Morris U. Cohen
was an American professor of chemistry, dismissed in 1941 from the City College of New York (CCNY) following investigations by the Rapp-Coudert Committee and accused of Soviet espionage during 1953 hearings of the U.S. Senate Internal Security Subcommittee (SISS).
[10][11] As part of graft and corruption allegations, Cohen charged that "certain members of the chemistry department (of City College) have persistently favored purchase of chemicals and supplies and equipment from Nazi-controlled firms.
"[12] Cohen, then under suspension for communist activity, found his trial brought to "an abrupt adjournment" just as he was about to introduce evidence regarding sale of Kemkit chemistry kits to students.
"[15] On August 13, 1941, the Rapp-Coudert Committee finally listened to the charges of graft and corruption in the City College of New York chemistry department submitted in the Spring by Cohen.
"Progressive teachers active in ferretting out this state of affairs in the chemistry department were subsequently suspended by the Board of Higher Education on the charge of 'Communism'.
"[16] The Board of Higher Education announced it would take immediate action against three college professors who owned shares in the Kemkit Scientific Chemical Corporation of Brooklyn, whose products they were making students buy.
[19] On August 18, 1941, the New York District of the American Student Union congratulated the TU's Committee for the Defense of Higher Education and Morris U. Cohen for exposing graft and corruption in the chemistry department of CCNY.
[20] On April 23, 1941, Bella Dodd, then chair of the Committee for the Defense of Higher Education of the New York City Teachers Union, announced that the Board of Higher Education had suspended eleven (11) more City College of New York teachers and administrators in addition to the first three teachers (Morris U. Schappes, John K. Ackley, and Arthur R. Braumlich): Jetta Alpert, Lewis Balamuth, Saul Bernstein, David Cohen, Morris U. Cohen, Sidney Eisenberger, Jack D. Foner, Louis Lerman, Samuel Margolis, Jesse Mintus, and Walter Scott Neff.
[22] On September 18, 1941, the City College of New York student newspaper The Campus followed up with lives of the three teachers on suspension: On October 6, 1941, Cohen's lawyer, Samuel A. Neuberger, abruptly walked out on his client and left the courtroom when the court would not let him subpoena full records related to Cohen's charges of graft and corruption at the City College of New York.
[24] On January 19, 1942, Cohen, Louis Balamuth, and Arnold Shikatoff resigned from their teaching positions at the City College of New York, while the Board of Higher Education dismissed three clerks: Jesse Mintus, Morris Foner, and Jetta Alpert.
"[1] On May 20, 1953, Morris U. Cohen's photo appeared on the front page of the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper under the headline "Red Prober Flays Ex-CCNY Teacher."
Unlike the senator, the rest of us are expressly denied the right, by the whole tradition of American law and justice, to draw any conclusions as to the guilt or innocence of Mr. Morris U. Cohen or any other witness who seeks refuge behind the Fifth Amendment.
These dozen in "important" posts fit a "pattern of such infiltration by those who have invoked their privilege against incrimination when asked about the subcommittee's evidence of their Communist Party membership."
The remaining names were: Leo M. Drozdoff, Irving Fajans, Jack Sargeant Harris, Paul V. Martineau, Leonard E. Mims, Milton Wolff, Geoge S. Wuchinich, Herman Landau, Sidney J. Socolar, Ralph [30] Spitzer, and Joseph Steigman.
