Lee Pressman
Lee Pressman | |
|---|---|
Pressman testifies before the Senate Committee on Education and Labor, 1938 | |
| Born | Leon Pressman July 1, 1906 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 20, 1969 (aged 63) Mount Vernon, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | "Vig" (VENONA), "Comrade Big" (anti-communists) |
| Alma mater | Cornell University (B.A., 1926) Harvard Law School (J.D., 1929) |
| Employer(s) | Chadbourne, Stanchfield & Levy, AAA, WPA, Resettlement Administration, CIO, Progressive Party |
| Known for | Membership in Ware Group, IJA, NLG |
| Notable work | CIO union collective bargaining |
| Political party | Communist American Labor |
| Spouse | Sophia Platnik |
| Children | Anne Pressman, Susan Pressman, Marcia Pressman |
| Parent(s) | Harry Pressman, Clara Pressman |
| Relatives | Irving Pressman (brother) |
Lee Pressman (July 1, 1906 – November 20, 1969) was a labor attorney and earlier a US government functionary, publicly alleged in 1948 to have been a spy for Soviet intelligence during the mid-1930s (as a member of the Ware Group), following his recent departure from Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) as a result of its purge of Communist Party members and fellow travelers. From 1936 to 1948, he represented the CIO and member unions in landmark collective bargaining deals with major corporations including General Motors and U.S. Steel. According to journalist Murray Kempton, anti-communists referred to him as "Comrade Big."