Difference between revisions of "Donald Hiss"

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|description=The younger brother of [[Alger Hiss]]. Donald Hiss's name was mentioned during the [[1948]] hearings wherein his more famous and older brother, Alger, was accused of spying for the [[Soviet Union]], and two years later convicted of perjury before the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]] (HUAC).
 
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'''Donald Hiss''', also known as "Donie"<ref>Marbury Jr., William L. (1981). "The Hiss-Chambers Libel Suit". Maryland Historical Magazine. 70 ("Donie") (1): 74 (Georgetown), 76 (UN job). Retrieved 23 November 2016</ref><ref name=catbird>Marbury Jr., William L. (1988). [https://books.google.com/books?id=HeQ6AQAAIAAJ In the Catbird Seat]. Maryland Historic Society. p. 261. ISBN 9780938420316.</ref> and "Donnie",<ref name=perjury>Weinstein, Allen (1977). [https://books.google.com/books?id=a86i_Di4X8sC Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case. Random House.] ISBN 9780817912260.</ref> was the younger brother of [[Alger Hiss]]. Donald Hiss's name was mentioned during the 1948 hearings wherein his more famous and older brother, Alger, was accused of spying for the Soviet Union, and two years later convicted of perjury before the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]] (HUAC).
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==Early life==
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Donald Hiss was born on December 15, 1906, in [[Baltimore, Maryland]]. He graduated from [[Johns Hopkins University]] and [[Harvard Law School]].<ref name=nytobit>https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/20/obituaries/donald-hiss-82-ex-us-official-and-lawyer-in-washington-firm.html</ref>
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==Career==
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===Early career:  government===
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In 1932, he was a law secretary to Associate Justice [[Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.|Oliver Wendell Holmes]] of the [[United States Supreme Court]]. From 1933 to 1935, he was employed by the [[Agricultural Adjustment Administration]] of the [[United States Department of Labor]].<ref name=nytobit/> In 1934, he was also attached to a special [[U.S. Senate]] committee investigating the munitions industry. In 1935, he was employed as a special attorney by the [[United States Department of Justice]].
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On September 18, 1936, he was appointed an assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State and worked in the [[State Department]] throughout [[World War II]]. In 1945, he joined the law firm of [[Covington & Burling]].<ref name=WP>https://web.archive.org/web/20130524095117/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1191621.html</ref>
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===Hiss Case===
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[[File:Alger Hiss (1950).jpg|thumb|right|[[Alger Hiss]], brother of Donald Hiss, circa 1950]]  On August 3, 1948, [[Whittaker Chambers]] included the name of Donald Hiss along with his brother Alger and more than half a dozen other former Federal officials as members of the [[Ware Group]] and of the [[Communist Party of the United States|Communist Party]] when testifying under subpoena to [[House Un-American Activities Committee|HUAC]].<ref name=Witness>Chambers, Whittaker (1952). Witness. New York: Random House. pp. 418, 469, 543, 552, 568–571 (quote 570), 576 (testimony 576–577), 624, 633fn, 646, 689, 765. LCCN 52005149.</ref>
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On August 7, 1948, Chambers stated to the committee, "I can give you the general impression. He was much less intelligent than Alger. Much less sensitive than his brother."<ref name=Witness /><ref name=archive>https://archive.org/stream/hearingsregardin1948unit/hearingsregardin1948unit_djvu.txt</ref>
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Hiss retained Nebraskan [[Hugh Cox]] as counsel. Cox was famous as [[Thurman Arnold]]'s chief deputy," as an early partner at Root Clark & Bird<ref>Meyer, Martin (1968). [https://books.google.com/books?id=3r4_AAAAIAAJ Emory Bruckner.] Harper & Row. p. 141.</ref> (later Root, Clark, Buckner & Ballantine; later [[Dewey Ballantine]], later [[Dewey & LeBoeuf]]) and fellow attorney with Hiss at [[Covington & Burling]], where he was called the "perfect advocate"<ref>https://www.cov.com/en/about/firm-history</ref>) during the [[Alger Hiss|Hiss]]-[[Whittaker Chambers|Chambers]] Case."<ref> Wing, Ky P. (2006). [https://books.google.com/books?id=qdPURFZ82AIC Competition Rules for the 21st Century: Principles from America's Experience.] Kluwer Law International. pp. xxi. ISBN 9789041124777.</ref><ref name=LibelSuit> Marbury, William L. (1981). [http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/mlr/vol41/iss1/10/ "The Hiss-Chambers Libel Suit".] Maryland Law Review. University of Maryland - Francis King Carey School of Law. 41 (1): 83.</ref><ref> Gesell, Gerhard A. (August 1984). [http://dcchs.org/GerhardAGesell/App13-Jealous%20Mistress.pdf My 'Jealous Mistress': 1932–1984] (PDF). (unpublished memoir). p. 32. </ref>
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On August 13, 1948, like his brother and [[Harry Dexter White]], Hiss denied the allegation, stating:<blockquote>I flatly deny every statement made by Mr. Chambers with respect to me. I am not, and never have been, a member of the Communist Party or of any formal or informal organizations affiliated with, or fronting in any manner whatsoever for, the Communist Party. In fact, the only organizations and clubs to which I have belonged are the local [[Y.M.C.A.]], the [[Miles River]] Yacht Club of Maryland, the old Washington Racquet Club, the [[Harvard Law School]] Association, the [[American Society of International Law]], and college fraternities and athletic clubs.</blockquote><blockquote>I have no recollection of ever having met any person by the name of D. Whittaker Chambers, nor do I recognize his photograph which I have seen in the public press. I am not and never have been in sympathy with the principles of the Communist Party ... I have never known that man by the name of Chambers, Carl, or any other name...<br/>If I am lying, I should go to jail, and if Mr. Chambers is lying, he should go to jail."<ref name=Witness/><ref name=archive/></blockquote>
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Unlike his brother Alger, Donald was never indicted.<ref name=WP/><ref name=AP>https://apnews.com/932ef826f8b2f21ea8abf588a83735d4</ref><ref>http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1989-05-22/news/8905230044_1_alger-hiss-house-un-american-activities-donald</ref>
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===Later career:  private law===
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Donald Hiss spent the remainder of his career in private law practice with [[Covington & Burling]]. His expertise lay in international trade and tariff law.<ref name=WP/> He taught international law at [[The Catholic University of America|Catholic University]] and at the Johns Hopkins [[School of Advanced International Studies]].<ref name=WP/>
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He retired in 1976.<ref name=WP/><ref name=AP/><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20130524090217/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3944486.html</ref> [[Dean Acheson]], who famously defended the reputation of Alger Hiss, was also a member of Covington & Burling.
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==Death==
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Hiss died of [[lung cancer]] on May 18, 1989, in [[St. Michaels, Maryland]].<ref name=nytobit/><ref name=WP/><ref name=AP/>
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Latest revision as of 00:20, 28 October 2023

Person.png Donald Hiss   SpartacusRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
(spook)
Donald hiss arrives to testify before grand jury.jpg
Born15 December 1906
Baltimore
Died18 May 1989 (Age 82)
Alma materJohns Hopkins University, Harvard Law School
Member ofCovington & Burling
The younger brother of Alger Hiss. Donald Hiss's name was mentioned during the 1948 hearings wherein his more famous and older brother, Alger, was accused of spying for the Soviet Union, and two years later convicted of perjury before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).

Donald Hiss, also known as "Donie"[1][2] and "Donnie",[3] was the younger brother of Alger Hiss. Donald Hiss's name was mentioned during the 1948 hearings wherein his more famous and older brother, Alger, was accused of spying for the Soviet Union, and two years later convicted of perjury before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).

Early life

Donald Hiss was born on December 15, 1906, in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School.[4]

Career

Early career: government

In 1932, he was a law secretary to Associate Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes of the United States Supreme Court. From 1933 to 1935, he was employed by the Agricultural Adjustment Administration of the United States Department of Labor.[4] In 1934, he was also attached to a special U.S. Senate committee investigating the munitions industry. In 1935, he was employed as a special attorney by the United States Department of Justice.

On September 18, 1936, he was appointed an assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State and worked in the State Department throughout World War II. In 1945, he joined the law firm of Covington & Burling.[5]

Hiss Case

Alger Hiss, brother of Donald Hiss, circa 1950

On August 3, 1948, Whittaker Chambers included the name of Donald Hiss along with his brother Alger and more than half a dozen other former Federal officials as members of the Ware Group and of the Communist Party when testifying under subpoena to HUAC.[6]

On August 7, 1948, Chambers stated to the committee, "I can give you the general impression. He was much less intelligent than Alger. Much less sensitive than his brother."[6][7]

Hiss retained Nebraskan Hugh Cox as counsel. Cox was famous as Thurman Arnold's chief deputy," as an early partner at Root Clark & Bird[8] (later Root, Clark, Buckner & Ballantine; later Dewey Ballantine, later Dewey & LeBoeuf) and fellow attorney with Hiss at Covington & Burling, where he was called the "perfect advocate"[9]) during the Hiss-Chambers Case."[10][11][12]

On August 13, 1948, like his brother and Harry Dexter White, Hiss denied the allegation, stating:

I flatly deny every statement made by Mr. Chambers with respect to me. I am not, and never have been, a member of the Communist Party or of any formal or informal organizations affiliated with, or fronting in any manner whatsoever for, the Communist Party. In fact, the only organizations and clubs to which I have belonged are the local Y.M.C.A., the Miles River Yacht Club of Maryland, the old Washington Racquet Club, the Harvard Law School Association, the American Society of International Law, and college fraternities and athletic clubs.

I have no recollection of ever having met any person by the name of D. Whittaker Chambers, nor do I recognize his photograph which I have seen in the public press. I am not and never have been in sympathy with the principles of the Communist Party ... I have never known that man by the name of Chambers, Carl, or any other name...
If I am lying, I should go to jail, and if Mr. Chambers is lying, he should go to jail."[6][7]

Unlike his brother Alger, Donald was never indicted.[5][13][14]

Later career: private law

Donald Hiss spent the remainder of his career in private law practice with Covington & Burling. His expertise lay in international trade and tariff law.[5] He taught international law at Catholic University and at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.[5]

He retired in 1976.[5][13][15] Dean Acheson, who famously defended the reputation of Alger Hiss, was also a member of Covington & Burling.

Death

Hiss died of lung cancer on May 18, 1989, in St. Michaels, Maryland.[4][5][13]


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References

  1. ↑ Marbury Jr., William L. (1981). "The Hiss-Chambers Libel Suit". Maryland Historical Magazine. 70 ("Donie") (1): 74 (Georgetown), 76 (UN job). Retrieved 23 November 2016
  2. ↑ Marbury Jr., William L. (1988). In the Catbird Seat. Maryland Historic Society. p. 261. ISBN 9780938420316.
  3. ↑ Weinstein, Allen (1977). Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case. Random House. ISBN 9780817912260.
  4. ↑ a b c https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/20/obituaries/donald-hiss-82-ex-us-official-and-lawyer-in-washington-firm.html
  5. ↑ a b c d e f https://web.archive.org/web/20130524095117/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1191621.html
  6. ↑ a b c Chambers, Whittaker (1952). Witness. New York: Random House. pp. 418, 469, 543, 552, 568–571 (quote 570), 576 (testimony 576–577), 624, 633fn, 646, 689, 765. LCCN 52005149.
  7. ↑ a b https://archive.org/stream/hearingsregardin1948unit/hearingsregardin1948unit_djvu.txt
  8. ↑ Meyer, Martin (1968). Emory Bruckner. Harper & Row. p. 141.
  9. ↑ https://www.cov.com/en/about/firm-history
  10. ↑ Wing, Ky P. (2006). Competition Rules for the 21st Century: Principles from America's Experience. Kluwer Law International. pp. xxi. ISBN 9789041124777.
  11. ↑ Marbury, William L. (1981). "The Hiss-Chambers Libel Suit". Maryland Law Review. University of Maryland - Francis King Carey School of Law. 41 (1): 83.
  12. ↑ Gesell, Gerhard A. (August 1984). My 'Jealous Mistress': 1932–1984 (PDF). (unpublished memoir). p. 32.
  13. ↑ a b c https://apnews.com/932ef826f8b2f21ea8abf588a83735d4
  14. ↑ http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1989-05-22/news/8905230044_1_alger-hiss-house-un-american-activities-donald
  15. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20130524090217/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3944486.html
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