M.I.T. Professor Admits Former Red Affiliation

A third M.I.T. professor, Norman Levinson, yesterday admitted he had been a Communist until the middle of 1945 in his testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee in Washington.

Senator William E. Jenner, however, had a less co-operative witness in Myron L. Hoch, professor at both Rutgers University and New York City College, and a former government employee. He and Jenner had a spirited shouting battle, culminating in the Senator's adjournment of the meeting. Hoch had refused to testify about his pre-1952 activities.

Jenner announced yesterday that his committee will soon resume hearings in Boston on Communists in education.

At the House, Levinson, a mathematics instructor, testified he had belonged to a communist cell near Harvard Square. He said "there wasn't anything at M.I.T. then. I think we met every week or two in the apartment of Herbert Robbins and John Reynolds."

The latter two had already been named as members of a Communist cell at the University by previous witnesses. Robins, no longer here, had previously met with the Committee and co-operated with it. Levinson added he also knew Paul Sweezy, a member of the Teacher's Union here.

Testimony Jibed

For the most part, Levinson's testimony was similar to that given by his colleagues, Professors William T. Martin and Isador Ambur. He was unable, however, to identify Dirk J. Struik, suspended professor of mathematics at M.I.T., as a Communist Party member. "I am uncertain about Struik," he said. "Just being a member of the group didn't necessarily mean you were a member of the party."

The M.I.T. professor asked for some sort of an "amnesty program" so that former communists could safely leave the party "free of taint."

Party-Line Science

Levinson joined the Communist Party because of the depression and unemployment. He quit when the Communists tried to set up a party line on music and Russia took an official stand in a dispute over genetics--"no scientists can subscribe to government science," he stated.