Med Professor Aids Singer Defense Fund

A personal drive to secure funds for the defense of former Harvard instructor Marcus Singer, recently relieved of his duties as zoology professor at Cornell, has been started by Dr. Avram S. Goldstein '40, assistant professor of Pharmacology here.

Goldstein, who is also a tutor in biochemistry, was a close friend of Singer then the latter was at Harvard. He said in is one of many men at the Medical School who believe that Singer deserves financial support for his forthcoming trial. Knowing that there is a fund for Singer at Cornell, Goldstein sent out a letter ten days ago to over a hundred faculty members at the University asking for donations.

Singer was indicted in November by a Federal Grand Jury for refusing to tell the House Un-American Activities Committee about members of a Cambridge Marxist Study Group" to which he belonged during the war. As a result of the indictment, Singer was immediately relieved of his lecturing duties at Cornell, but he still receives his regular salary.

When he testified before the Committee in May, 1953, Singer spoke freely of his own association with the study group, but when Chairman Velde asked him about others, he refused to continue. He aid it was a mater of "honor and congruence" not to mention or implicate others.

Fund at Cornell

On the advice of his counsel, Daniel Pollitt, Singer also used the Fifth Amendment to protect both himself and others is the group. His use of the amendment to protect others is considered a unique interpretation, and will probably be debated when the trial begins Feb. 21.

In the letter, Goldstein reviewed Singer's case, and mentioned that a "Singer Expense Fund" existed at Cornell. If anyone felt that Singer deserved financial support, Goldstein recommended that he should send a check to that group in care of George P. Adams, professor of Economics at Cornell.

Reached last night at his home in Ithaca, Adams said he did not know anyone outside of Cornell had taken up Singer's cause, but he added that no substantial number of gifts had been received from Cambridge in the past week. Checks have been sent from Harvard in the past, he said, as well as from the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins, and "a host of other places."

At Cornell the Student Council has been accepting contributions for Singer. Over 870 has been collected so far and the drive is expected to pick up next month.