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On Mon, 11 May 2009 18:12:07 -0700 (PDT), ernie1241 <...@gmail.com
FBI Special Agent -- W. CLEON SKOUSEN: His Suspect Credentials as an
"Expert" on Communism
Back in March 2007, I wrote a preliminary article concerning former
FBI Special Agent W. Cleon Skousen after I had received the first 400
pages of his personnel file from the FBI. That article is copied below
for your reference.
I have now received the entire remainder of Skousen’s personnel file
[HQ 67-69602] along with a separate file devoted to public source
material and correspondence received by the Bureau concerning
Skousen’s activities [HQ 94-47468].
As I suspected, it turns out that Skousen had no significant
investigatory experience. His FBI assignments were primarily
administrative in nature.
Even more significantly, he had no special exposure to investigations
concerning communism in the United States.
After retiring from the Bureau in October 1951, Skousen became an
Administrative Assistant to the President of Brigham Young University
in Salt Lake City. Then he became Chief of Police in Salt Lake City in
1956 but he was fired by Mayor J. Bracken Lee in March 1960. He then
ran for the Republican nomination for Governor of Utah and his
campaign literature included the phrase, “Served his country in the
FBI 16 years, 4 of them as Administrative Assistant to J. Edgar Hoover
during World War II, a top assignment.”
When the Bureau started receiving inquiries about Skousen’s
description of himself, it immediately declared there was no such
position as “Administrative Assistant” in the Bureau and FBI memos
also repudiate the idea that Skousen was ever a “top aide” to Hoover –
which was the description of Skousen appearing in one issue of the
John Birch Society Bulletin.
Utah Republican Congressman Henry A. Nixon contacted the Bureau about
this matter and his administrative assistant (Mark Cannon) received a
telephone call from a senior Bureau official (Robert E. Wick) who
pointed out that:
“Wick impressed upon Cannon the fact that the FBI has no control over
former Agents; they are not connected with the FBI; and it would
appear here that frankly Mr. Skousen is attempting to trade on his
former Bureau connection. Wick told him that again very frankly Mr.
Hoover and the entire FBI does not appreciate this sort of thing and
it is simply unfair to inject the FBI into a political matter of this
nature.” … [HQ 94-47468, serial number illegible; 7/28/60 memo from
C.D. DeLoach to Mr. Mohr re “Administrative Assistant” and HQ
94-47468, #88; 8/22/68 memo from G.E. Malmfeldt to Mr. Bishop re JBS
Bulletin comment.]
Subsequent to his campaign for the Utah Governor nomination, Skousen
became the Editorial Director of the police journal “Law and Order”,
and he also associated himself with Fred Schwarz’s Christian Anti-
Communism Crusade (CACC) as a frequent speaker at “anti-communism
schools” around the country. He was described by the CACC as a
“faculty member”. One such school was named “Project Alert” and it
featured Skousen speeches from October thru December 1961 in
Wisconsin. The promotional brochure for the school described “faculty
member” Skousen as follows:
“Skousen entered the FBI in 1935 and served in various parts of the
U.S. for a period of 16 years. During World War II he served as an
administrative supervisor under J. Edgar Hoover in Washington D.C…Mr.
Skousen was recently appointed the Field Director for the American
Security Council. The most outstanding speaker to graduate from the
FBI, he averages 350 speeches a year.”
Not surprisingly, the FBI received hundreds of inquiries concerning
Skousen’s background and, in particular, his claims to expertise
regarding communism.
By October 1961, the Bureau received so many inquiries that Associate
Director Clyde Tolson (the #2 official in the Bureau hierarchy) asked
subordinates to check Skousen’s personnel file “in an effort to
determine what contact he may have had with the subject of communism
in connection with his assignments while working for the FBI.”
The resulting 3-page summary memo contained the following
observations:
“Skousen entered on duty 10-24-35 in a clerical position and as an
Agent on 6-17-40. He resigned while assigned to the Los Angeles
Office on 10-5-51…When he first came to the Bureau as a clerical
employee in 1935, he was a messenger. On 8-1-37 he became a night
supervisor in the Communications Section and on 2-16-39 he became
chief of the Communications Section, his work for the most part being
connected with the Teletype Unit.“
“He entered Agents’ Training School on 6-17-40. There is no definite
indication in his personnel file that he had any contact with the
subject of communism other than the fact that in his first office,
which was Omaha, an efficiency report indicated that he handled all
types of cases except bank robbery and antitrust. He was assigned to
the Omaha Office from August 1940, to December 1940, when he
transferred to the Kansas City Office.”
“On 4-4-41, he reported to the Chief Clerk’s Office here at the Bureau
and was transferred to the Records and Communications Division on
6-25-41. On 6-5-45 he was transferred to the Los Angeles Office.
Efficiency reports indicate that he was primarily concerned with
criminal, selective service, and applicant work in his field office
assignments. During the period he was in the Los Angeles Office, in
addition to some criminal work, he was primarily assigned to police
training schools and spoke on the subjects of juvenile delinquency,
police administration and public relations. Files indicate that he
was a notable speaker and was used extensively on speeches beginning
in his first office of assignment as an Agent. In the early 1940s
Skousen spoke several times on the subjects of sabotage, national
defense and subversive groups; however, due to the fact that this was
the period leading up to and beginning World War II, the subversive
groups to which he had referred were undoubtedly German or Axis
powers.”
“During his tenure at the Seat of Government [Washington DC] as an
Agent, he was a supervisor in the Chief Clerk’s Office in the
Communications Section and later was assigned to what is now known as
the Crime Research Section. A review of articles and statements on
which Agents of the Crime Research Section conducted research at that
time has been checked and there is nothing to indicate that he did any
research on the subject of communism; however, he did research for
several articles on sabotage.” …
“A brief check of abstracts under Skousen’s name revealed that between
1941 and 1946 he handled a limited number of investigations or wrote
reports or memoranda on internal security and espionage
classifications, and from 1947 until he resigned there were no
abstracts under his name for either the internal security or espionage
classifications. Inasmuch as there was no mention in his personnel
file of his having anything to do with communist matters, the fact
that abstracts indicate he did some internal security and espionage
work back in the early 1940s is undoubtedly insignificant, but rather
every indication is that he was primarily associated with criminal
work.” [HQ 67-69602, #214; 10/12/61 memo from M.A. Jones to Mr.
DeLoach].
In March 1960 Skousen was added to the FBI’s “Special Correspondence
List” [SCL] – because of his previous position as Police Chief in Salt
Lake City, as well as him becoming editor of a national law
enforcement journal, and his work as a field representative of the
American Security Council in Chicago. Several senior officials of the
ASC had been former FBI employees, including Inspector Lee Pennington,
who also served on the Americanism Commission of the American Legion.
(See below for additional information regarding Skousen and ASC).
Persons considered friendly toward Bureau interests were added to the
SCL and they were sent FBI publications such as the FBI Law
Enforcement Bulletin, or FBI Uniform Crime Reports, or general data to
present the Bureau point of view. Often, their correspondence and
inquiries received expedited attention.
However, in September 1961 as the controversy over “right-wing
extremists” gathered steam around the country, FBI Associate Director
Clyde Tolson inquired if Cleon Skousen, former Special Agent Dan
Smoot, or Fred Schwarz (Christian Anti-Communism Crusade) were on any
Bureau mailing lists.
The answer for Smoot and Schwarz was “no”, but when Tolson learned
that Skousen was on the Bureau’s SCL, he instructed that he be removed
immediately. J. Edgar Hoover handwrote “Right” on the bottom of the
memo discussing the matter. [HQ 94-47468, no serial number; 9/8/61
memo from C.D. DeLoach to Mr. Tolson.]
In April 1962, former FBI Inspector Lee Pennington called the Bureau
and spoke to Special Agent Joseph Sizoo. The Bureau memo on this call
reports:
“Former Inspector Lee Pennington who is now associated with the
American Security Council called Monday in connection with another
matter and advised that Skousen had been dropped by the ASC. He had
previously represented them in connection with certain speaking
commitments, but Pennington said ASC people thought he had ‘gone off
the deep end’ and his services had been discontinued.” [HQ 67-69602,
#329; 4/11/62 memo from J.A. Sizoo to W.C. Sullivan.]
Nor was Lee Pennington the only person connected with the American
Security Council (ASC) to express grave concerns about Skousen.
Chester Ward was a member of the National Strategy Committee of the
American Security Council.
In January 1963, the Bureau was contacted by former FBI Special Agent
in Charge, Norman H. McCabe, concerning Skousen’s proposed
participation in a course on communism being sponsored by the ASC. The
course was to consist of 65 one-half-hour TV programs featuring
Skousen and other alleged authorities on communism. The Judge
Advocate General of the U.S. Navy (Rear Admiral William C. Mott)
contacted FBI Chief Inspector William Sullivan to report his concerns
about Skousen’s participation. Sullivan then observed:
“Mott stated that he recently had talked with Admiral Chester Ward,
the retired former Judge Advocate General, who told him that he, Ward,
had been contacted by Skousen to see if he would be a participating
member in the program. Ward told Mott that Skousen impressed him as
an ‘unprincipled racketeer in anticommunism’ who is ‘money mad’ and
who is doing anything and everything to exploit the subject. Ward
told Mott that he intended to have absolutely nothing to do with
Skousen in this or nay other of his money-making ventures in this
field since he feels that Skousen is totally unqualified and is
interested solely in furthering his own personal ends.”
“As you know, we frequently receive inquiries from the public
regarding Skousen’s qualifications to speak with authority on the
subject of communism. In view of his obvious efforts to capitalize on
his former Bureau association, I feel that it would be well for us to
take positive measures to clarify the Bureau’s position in regard to
Skousen whenever we receive public inquiries concerning him. I feel,
for example, that in addition to stating that his views are his own,
that we should also add in correspondence concerning him that he was
not regarded as any authority on communism while employed with the
FBI. That is certainly a true statement and it might serve in some
measure to prevent Skousen from using the FBI’s name for his own
personal gain.” [HQ 67-69602, #338; 1/2/63 memo from W.C. Sullivan to
A.H. Belmont.]
Interesting footnote: the writings of both Admiral Chester Ward and
Cleon Skousen were recommended and sold by the John Birch Society.
Skousen spoke under the auspices of the JBS Speakers Bureau and he
authored a 1963 pamphlet entitled, “The Communist Attack On The John
Birch Society” which may be seen here: http://www.zeios.com/OurRepublic/Article/27
Sometimes, other former FBI Special Agents contacted the Bureau to
report on Skousen’s appearances around the country. For example, in
April 1962, former FBI Special Agent Robert Dellwo sent a letter to
FBI Chief Inspector W.C. Sullivan. As Sullivan reports:
“Reference is made to the enclosed letter to me from the above-
captioned person, a former FBI Agent who remains a very intelligent
and staunch supporter of the Bureau. In this letter, he asks if I
could lecture on communism to a gathering of some 7500 people whom he
thinks it is possible to organize in Spokane, Washington…Further, it
is to be noted that this event would be held as a counter to a similar
affair held just recently in Spokane where the principal speakers were
extreme right-wingers such as Cleon Skousen.” …
“I think it is of interest to the Bureau to note what Mr. Dellwo has
to say about Skousen:
‘Skousen generally keeping the people scared and then at the end of
his talk enunciated what he termed an extremely simple solution to the
whole problem…His general approach was that on the left was
totalitarianism. On the right was anarchy. Along side totalitarianism
was international communism, next to it was fascism, next to it were
the socialists, then the social democrats, and in the middle were
wings one and two of the conservatives and liberals of the United
States.’ [HQ 94-47468, #52; 4/24/62 memo from W.C. Sullivan to A.H.
Belmont].
Skousen’s speeches around the country were often heard by many
thousands of persons who attended Fred Schwarz’s “anti communism
schools”. His comments were often so inflammatory that J. Edgar Hoover
received hundreds of letters asking for details concerning Skousen’s
FBI employment.
One of the standard Hoover replies was sent to Sister Mary Shaun of
Notre Dame Convent. Hoover stated:
“I welcome the opportunity to make it perfectly clear that former
Special Agents of the FBI are not necessarily experts on communism.
Some of them have sought to capitalize on their former employment with
this Bureau for the purpose of establishing themselves as such
authorities. I am firmly convinced there are too many self-styled
experts on communism, without valid credentials and without any access
whatsoever to classified, factual data, who are engaging in
rumormongering and hurling false and wholly unsubstantiated
allegations against people whose views differ from their own. This
makes more difficult the task of the professional investigator.”
“Mr. W. Cleon Skousen entered on duty with the FBI as a clerk on
October 24, 1935, in which capacity he served until June 17, 1940,
when he became a Special Agent. He voluntarily resigned the latter
position on October 5, 1951. Mr. Skousen is no longer associated with
the FBI and his opinions are strictly his own and do not represent
this Bureau in any way.” [HQ 94-47468, #49; 4/17/62 J. Edgar Hoover
reply to Sister Mary Shaun, Notre Dame Convent, Trenton, NJ.]
The Birch Society’s Speakers Bureau publicity release on Skousen
describes him inaccurately as follows: “He entered the FBI in 1935,
serving first as a special agent and later in a supervisory
administrative position at FBI headquarters.”
A July 1961 memo from the FBI’s Chief Inspector, W.C. Sullivan, to
A.H. Belmont discusses a report in a San Antonio TX newspaper which
mentioned that Skousen was planning to write a textbook on communism.
Sullivan observed:
“As we know, Skousen, when he was in the FBI, did not concentrate in
the field of communism. However, he has been giving lectures on the
subject around the country, and during the past year has affiliated
himself with the extreme right-wing groups under the leadership of
Frederick Schwartz [sic] of Texas. The above, to me, is another
example of why a sound, scholarly textbook on communism by the
Director is urgently and badly needed.” [HQ 67-69602, #311; 7/29/61
memo from Sullivan to Belmont.]
In September 1964, the John Birch Society magazine, American Opinion,
published a summary about J. Edgar Hoover’s career which was written
by Skousen and the magazine’s front cover featured a painting of
Hoover by Daniel Michael Canavan. Senior FBI officials debated
whether or not to acknowledge Skousen’s favorable article about
Hoover. The Bureau memo on the matter observes:
“The activities of Skousen are well known to the Bureau…In recent
years he has been aligned closely with the extreme right-wing such as
the John Birch Society and has been characterized as an ‘unprincipled
racketeer in anticommunism’ who is ‘money mad’ and who is doing
everything and anything to exploit the subject of anticommunism.
Bureau files reveal Skousen has always been a strong supporter of the
Bureau and the Director; however, he has not hesitated to trade on his
former association with the Bureau in order to achieve stature as a
writer and lecturer on anticommunism. In view of this, it is not felt
we should acknowledge his favorable comments about Mr. Hoover.
Bufiles reflect that in 1951 the Bureau conducted a Departmental
applicant investigation on a Daniel Michael Canavan of New York City.
This investigation revealed that Canavan had been discharged from the
Army in 1946 because of ‘schizophrenic reaction, paranoid type’. A
later name check form on Canavan reflected that he was self-employed
as a commercial artist.” HQ 62-104401, #2280; 10/8/64 memo from M.A.
Jones to Mr. DeLoach.]
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ORIGINAL MESSAGE – March 2007
This week I received the first 400 pages of Cleon Skousen's FBI
personnel file and I discovered something that was quite shocking
given his reputation in extreme right circles.
The documents I received cover his FBI service through 1945. He
retired in 1951. All of his performance evaluations rate him as
"excellent" and, at one point, he was discussed by senior FBI
officials as someone who might be considered for promotion to
Assistant Special Agent in Charge of a field office.
However, from the time he entered the FBI (as a clerk and messenger in
1935) through 1945 -- his assignments were primarily administrative
not investigative!
He served as a Supervisor in the Communications Section (training new
employees, writing manuals for switchboard operators, etc.) He also
was responsible for the teletype section plus he edited two internal
FBI employee publications.
As late as 1944 there is a memo by Hoover chastising Skousen for
problems in the Mail Review and Dispatch Unit which was under
Skousen's supervision.
While assigned to the Crime Records Section at FBI HQ, Skousen was a
speaker before various community groups where he discussed FBI
jurisdiction, crime-fighting techniques, etc. and he conducted tours
of FBI HQ for VIP's. All of his performance evaluations through 1944
discuss his NON-investigative assignments and responsibilities.
The investigative experience shown in his file was limited to a brief
period in April 1944 when he worked in the Washington DC field office
and dealt with "white slave traffic", "impersonation", "theft of
government property" and "bank robbery" cases.
In April 1945 Skousen transferred from Washington DC to the FBI's Los
Angeles field office for health reasons (stomach ulcers). His duties
in Los Angeles were described as liaison with local police
departments, selective service investigations and assignment "to a
special squad dealing with black market activities."
It will be interesting to see the final portion of Skousen's personnel
file (which I should receive within the next 6-10 months.)
It may turn out that our great "expert" on the "communist conspiracy"
never even had significant internal security investigatory experience
within the Bureau!!
If that should turn out to actually be the case, then Skousen would
have even less credibility than Dan Smoot!
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