Interpret the Evidence
What did the California loyalty oath require an employee to swear or affirm (Document 24.11)? Is the oath explicitly anti-Communist? Why or why not? Why might an employee with no Communist connections object to signing it?
Why did Justice Felix Frankfurter rule against the Oklahoma law (Document 24.12)? In his opinion, what were the consequences of the law for education? How would it keep teachers from serving as “the priests of our democracy”?
According to the AAUP Rights and Responsibilities, should university professors cooperate with congressional investigators (Document 24.13)? Why or why not? How does the document characterize the moral obligations of faculty members and the meaning of academic freedom?
Why does Victor Lowe oppose excluding all Communist Party members from university employment (Document 24.14)? In his mind, how is exclusion a potential violation of academic principles?
Why did Sidney Hook disagree with Lowe’s argument (Document 24.15)? How does Hook respond to the argument that a person can belong to the Communist Party yet not endorse all of its goals?
Put It in Context
Based on these documents, why do you think higher education became such a significant battleground during the era of McCarthyism? How do these investigations compare to those of the Hollywood Ten?