Massachusetts Legislative Commission on Communism identifies scores of local Communists.

The state version of the U.S. House Un-American Activities Commission, identifies 85 men and women as “present or former Communists or followers of the Communist party line.” The commission is chaired by Sen. Philip Bowker of Brookline and co-chaired by Sen. John Powers of South Boston. Almost all of those identified had appeared before the commission, including former Progressive Party Boston mayoral candidate Walter A. O’Brien Jr. and his wife Laura, who had denied being members of the Communist Party.