Winston Burdett
Winston Burdett | |
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Born | Winston Burdett December 12, 1913 |
Died | June 19, 1993 | (aged 79)
Occupations |
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Winston Burdett (December 12, 1913 – May 19, 1993) was an American
Early life
Winston Burdett was born December 12, 1913, in
Career and spy work
Early career and spying
Burdett stayed at his first job, at the
Burdett left the United States in February 1940, funded by CPUSA and using his press credentials to travel as a roving correspondent.
Burdett detailed his involvement with the Communist Party and his work as a spy at a
Work at CBS
Burdett was one of
For CBS Burdett covered the
While working out of
Burdett retired from CBS in 1978 after 22 years in the Rome bureau.
Senate testimony
Testimony
In the early 1950s he told the story of his wife's death, which he speculated was due to his refusal to spy for the Soviet Union any longer, to New York Municipal Judge Robert Morris.
Burdett's testimony detailed his involvement with the Communist Party and ten other members of the Communist group at the Brooklyn Eagle.
Burdett's testimony prompted at least 35 subpoenas by the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, headed by Senator
July 1955 witnesses
This is a list of people named in Burdett's June 1955 testimony who subsequently testified in July before the subcommittee.[22]
- Melvin L. Barnet: New York Times copyreader. Was promptly fired based on his testimony, he took the 5th Amendment and refused to confirm membership in the Communist Party.
- Ira Henry Freeman: New York Times reporter. Admitted to a one-year affiliation with the Communist Party and was allowed to keep his job.
- David A. Gordon: New York Daily News reporter. Took the 5th amendment 29 times. The News fired him within 24 hours.
- Charles S. Lewis: news director WCAX, Burlington, Vermont. Admitted to Communist ties.
November subpoenas
This is a list of other newspaper employees who were subpoenaed and testified in November 1955 due to Burdett's June testimony.[21]
- James Glaser: a New York Post copy editor.
- New York TimesWashington correspondent from 1947 to 1954.
- Benjamin Fine: New York Times education editor.
- Alden Whitman: New York Times copy editor.
- Seymour Peck: New York Times employee.
- Robert Shelton: New York Times copy editor.
- Jack Shafer: New York Times foreign desk copy editor.
- Nathan Aleskovsky: assistant editor of the Times Sunday Book Review section.
- Samuel Weissman: supervisor of indexers for the New York Times Index.
- Matilda Landsman: New York Times stenographer and secretary.
- Jerry Zalph: New York Times proofreader.
- Otto Albertson: New York Times proofreader.
- John T. McManus: general manager of the independent left-wing weekly National Guardian, New York Times employee from 1921 to 1937.
- James Aronson: executive editor of the National Guardian, New York Times employee in 1946–48.
- Richard O. Boyer: freelancer who contributed profiles to The New Yorker and wrote for the Daily Worker.
- William A. Price: New York Daily News police reporter. Price lost his job as a result of his testimony.
- Dan Mahoney: a rewriter for the New York Daily Mirror.
Personal life and death
Burdett's first wife was Italian anti-fascist journalist, Lea Schiavi. She was murdered in 1942 and Burdett attributed her murder to his decision to leave the Communist Party and stop spying for them.[1][2] In 1945 he married Giorgina Nathan. He also had two children, Cristina and Richard.[1] Winston Burdett died in Rome on May 19, 1993, after a long illness.[19]
Selected publications
Awards
- 1959 Overseas Press Club Award: For his 1958 coverage of the death of Pope Pius XII and the subsequent election of Pope John XXIII.[1]
- 1966 Sigma Delta Chi Award: For distinguished service in journalism.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Pace, Eric. "Winston Burdett Is Dead at 79; Covered World and War for CBS", The New York Times, May 21, 1993, accessed February 12, 2011.
- ^ Time Magazine, (web: p. 2), July 11, 1955, accessed February 12, 2011.
- ^ Current Biography Yearbook, (Google Books link), H. W. Wilson Co., 1944, p. 88.
- ^ ISBN 0231044038).
- ^ ISBN 1592133428).
- ISBN 0300077718).
- ISBN 0231144962).
- ^ ", 2005 Raleigh International Spy Conference, p. 14-15, accessed February 13, 2011.
- ISBN 0405035799).
- ^ a b Musser, Rick. "History of American Journalism, 1940s", University of Kansas, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, May 2033, updated January 2004, accessed February 12, 2011.
- ^ "The Murrow's Boys", The Life and Work of Edward R. Murrow, an archive exhibit, Digital Collections and Archives, The Murrow Center, Tufts University, 2008, accessed February 12, 2011.
- Mitgang, Herbert. "Book of the Times; Radio Days of Glory and Defeat", The New York Times, June 21, 1996, accessed February 12, 2011.
- ^ Musser, Rick. "World War II On The Air: Edward R. Murrow And The Broadcasts That Riveted A Nation", (Audio file #28, Burdett reports on the Axis retreat in North Africa - December 16, 1942) History of American Journalism, University of Kansas, School of Journalism & Mass Communications, May 2003, updated January 2007, accessed February 12, 2011.
- ^ Musser, Rick. "World War II On The Air: Edward R. Murrow And The Broadcasts That Riveted A Nation", (Audio file #29, Burdett reports on the Invasion of Sicily - July 10, 1943) History of American Journalism, University of Kansas, School of Journalism & Mass Communications, May 2003, updated January 2007, accessed February 13, 2011.
- ^ Musser, Rick. "World War II On The Air: Edward R. Murrow And The Broadcasts That Riveted A Nation", (Audio file #31, Burdett reports on Race for Possession of Italy - September 10, 1943) History of American Journalism, University of Kansas, School of Journalism & Mass Communications, May 2003, updated January 2007, accessed February 12, 2011.
- ^ Musser, Rick. "World War II On The Air: Edward R. Murrow And The Broadcasts That Riveted A Nation", (Audio file #33, Burdett reports on Capture of Rome - June 5, 1944) History of American Journalism, University of Kansas, School of Journalism & Mass Communications, May 2003, updated January 2007, accessed February 12, 2011.
- ^ John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, April 5, 1998, accessed February 17, 2011.
- Time Magazine, August 6, 1959, accessed February 13, 2011.
- ^ a b c From Staff and Wire Reports. "Winston Burdett; Ex-CBS Journalist, Murrow Colleague", Los Angeles Times, May 22, 1993, accessed February 12, 2011.
- ^ "Burdett by phone on 1981 news bulletin", radiotapes.com, accessed February 13, 1011.
- ^ Time Magazine, January 16, 1956, accessed February 12, 2011.
- ^ Time Magazine, July 25, 1955, accessed February 12, 2011.
- Niemen Reports, Spring 2008, accessed February 13, 2011.
- ^ Burdett, Winston. Encounter With The Middle East: An Intimate Report on What Lies Behind the Arab-Israeli Conflict, (Google Books link), Atheneum, 1969.
Further reading
- Hearing before the Senate Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and other Internal Security Laws of the Committee on the Judiciary, 84th Cong., 2d Sess., pt. 17, at 1587 (1956).
- "Strategy and Tactics of World Communism - Recruiting for Espionage". Hearings Before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws, 84th Congress, 1st Session, June 28 and 29, 1955.
External links
- "Winston Burdett Speaking with James Eastland", (corbisimages.com, June 29, 1955, accessed February 13, 2011.
- FBI file on Winston Burdett