in Korea, speaking bitterly against the United States’. use of Negro troops in Korea as "shock troops" to cover the escape of "lily white G.I.'S! PITTMAN continued by criticizing the Negroes who supported the Korean war, referring to them as fools and traitors to their own people. He tied in the alleged prosecution of Negroes like FLETCHER MILLS, BAYARD JENKINS, and Lieutenant GILBERT and others as part of a pian to destroy the American Negro just as the American Indian has been destroyed. PITTMAN attacked universal military training and stated that although he is bitterly opposed to war the fight against Negro segregation in the Armed Forces should not be forgotten. ‘ ‘On February 29, 1951, T-2l advised that PETTISKPERRY had directed PITTMAN to "play up" an article. which’ appeared in the "California Bagle® on March 15, Vols entitled "Labor on the March". It is to be noted that PERRY was described in the "Daily Worker", June 22, 1950, page 8, column l, as secretary of the National Negro Commission, CP,USA. in January 1953 PERRY was convicted in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, for violation of the Smith Acto On March 9, 1951, T-6 advised that PITTMAN had visited in Europe in 1947. According to r- 6, PITTMAN, a correspondent of the New York "Daily Work ’ contacted "Telepress" correspondents while. in Burepe- (55 An article which appeared in the "Daily Worker", April 24, 1951, page 2, column 5, contained an announcement by JOHN GATES, editor of the “Daily Worker" | Docld: 32303763 Page 6
o: O me NY. 10088368 a i 6. Miscellaneous PITTMAN wrote a series of eleven articles on "The National Question in Europe", which appeared in the v publication "Peoplés Voice", from the April 19, 197 issue through the issue of July 5, 197. On February 6, 194.8, T-3l advised he had seen PITTMAN in the company of a woman whom he believed to be CLAIRE GRAHAM in the offices of the "Daily Worker" that date. / Concerning CLATREXGRAHAM, T~35 advised on March 15, 1946 that GRAHAM Was & member of the Richmond Club, GP, San Francisco, California. 7/7. \/- Ht ee / T-36 advised on July 21, 1948 that PITTMAN had been a delegate to the International Conference of Aid 1948-2) Greece held in Paris, France, April 10 and ll, 19 . (5) , PITTMAN, according to T-10, was in communi- cation with SAMUEL SILLEN, editor of the publication "Masses and Mainstream" in 1949. According to the informant, SILLEN approached PITTMAN about the publication of a story in "The | Worker. Concerning SAMUEL SILLEN, it is to be noted that T-3 has identified him as a member of the CP. On February 12, 1950, the "Daily Worker" carried an advertisement which announced on February 14, 1950 PITTMAN would address a forum at 1301 Boston Road, Bronx, New York, on the subject: "The Struggle for National and Colonial Freedom". . T-10, on August 16, 1950, furnished a throwaway which announced PITTMAN was to be chairman of a meeting in the Oak Room, Hotel Capitol, New York City, at which_DAVID LATT, film editor of the "Daily Worker", who had just ‘returned from the Film Festival at Karlovij Vary, Czechoslovakia, and SAMUEL SILLEN, editor of "Masses and Mainstream", who had _ returned from the Writers Congress in Poland, were to speak. This announcement also appeared in the "Daily Worker", August 18, 1950, page 11, column h. pore meet = 26 a ' Docld: 323032763 Page 7
NY 100-88368 INFORMANTS Identity of Source Tol NY 367-S .- Ta2 Former ND 609. T=3 CSNY 588 ro ADMINISTRATIVE PAGE SCURET Date of Activity Agent to File Number &/or Description Date Whom Where of Information Received Furnished Located Used in characterization of "Freedom" Used in characterization of "Freedom" Used in characterization of "German-American Used in characterization of MARGRIT ADLER. Identification of 10/14/52 ‘ARBOR W. 13h-66-15B109 PITTMAN as CP GRAY pe 47 member, T=) NY 38heS- T=5 DENTON J. BROOKS, former Editor "People's Voice" T=6 confidential ‘source. abroad S mentioned in (Q Bulet to NY Used in characterization of GEORGE MORRIS. and , ' SAMUEL SILLEN. Used in characterization of Morning Freiheit Assn. Used in characterization of "People's Voice" Used in characterization of "Telepress" Contact of 3/20/51 SAC, NY =: 100«97703-13 ‘Telepress" S) (Bureau correspondents\* mail) 3/19/51, captioned) by PITTMAN. "Telepress;1S-c"™ : T=7 ‘Marriage of ~~. 11/50 HEINRICH 100-64,016~332 Pretext telephone PITTMAN to VON call to SIMON MARGRIT ADLER , ECKARDT ADLER, 1781 ; (oral) Riverside Dr., NYC. oo en ~ 30 - Docld: 323032763 Page &
NY 100+88368 SECRET ADMINISTRATIVE PAGE (Cont'd) Date of Activity Agent to File Number Identity of &/or Description Date Whom Where Source of Information Received Furnished Located T-8 CP affiliation of (LEAT OA CRAWFORD Photostatic PAUL CROUCH PITTMAN prior to W. WILLIAMS copy Washington, D.C. 1942. (WFO) 100-1,931- =-1Bl,83 (original unavailable) | T-9 (5) PITIMAN'S attendancé) 6/3/47 SAC, NY 100-931-6631 ui-6Jmentioned at CP meeting,Paris, (Bureau in Bulet to NY with FOSTER, DUCLOS, + | (6) mail) 6/2/47 captioned | et al. WILLIAM ZEBULON ~- FOSTER, was;1S-¢" Cs: Letter to BETTY 8/9/50 DAMON W. - 100-88368-680 (cane 26} UN GANNETT, 6/2/17 PITCHER Two page report 2/13/48 EVERETT K. 100-26603-1A "Memo on Educational DEANE 3708 Apparatus" Letter to EUGENE 7/20/48 HERBERT P. 100-68368-lal2 DENNIS. LARSON List of CP 10/31/49 HERBERT P. 100-81752-1B speakers. LARSON 3263 NY County CP 11/21/50 HERBERT P. 100-26603-Ch2- Section Convention LARSON 1298 Schedule Notes of 1948 NY 8/6/51 HERBERT P. 100-26603-1A4618 County. CP Convention LARSON Employment of 194.7 Unknown Original PITTMAN, 194.7. List unaveilable) of "Daily Worker" 97-169-1033p.8 speakers. (1/26/49 HERBERT P. 97-169-1a378 LARSON ; List of "Daily 2/8/49 EVERETT K. 97-169-18383 Worker" personnel DEANE SECHEL » 31 & Docld: 32303763 Page 3
NY 100~88368 ADMINISTRATIVE PAGE (Cont'd) co SP, Date of Activity Agent to File Number Identity of &/or Description Date Whom Where Source of Information Received Furnished Located T-10 (Cont'd) Conference 2/6/51 FRANK J. 100-88368-151 | 1/27/51 SMITH | | | Letter to 9/13/49 HERBERT P. 100-99571-1822 PITTMAN from SAM LARSON | SILLEN. 7 j ; . Throwaway for 8/16/50 EVERETT K. 100-5272)-145 8/18/50 DEANE : Memo dated 3/21/51 4/6/51 HERBERT P. 100-101520=26 LARSON t Jefferson School 9/19/49 EVERETT K. NYO Librery ! Catalog Fall 1949 DEANE Term. . Jefferson School ‘4/11/50 DAMON W. NYO Library Catalog Spring PITCHER 1950 Term ; | PITTMAN UN 6/17/53 EVERETT K. Unavailable correspondent of - DEANE | "Daily Worker" Tell Meeting of Nattl. . Awaiting Documentation from Pittsburgh - Press Committee, Pittsburgh PI25 CP,USA, 3/13/49 T=-12° 11/10/50 11/10/50 Former ND 591«'| ; T-13 12/28/50 12/28/50 Former ND 610% / | e1h . 12/28/50 1/12/51 NY 559-S#] dy YS - 33 - “RUE \ ‘\ | Docld: 323032763 Page 10
NY 100=88368 Jk i Oe li ADMINISTRATIVE PAGE (Cont'd) Date of Activity Identity of &/or Description Source of Information T-15 Queens County-Wide NY 388-8 'F CP meeting 2/23/51 Queens County Press Directors Meeting 6/1/52 T-16 . Negro History Week Former CSNY kobe Program 2/14/51 T-17 ‘Proposed visitors & FRANK LOVELAND correspondents of Asst. Dir. JOHN GATES Bureau of Prisons T-18 2/12/53 SI 239+S% L- T-19 5/1/53 LA 32h9-S - P=-20 Travel of PITTMAN RY 779-sx/\ 1953 Duties of PITTMAN Reorganization of "Daily Worker" Staff/ Staff meeting 1/8/53 "Daily Worker" Staff meeting 1/53 "Daily Worker" Staff meeting. 2/20/53 - 3h - Docld: 323032763 Page il Date ‘Agent to File Number Whom Where Received Furnished Located 2/28/51 6/24/52 9/4/51 9/18/51 2/12/53 4/20/53 5/12/53 1a yen ¥2/53 1/30/53 2/26/53 EDWARD W. 66-8400-1816 BUCKLEY RICHARD H. 100-883 68-183 BLASSER . (oral) RICHARD H. 100-26603-ch0 BLASSER 81) SAC, NY 100=-88368=130 (Bureau Mail) W. NATHAN Awaiting PROVINCE documentation (Los from LA. Angeles) Used in characterization of GEORGE MORRIS. er h
, . ~ ° . NS . ; S NY 100-88368 See ADMINISTRATIVE PAGE (Contta) — > tied Date of Activity Agent to File Number Identity of &/or Description Date Whom Where Source of Information Received Furnished Located T=34 PITTMAN appearance 2/6/48 CHARLES P. 62- 7956- 100k. Former ND 183 - with CLAIRE GRAHAM HEINER T-35 SF 1433 7 Used in characterization of CLAIRE GRAHAM T=36 5) (international 7/21/48 SAC, NY. 100-65601=345 Confidential Conference of Aid (Bureau British Source| |to Democratic Greece.|(\ Mail) Paris, /10-11/48 T~37 Book "We Charge — 12/10/51 JOSEPH F. 100-80675-1B970 NY 482-3 L Genocide" DIFFLEY T-38 1951 Christmas 12/28/51 W. JAMES 100-2377h4-1414 ANDREW STEFUN, card to JOHN woOoOD (Original not Sec. to the WILLIAMSON _ (Philadelphia) available) Warden, US Penitentiary, Lewisburg, Pa. 0 T=-39 1951 Christmas 1/52 Agents, New 100-18065- Unnamed officials, card to JACOB : Haven Division 59) US Correctional STACHEL , (Original Institution, . not Danbury, Conn. available) T=i0 1951 Christmas 1/7/52 W. JAMES 100-27539-16 GORDON KOBERNOT, card to CARL wooD (Original not Associate Warden, WINTER (Philadelphia) available) US Penitentiary Lewisburg, Pa. Tal 1951 Christmas 3/52 Agents, 100-17923-1b99 Warden, US card to JOHN Atlanta (Original Penitentiary, GATES Division not available) Atlanta, Ga. ‘ 7 ont ta iv ; jer Docld: 32303763 Page 14
NY 100~88368 Identity of source | [we ‘Se6-05) T~L13 SF 1838=s + Ty ALEX BRADLEY Deputy Sheriff Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, Pa. T (be 265-5) THl6 Not used T-.7 LA 30lles “ T-1,8 CS LA 3582-5 fh Boag Tue Gao. sos AN T-51 SA PETER J. LEIGHTON, . NYO | Docld: 32303263 Page 15 ADMINISTRATIVE PAGE (Cont'd) Date of Activity &/or Description of Information 5/52 Date 5/52 Civil Rights Congress 1/14/52 Mailing List Correspondence of STEVE NELSON with PITTMAN . 11/12/52 ial . qe N 7 ae Agent to File Number Whom Where Received Furnished Located - HERBERT S. 100-80675-1B HAWKINS, 1109 WILLIAM T. FORSYTH (WFO) _ PAUL Le 100-4. 7211-973 | ScomttT (Original (Pittsburgh) not available’ Used in characterization of "Glos Ludowy" Used in characterization of Los Angeles, Calif., May Day Committees PITIMAN'S speech 5/1/53 May Day Rally, Los Angeles, 5/1/53 Banquet, Hugh 5/15/53 | Gordon Bookshop LA, 5/9/53 ROMNEY STEWART LA W. NATHAN 100-1763-1A PROVINSE Transcription (Los Angeles) in NY 100-88368- 230 THOMASE Awaiting DYAR documentation (Los from LA. Angeles) Used in characterization of FRED FINE Freedom of the Press Rally, 1/17/52 1/17/52 SAC, NY  100-106).95~62 Pe 35537 LR ~-38 = awk
Form No. 1 THIS CASE ORIGINATED AT ew ye ee AA Bate we BPE SED. REPORT MADE AT REPORT MADE BY DATE WHEN PERIOD FOR WHICH MADE | ptintt SPek eer ocT 6 1953 5/2 ali. shi /203 » ok —~ ale ETE OLS — BES pL rz 1 115-18,88, by 25,25 Seige pres at fT Mes Meee a " ae CHARACTER oF CASE TITLE INTERNAL SECURITY - G SYNOPSIS OF FACTS: VITTMAR resides at 60 West LOlst Street, NYG, end has been em- ployed es Foreign Editer, “Daily Yorker" and “the Worker" since ; h/2k/51. Subject was previously Associate Kditor, "Tne Horker", and the Hegro Affaira Editor of "The Yorker" and the "Daily Worker". [Pigraas reported to have attended meeting in Europe (5 ) 1946, with WILLIAM 2. POSTER and Prench Comaunist leaders, JACQUES RUCLOS, ANDEY MARTY, and THORKZ, together with alleged _ Comintern representative, WiLLIANS.] PITTMAN bas been d¢ésignated & epeaker by CF and haa addrassed CP _neetings. He attended 1950 convention, CP, USA, H¥C, Deeember 1950 and was cleeted te convention's Press Committee. PITISAN reported the San Pranciseo Japanese Poace Treaty Conference for "Bailly Worker” and "Daily People's World", September 1951. He has been en instructor for Jefferson School of Sectial Seisnoe. from 19:9 to date and has written for publisations, "Peoples Voice", "Jewish Life", and “Meneses and Mainstream”, Subject reported to have married MAHGRIT ADLER, Managing Bditor, German-American”, November 3.950 | . Pe WAPLON CONTAINED Ps iaSS7PURD SCHR OTH EAT SE, PERRIS + “AL “informants. Mbiliged in this revort are of oun reliability unless otherwise atated. -“APPROVED AND AND | _FORWARRED: sO 8 fe al E ~- COPIES OF THIS REPORT a= (RM) mae 3- New York (100-55363) PROPERTY OF FBI—THIS eee et T AND ITS CO . SENCY TO WHICH LOANED, BRE ~ He NIENT, oy, a TO Y, BY; c CODA TAN, etl Gov CHUTE es OEFIEE 1ERIPIZpS Sy | Docld: 323032763 Page 16