H. C. Armstrong (politician)
H. C. Armstrong | |
|---|---|
Armstrong c. 1947 | |
| Member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 33rd district | |
| In office January 11, 1937 – January 10, 1949 | |
| Preceded by | Multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | Multi-member district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1893 Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | c. 1961 (aged ~68) Washington, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Communist (secretly) |
H. C. "Army" Armstrong (c. 1893–1961)[1][2] was an American engineer, activist and politician who served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from 1937[1] to 1949.[3] He was an executive in the Workers Alliance of Washington,[4] and during his tenure was known as a leading radical.[5]
Armstrong was elected as a Democrat with the support of the Washington Commonwealth Federation,[6] but was secretly a member of the Communist Party,[7] a fact which he admitted to during the Canwell Committee hearings in 1948. In turn, he named several other prominent state Democrats as secret Communists.[8]
In his 1951 appraisal of the hearings, Yale Law professor Vern Countryman characterized the testimony of former party members like Armstrong as "questionable," highlighting that they often passed off personal opinions as "official knowledge." Armstrong in particular was criticized for having twice perjured himself prior to the hearings.[8] In her memoirs, Communist activist Hazel Wolf denounced those who testified as "stoolpigeons" and cast doubt on their "indelible... memory concerning microscopic events long gone."[4]
References
- ^ a b Washington State Legislative Manual, 1937. Olympia: State Printing Plant. 1937. p. 238. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
- ^ "Memorial Rites Honor Deceased Legislators". Kitsap Sun. Bremerton. February 23, 1961. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
- ^ Washington State Legislative Manual, 1947. Olympia: State Printing Plant. 1947. p. 264. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
- ^ a b Starbuck, Susan (2002). Hazel Wolf: Fighting the Establishment. Seattle: University of Washington Press. pp. 128, 331. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
- ^ Chasan, Daniel Jack (1990). Speaker of the House: The Political Career and Times of John L. O'Brien. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 7. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
- ^ Phipps, Jennifer. "Washington Commonwealth Federation & Washington Pension Union". depts.washington.edu. University of Washington. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
- ^ "Washington Pension Union pins the lie on 2 witnesses; Cain worries Brownell". National Guardian. 8 (6): 9. November 28, 1955. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
- ^ a b Countryman, Vern (1951). Un-American Activities in the State of Washington. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. pp. 45–47, 341. Retrieved August 31, 2025.