Samuel Krafsur
Encyclopedia
Samuel Simon Krafsur was a Boston-born journalist
who worked for the Soviet
news agency TASS during World War II
. He was also known as Bill Krafsur.
during the war as a source of information and for recruiting journalists as informants and agents, and is referred to in the NSA archives as a "KGB agent" http://www.nsa.gov/venona/venon00116.cfm?CFID=2412771&CFTOKEN=59316524&jsessionid=c830b21ad087a$5FoV$B#17.
In the 1930s Krafsur joined the Communist Party of America. He attended Northeastern University for a year. He lived at 68 Phillips Street in Boston before going to Spain
to fight with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
during the Spanish Civil War
, where he was wounded in 1937.
In 1938 Krafsur was a member of the editorial staff of "The Volunteers for Liberty" a newspaper which was an, "organ of the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade" organization out of 125 West 45 Street in New York City
. In April 1938 he was in charge of finding veterans to tell their war stories to be made into radio plays written by Irwin Shaw
.
He began working for TASS in 1941 after being recruited by the Soviet agent Vladimir Pravdin
. He became the assistant to the manager Laurence Todd at the Washington sub-bureau. Krafsur was considered an important asset to the KGB because of the many contacts he had with other newsmen. He was the deputy TASS bureau chief in Washington, D.C.
and the FBI spent a lot of time and effort trying to identify who he was under his codename IDE.
In May 1944, he was described in a KGB cable from New York to Moscow as, "absolutely devoted to the USSR." He provided at least twenty leads of people for possible recruitment including Joseph Berger, a personal aide to the chairman of the Democratic National Committee
, and I. F. Stone
.
In 1949, Laurence Todd was relieved of his managing duties and instead given the title of senior correspondent. In this same year Krafsur left TASS and was later called before the House Committee on Un-American Activities where he chose not to cooperate. Later he worked in a toy store.
In the early 1960s he married the ex-wife of the secretary-treasurer of the Mine, Mill, and Smelters Union. He died, at the age of seventy, in St. Petersburg, Florida
in 1983 under the name "Samuel Krafsur".
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
who worked for the Soviet
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....
news agency TASS during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was also known as Bill Krafsur.
Biography
Krafsur was mentioned in the Venona intercepts under the codename IDE. He was used by the KGBKGB
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...
during the war as a source of information and for recruiting journalists as informants and agents, and is referred to in the NSA archives as a "KGB agent" http://www.nsa.gov/venona/venon00116.cfm?CFID=2412771&CFTOKEN=59316524&jsessionid=c830b21ad087a$5FoV$B#17.
In the 1930s Krafsur joined the Communist Party of America. He attended Northeastern University for a year. He lived at 68 Phillips Street in Boston before going to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to fight with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Abraham Lincoln Brigade
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade refers to volunteers from the United States who served in the Spanish Civil War in the International Brigades. They fought for Spanish Republican forces against Franco and the Spanish Nationalists....
during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, where he was wounded in 1937.
In 1938 Krafsur was a member of the editorial staff of "The Volunteers for Liberty" a newspaper which was an, "organ of the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade" organization out of 125 West 45 Street 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...
. In April 1938 he was in charge of finding veterans to tell their war stories to be made into radio plays written by Irwin Shaw
Irwin Shaw
Irwin Shaw was a prolific American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and short-story author whose written works have sold more than 14 million copies. He is best-known for his novel, The Young Lions about the fate of three soldiers during World War II that was made into a film starring Marlon...
.
He began working for TASS in 1941 after being recruited by the Soviet agent Vladimir Pravdin
Vladimir Pravdin
Vladimir Pravdin or Roland Lyudvigovich Abbiate codename LETCHIK was a senior NKVD assassin working in Europe during the Great Terror. He later became a KGB agent, stationed in the United States....
. He became the assistant to the manager Laurence Todd at the Washington sub-bureau. Krafsur was considered an important asset to the KGB because of the many contacts he had with other newsmen. He was the deputy TASS bureau chief 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....
and the FBI spent a lot of time and effort trying to identify who he was under his codename IDE.
In May 1944, he was described in a KGB cable from New York to Moscow as, "absolutely devoted to the USSR." He provided at least twenty leads of people for possible recruitment including Joseph Berger, a personal aide to the chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
, and I. F. Stone
I. F. Stone
Isidor Feinstein Stone was an iconoclastic American investigative journalist. He is best remembered for his self-published newsletter, I. F...
.
In 1949, Laurence Todd was relieved of his managing duties and instead given the title of senior correspondent. In this same year Krafsur left TASS and was later called before the House Committee on Un-American Activities where he chose not to cooperate. Later he worked in a toy store.
In the early 1960s he married the ex-wife of the secretary-treasurer of the Mine, Mill, and Smelters Union. He died, at the age of seventy, in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
in 1983 under the name "Samuel Krafsur".
Note
National Security Agency Archiveshttp://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps33230/www.nsa.gov/docs/venona/monographs/monograph-1.html, National Cryptological Museum, http://www.nsa.gov/museum/museu00040.cfm Custodian of documents for the Army Signals Intelligence CorpSources
- Venona: Decoding Espionage in America, John Earl HaynesJohn Earl HaynesJohn Earl Haynes is an American historian who is a specialist in 20th century political history in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress...
and Harvey KlehrHarvey KlehrHarvey E. Klehr is a professor of politics and history at Emory University; he is known for his books on the subject of the American Communist movement, and on Soviet espionage in America ....
, Yale University PressYale University PressYale University Press is a book publisher founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day. It became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but remains financially and operationally autonomous....
, (1999), pgs. 242–244, 248. ISBN 0-300-07150-7 - Mortal Crimes - The Greatest Theft in History: Soviet Penetration of the Manhattan Project, Nigel WestRupert AllasonRupert William Simon Allason is a military historian and former Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament for Torbay in Devon, from 1987 to 1997...
, Enigma Books, (2004). ISBN 1-929-63121-9 - Social Security Death Index, USA.