Government investigations of Federal Theatre Project personnel in the Works Progress Administration, 1935-1939 (The show must NOT go on.).
Item
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Title
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Government investigations of Federal Theatre Project personnel in the Works Progress Administration, 1935-1939 (The show must NOT go on.).
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Identifier
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AAI9405505
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identifier
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9405505
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Creator
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Brussell, Judith Ellen.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Albert Bermel
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Date
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1993
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Theater | History, United States | History, Modern
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Abstract
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Many federal agencies and organizations participated in the dismantling and final destruction of the Federal Theatre Project: the Works Progress Administration Division of Investigation, the FBI, the Dies Committee, "patriot" and "superpatriot" groups. An anti-Communist coalition, developing in the 1920s, contributed by name-collecting, infiltrating, creating adverse publicity, informing and rumor-mongering. The combined actions caused people to lose their jobs, damaged reputations, and resulted in the closing of production units and eventually the whole Theatre Project.;The Division of Investigation made "advances" in surveillance of the arts community in three principal areas: It discovered and developed techniques and methodology; it created a network of informers; it collected a bank of date and names shared with the Justice Department and the House Committee on Un-American Activities.;The Division investigated all WPA projects. By 1941, the DOI was investigating any WPA employee accused of having lied on the "608" form, a loyalty oath required for employment on a work project or for the federal government. The signer swore that he/she was not a member of a Nazi or Bund organization and not a Communist. An accusation of having lied on this form was the only requirement to launch a full, invasive investigation of the employee.;Thus, the Division of Investigation was converted within five years from an agency established to investigate economic fraud to an intelligence agency which hunted alleged Communists and Nazis on the federal payroll. This first nation-wide organized campaign against suspected "Red" artists in 1935-1939 helped to fuel the long-standing persecution of persons in the arts and show business in America. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
