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But during the postwar 1940s and throughout the 1950s the FBI viewed most philosophical links to Marxism as threats to their vision of "Americanism." During the early Cold War most forms of materialist analysis were seen by the FBI as threats to national security (see Price and Peace, 20003). Thus the FBI reacted with strong concern upon reading the essays of Bernhard Stern, Elmer Barnes and others affiliated with the early years of Science & Society in the book *Philosophy for the Future* (Sellars, et al., 1949):
"They are day in and day out influencing the minds of countless youths. Their influence goes beyond the classroom. They are also writers issuing books and articles designed to influence educated and articulate adults in positions of importance. There can be little doubt that these materialists are subtly preparing the minds of at least a percentage of those reached by them for the acceptance of communism. Further, they are preparing a greater percentage of educated minds to be sympathetic or soft on communisn. . . . It is not unlikely that the majority of the educated enemies of the Bureau who are regularly attacking or opposing us in one form or another are philosophic materialists. And, they are not decreasing in numbers. *Philosophy for the Future* is our problem of the
Bernhard J. Stern taught sociology and anthropology at the New School and Columbia University. It was Stern who gave Science and Society its name. He was investigated by McCarthy and all his books were removed from State Dept. libraries overseas. "Historical Sociology," a collection of Stern's articles, is still worth reading. Stern died in mid-semester 1956 two days after teaching another class in a graduate course in Social Class. His memorial on the Columbia campus was overflowing with those wishing to attend: an outstanding teacher and scholar.
As an undergrad at Columbia in 1956, an FBI agent named Oscar Law telephoned me. He wanted to come to my apt and talk to me for 5 minutes about "Communism". I told him I would call back; never did, but that call pushed me further to the left.
I've just started reading _Time in the Ditch: American Philosophy and the McCarthy Era_ by John McCumber (2001 Northwestern Univ. Press). Fred Lee at Univ Missouri Kansas City writes about McCarthyism and economists. McCumber attempts to explain the success that McCarthyism had in Philosophy Departments.
Larry Shute Emeritus, Economics California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
