Ruth Greenglass
Encyclopedia
Ruth Leah Printz Greenglass (April 30, 1924 — April 7, 2008) was an Atomic spy along with her husband.
to Max Printz and Tillie Leiter. She grew up in the same neighborhood, the Lower East Side, as her future husband, David Greenglass
. She graduated with honors from Seward Park High School at 16. Although they were quite young, David and Ruth wanted to marry before David was drafted and the ceremony was held in late November 1942, when the groom was 20 and the bride just 18. Ruth and David both had an interest in politics and they both joined the Young Communist League
.
David was drafted in 1943, and Ruth tried to see him as much as possible even after he had been inducted into the Army. In November 1944, Ruth left New York to visit her husband in Albuquerque, New Mexico
while he was working as a machinist on the Manhattan Project
at Los Alamos. It was during this visit that Ruth asked David to forward any information on the project to Julius Rosenberg, David's brother-in-law.
When the FBI questioned David about suspected espionage activities, he agreed to confess and to be a witness against Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
in exchange for immunity for Ruth so that she could remain at home with their two children. At the trial, Ruth testified that Ethel Rosenberg had typed up the notes that David Greenglass had provided, implicating Ethel in the espionage ring. Ruth also testified that it was Julius and Ethel who had urged her to persuade her husband to become involved in espionage. The prosecution's case against Ethel Rosenberg had up to this point been flimsy, and Ruth's evidence was crucial in securing Ethel's conviction. The truth of Ruth's testimony has been questioned, notably by the reporter Sam Roberts. She rejoined her husband after his release from prison in 1960 and they lived in New York City
under assumed names, with their children.
Ruth's death on April 7, 2008, at the age of 83, was revealed in court papers on June 23, 2008, more than two months later. The New York Times noted in her obituary, published on July 9, 2008: "That day [June 23], in an unexpected response to a suit by historians, the federal government agreed to release secret grand jury testimony, 57 years after Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage. The government, however, consented to release the testimony of only 35 of the 45 witnesses; those who are dead or have consented to the release. Mrs. Greenglass was listed as one of the deceased; her death was confirmed by the United States Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and through Social Security records."
In September 2008, hundreds of pages of grand jury transcripts were released. With this release, it was revealed that Ruth Greenglass had irreconcilable differences in her grand jury testimony in August 1950 and the testimony she gave at trial. At the grand jury, Ruth Greenglass was asked, "Didn't you write [the information] down on a piece of paper?" She replied, "Yes, I wrote [the information] down a piece of paper and [Julius Rosenberg] took it with him." But, at the trial she testified that Ethel Rosenberg typed up notes about the atomic bomb.
David Greenglass survives her, and continues to live under an assumed name in the New York metropolitan area.
Biography
She was born on April 30, 1924 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...
to Max Printz and Tillie Leiter. She grew up in the same neighborhood, the Lower East Side, as her future husband, David Greenglass
David Greenglass
David Greenglass was an atomic spy for the Soviet Union who worked in the Manhattan project. He was the brother of Ethel Rosenberg.-Biography:...
. She graduated with honors from Seward Park High School at 16. Although they were quite young, David and Ruth wanted to marry before David was drafted and the ceremony was held in late November 1942, when the groom was 20 and the bride just 18. Ruth and David both had an interest in politics and they both joined 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:...
.
David was drafted in 1943, and Ruth tried to see him as much as possible even after he had been inducted into the Army. In November 1944, Ruth left New York to visit her husband in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
while he was working as a machinist on the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
at Los Alamos. It was during this visit that Ruth asked David to forward any information on the project to Julius Rosenberg, David's brother-in-law.
When the FBI questioned David about suspected espionage activities, he agreed to confess and to be a witness against Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Ethel Greenglass Rosenberg and Julius Rosenberg were American communists who were convicted and executed in 1953 for conspiracy to commit espionage during a time of war. The charges related to their passing information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union...
in exchange for immunity for Ruth so that she could remain at home with their two children. At the trial, Ruth testified that Ethel Rosenberg had typed up the notes that David Greenglass had provided, implicating Ethel in the espionage ring. Ruth also testified that it was Julius and Ethel who had urged her to persuade her husband to become involved in espionage. The prosecution's case against Ethel Rosenberg had up to this point been flimsy, and Ruth's evidence was crucial in securing Ethel's conviction. The truth of Ruth's testimony has been questioned, notably by the reporter Sam Roberts. She rejoined her husband after his release from prison in 1960 and they lived in New York City
New 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...
under assumed names, with their children.
Ruth's death on April 7, 2008, at the age of 83, was revealed in court papers on June 23, 2008, more than two months later. The New York Times noted in her obituary, published on July 9, 2008: "That day [June 23], in an unexpected response to a suit by historians, the federal government agreed to release secret grand jury testimony, 57 years after Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage. The government, however, consented to release the testimony of only 35 of the 45 witnesses; those who are dead or have consented to the release. Mrs. Greenglass was listed as one of the deceased; her death was confirmed by the United States Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and through Social Security records."
In September 2008, hundreds of pages of grand jury transcripts were released. With this release, it was revealed that Ruth Greenglass had irreconcilable differences in her grand jury testimony in August 1950 and the testimony she gave at trial. At the grand jury, Ruth Greenglass was asked, "Didn't you write [the information] down on a piece of paper?" She replied, "Yes, I wrote [the information] down a piece of paper and [Julius Rosenberg] took it with him." But, at the trial she testified that Ethel Rosenberg typed up notes about the atomic bomb.
David Greenglass survives her, and continues to live under an assumed name in the New York metropolitan area.
External links
- An Interactive Rosenberg Espionage Ring Timeline and Archive
- For more information on Greenglass' involvement in Soviet espionage, see the full text of former KGB agent Alexander Vassiliev's Notebooks from the Cold War International History Project (CWIHP)
- Douglas Linder, A Trial Account (2001)
- Annotated bibliography for Ruth Greenglass from the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues