William Remington

William Walter Remington (October 25, 1917 - November 24, 1954) was a U.S. economist and civil servant whom the Venona transcripts confirm was a spy for Soviet Unionhttp://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/5/23/31338.shtml; he was later convicted on perjury charges.

Related Topics:
October 25 - 1917 - November 24 - 1954 - U.S. - Economist - Civil servant - Venona - Soviet Union

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Born in New Jersey, he received an A.B. from Dartmouth College in 1939 and an M.A. from Columbia University in 1940, also having completed most of the requirements for a Ph.D.

Related Topics:
New Jersey - A.B. - Dartmouth College - 1939 - M.A. - Columbia University - 1940 - Ph.D.

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Remington's parents were poor and demanding and he apparently developed an unconventional and flamboyant personality. He also developed political views which were opposed to capitalism and supportive of social justice. He was however never officially a member of the Communist Partyhttp://www.gradewinner.com/p/articles/mi_m2082/is_n4_v57/ai_17404143.

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Remington was employed in a number of posts, principally as an economist:

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• Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, Tennessee, September 1936 to May 1937;
• Workers' Education project, Knoxville, April to August 1937;
• Junior Economist with the National Resources Planning Board, Washington D.C, May 1940 to July 15, 1941;
• Associate industrial economist in the Consumers Division of the Office of Emergency Management, from July 1941 to February 1942;
• Assistant to the Director of the War Production Board (WPB), February 1942 to October 1943;
• Assistant to the Director of Orders and Regulations Bureau in the WPB, October 1943 onwards.

During a Hatch Act investigation it was discovered Remington had been active in communist allied groups such as American Peace Mobilization and did research for the American Youth Congress in February of 1941. Remington's wife, Ann née Moos, was the executive secretary of the Washington chapter of the American Peoples Mobilization.

Related Topics:
Hatch Act - American Peace Mobilization - American Youth Congress

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Elizabeth Bentley told FBI investigators she received through "cut outs" information from Remington for transmission to the Soviet Union, such as: charts setting out aircraft production and other matters concerning the aircraft industry; tests made on aircraft and other data concerninbg high octane gasoline; other information related to the aircraft production field; and a process for the manufacture of synthetic rubber. Bentley claims Remington introduced her to Bernard Redmont.

Related Topics:
Elizabeth Bentley - Aircraft - Octane - Gasoline - Synthetic rubber - Bernard Redmont

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Remington sued Bentley for libel for her after reports of her depostition and testimony were widely reported. http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:lrAnOCq-cYIJ:www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_3_55/ai_97347251+William+Remington+spy&hl=en His own handwritten notes demonstrated his awareness that she was a Communist operative with Soviet ties. Bentley was also unable to be served a subpoena by Remington's attorney which damaged her credibility. On November 13, 1948 headlines regarding this ran in the New York papers - The New York Daily Mirror ran the headline "RED WITNESS MISSING AT 100-G SLANDER SUIT", the New York Times ran the headline "REMINGTON LAWYER SEEKS MISS BENTLEY". Eventually she was served. Remington's lawyer was a high profile liberal anti-Communist Joe Rauh which boosted the apparent credibility of the libel claim as he was so highly regarded. In several instances, Remington's lawyers were able to demonstrate inaccuracies in her claims. Remington won the case and was awarded several thousand dollars. Because of this, for a time many assumed all the claims of Soviet involvement against Remington were untrue.

Related Topics:
November 13 - 1948 - New York Daily Mirror - New York Times - Joe Rauh

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After World War II Remington obtained a position with the Office of War Mobilization and Reconversion. In 1946, Remington was about to be transferred to a professional position at the White House as an aide to a presidential assistant when FBI suspicion intervened. After that Remington was in the process of applying for a position with the Atomic Energy Commission when the FBI interviewed him in 1947. In 1948 Remington was called to testify before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) regarding export control violations.

Related Topics:
World War II - 1946 - White House - FBI - Atomic Energy Commission - 1947 - Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations - Export control

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Some - like historian Gary Mayhttp://www.gradewinner.com/p/articles/mi_m2082/is_n4_v57/ai_17404143- argued that Remington was neither wholly innocent nor entirely guilty of the allegations made about him. He wrote that Remington was "no political innocent duped by

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the Communists" nor was he a "pro-Soviet automaton."http://www.udel.edu/PR/UpDate/94/32/22.html

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Remington later was convicted of perjury for denying Communist Party activity including denying knowing Bentley was a communist, imprisoned in Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary and was beaten and murdered by two prison inmateshttp://www.gradewinner.com/p/articles/mi_m2082/is_n4_v57/ai_17404143. Remington's supporters were critical of the authorities for failing to protect Remington in prison and for the light additional sentences his assailants received.

Related Topics:
Perjury - Communist Party

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William Remington: See also ►