Herbert Philbrick
Encyclopedia
Herbert Arthur Philbrick (May 11, 1915 - August 16, 1993) was a Boston
area advertising
executive who was paid by the FBI to infiltrate the Communist Party USA
between 1940 and 1949. His involvement began when he joined a Communist front group
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, the Cambridge Youth Council. His suspicions aroused by the strange power structure and the positions taken by this group, Philbrick contacted the FBI. Encouraged by them, he began deepening his involvement in Communist activities, joining first the Young Communist League
, and later, as a secret member, the Communist Party itself.
Philbrick was used by the Party for his advertising skills. Another asset was his public role as a Baptist
youth leader. After time spent in local party cells in Wakefield
and Malden, Massachusetts
, he received training in the fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism
and worked for the Party in a variety of front groups. Later he was removed from local party work and assigned to a cell of professionals where his main work consisted of working on the 1948 Progressive Party
presidential campaign of former U.S. vice-president Henry A. Wallace
.
During Philbrick's time in the Communist Party, its membership and support were eroded by the Party's sharp zigzag from anti-war agitation during the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
, to enthusiastic support for the war effort after the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union
.
While Philbrick was in the Party, Earl Browder
, its General Secretary
, who was enthusiastic about wartime cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union
, and was looking forward to postwar cooperation and growing acceptance of the Communist party by the American public, dissolved the Communist Party and reconstituted it as the Communist Political Association, apparently intending to set the Party on a reformist course. Philbrick himself made a brief show of opposing this new policy — a masterstroke, as the policy was also opposed by William Z. Foster
, longtime Chairman of the Communist Party. Shortly thereafter, in July 1945, as a result of the Duclos letter — a letter by a leading French Communist
, which actually was a policy directive that originated in Moscow — the Party turned away from Browderism and again took a Marxist-Leninist
line
, though not completely abandoning the tactics of the United Front.
Philbrick's Party career came to its end when the Justice Department decided to use him as a witness in the Smith Act
prosecutions of the leadership of the Communist Party, United States v. Foster, et al.. On April 6, 1949 he was called as a witness, testifying about his career and training as a Party activist. His testimony was perhaps most useful in that he demonstrated from the content of the training which he had received that the intent of the Communist Party was to overthrow the government of the United States.
He went on to write an autobiographical book
, I Led Three Lives: Citizen, 'Communist', Counterspy, which was made into a movie. In addition, a television series called I Led Three Lives
, starring Richard Carlson and Ed Hinton
, loosely based on Philbrick's experiences, aired in syndication
for three years during the 1950s
.
Later in life, Philbrick retired to the home of his youth, in the Little Boar's Head district of North Hampton, New Hampshire
. He remained active, giving speeches and encouraging youth and adult citizens to exercise their political rights and power, admonishing his listeners to be ever-watchful against those who would undermine the democratic form of government. Toward the end of his life, he owned and ran a variety store in Rye Beach, New Hampshire
. He claimed that he never stopped traveling under assumed names
and watching for people following him.
Philbrick was father to 6 children with his first wife: Dale, Brenda, Leslie, Connie, Sandra, Herbert Philbrick Jr. All but Sandra and Connie are currently alive. He had a daughter, Dawn, with his second wife, Shirley Brundige Philbrick.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
area advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
executive who was paid by the FBI to infiltrate the Communist Party USA
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
between 1940 and 1949. His involvement began when he joined a Communist front group
Front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, the Cambridge Youth Council. His suspicions aroused by the strange power structure and the positions taken by this group, Philbrick contacted the FBI. Encouraged by them, he began deepening his involvement in Communist activities, joining first the Young Communist League
Young Communist League
The Young Communist League was or is the name used by the youth wing of various Communist parties around the world. The name YCL of XXX was generally taken by all sections of the Communist Youth International.Examples of YCLs:...
, and later, as a secret member, the Communist Party itself.
Philbrick was used by the Party for his advertising skills. Another asset was his public role as a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
youth leader. After time spent in local party cells in Wakefield
Wakefield, Massachusetts
-History:-Geography:The diagram above shows what is to the east, west, north, south, and other directions of the center of Wakefield. Towns with population above 25,000 are in bold italics.-Demographics:-Notable residents:...
and Malden, Massachusetts
Malden, Massachusetts
Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
, he received training in the fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism
Marxism-Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideology, officially based upon the theories of Marxism and Vladimir Lenin, that promotes the development and creation of a international communist society through the leadership of a vanguard party over a revolutionary socialist state that represents a dictatorship...
and worked for the Party in a variety of front groups. Later he was removed from local party work and assigned to a cell of professionals where his main work consisted of working on the 1948 Progressive Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1948)
The United States Progressive Party of 1948 was a left-wing political party that ran former Vice President Henry A. Wallace of Iowa for president and U.S. Senator Glen H. Taylor of Idaho for vice president in 1948.-Foundation:...
presidential campaign of former U.S. vice-president Henry A. Wallace
Henry A. Wallace
Henry Agard Wallace was the 33rd Vice President of the United States , the Secretary of Agriculture , and the Secretary of Commerce . In the 1948 presidential election, Wallace was the nominee of the Progressive Party.-Early life:Henry A...
.
During Philbrick's time in the Communist Party, its membership and support were eroded by the Party's sharp zigzag from anti-war agitation during the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, was an agreement officially titled the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union and signed in Moscow in the late hours of 23 August 1939...
, to enthusiastic support for the war effort after the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
.
While Philbrick was in the Party, Earl Browder
Earl Browder
Earl Russell Browder was an American communist and General Secretary of the Communist Party USA from 1934 to 1945. He was expelled from the party in 1946.- Early years :...
, its General Secretary
General Secretary
The office of general secretary is staffed by the chief officer of:*The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace, a government agency for the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace...
, who was enthusiastic about wartime cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and was looking forward to postwar cooperation and growing acceptance of the Communist party by the American public, dissolved the Communist Party and reconstituted it as the Communist Political Association, apparently intending to set the Party on a reformist course. Philbrick himself made a brief show of opposing this new policy — a masterstroke, as the policy was also opposed by William Z. Foster
William Z. Foster
William Foster was a radical American labor organizer and Marxist politician, whose career included a lengthy stint as General Secretary of the Communist Party USA...
, longtime Chairman of the Communist Party. Shortly thereafter, in July 1945, as a result of the Duclos letter — a letter by a leading French Communist
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
, which actually was a policy directive that originated in Moscow — the Party turned away from Browderism and again took a Marxist-Leninist
Marxism-Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideology, officially based upon the theories of Marxism and Vladimir Lenin, that promotes the development and creation of a international communist society through the leadership of a vanguard party over a revolutionary socialist state that represents a dictatorship...
line
Party line (politics)
In politics, the line or the party line is an idiom for a political party or social movement's canon agenda, as well as specific ideological elements specific to the organization's partisanship. The common phrase toeing the party line describes a person who speaks in a manner that conforms to his...
, though not completely abandoning the tactics of the United Front.
Philbrick's Party career came to its end when the Justice Department decided to use him as a witness in the Smith Act
Smith Act
The Alien Registration Act or Smith Act of 1940 is a United States federal statute that set criminal penalties for advocating the overthrow of the U.S...
prosecutions of the leadership of the Communist Party, United States v. Foster, et al.. On April 6, 1949 he was called as a witness, testifying about his career and training as a Party activist. His testimony was perhaps most useful in that he demonstrated from the content of the training which he had received that the intent of the Communist Party was to overthrow the government of the United States.
He went on to write an autobiographical book
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, I Led Three Lives: Citizen, 'Communist', Counterspy, which was made into a movie. In addition, a television series called I Led Three Lives
I Led Three Lives
I Led Three Lives is an American drama series which was syndicated by Ziv Television Programs from October 1, 1953 to January 1, 1956. The series stars Richard Carlson...
, starring Richard Carlson and Ed Hinton
Ed Hinton (actor)
Edgar Latimer Hinton, Jr., known as Ed Hinton and sometimes as Edward Hinton , was an American actor known particularly for guest-starring roles on television westerns...
, loosely based on Philbrick's experiences, aired in syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
for three years during the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
.
Later in life, Philbrick retired to the home of his youth, in the Little Boar's Head district of North Hampton, New Hampshire
North Hampton, New Hampshire
North Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,301 at the 2010 census. While the majority of the town is inland, North Hampton includes a part of New Hampshire's limited Atlantic seacoast.-History:...
. He remained active, giving speeches and encouraging youth and adult citizens to exercise their political rights and power, admonishing his listeners to be ever-watchful against those who would undermine the democratic form of government. Toward the end of his life, he owned and ran a variety store in Rye Beach, New Hampshire
Rye Beach, New Hampshire
Rye Beach is a community along the Atlantic Ocean in Rye, New Hampshire in the United States. It is located along New Hampshire Route 1A near the southern border of the town of Rye, directly south of Jenness Beach State Park and north of Little Boar's Head .The Ocean House built in 1844 was owned...
. He claimed that he never stopped traveling under assumed names
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
and watching for people following him.
Philbrick was father to 6 children with his first wife: Dale, Brenda, Leslie, Connie, Sandra, Herbert Philbrick Jr. All but Sandra and Connie are currently alive. He had a daughter, Dawn, with his second wife, Shirley Brundige Philbrick.
Further reading
- Herbert Arthur Philbrick, I Led Three Lives: Citizen, 'Communist', Counterspy, Revised edition, The Capitol Hill Press, 1973, hardcover, ISBN 0-88221-003-3. First published in 1952 by McGraw Hill, reprinted by Grosset & Dunlap.
- O'Connor. Michael: Crisis, Pursued by Disaster, Followed Closely by Catastrophe. 2007, Random House ISBN 978-0-375-50479-2