Benjamin Mandel

Mandel, HUAC's head of research, was a former Communist who allegedly issued Whittaker Chambers his Communist Party card. During the HUAC hearings on August 7, 1948, Mandel showed Chambers a photograph of Alger Hiss listening to someone ask him a question from a distance. In the picture, Hiss had his hand cupped to his ear. Chambers responded by saying that Hiss was deaf in one ear. This was taken by the committee as more evidence of the closeness of Hiss and Chambers. Hiss, in fact, had normal hearing in both ears. To listen to Hiss recall this incident, click here.