Samuel Dickstein (congressman)

Samuel Dickstein (February 5, 1885 - April 22, 1954) was a Democratic Congressional Representative from New York, a New York State Supreme Court Justice, and spy for the Soviet Union. He played a key role in establishing the committee that would become the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

Related Topics:
February 5 - 1885 - April 22 - 1954 - Democratic - New York - New York State Supreme Court - Spy - Soviet Union - House Committee on Un-American Activities

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Dickstein was born near Vilnius in present-day Lithuania, and immigrated to the United States in 1887 with his parents, who settled in New York City. There he attended public and private schools in New York City, the College of the City of New York, and graduated from the New York City Law School in 1906. He was admitted to the bar in 1908 and commenced law practice in New York City. He served as special deputy attorney general of the State of New York from 1911-1914, member of the board of aldermen in 1917, member of the State Assembly 1919-1922. He served as a member of the Democratic County Committee and was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-eighth Congress and was reelected eleven times. He resigned from Congress on December 30, 1945. He served as Chairman on the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization (Seventy-second through Seventy-ninth Congresses).

Related Topics:
United States - 1887 - New York City - College of the City of New York - 1906 - 1908 - 1911 - 1914 - 1917 - 1919 - 1922 - Sixty-eighth Congress - December 30 - 1945 - Seventy-second - Seventy-ninth Congresses

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Dickstein was a spy for the Soviet Union while a sitting member of Congress. The Soviet NKVD case handlers code-named him ?Crook? due to his large compensation demands. Dickstein gave Moscow information on fascist groups in the U.S. and war budget materials. He is the only Congressman known to have spied for the Soviet Union while a member of Congress.

Related Topics:
NKVD - Moscow - Fascist

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He was instrumental in establishing and serving as vice chairman of the temporary Select Committee on Un-American Activities (the Dies Committee) in 1938 to investigate fascist and Nazi groups in the United States. Later the same committee was renamed the House Committee on Un-American Activities when it shifted attention to Communist organizations.

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Dickstein later served as a Justice on the New York State Supreme Court until his death in New York City.

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