Hiss, Alger

Cultural  

1. An official in the Department of State who, in 1948, was accused by a former communist, Whittaker Chambers, of having been a secret agent for the Soviet Union during the 1930s. Hiss denied the charge but was later convicted of lying under oath and was imprisoned.

---

Discover More

Congressman Richard Nixon, later president, became known nationwide through his part in the investigation of the charge.

The Hiss case is still controversial. Some have argued that Hiss was the victim of hysteria against communists. Others contend that Chambers was telling the truth. Chambers's accusation against Hiss was made before a committee of the House of Representatives.

Example Sentences

Frankfurter named Donald Hiss, Alger Hiss’s brother, the executor of his estate, and left his longtime secretary, Elsie Douglas, in charge of making sure that the papers got to the right place.

From The New Yorker

Donald Hiss, Alger's brother, flatly denied Chambers' accusation that he was a member of the Communist "apparatus."

From Time Magazine Archive