Michael Meeropol

Michael Meeropol (born 1943) is the oldest son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Born in New York City, as Michael Rosenberg, Meeropol spent his early childhood living in New York and attending local school there. His father Julius, an electrical engineer, was a member of the communist party. His mother Ethel (Greenglass) a union organizer was also active in the communist party. When Michael was 7 years old, his parents were arrested and ultimately executed for espionage.

Related Topics:
1943 - Ethel and Julius Rosenberg

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During the trial and after the executions Michael and his younger brother Robert lived with their maternal grandmother, Tessie Greenglass. After three months Tessie decided she was unable to care for them and the boys were sent to Hebrew's Children Home. After several months, Sophie Rosenberg, their paternal grandmother, removed them from the children's home and decided to care for the boys herself. During their stay with Sophie, the boys were allowed to visit their parents in Sing Sing prison. After one year with Sophie, the boys were sent to New Jersey to live with the Bach family, friends of the Rosenbergs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They were eventually adopted by folk musician Abel Meeropol, and took his last name. Michael would eventually attend Swarthmore College, and then do graduate work at King's College, Cambridge University.

Related Topics:
Abel Meeropol - Swarthmore College - King's College - Cambridge University

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He would eventually become a moderatly prominent economist. Many of his articles have involved advocacy of liberal to left-wing economic policies, including most recently his opposition to the Bush administration's efforts to privatize Social Security. He, his brother and his daughters have written about and been involved in documentaries about Julius and Ethel. Unlike his brother, he generally does not take a strong position about his parents' guilt or innocence.

Related Topics:
Liberal - Bush - Social Security

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At present, Michael Meeropol is an economics professor at Western New England College, a small college in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Related Topics:
Western New England College - Springfield, Massachusetts

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~