Wendell MacRae, Milton S. Eisenhower, and Loyalty Review Board, Correspondence Regarding Loyalty Oath Firing (May-August 1952)

View Full Text: “Correspondence between Wendell MacRae, The Pennsylvania Loyalty Review Board, and Milton S. Eisenhower” (May-August 1952)

View Full Text: Local 500, American Federation of Teachers, “Review and analysis of Wendell MacRae’s firing” September 20, 1952

About this Artifact

In the midst of the McCarthy Era, state legislatures across that nation signed into law legislation to root out Communists and their sympathizers. Caught in the middle of this fervor was Wendell Scott McRae.¹ Wendell Scott MacRae was a Publications Production Manager at The Pennsylvania State College in the Department of Public Information. A Loyalty Oath questionnaire was sent to him and he responded that he thought it was a piece of oppressive and tyrannical legislation and that he would not be answering any of the questions inside. He went on to explain that the President of the College has already vouched for him along with the faculty and staff of the college. The Chairman of the Loyalty Review Board then sent him a letter detailing his options for a hearing in front of the Loyalty Review Board.

After the details had been laid out and the date arrived, MacRae attended his public hearing. He was then asked by counsel representing the Board, the same questions that were on his questionnaire. He also declined to answer the questions during the hearing as he had asked for a hearing so that he would not have to answer those questions because he believed they violated his, and everyone’s, civil liberties. MacRae then presented his evidence as to why he was not a subversive person, it included a list of all the civic organizations he was involved in and the oath he took when he served as a United States Marine. He then called two witnesses, his neighbor and Mr. Louis H. Bell, the Director of the Department of Public Information and his direct supervisor. Both testified that they do not consider MacRae a Communist. The next day, MacRae received a letter from the Loyalty Review Board stating that they did not have enough evidence to certify that MacRae was not a subversive. In response to this, MacRae writes a letter to College President Milton Eisenhower. In this letter, MacRae details all that he has been through and appeals to Eisenhower’s record of being opposed to the Loyalty Act and asks Eisenhower to certify him which would clear him in the eyes of the Loyalty Board. Eisenhower responds and fires him, effective immediately, enclosing a check for his salary with regards to the sixty additional days he could have stayed before having to be terminated. A local American Federation of Teachers Union got involved and advocated for MacRae’s reinstatement after reviewing the matter.

Curiously, it never truly seemed to be in question whether or not MacRae was indeed a Communist. From all evidence provided, along with all the people willing to vouch for him, it appears that MacRae took his stand due to academic freedom and his own personal political freedom that he felt the US Constitution awarded him. MacRae was particularly forceful in his rejection of the very idea of a loyalty oath, calling it “an absurd and insulting questionnaire.”  Additionally, the AFT only ever advocated based on unfair treatment in MacRae’s case, and never on the merits of if he were an actual Communist.²

Granted, they also did not need to argue on the merits as the wrongdoings in the due process were apparent and appalling. This is because MacRae and the Loyalty Board were playing by two different sets of rules. The Loyalty Board had updated its policies but had not published them to anyone. Hearings to dismiss were supposed to be based on “a fair preponderance of the evidence” in order to dismiss an employee, instead of via the updated rules, the Board could dismiss an employee if they did not provide sufficient evidence to prove they were not a subversive. This largely changes the standard which needs to be met as well as the burden of proof.³

Ultimately, MacRae was reinstated and the College reevaluated its procedures. However, the Loyalty Pledge stood as a stain on Pennsylvania history, where MacRae might argue we were not truly free with all of our civil liberties and civil rights. We can look at the letters that were sent back and forth between the Loyalty Board and MacRae and see the civility that was held between the two parties. MacRae never feels comfortable letting down his rhetorical guard stating that he reserves all his rights and thanks the Chairman for his decorum. The hard switch can be found in his letter to College President Eisenhower where he is practically begging for his job while he explains his situation. MacRae attempts to play on Eisenhower’s emotions by buttering him up. On the other, Eisenhower responses with a curt and emotionless statement detailing his termination. 

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