My grandfather and Joe McCarthy!?

Question

My Grandfather was a judge and served on the senate. My cousin and I were going through old stuff in my Grandmothers attic because both of them had already passed away and we thought we could look at stuff and talk about memories and see old pictures, etc because our parents and uncles and aunts might throw them out one day. Anyway we went through the stuff and were shocked to discover that our Grandfather worked with McCarthy! We also found a picture of McCarthy and him next to each other and it was like seeing him next to Hitler. I don't want to remember my Grandfather has some anti-communist aide to McCarthy. I Googled his Name and McCarthy and it doesn't portray him as working with McCarthy but like he was just there interviewing people. I'm not an expert on the McCarthy Witch hunts but I just want to know if its possible that if you worked on the senate then, you had no choice but to follow orders.

Answer 1

You might look for his writings or if he was with the House unAmerican Activities Committee before McCarthy came to power.

Of particular interest would be anything referring to General Smedley Butler. Butler reported an attempt to include him in a coup attempt, by Right Wing wall street folks (Prescott Bush??) to oust FDR and join with Hitler to conquer the World.

Because they were not prosecuted they went underground and sought to succeed by slower means, starting with taking over the very HUAC committee that had stopped their first attempt.

Any historical information on that era, that shed light on the workings of that conspiracy, would outweigh in importance any embarrassment you might have about your grandfather, and make you a genuine hero.

Answer 2

I think you are mixing up working with/ and supporting. Just because he worked with the senator does not mean he held the same views or helped him. I could be that he worked with him to oppose his views.

Not much goes on in congress that does not get recorded someplace. A visit to Washington someday to search the national archives, congressional record(it may be on the net) could shed light on your grandfathers role in the events surrounding MaCarthy. You might even ask your parents if they know anything. Also remember it could just be your grandfather getting his picture taken with a famous man.

Answer 3

Live like your grandfather and you could be famous.