Michael Whitney Straight
Encyclopedia
Michael Whitney Straight, (September 1, 1916 – January 4, 2004) was an American
magazine publisher, novelist, patron of the arts
, a member of the prominent Whitney family
, and a confessed spy for the KGB
.
, Michael Straight was the son of Willard Dickerman Straight and Dorothy Payne Whitney
. Straight was educated at Lincoln School in New York City and after his mother's remarriage, in England
at his family's Dartington Hall
, followed by studies at the London School of Economics
.
While a student at Cambridge University
in the mid-1930s, Straight became a Communist Party
member and a part of an intellectual secret society known as the Cambridge Apostles
. Straight worked for the Soviet Union
, as part of a spy ring
whose members included Donald Maclean
, Guy Burgess
, Kim Philby
, and KGB recruiter Anthony Blunt
. A document from Soviet archives of a report Blunt made in 1943 to the KGB states, "As you already know the actual recruits whom I took were Michael Straight".
After returning to the United States in 1937, Straight worked as a speechwriter for President Franklin Roosevelt, and was on the payroll of the Department of the Interior. Beginning in 1938, Straight carried on a covert relationship with Iskhak Akhmerov
, the KGB spy
. In 1940, Straight went to work in the Eastern Division of the U.S. State Department.
He served in the United States Army Air Forces
beginning in 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot, and at war's end took over as publisher of his family-owned The New Republic
magazine, where he hired former U.S. Vice President
and future Presidential candidate Henry A. Wallace
as the magazine's editor. Straight left the magazine in 1956 and began writing novel
s.
However, in 1963, in response to an offer of government employment in Washington, DC, he faced a background check and decided to voluntarily inform family friend and Presidential
special assistant, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.
about his communist connections at Cambridge, which led directly to the exposure of Blunt as the recruiter of the Cambridge Five
spy ring.
Straight later served as the deputy chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts
from 1969 to 1977. In 1988, he published "Nancy Hanks: An Intimate Portrait" that told the story of the second chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts with whom he had worked.
In 1983, Michael Straight detailed his communist activities in a memoir titled After Long Silence. (ISBN 0-393-01729-X)
He also wrote two historical novels, (1) A Very Small Remnant,about the Sand Creek massacre
of 1864, and (2) Carrington, about the Fetterman massacre of 1866.
In 1939, he married Belinda Crompton of Wilton, New Hampshire
. His second wife was Nina G. Auchincloss Steers, a half-sister of the writer Gore Vidal
and a stepsister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
. His third wife was Katharine Gould, an art historian and social worker.
Michael Whitney Straight died of pancreatic cancer
at his home in Chicago, Illinois on January 4, 2004, aged 87.
He was survived by five children (with Belinda Crompton Straight): David Straight, Michael Straight Jr., Susan Straight, Diana Straight Krosnick (wife of cellist Joel Krosnick
), and Dorothy Straight, as well as by his wife, Katharine Gould, and four grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
magazine publisher, novelist, patron of the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
, a member of the prominent Whitney family
Whitney family
The Whitney family is an American family notable for their social prominence, wealth, business enterprises and philanthropy, founded by John Whitney who came from London, England to Watertown, Massachusetts in 1635.-Rise to prominence:...
, and a confessed spy for the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
.
Biography
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Michael Straight was the son of Willard Dickerman Straight and Dorothy Payne Whitney
Dorothy Payne Whitney
Dorothy Payne Whitney was an American-born social activist and philanthropist and a member of the prominent Whitney family.-Biography:...
. Straight was educated at Lincoln School in New York City and after his mother's remarriage, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at his family's Dartington Hall
Dartington Hall
The Dartington Hall Trust, near Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom is a charity specialising in the arts, social justice and sustainability.The Trust currently runs 16 charitable programmes, including The Dartington International Summer School and Schumacher Environmental College...
, followed by studies at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
While a student at Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in the mid-1930s, Straight became a Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
member and a part of an intellectual secret society known as the Cambridge Apostles
Cambridge Apostles
The Cambridge Apostles, also known as the Cambridge Conversazione Society, is an intellectual secret society at the University of Cambridge founded in 1820 by George Tomlinson, a Cambridge student who went on to become the first Bishop of Gibraltar....
. Straight worked for 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....
, as part of a spy ring
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
whose members included Donald Maclean
Donald Duart Maclean
Donald Duart Maclean was a British diplomat and member of the Cambridge Five who were members of MI5, MI6 or the diplomatic service who acted as spies for the Soviet Union in the Second World War and beyond. He was recruited as a "straight penetration agent" while an undergraduate at Cambridge by...
, Guy Burgess
Guy Burgess
Guy Francis De Moncy Burgess was a British-born intelligence officer and double agent, who worked for the Soviet Union. He was part of the Cambridge Five spy ring that betrayed Western secrets to the Soviets before and during the Cold War...
, Kim Philby
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union...
, and KGB recruiter Anthony Blunt
Anthony Blunt
Anthony Frederick Blunt , was a British art historian who was exposed as a Soviet spy late in his life.Blunt was Professor of the History of Art at the University of London, director of the Courtauld Institute of Art, Surveyor of the King's Pictures and London...
. A document from Soviet archives of a report Blunt made in 1943 to the KGB states, "As you already know the actual recruits whom I took were Michael Straight".
After returning to the United States in 1937, Straight worked as a speechwriter for President Franklin Roosevelt, and was on the payroll of the Department of the Interior. Beginning in 1938, Straight carried on a covert relationship with Iskhak Akhmerov
Iskhak Akhmerov
Iskhak Abdulovich Akhmerov was a Soviet spy of Tatar ethnicity who joined the Bolshevik Party in 1919. Akhmerov attended the Communist University of Toilers of the East and the First State University, where he graduated from the School of International Relations in 1930...
, the KGB spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
. In 1940, Straight went to work in the Eastern Division of the U.S. State Department.
He served in the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
beginning in 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot, and at war's end took over as publisher of his family-owned The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
magazine, where he hired former U.S. Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
and future Presidential candidate 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...
as the magazine's editor. Straight left the magazine in 1956 and began writing novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s.
However, in 1963, in response to an offer of government employment in Washington, DC, he faced a background check and decided to voluntarily inform family friend and Presidential
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
special assistant, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.
Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.
Arthur Meier Schlesinger, Jr. was an American historian and social critic whose work explored the American liberalism of political leaders including Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy. A Pulitzer Prize winner, Schlesinger served as special assistant and "court historian"...
about his communist connections at Cambridge, which led directly to the exposure of Blunt as the recruiter of the Cambridge Five
Cambridge Five
The Cambridge Five was a ring of spies, recruited in part by Russian talent spotter Arnold Deutsch in the United Kingdom, who passed information to the Soviet Union during World War II and at least into the early 1950s...
spy ring.
Straight later served as the deputy chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
from 1969 to 1977. In 1988, he published "Nancy Hanks: An Intimate Portrait" that told the story of the second chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts with whom he had worked.
In 1983, Michael Straight detailed his communist activities in a memoir titled After Long Silence. (ISBN 0-393-01729-X)
He also wrote two historical novels, (1) A Very Small Remnant,about the Sand Creek massacre
Sand Creek Massacre
As conflict between Indians and white settlers and soldiers in Colorado continued, many of the Cheyenne and Arapaho, including bands under Cheyenne chiefs Black Kettle and White Antelope, were resigned to negotiate peace. The chiefs had sought to maintain peace in spite of pressures from whites...
of 1864, and (2) Carrington, about the Fetterman massacre of 1866.
In 1939, he married Belinda Crompton of Wilton, New Hampshire
Wilton, New Hampshire
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 3,743 people, 1,410 households, and 1,023 families living in the town. The population density was 145.3 people per square mile . There were 1,451 housing units at an average density of 56.3 per square mile...
. His second wife was Nina G. Auchincloss Steers, a half-sister of the writer Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
and a stepsister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
. His third wife was Katharine Gould, an art historian and social worker.
Michael Whitney Straight died of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
at his home in Chicago, Illinois on January 4, 2004, aged 87.
He was survived by five children (with Belinda Crompton Straight): David Straight, Michael Straight Jr., Susan Straight, Diana Straight Krosnick (wife of cellist Joel Krosnick
Joel Krosnick
Joel Krosnick is an American soloist, cellist, recitalist, and chamber musician who has performed all over the world for over thirty-five years...
), and Dorothy Straight, as well as by his wife, Katharine Gould, and four grandchildren.
Further reading
- Michael Straight, After Long Silence, New York: Norton, (1983)
- Nigel West and Oleg Tsarev, The Crown Jewels: The British Secrets at the Heart of the KGB Archives (London: HarperCollins, 1998; New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), pgs. 112, 116, 130, 133–134.
- Allen Weinstein, Perjury: The Hiss–Chambers Case, New York: Random House, (1997)
- Roland Perry,The Last Of The Cold War Spies: The Life of Michael Straight, Da Capo Press (2005)
External links
- The Cold War International History Project (CWIHP) has the full text of former KGB agent Alexander Vassiliev's Notebooks containing new evidence on Straight's involvement in Soviet espionage