Mr. Tavenner. In October of 1948.
Mr. O’Connell. He may have put me on there, but I never served as a member of the steering committee in the Civil Rights Congress.
Mr. Tavenner. Why didn’t you?
Mr. O’Connell. Well, I just remember I didn’t. In October of 1948 particularly we were in the midst of the 1948 campaign and I was the executive secretary of the Progressive Party.
Mr. Tavenner. The campaign would have been over in November; would it not?
Mr. O’Connell. Yes, sir; it would have been, but I mean from October—October is always involved in politics, October is the month when the general election campaign is carried on.
He, of his own volition, may have made me a member of the steering committee, but I certainly don’t remember getting any notification and I certainly know I didn’t serve on the steering committee.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. O’Connell, you have repeated a number of times during the course of the testimony your denial of any knowledge of Communist Party membership on the part of Tom Rabbitt and William Pennock while you were in the State of Washington.
Now, I have examined the testimony taken at the Canwell hearings—which occurred in 1948; did they not?
Mr. O’Connell. As I remember, there were two hearings out there. There was one in 1947—I think there was a hearing in 1947, and one in 1948.