David Zablodowsky

David Zablodowsky was a classmate of Whittaker Chambers at Columbia University, whom Chambers much admired. It was after meeting Zablodowsky that Chambers adopted the name "David" as his own, calling himself, at various times, David Chambers, Jay David Chambers or Jay David Whittaker Chambers.

Zablodowsky's association with Chambers would cause him much grief years later, when Chambers testified before the McCarthy committee in 1952 that Zablodowsky aided him in an espionage scheme in the 1930s. Zablodowsky testified in his own defense that he had not seen Chambers for years when Chambers called him 1935 or '36 and asked if someone could drop off a letter at his office, to be picked up by another person. Told that it had something to do with anti-fascism, Zablodowsky agreed. That was the extent of Zablodowsky's participation.

Seventeen years later, while Zablodowsky was director of the Division of Publications of the Department of Conferences and General Services of the United Nations, he was told that Chambers was claiming he had been a courier for a Soviet spy ring and a member of the Communist Party underground. Although Zablodowsky denied the charges, he lost his job.

To see a video clip of Zablodowsky discussing the incident, click here.