1. Charlie Chaplin
a. A man of few words, Chaplin is known for his work in silent films. He is an
international icon known for his work as “The Tramp.” He was born and raised in
London, England. He had a hard childhood growing up as his father was an
alcoholic and his mother suffered from various mental illnesses. He has been
accused of communist sympathies, but has rebutted them and simply says he is a
peacemonger.
2. Dorothy Parker
a. Parker is an American poet and screenwriter from New York. She is a vocal
advocate for civil liberties and civil rights and has often criticized authority
figures. Parker helped to found the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League in 1936 which
has been suspected by the FBI as a Communist Party front. She is in a relationship
with Alan Campbell who is an actor/screenwriter. She has been nominated for
multiple Academy Awards due to the success of films like A Star is Born. 3. Herbert Biberman
a. He is an American screenwriter and film director from Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. Biberman is a member of the suspected communists in Hollywood.
He is married to actress Gale Sondergaard who was the first recipient of the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1936.
4. Herbert C. Bonner
a. Bonner is a Democratic U.S. Congressman from North Carolina who has served
since 1940. He has worked a multitude of jobs throughout his life including as a
salesman, a farmer, and then as secretary to Congressman Lindsay Warren from 1924 to 1940. During WWI, he served in the Army where he developed a deep
sense of patriotism and love for our nation.
5. J Edgar Hoover
a. Hoover is the current director of the FBI, a position which he has served in since
1935. Prior to this, he received a Bachelor of Laws from George Washington
University Law School in 1916, where he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order,
and an LL.M. in 1917 from GWU. As a leader of the FBI, he is deeply interested
in rooting out communism in the federal government and in our nation.
6. J. Hardin Peterson
a. Peterson is a Democratic U.S. Representative from Florida where he was first
elected in 1932. He was born in South Carolina but later moved to Lakeland,
Florida where he graduated from the University of Florida College of Law. He
served as a chief yeoman in the United States Navy during World War I and has
previously served as a special council for Florida’s Department of Agriculture.
7. John E. Rankin
a. Rankin is a Democratic US Representative from Mississippi who has served in
Congress since 1921. He was the co-author of the bill for the Tennessee Valley
Authority and is active in the Conservative Coalition. He helped to establish
HUAC as a standing committee in Congress and is very involved in investigating
the Communist Party.
8. John Parnell Thomas
a. Thomas is a Republican US Representative from New Jersey who was first
elected in 1936 and currently serves as the chairman of HUAC. He is a staunch conservative opponent of FDR’s New Deal as he believed it “sabotaged the
capitalist system.” He also opposed government support for the Federal Theatre
Project as he believes that the plays presented in this were “sheer propaganda for
Communism or the New Deal.”
9. John Ralph McDowell
a. McDowell is a Republican US Representative from Pennsylvania who was first
elected in 1938. His work on HUAC has involved investigating suspected fascists.
When J. Parnell Thomas is not presiding, McDowell serves as the acting chairman
for HUAC. He graduated from Randolph-Macon Military Academy in Front
Royal, VA. He previously served as editor of the Wilkinsburg Gazette. He is married to Virginia McDowell and has one child.
10. John S. Wood
a. Wood is a Democratic US Representative from Georgia who was first elected in
1931. He earned his law degrees from Mercer University and previously served as
an attorney in Georgia. He has had a prominent role in investigating the American
Communist Party and members of Hollywood.
11. Karl E. Mundt
a. Mundt is a Republic US Representative from South Dakota who was first elected
in 1939. He previously served as a teacher and principal at Bryant High School in
Bryant, South Dakota. Later, he was appointed the superintendent of Bryant’s
schools. He has served as a debate and oratory coach for these students. He also
served as a professor at Eastern State Normal School along with his wife, Mary
Mundt. He has been a member of HUAC since 1943. 12. Leonard Bernstein
a. Bernstein is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. He currently serves as
the Music Director of the New York City Sympathy. Bernstein has been involved
in various left-wing causes and organizations, but has not currently been called
forth to testify into HUAC. He will play an important role in understanding the
danger that communism may pose to our society due to his influential work.
13. Richard B. Vail
a. Vail is a Republican US Representative from Illinois where he was first elected in
1947. He served in the infantry during WWI and earned his degree from the John
Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois. He also worked at the FBI and in the
manufacturing of steel products prior to running for office.
14. Richard M Nixon
a. Nixon is a Republican US Representative from California who was first elected in
1947. In June 1947, Nixon supported the Taft–Hartley Act which monitors the
activities and powers of labor unions. He served in the Navy during world war II
where he received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medal. He
attended law school at the Duke University School of Law where he was elected
president of the Duke Bar Association. He married Pat Ryan and had his first
daughter in 1946.
15. Ronald Reagan
a. Reagan is a Hollywood actor and union leader originally from northern Illinois.
He currently serves as the president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is a
committed patriot who served in the army during World War II. Reagan will play an instrumental role in helping the committee to root out communists in
Hollywood. He married fellow actor Jane Wyman in 1940. Reagan has given speeches in favor of racial equality following WWII.