Herbert Fuchs was a former Communist  who became a professor of law at the American University

American University

American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...

 in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 in 1949.
In the McCarthy Era in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Fuchs initially declined to name names to the House Committee on Un-American Activities, and then later recanted, explaining how he had been an active member of Communist cells from 1934-1946. American University President Hurst Robins Anderson

Hurst Robins Anderson

Hurst Robins Anderson was president of American University from 1952 until 1968, during which he oversaw one of the institution's most important periods of growth and development. He was previously a faculty member of Allegheny College and president of Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota...

 initially defended Fuchs after he testified to the committee, but the university later fired him after realizing the extent of Fuch's involvement during his 12 years of Party membership.

Fuchs has worked on a Senate committee investigating railroads, the National Labor Relations Board

National Labor Relations Board

The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...

, and the War Labor Board, heading a Communist cell in each instance.

Representative Gordon H. Scherer

Gordon H. Scherer

Gordon Harry Scherer was an American politician of the Republican party who served as a U.S. representative from Ohio from 1953 to 1963. Scherer earned a law degree in 1929 from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law and practiced law in Cincinnati, Ohio...

stated, "to start to fire men who cooperate with the committee can only... stop others from cooperating."