Testimony on appointment of Wilbur J. Cohen to be Assistant Secretary of the...

Testimony on appointment of Wilbur J. Cohen to be Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

Chevy Chase, MD: Shearon Legislative Service, 1961. 43 pages, stapled wraps, measuring 6x9 inches, with occasional phrases underlined, and a yellow slip included that updates the situation as of March 24, 1961.

The text contends that Cohen is intent on implementing socialized medicine along with other influences deemed un-American; the centerfold features a chart illustrating the "Net of subversion in the United States Government." This conspiracy is purported to trace back to the Silvermaster spy ring. While not overtly anti-Semitic, Shearon expresses indignation in her testimony, stating, "I wonder why an American of pioneer ancestry like myself should be asked to testify under oath while Wilbur J. Cohen, who has a subversive history, was not required to take an oath."

The 1961 confirmation hearing of Wilbur J. Cohen, a key architect of the Social Security Act and later the Secretary of HEW.

Author: Marjorie Shearon, a prominent conservative critic of "socialized medicine" and the Social Security system during the mid-20th century.Context: Published in Washington, D.C., March 1961, Shearon's testimony likely focused on her opposition to Cohen's appointment based on his involvement in expanding federal social programs.