Mr. O’Connell. No; I certainly was not.
Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Dennett was called as a witness by this committee at its June 1954 hearings. Mr. Dennett, when he appeared, relied upon the fifth amendment and refused to answer questions but later on during the hearing he came back and asked the committee to permit him to testify. It was so near the end of the hearings that it was impossible to hear him then. So the committee took his testimony in March of 1955 and Mr. Dennett described his activity in the Communist Party as a Communist Party functionary over a long period of time and described how he got out of the Communist Party, in fact described his expulsion and also the expulsion of his wife. He gave the committee much valuable information.
In the course of his testimony he told the committee how a man by the name of Lowell Wakefield was sent by the Communist Party from New York to Seattle to engage in organizational work for the Communist Party and that one of his chief assignments was to assist in the organization of the Washington Pension Union.
Were you acquainted with Mr. Lowell Wakefield?
Mr. O’Connell. I don’t remember anybody by the name of Lowell Wakefield at all. In my time, I mean my only recollection—was Wakefield later some kind of a representative for a fish company or operated a fish company of his own down on the waterfront?
Mr. Tavenner. I understood he did, but not down on the waterfront in Washington. I think he went to Alaska.
Mr. O’Connell. Well, anyway, I think I heard about him but I don’t think I ever met Wakefield personally, or personally knew him.
Mr. Tavenner. Have you any knowledge of his activities?
Mr. O’Connell. My only recollection, if it is the same Wakefield, is that he was a contributor to the Democratic Party, if it is the same person. What I want to do, I don’t want to get myself in trouble, I certainly didn’t know Wakefield as a Communist or knew that he was a Communist or anything of the kind and I don’t want—my recollection is if it is the same Wakefield he had some kind of a fish company or was a representative for a fish company and did make contributions to the Democratic Party while I was executive secretary.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you acquainted with Tom Rabbitt?