Frederick Vanderbilt Field facts for kids

Frederick Vanderbilt Field (born April 13, 1905 – died February 1, 2000) was an American left-leaning political activist and writer. He was a great-great-grandson of the famous railroad builder Cornelius Vanderbilt. His wealthy family cut him off financially because of his strong political beliefs.

Field became an expert on Asia. He was a key member and supporter of the Institute of Pacific Relations. He also backed Henry Wallace's Progressive Party. He supported many groups linked to Communism. Because of this, he was accused of being a member of the Communist Party. During the 1950s, when McCarthyism was strong, the American government watched him closely. Field always said he was not a party member. However, in his own writings, he said he was "a 'member at large'" of the Party.

Early Life and Education

Frederick Vanderbilt Field was born on April 13, 1905. He came from the very rich Vanderbilt family. He was a descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt. In 1923, he finished high school at the private Hotchkiss School.

He then went to Harvard University. There, he was the main editor of The Harvard Crimson newspaper. He also joined the Hasty Pudding Club. After graduating in 1927, Field studied for a year at the London School of Economics. Here, he learned about the ideas of Harold Laski. Laski was a socialist thinker.

When Field returned to the United States, he first supported the Democratic Party. But he soon felt they were not doing enough for social change. So, in 1928, he supported Norman Thomas. Thomas was the presidential candidate for the Socialist Party. Field even joined the Socialist Party. His great-uncle, Frederick William Vanderbilt, had promised him a large fortune. But because of Field's support for Norman Thomas, his great-uncle cut him off. Field lost out on an estimated $70 million.

Work with the Institute of Pacific Relations

After returning from England in 1928, Field met Y.C. James Yen. Yen was in the U.S. to raise money for his Chinese education movement. Field traveled with Yen as his helper. Later, Field joined the Institute of Pacific Relations (IPR). The IPR was a group that studied problems in countries around the Pacific Ocean. Field worked as an assistant and did not take any pay. He was one of the IPR's biggest financial supporters. He wrote several books about the economy in Asia. He also helped organize meetings and publications.

As he got older, his political views became stronger. He called the IPR a "bourgeois research-educational organization." This meant it was funded by rich foundations and big companies. He said these groups helped him publish ideas that were against capitalism. He also wrote articles for magazines like The New Masses and The Daily Worker. These magazines were known for supporting Communist ideas. He also helped lead groups like the Council for Pan American Democracy. Some people said this group was controlled by Communists. He also served on the board of the Jefferson School of Social Science, which was linked to the Communist Party.

Field wrote a note to Owen Lattimore, an editor at IPR. He said that a certain article's ideas were "straight Marxist" and should not be changed. In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, he gave money and time to Communist causes. During World War II, he gave a lot of money to groups that supported the Soviet Union.

In his own story, Field admitted that he "uncritically accepted" Soviet reports about their political trials. He said he was "taken in." He remembered thinking that Stalin was always right. He also believed other Communist Party leaders were right. Even when others started to doubt Stalin, Field defended the Moscow Trials. He believed they were fair because "Comrade Stalin says so."

The IPR tried to be neutral and include different viewpoints. So, Field worked with his friend Philip Jaffe to start Amerasia magazine in 1937. This magazine criticized Japan's attacks in China. Later, Jaffe was accused of misusing government documents. Investigators found many secret government papers in the magazine's offices.

In 1941, Field left his job at the IPR. But he stayed on its board until 1947. He attended the 1945 United Nations founding conference in San Francisco. He went as a representative for the IPR and as a writer for the Daily Worker.

American Peace Mobilization and Later Accusations

In 1940, Field became the leader of the American Peace Mobilization (APM). Earl Browder, a Communist Party leader, asked him to take the job. Field became a strong supporter of peace. He wanted the United States to stay out of the war in Europe. This was especially true while the Hitler-Stalin pact was in place. He believed the war was between "rival imperialists."

However, in June 1941, Field changed his mind completely. He suddenly stopped the APM's "peace protests." He then demanded that the U.S. immediately go to war against Germany. This happened just two days before Nazi Germany launched its surprise attack on the Soviet Union.

Later, a government report said that Field was considered a security risk. He was rejected from joining military intelligence. In 1944, a member of the IPR, Alfred Kohlberg, claimed that Field was a member of the Communist Party's national committee. In 1945, a former Soviet spy, Elizabeth Bentley, said she had been at a meeting in Field's home. She claimed that Browder and others were there.

In 1945, Field helped start the Committee for a Democratic Far Eastern Policy. This group wanted the U.S. to stop supporting the Kuomintang government in China. After 1949, they wanted the U.S. to recognize the People's Republic of China.

In 1948, a former editor of the Daily Worker, Louis Budenz, told FBI investigators that Field was a Communist Party member. In 1949, Field himself wrote in Political Affairs that he was an "American Communist."

Supporting Civil Rights

Field was the main person who gave money to the Council on African Affairs. This group worked against colonialism and supported Pan-Africanism.

Field also played an active role in the Civil Rights Congress. This group worked for civil rights. It was formed in 1946. The group focused on legal actions and protests. They helped create many methods that later civil rights workers would use. Field was both a secretary and a trustee for the Civil Rights Congress's bail fund.

Government Investigations

In 1950, Louis Budenz told a government committee that Field was a Soviet spy. When questioned, Field refused to answer. He said he might incriminate himself. The next year, another former Soviet spy, Whittaker Chambers, said that Field was part of the Communist underground. Some writers even claimed Field was an agent for Soviet military intelligence.

However, other writers who looked at old documents disagree. They say that Field was in contact with Soviet representatives starting in 1935. They say some of these contacts might have been "active measures" for the Soviet Union. But they also say that the documents do not prove Field was a full Soviet agent.

As the secretary of the Civil Rights Congress bail fund, Field refused to say who had paid bail for eight Communist Party officials. These officials had skipped bail and disappeared after being found guilty by the government. Field was found guilty of not cooperating with the court. He served two months in federal prison in 1951 for not giving the names of his Communist friends.

Life in Mexico

At one point, Field moved to Mexico with his third wife. This was a "self-imposed exile" for him. But he kept many of his old connections. In 1962, Marilyn Monroe visited Mexico. The FBI watched her visit because of her links to Communism. Investigators' files showed that a close friendship between Monroe and Field worried some people around her. It also worried the American Communist Group in Mexico. These parts of the files were kept secret until 2012.

Personal Life and Death

Frederick Field was married four times. His first wife was Elizabeth G. Brown, who was a socialist. His second wife, Edith Chamberlain Hunter, supported the Council on African Affairs. His third wife was Anita Cohen Boyer. His fourth wife was Nieves Orozco, a former model for Diego Rivera.

Field died on February 1, 2000, at the age of 94. He passed away in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He had been living there since returning from Mexico in 1983.

Works by Frederick Vanderbilt Field

In his 1983 memoir, Field wrote about his accusers. He said that Louis F. Budenz tried to hurt him. He called Whittaker Chambers "a neurotic psychopath." He wrote a whole chapter about "The Lattimore Case," which involved him. He also thanked Edward Clark Carter of the IPR. He said Carter gave him chances to use his skills.

Here are some of the books Field wrote:

• American Participation in the China Consortiums (1931)
• Economic Handbook of the Pacific Area (1934)
• China's Capacity for Resistance (1937)
• China's Greatest Crisis (1945)
• Thoughts on the Meaning and Use of Pre-Hispanic Mexican Sellos (1967)