Investigation of Communist activities in Seattle, Wash., area. Hearings, Part 3

by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities

Mr. Velde. I do not think you mentioned that. When did that happen?

Mr. O’Connell. I actually didn’t pass the bar in Montana. I had been active politically and I didn’t pass the State bar examination until June 23, 1950.

Mr. Velde. Since that time you have been a practicing lawyer?

Mr. O’Connell. Since then I have been practicing law at Great Falls, Mont.

Mr. Tavenner. Have you been admitted to practice in any State other than Montana?

Mr. O’Connell. No, I have not.

Mr. Tavenner. Have you held any other organizational positions of any character in the State of Montana or elsewhere?

Mr. O’Connell. Well, in I think about February 1944 I was appointed by Sidney Hillman as CIO political action director for the State of Montana, and in about August of 1944—in that year I was elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention from the State of Montana and attended the Chicago convention in that year.

In August of 1944 after the convention I was appointed assistant regional director for the CIO Political Action Committee with offices or headquarters at Seattle, Wash., under the director who was Roy W. Atkinson, and that region included Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana.

After I went to the State of Washington, I became active particularly with—one of the principal activities of the CIO political action committee was to advance and encourage registration for voting in the 1944 elections and in the State of Washington, particularly along the West coast there was a considerable influx of war workers during that period who, of course, were unregistered and my principal activity preceding the actual beginning of that 1944 general campaign was bringing about registration by getting the city councils in the various larger cities, particularly in the State of Washington, to hold a registration week and opening up the schools and then after the campaign, as I was explaining, the city councils called a registration week where there was the extended registration campaign or program carried on, and after that I then became assistant regional director for the CIO political action committee active with the Democratic organization, particularly in the State of Washington and of course also to some extent in Idaho and I don’t think during that campaign at all that I appeared in the State of Oregon.