There is nothing new or original about a woman masquerading as
another
--------------------------------------
NODULE 11
RUTH AND MICHAEL PAINE
WHO WAS RUTH PAINE?
Ruth Paine was born Ruth Hyde in New York City on September 3, 1932.
QUAKER
When Ruth Paine was 15 years old, she preached with a traveling Bible
school. Ruth Paine told the Warren Commission: "I was asked to be a
leader, a teacher with a traveling Bible school. We went to three
different small towns in Indiana and Ohio, and taught young children.
I led songs and games and read stories." Ruth Paine became a Quaker
while attending Antioch College in 1951 and was a delegate to two
conferences of the Friends World Committee in England in 1952. She
graduated from Antioch College in 1955. In 1993 Ruth Paine described
herself as a financial contributor to the Friends World Committee.
RUSSIA/UNITED STATES EXCHANGE PROGRAMS
According to the Warren Report: "In 1955 Mrs. Paine was active in the
work of the North American Young Friends Committee, which, with State
Department cooperation, was making an effort to lessen the tensions
between Soviet Russia and the United States by means of...exchanges of
young Russians and Americans. It was during this period that Mrs.
Paine became interested in the Russian language. Mrs. Paine
participated in [and arranged] a Russian-American student exchange
program...Ruth Paine was the "convener or clerk" of the East-West
Contacts Group of the North American Young Friends Committee which was
established in 1955. She has corresponded, until recently, with a
Russian schoolteacher." [WR p285]
Ruth Paine told the Warren Commission:
Paine: It was at this conference, toward the later part, arising out
of a discussion of the need for communication and more of it between
the United States and the Soviet Union, by no means the bulk of
business of this conference, but a small committee of interested
people, was working on this matter.
Jenner: Are these interested young people?
Paine: These are all young Friends.
Jenner: And you were then of what age, 1955. Twenty-three?
Paine: Yes...This was at the time that plans first began for
encouraging an exchange of young people between the Soviet Union and
the United States, and I became active with the committee planning
that, and from the planning there was an exchange, three Soviet young
people came to this country and four young Quakers went to the Soviet
Union...
The Committee worked on: "Organization of pen pal correspondence
between American and Soviet young people." In 1958 Ruth Paine was
involved in a Russian/American exchange program on a leadership level.
[Friends Journal 4.26.58]
ANALYSIS
Another Quaker group, the American Friends Service Committee, sent a
delegation to the Soviet Union in 1955. The American Friends Service
Committee was very much on the Left. The Friends World Committee soon
sent a delegation to the Soviet Union. The CIA had an interest in
"cultural exchange programs." CIA DD/P Richard Bissell stated:
"Exchange of person programs...are more effective if carried out by
private auspices than if officially supported by the United States
Government." [Marchetti Cult of Intell. p52] The SSCIA reported that
from 1964 to 1974 "the FBI identified over 100 intelligence officers
among the approximately 400 Soviet students who attended universities
as part of an East-West student exchange program. Also, in this
program's 14-year history, more than 100 American students were the
target of Soviet recruitment approaches in the USSR." [SSCIA For. &
Mil. Intell. V1 p164] What was the story behind the Friends World
Committee?
Ruth Paine answered negatively when she was asked if she had been
aware of any intelligence community interest in student exchange
programs. She stated: "The Soviets that came over were real party-line
types, very doctrinaire." Ruth Paine was asked to name the State
Department official who was involved with her program. She responded,
"I haven't a clue, but you know they were working on cultural exchange
at that point. Trying to make a crack in the Iron Curtain." Michael
Paine stated, "I remember reading about that kind of thing in The
Times and finding it so frustrating that a genuine effort to try to
get person-to-person contact was being subverted by the government
there."
MANY DOCUMENTS STILL WITHHELD
Neither CIA Headquarters, nor the CIA's Office of Security traces on
Ruth Paine have been released as of 1996, and she was mentioned only
tangentially in the HSCA Report - "They never even called me. Someone
called - to be sure where I was - if they wanted to call me." Despite
much correspondence with the USSR, Ruth Paine did not show up on HT
LINGUAL indices before 1966. (That year an American sent a letter to
her from Moscow.) Withheld documents on the Paines included USSS
179-10001-10034, 10036; FBI NARA 179-10001-10091, 10094, 10101, FBI
179-10002-10084, 10244, 10251; HSCA 180-10116-10150; HSCA
180-10112-10450.
WILLIAM AVERY HYDE AND ANGLETON
The father of Ruth Paine, William Hyde, had contact with the CIA and
the CIA's Office of Security had traces on him: "Files of the Office
of Security reflect that Ruth Paine is the daughter of William Avery
Hyde, OS C-157,435, (deleted)." William Avery Hyde [CIA SSD-157,435]
was an anti-Communist who supported Socialist Party candidate Norman
Thomas. Norman Thomas received millions of dollars in CIA subsidies
because of his anti-Communist views. William Avery Hyde related: "Our
introduction [to the Communists] came at the 1929 annual meeting of
the Eastern Cooperative League. There were a number of Communist
delegates to the convention. When they found out they did not have
enough votes to control the meeting, they set out to obstruct it, and
succeeding in preventing it from doing any business worth mentioning.
Mother and I entered the meeting knowing very little about Communists,
and left as their enemies, which we have been ever since 1948. From
1930 to 1942 I worked for, and with, various New York metropolitan
area consumer cooperatives. They were subject to attempts at communist
infiltration almost continuously. Both Mrs. Hyde and I took our part
in trying to block this. From 1939 to 1941 I was the District Sales
Manager of Greater New York for the Farm Bureau Insurance Companies of
Ohio (now Nationwide). No one could get an agent's contract from the
companies in my district except through me. Apparently the Comrades
were anxious to infiltrate the outfit because a continuous stream
applied for contracts. The fact that we had no specifically Communist
type trouble from any agent I appointed leads me to think that my
screening was successful. In our first few years in Columbus we met a
few people we suspected of Communist leanings, but we have not been
aware of such since the end to the Wallace campaign."
A report by Bruce Solie of the CIA generated on December 5, 1963,
stated:
Files
Chief, Research Branch/OS/SRS
PAINE, RUTH
nee: HYDE
aka: Mrs. Ruth Paine
1. FBI S.A. Cregar on December 4, 1963, confirmed that the Subject is
the daughter of William Avery Hyde, SSD-157435. Cregar was furnished a
copy of two 1957 investigative reports on William Avery Hyde, for lead
purposes only, and was informed that Hyde was under consideration for
a covert use by this Agency in Vietnam in 1957, but was not used. This
information had previously been obtained from (deleted) CI/SIG.
2. Subject is the individual who is taking care of the widow of LEE
HARVEY OSWALD and has apparently been quite well known to the widow of
LEE HARVEY OSWALD for an undetermined period of time. The possibility
that William Avery Hyde was the father of Ruth Paine was previously
brought to the attention of Mr. Papich through Mr. O'Neal, CI/SIG. The
Security File of William Hyde contains a copy of a 1956 FBI
investigative report (Security of Government Employees) on Sylvia
Ludlow Hyde aka Mrs. John Hoke who is the sister of Ruth Paine. The
file of William Hyde also contains a 1956 OSI report on Sylvia Hoke.
3. In addition to the above, it was previously known that William
Avery Hyde and wife Carol Hyde were associates in the late 1920's and
later of Talbot Bielefeldt, #29931, who is currently employed by this
agency in FDD. A certain amount of information concerning William
Hyde, Carol Hyde, and other associates of Hyde and Bielefeldt during
the latter 1920's was furnished by Talbot Bielefeldt during interviews
several years ago. At that time the Bielefeldt case was under
extensive investigation. Bruce Solie.
On April 30, 1964, Birch O'Neal generated the following document:
MEMORANDUM FOR FILE (CI/OA File 59751)
SUBJECT: Mrs. Ruth Paine nee Hyde
Shortly after the assassination of President Kennedy the press carried
information concerning a Mrs. Ruth Paine who had befriended the OSWALD
family. Mr. Bruce Solie, of the Office of Security, called to my
attention that the Office of Security has information of possible
interest concerning William A. Hyde, who had three children; namely
Ruth Hyde, Sylvia Hyde Hoke and Carl Hyde. Mrs. Ruth Paine was known
to have had the name Hyde prior to her marriage.
On November 29, 1963, I advised Sam Papich to contact Mr. Solie of the
Office of Security for information of possible interest in connection
with Mrs. Ruth Paine. I indicated to Mr. Papich that the Office of
Security information was of possible security significance and
consideration and I was subsequently informed that the Bureau had been
in touch with Mr. Solie for its information. Birch D. O'Neal Chief, CI/
SIG.
[NARA CIA 1993.07.08.09.:07:31:900520]
On March 1, 1964, FBI S.A. Charles M. Beall, Jr., ascertained at CIA
that its security and foreign indices did not contain any references
identifiable with Michael Ralph Paine. CIA advised its only reference
to Ruth Avery Hyde, nee Hyde, was set out in CIA Report prepared in
1957 on William Avery Hyde, father of Ruth. This CIA material was
furnished the Bureau via Liaison on December 4, 1963, with request the
CIA material not be inserted in the Bureau reports. Dallas is
cognizant." [FBI 105-1717-225 - Hosty's name on the "Searched,
Indexed, Serialized and Filed April 19, 1964, FBI - Dallas" stamp on
this document.] HEMMING told this researcher: "He was covering his
ass."
The FBI reported: "On December 4, 1963, CIA made available information
to the Bureau Liaison that in 1957 CIA considered using this
individual to operate a cooperative educational center in Vietnam but
he was not used by the CIA. Investigation by CIA at that time
concerning William Avery Hyde was favorable."
Ruth Paine commented: "The information about the CIA considering my
father for Vietnam was a surprise. I doubt if he would have accepted
such an invitation, if it was offered. He certainly didn't go. He went
to Peru. He was working with the Agency for International Development.
He helped to develop rural credit unions for the compasinos so that
they could save enough money to make loans to themselves, instead of
always paying the huge bank rates. He loved it. I know that USAID
asked my father to appraise a situation in Georgetown, Guiana. He
recommended against starting a project there, as he thought the local
officials corrupt." In 1964 Ruth Paine informed the Warren
Commission:
Paine: My father is working for Nationwide Insurance Company. He has
been on special assignment from them to - I am not certain of the name
of the organization - to cooperative alliance in Europe.
Jenner: That is a cooperative alliance of insurance companies?
Paine: Having to do with insurance; yes.
Jenner: Insurance companies?
Paine: Yes; that is my understanding.
Jenner: This is a commercial activity, isn't it?
Paine: Yes; I believe so. And -
Jenner: The cooperative alliance in Europe, does that include any Iron
Curtain countries?
Paine: No. He is presently teaching a course at Ohio State University
and he is on loan for that portion of time which he occupies with
teaching from his regular job at Nationwide, although he is at the
company most of the time.
Michael Paine was told about William Avery Hyde and ANGLETON. Michael
Paine: "I thought he was an insurance salesman. He would never have
any connection to the CIA. This is getting ridiculous. Out of hand."
Michael Paine, who was usually talkative, said: "There's a good movie
on T.V. and I want to watch it now, so goodbye." He later refused
further comment upon receipt of the documents.
ANALYSIS
Ruth Paine grew up in the Democratic Socialist, anti-communist
tradition of Norman Thomas. Democratic socialists were willing to work
with the CIA to defeat the Communists, who they viewed as a
totalitarian perversion of socialism. William Avery Hyde was not the
only socialist-type CI was willing to collaborate with; it also worked
with David Dubinsky of the Garment Worker Union. [Scott - Deep
Politics p374]
CAROL E. HYDE
According to Herbert Philbrick, the mother of Ruth Hyde Paine, a
Unitarian Minister, Mrs. Carol E. Hyde, was a radical: "Ruth Paine's
mother, Mrs. Carol E. Hyde, was active in the Woman's International
League for Peace and Freedom, one of the very first fronts I came to
know through the Cambridge Youth Council." (If this was correct, why
did the CIA consider her husband for employment)? The FBI stated that
Carol E. Hyde was insane, and had been institutionalized for mental
illness. J. Lee Rankin of the Warren Commission was informed that
these reports were Secret. The FBI also discovered that Carol E. Hyde
had allegedly admitted to neighbors that she was a communist.
RUTH PAINE AND COMMUNISM
During the Warren Commission hearings Ruth Paine was asked:
Jenner: Do you now or have you ever had leanings which we might call
Communist Party leanings?
Paine: No, on the contrary.
Jenner: Are you now or have you ever been a member of any groups which
you consciously recognize as being, let us say, a Communist front
group?
Paine: No; I have not and I would be quite certain I had not been
unconsciously a member of any such groups.
Jenner: I take it from your response that you have an aversion to
communism?
Paine: Yes; I do...I am offended by the portion of the communist
doctrine that thinks violence is necessary to achieve its aims. I am
likewise offended by the doctrine that any means to what is considered
a good end is legitimate. I, on the contrary, feel that there is no
justification at any time for deception, and the Communists, as I have
observed their activity, have no reluctance to deceive, and this
offends me seriously...
Paine: As I have already testified, I dislike deception in any form. I
might go on to say that I think the people of Russia on the whole have
very little choice about their leaders at elections.
Jenner: It is the antithesis of democracy?
Paine: Yes it is certainly a dictatorship.
Jenner: And that is abhorrent to you?
Paine: Yes it is.
Jenner: I take it, far from having any sympathy or admiration for
communism or what we call the Russian system or philosophy, you have
an aversion?
Paine: I have an aversion.
Jenner: Have you ever studied Karl Marx?
Paine: No; not in the sense of studied. I think one history course in
college included a few readings from Karl Marx.
Jenner: I think I have asked you this, but I want to make sure it is
in the record. You are a pacifist?
Paine: I consider myself such. I don't like to consider myself as
adhering to any particular doctrine. I believe in appraising a
situation and determining my own action in terms of that particular
situation, and not making a rigid or blanket philosophy dictate my
behavior.
Jenner: But you are opposed to violence?
Paine: I am...I consider violence to be always harmful to the values I
believe in, and just reserve the right to, as I have said, appraise
each situation in the light of that initial belief.
ANALYSIS
As stated Ruth Paine came from a democratic socialist, anti-Communist
tradition and was a genuine anti-Communist. The only reason she let a
"Communist" like OSWALD live with her was because someone in her
immediate family had told her that OSWALD was "alright." Ruth Paine
was a Quaker but not a pacifist. She commented, "Pacifist is a label I
object to. I would tend to look first and much harder for non-violent
solutions than most people. I am not a Desert Storm enthusiast."
SYLVIA HYDE'S CIA SECURITY FILE
The sister of Ruth Paine, Sylvia Ludlow Hyde Hoke (born October 2,
1929), worked at the Labor Department from 1949 to 1953. She started
working at the CIA in 1954. Her cover was Personnel Research
Technician, Placement and Employee Relations Division, Director of
Civilian Personnel, Headquarters, Department of the Air Force,
Washington, D.C. Marina Oswald told this researcher in 1994: "Ruth
Paine never mentioned her sister was in the CIA." The Sylvia Hyde
Security File 348 201 was held by the Office of Security, Security
Analysis Group. On June 15, 1955, this CIA Official Routing Slip from
Bruce Solie was sent to (Deleted) whose initials were "wmw"- "Remarks:
Please have file set up on Sylvia Hyde Hoke nee Hyde MS 8201."
TALBOT BIELEFELDT
On December 21, 1955, this document was generated:
To: Mr. Bruce Solie, 2046 I Bldg.
From: Talbot Bielefeldt, 2401 Y Bldg. (Ext 2150)
Subject: ORR, Paul and Violet and others.
1. William A. Hyde was in Washington this last weekend, visiting his
daughter and son-in-law, Sylvia and John Hoke, 763 Kennedy N.E. The
latter invited (Deleted) and me over to meet him on Saturday night
December 17, 1955, since we were friends at Stanford. (Deleted) Memo
Dated December 21, 1955. Sanitized version appears above. Deleted
Sections contain references to the Hokes, only 3rd party personal
info.
In 1965 Talbot Bielefeldt, Chief USSR Branch, Foreign Documents
Division, CIA, 1200 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia, was
questioned by Naval Intelligence about Hoke. He gave the Navy
favorable references and stated that "the sister of the Subject's wife
was the one who rented an apartment to LEE HARVEY OSWALD and wife in
Texas."
On March 21, 1956, the Department of the Air Force issued Sylvia Hoke
a Final Secret Clearance which remained in effect until May 31, 1957,
six months after the investigation by OSI, at which time Sylvia Hyde
resigned her cover employment with the U.S. Air Force to accompany her
husband overseas to Germany. As of 1965 the above clearance was still
in effect. Sylvia Hyde Hoke was granted a Top Secret Clearance from
the Agency for International Development on April 17, 1956. On
September 20, 1956, and on September 21, 1956, the CIA noted that
Sylvia Hyde Hoke's name appeared in FBI Reports about her father,
William A. Hyde. Another document stated: "For additional Information
regarding Sylvia Ludlow Hyde Hoke Refer to:
1. OSI (U.S.A.F.) Rpt. dated December 14, 1956, (#33-3439) Title:
Sylvia Ludlow Hyde Hoke.
2. FBI Rpts covering period September 17, 1956, to February 6, 1957,
(FD-204; May 7, 1954). Title: Sylvia Ludlow Hyde Hoke.
DOROTHY H. WILSON
In February 1957 Sylvia Hyde Hoke was the Subject of an FBI
investigation, when her mother-in-law called her husband from a
telephone monitored by the FBI. Mrs. Helen Hoke had called her son
from the office of Dorothy H. Wilson: "Dorothy Wilson, according to
the informant, also advised (Deleted) that Helen Hoke has a son, John
Hoke, who works for "AAA" in Washington, D.C. and whose wife works in
'Navy Intelligence.' Wilson continued with the information that John
Hoke's wife was being upgraded from a semi-secret position, to a top
secret position, and the authorities had informed her that she could
not have this top secret position because of Helen Hoke's association
with Wilson. Too, Wilson advised (Deleted) John Hoke's wife was told
that it did not appear that she would get the top secret position if
she could not be cleared, they did not believe she was fit to hold her
present position. Wilson said John Hoke's wife was faced with
dismissal, which could have been frightful, except that she was
expecting a child and was leaving in February anyway." [WCD 508 p1]
The FBI reported that "New York T-2 (SF 613-S* Telsur on CP
Headquarters San Francisco), who has furnished reliable information in
the past, advised in February 1943, Dorothy Wilson was a member of the
North Beach Branch of the Communist Party in California and attended
her first party meeting during that month. In 1943, Dorothy H.
Wilson's name turned up as Communist Party member during a FBI trash
cover. In 1946 Sylvia Hoke gave the name of Gerritt E. Fielstra as the
person to contact in case of emergency when she worked for Time
Magazine. Fielstra was a Communist sympathizer and union organizer.
[FBI 105-1716-16] The United States Civil Service Bureau advised the
FBI by letter dated June 27, 1957, that Sylvia Hoke had resigned prior
to a determination being made in her loyalty case. [FBI 105-82555 NR
199 4.3.64] On August 13, 1958, a Card For Action Report contained a
cross reference between Sylvia Hoke and "CF #29931 (Talbot Bielefeldt)
rep. December 21, 1955, p.1. Sylvia Hoke's CIA Security File contained
"Two sealed envelopes"were withheld as was "Information regarding
father / 3rd Party / 3rd Agency Information Contained memo dated June
11, 1959, (3rd Agencies - OSI, U.S.A.F. + FBI)." [NARA CIA
1993.07.25.08:39:37:560310]
Sylvia Hyde Hoke's clearance with the Agency for International
Development was revalidated on January 17, 1962. On November 11, 1963,
Bruce Solie asked Mrs. M.D. Stevens of the Office of Security to do a
search on Sylvia Hoke and Carl Hyde. There were overt and covert
traces on Sylvia Hyde and covert traces on Carl Hyde. The files on
Sylvia Hoke and Carl Hyde included "*157435 Type Covert *Hyde, William
A. FBI report September 20, 1956, p 2. FBI Report September 24, 1956,
p2, MS-8201 Overt and *157435 Covert Hyde, William A. FBI Report
September 21, 1956 p1. FBI Report September 20, 1956, p1. Ethel
Mendoza SRS."
On September 22, 1963, the CIA reported its files contained "No
Pertinent Identifiable Information on Subject."
In 1965 Sylvia Hyde Hoke worked for the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare in a non-sensitive position.
On May 9, 1967, Mrs. E. Mendoza of OS/SRS wrote: "Files of the Office
of Security contain numerous references to Subject who is daughter of
William a. Hyde, G-157435. (Sister to Sylvia is Ruth Paine, known to
have been a close associate of LEE HARVEY OSWALD and Marina Oswald).
"Hoke's mother-in-law is Helen Hoke Watts, who is a partner in a New
York publishing firm with Dorothy Wilson, aka Dorothy Wilson Seligson,
aka Mrs. Lou Seligson, who has been identified as a member of the
Communist Party. Wilson is known to have been in contact with Isadore
Gibby Needleman concerning financial payments received by her from
Bernard Geis (1962 to 1963)." Gibby Needleman was an attorney who
represented the Amtorg Trading Corporation, the registered Russian
Trade Agency in the United States.
SYLVIA HOKE IS IDENTIFIED AS CIA EMPLOYEE
June 30, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: HOKE, SYLVIA H.
FILE # 348 201
1. Subject, under name of Sylvia Hoke with an address of 523
Monticello Drive, Falls Church, Virginia, was identified as a CIA
employee in the 1961 issue of the Falls Church Virginia Directory:
2. Since it is known that opposition intelligence services have in the
past checked similar publications, it should be presumed that the
indicated employment of Subject by the CIA is known to other
intelligence organizations. The basic memorandum on which paragraph
one is based is available in Volume III of Exposure of CIA Personnel,
OS #601 818. This memorandum contains no additional information
concerning SAC and further review of file # 601 818 can normally be
considered unnecessary. Bruce Solie, Deputy Chief, SRS.
Hill's 1961 Falls Church, Virginia, City Directory contained the
listing:
Hoke John (Sylvia) emp US Govt h523 Monticello Drive, (Fax Co)
Hoke Sylvia, Mrs. emp CIA r h523 Monticello Drive, (Fax Co).
[CIA 646-277; FBI 105-82555 NR 12.17.63 Sullivan/Branigan; WCD 508p1;
10WH167; WCD 75 p78; WCE1983 p7; FBI 60-109060-1784; ONI Report
NCISC-32/dwc 9.13.65; CIA OS SF #348 201 Bruce Solie C/SAG 7.18.78]
Sylvia Hyde Hoke was contacted on November 22, 1993. She was asked if
she had ever worked for the CIA: "No, I'm not going to answer any
questions. I refuse to give interviews." Ruth Paine was asked about
her sister: "I would doubt it seriously. When I asked her if she
worked for the government she said she did statistical work for the
Air Force. It's very unlikely and something I never heard from her.
It's unknown to me." Michael Paine was told about Sylvia Hyde Hoke's
connection to the CIA. Michael Paine: "I don't believe it. It is not
true. I don't remember what her occupation was. I had no idea this was
the case. Ask Ruth, what does she say? If it was true, it had no
bearing on the Kennedy assassination." [Hoke, Sylvia Hyde 5421 Waneta
Road Bethesda MD 20816 telephone 301-229-5998]
JOHN LINDSEY HOKE
THE AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Ruth Paine's brother-in-law, John Lindsey Hoke, (born June 26, 1925,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), worked for the American Automobile
Association from 1951 to 1957. He accepted an appointment with the
International Cooperation Administration (the predecessor of the
Agency for International Development) on February 4, 1956, as a "audio
visual consultant (regional) to be assigned to the U.S. Operations
Mission (USOM), Panama City, Panama." John Lindsey Hoke told the
Deputy Director of Communications of the International Cooperation
Administration, Gale Griswold, that, "while assigned in Latin America
he had been requested, and did, intelligence type work for the
American Embassy." Gale Griswold did not know for whom John Lindsey
Hoke worked, or what his job was.
On June 24, 1957, John Lindsey Hoke was transferred to Paremaribo,
Surinam, where he worked with the International Cooperation
Administration's Office of Program Support, Communications Research
Division. One of his family members could not adapt to the field and
Hoke returned to Washington, D.C. where he worked with the Agency for
International Development in the Office of Program Support,
Communications Research Division. Ruth Paine stated, "You want to know
why he left - his wife couldn't stand Surinam." A notation in Hoke's
Naval Intelligence File was "Mrs. Van Sast, CIA, on September 25,
1962, called and wanted to know Hoke's TS clearance and basis."On June
30, 1963, Hoke terminated his employment with AID, no reason given. In
1962, "DIO-NDW Confidential Informant (P-1) advised that Subject was
approved as eligible for Top Secret Clearance during the years of 1962
to 1963 by a Government Agency who conducts security investigations
[CIA]."On August 21, 1962, the CIA granted an Approval for Liaison
with John Lindsey Hoke:
TO: Chief, Employee Activity Branch PSD/OS
THROUGH: Chief, Security Officer, OC
The following is hereby requested to be effective on a continuing
basis:
CIA Employees: NAME (Deleted) and other such member of the Engineering
Staff designated by him. Ext. 2952 Office OC-E
Non-CIA Employee: John L. Hoke. Organization AID, Communications
Resource Specialist State Annex #1, Washington, D.C. On September 28,
1962, Subject's Security Officer advised that SAC was cleared for
access to classified information up to and including TOP SECRET April
19, 1954, per (Deleted) x 113-3005] Classification of matter to be
discussed: SECRET, Chief Engineering Staff, OC Ext. 2952 (Deleted)
Authorized Signature.
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION
Agency For International Development personnel and security records
reflected that Congressman Porter Hardy, Chairman, Subcommittee on
Government Operations, held hearings on John Lindsey Hoke on August
13, 1962, that produced evidence that Hoke seemed to be serving two
masters, in connection with a solar-powered boat project between AID
and Hoffman Electronics Corporation of California under circumstances
which Congressman Hardy described as "collusion."Hoffman's president
denied company profit on the contract. Hoffman "denied banality and
explained false limousine fares covered purchases." A newspaper
clipping, undated, Washington Daily News, stamped September 25, 1962,
reflects results of a committee hearing, that caption read "Aid
Official Has Wings Clipped." This article charged that Hoke was the
promoter of a project to finance a solar powered boat for use in
Surinam while at the same time he was planning to "make personal
profit from the venture." On November 9, 1962, Assistant United States
Attorney, Fredrick G. Smith declined prosecution in the case on the
grounds that violation of Federal laws by Hoke were merely a technical
nature. Hoke was embittered over the way this Congressional
investigation was handled.
On June 20, 1963, the Hokes received a telephone call from the Paines
to congratulate their son on his 10th birthday. On June 30, 1963, John
Lindsey Hoke left the Agency for International Development. No reason
was given.
On August 22, 1963, the CIA again granted an Approval for Liaison with
John Lindsey Hoke on a continuing basis. This document was identical
to the first Request for Approval of Liaison except that a block stamp
on it was signed by Howard Osborne and the notation "EAB card reflects
on September 28, 1962, Subject's Security Officer advised that SAC was
cleared for access to classified information up to and including Top
Secret." Ruth Paine visited the Hokes in August 1963. In August 1963
Ruth Paine was in Washington D.C. to attend a mass civil rights march.
[WCE 1983 page 7] Ruth Paine described her trip in a letter to Marina:
"Tomorrow we and the children will go to Baltimore, Maryland, where
Michael's brother and wife live. We will spend one day there and then
we will go back further to Washington, where we will stay with sister
until Thursday. Then back to Paoli again, where we will wait for my
father. He will be here with us for two days. I expect to be in Paoli
until September 10, 1963, and then to go to Ohio and Indiana, where
our relatives and friends live, and to arrive in New Orleans on the
20th..." [WCE 78 p253] When Hoke's Request for Liaison Approval was
renewed on August 13, 1964, it was identical to the others except for
a block stamp that read "On August 20, 1964, Subject's Security
Officer advised that Subject was cleared for access to classified
information up to and including Top Secret TERMINATED June 30, 1963.
Return, no action."
ATLANTIC RESEARCH
In July 1965 John Lindsey Hoke was the subject of a security
investigation by U.S. Naval Intelligence because of his connection to
Ruth Paine combined with his employment by Atlantic Research. Atlantic
Research was founded in 1949 and is an Alexandria-based, high-
technology firm, which is engaged in the production of rockets, gas
generators and chemical research techniques, design and development of
command and control systems for space and air defense, data
processing, computer facilities management, computer based research
and analysis and the development of defense software. Atlantic
Research was involved in launching unmanned satellites in 1956. Hoke
was granted a company confidential clearance. [NYT 9.25.56] Everyone
who was interviewed by Naval Intelligence recommended him "for a
position of trust with the U.S. Government."
TELEPHONE INTERVIEW
John Lindsey Hoke was contacted in November 1993. He asked: "What is
the purpose of your book? If this is another one of these books that's
doing an expos=E9 on plots and so forth and so on, I'm simply not
interested in getting mixed-up in it." It was explained to John
Lindsey Hoke that his wife's close connection to the CIA had been
exposed. "She worked for the CIA, no (laughs). Well, let me ask her
and find out. Honey, did you work for CIA? I don't know what you got,
or where you got it. I don't particularly want to get into it. I don't
need a copy. I don't know where all this crap is coming up from. I'm
sure I'm in it too." John Lindsey Hoke was read the document that
stated he was doing intelligence work: "Me? I really don't want to
discuss it anymore. Thanks for calling."
CARL HYDE
On December 12, 1963, the FBI reported: "Ruth Paine's brother, Dr.
Carl D. Hyde, was investigated by the Bureau in 1953 as a
Conscientious Objector (CO), basing his objections on religious
convictions. No subversive information was developed during
investigation and persons interviewed expressed belief he was sincere
in claiming status as CO [new paragraph] (deleted) CIA (deleted). CIA
confidentially advised (deleted). On December 6, 1963, CIA furnished
(deleted)...Separate investigations have been initiated in the view of
the Paine's association with LEE HARVEY OSWALD and the subversive
background of Michael Paine's parents (deleted) 3rd Agency." [FBI
105-126129-NR 12.16.63]
ANALYSIS
Ruth Paine came from a family well-known to the intelligence
community. She was not the run off the mill housewife she pretended to
be. Ruth Paine was asked that if her father, sister and brother-in-law
worked for the CIA, what about her? She said this was "guilt by
association."
RUTH PAINE MEETS OSWALD
Ruth Paine claimed her first meeting with OSWALD happened purely by
chance. Michael Paine said he met Everette Glover at the Unitarian
Church. Everette Glover asked him if I wanted to meet a Marine who had
defected, then redefected, from the Soviet Union. Michael Paine: "I
thought, 'Oh boy, that sounds interesting.' It never struck me too odd
that he should be allowed to come home. To be allowed back would be a
feather in the cap of the United States. So I didn't have trouble.
Without asking him, I assumed that was why he was so readily allowed
back. I expected to find him politically interesting. And I didn't
find him that way. He was very different from the kinds of people who
had come to talk to my father. He didn't like complexities."
Michael Paine did not attend Everette Glover's party, but Ruth Paine
did. In July 1993 Ruth Paine stated: "This whole thing is still very
painful. Kennedy was the first President I ever voted for who won. I
had no association with the Dallas White Russian community. I did not
know DeMohrenschildt. The party was put on by Everette Glover. I sang
English Madrigals with Everette. That was the only time I met
DeMohrenschildt. A colorful fellow, though."
It was pointed out to Ruth Paine that the HSCA linked her father to
George DeMohrenschildt. Ruth Paine: "Well it might be, you know,
things happen."
On February 22, 1963, Ruth Paine met Marina Oswald and LEE HARVEY
OSWALD. Ruth Paine said she discussed censorship in the Soviet Union:
"He referred to a letter sent to him by Robert Oswald that he later
learned, after he had come back to the United States, had been sent.
He had not received it. He judged that they had simply stopped it, and
he commented that they are more apt to just take a letter than to take
out a piece of it and then send it on, and that censorship is more
obvious." Ruth Paine said he told her how he attempted to give up his
United States citizenship when he was in Russia. Ruth Paine was asked:
Jenner: When was your next contact with either LEE OSWALD or Marina
Oswald?
Paine: I wrote a letter, a note to Marina at the address I had been
given, and I got a note back saying, 'We have moved. This is the new
address. Come in perhaps a week.' From that time. She wanted to get
the house cleaned up before I came...I drove to her home. There would
be no way for her to come.
Jenner: You just waited a few days, guessed how long it would take her
to have her home in order, and you visited her. Am I correct in my
summary?
Paine: She suggested Tuesday, as I recall in her letter, but what
Tuesday I don't know. If it was written on the Tuesday March 8, 1963,
that would be Tuesday March 12, 1963. There is no notation on my
calendar.
RUTH PAINE TAKES THE INITIATIVE
Ruth Paine visited Marina Oswald on March 20, 1963. On April 2, 1963,
she invited LEE and Marina to her home for dinner. Michael Paine
picked them up and drove them to Irving, then joined them for supper.
On April 7, 1963, Paine invited Marina to move in with her. On April
10, 1963, Marina and Paine got together and on April 20, 1963, OSWALD
went on a picnic with Ruth and Marina. A visit was arranged for April
24, 1963. When Ruth Paine arrived on April 24, 1963, OSWALD was about
to depart for New Orleans. Paine offered to drive OSWALD to the bus
station. She said his trip came as a complete surprise. Ruth Paine and
OSWALD drove to the bus station, cashed in a ticket OSWALD had
purchased for Marina, (since Ruth Paine had offered to drive Marina to
New Orleans), then they returned to OSWALD'S apartment and moved some
belongings to Irving. They then returned to the bus station and OSWALD
left for New Orleans.
ANALYSIS
Ruth Paine launched an aggressive campaign to insert herself in
OSWALD'S life. She called on Marina, and not visa versa. She acted
hastily in exposing her children to strangers. Someone had instructed
her to do this.
RUTH PAINE'S "NEWSPAPER AD"
On January 9, 1964, the FBI questioned members of the East-West
Contacts Group about Ruth Paine. Wilmer Joseph Stratton told the FBI
"It is his understanding that either Ruth Hyde Paine and Mrs. Marina
Oswald placed an ad in one of the Dallas, Texas, newspapers expressing
a desire to establish contact with some person who could exchange
conversation in Russian language. He said he did not recall Ruth's
statements concerning this fact but is of the opinion that Ruth Paine
took the initiative in placing the newspaper ad. He related it was
through the newspaper ad at Ruth Paine met OSWALD." Another Quaker,
Paul Alvin Lacey, told the FBI: "He recalled Ruth Paine had mentioned
that either she had placed an ad in the Dallas newspaper for contact
with some person who spoke Russian, or that Mrs. Oswald had placed the
ad, seeking some one who would teach her to speak English. He stated,
on reflection on the conversation, he is of the opinion that Mrs.
Paine placed this and in this way, Mrs. Paine established her original
contact with Mrs. Oswald. He related that he did not know when Mrs.
Paine first made contact with Mrs. Oswald but assumed that it would
have been during winter of 1962 or spring of 1963 and prior to that
time Ruth returned East for the summer to visit with relatives. He
stated that Ruth had commented on the fact that Mrs. Oswald was
unhappily married and that her husband was an emotionally upset
person, and she expressed concern as to the possible reception she
would receive in making contact with Mrs. Oswald and was uncertain as
to the reaction of LEE HARVEY OSWALD with regard to returning Mrs.
Oswald to Dallas, Texas." [FBI interview with Stratton, Lacy IP
105-3441 Pettijohn / McDonald-1.15.64] Ruth Paine commented: "You are
way off here. I have no idea of what you are talking about. You know
how I established my relationship with Marina." She was told that the
FBI was merely passing on reports from several reputable Quaker
leaders. Ruth Paine interjected, "You believe everything the FBI says,
huh?" I told her I did not. She continued, "Now we can talk."
ANALYSIS
Ruth Paine was upset because she was caught lying. Why did Ruth Paine
lie about the circumstances of the origin of her relationship with
OSWALD before the assassination? Why didn't she say that she met
OSWALD at a party through a mutual friend? How did she really meet
OSWALD?
MARINA OSWALD MOVES IN WITH RUTH PAINE
Ruth Paine knew the OSWALDS for about two months before she allowed
Marina Oswald and her daughter to move in with her on a full-time
basis and LEE on a part-time basis. Ruth Paine stated, "I visited with
them in Dallas and discovered that LEE was all packed-up ready to go
to New Orleans to look for work. This is late April, or early May
1963. He had tickets for Marina Oswald to get on a bus and follow him
as soon as he found work. They did not have a phone. She was pregnant.
I suggested she stay with me for ten days so OSWALD could call her." A
few months later, she allowed OSWALD to live with her on weekends. The
Warren Commission:
Sen. Cooper: What made you willing to have this man, you have said,
this very curious man, from all you have described about him, to have
him in your house?
Paine: He was Marina's husband and I, like her, as I have described,
was both lonely and interested in learning the Russian language. I
would have been happy had he never come out, indeed happier had he not
come out on the weekends. But they were not separated as a married
couple nor contemplating such separation, and I didn't feel that this
- it was appropriate for him to have to stay away. I did not ask that.
Ruth Paine was already teaching Russian when she met Marina Oswald.
She testified: "I presume to teach Russian, not because I am fluent,
but because I think my pronunciation is particularly good for a non-
native." Ruth Paine commented in 1994: "I had one student."
ANALYSIS
Why had Ruth Paine trusted OSWALD enough to live with her two children
and herself on weekends? If she honestly thought OSWALD was a
Communist, Ruth Paine would not have let him in her home. S.A. Hosty
said Ruth Paine told him OSWALD was "a very illogical person and that
he had told her that weekend that he was a 'Trotskyite Communist.'"
Ruth Paine knew that OSWALD was connected to the CIA through someone
in her family. Her family had strong ties to the intelligence
community and may have been unwittingly used. What was not accounted
for was that a sexual relationship developed between Ruth and Marina.
ALLEGED LESBIANISM
Scott Malone reported that when Dallas Police searched the home of
Ruth Paine after the assassination they found a commercial
pornographic film depicting acts of lesbianism. Ruth Paine: "I
certainly never saw them. I don't know what they thought they found."
The police also found "Operating Manual for Sears Tower Automatic
Projector No. 9885." [FBI 105-126128-Enc.]On page 17 of the
description of items found in the Paine home items J and K are marked
DELETED. [FBI 105-82555-5TH NR 2579] On November 26, 1963, S.A. WARREN
C. DEBRUEYS informed SAC Gordon Shanklin: "Movie reels in possession
of Dallas Pd on November 24, 1963, and November 25, 1963, as result of
seizure by search warrant from the home of Ruth Paine, November 23,
1963...were reviewed and bore no pertinence to instant case." [FBI DL
89-43-616] The National Archives reported: " After an extensive search
we cannot locate this film in the JFK collection." [Ltr. 1.5.96 from
Martha Wagner Murphy NARA to AJW] The movie reels were probably
returned to Ruth Paine. The FBI explored the possibility that Ruth
Paine was a lesbian, however, it found no evidence and excised any
indications of Bureau interest: "Stratton related that he had no
reason to consider that Mrs. Paine was a sex pervert or in this way
involved with either of the OSWALDS. Amended page inserted February
17, 1964." [FBI IP 105-3441 p13]
HEDE MASSING, RUTH PAINE AND THE FIVE LETTERS
Hede Massing was a friend of Isaac Don Levine. A CIA document
indicated that Massing had spoken with Isaac Levine and he had told
her Paine "gave him five letters written by LEE OSWALD and that these
letters are new evidence."[CIA 1283-1022] The FBI reported: "The
existence of these letters allegedly has never been made known to any
U.S. Government authorities." William Branigan stated "Bureau would
like to have Ruth Paine immediately interviewed to determine whether
or not she has been in contact with Isaac Don Levine and if she has
been in contact with him, has she given him any letters or any
documentary material concerning LEE HARVEY OSWALD. (Paragraph
deleted.) Mrs. Paine allegedly has given Levine some documents not
previously explained. Mr. William Branigan suggested we go one step
further, and interview Marina to see if she has given him
anything." [FBI-100-10461-4869 Dallas copies: Gemberling, Heitman,
Odum and Hosty] On March 31, 1964, SAC Gordon Shanklin, Dallas,
advised that Mrs. Paine "denied giving any letters to Isaac Don
Levine. It will be noted, according to SAC Shanklin, that on March 6,
1964, Mrs. Paine was contacted concerning her effects as they might
relate to the OSWALD investigation. At that time she advised she had
six letters, four personal, written to her from Marina at New Orleans
and two short notes written by Marina while Marina and LEE HARVEY were
living at 214 West Neely, Dallas. She also had a note which she
intended to deliver to Marina but never did. All of these were in the
Russian language. She stated that she had reviewed them and that they
contained nothing of any significance regarding the investigation of
LEE HARVEY OSWALD. One letter, written about June 5, 1963, at New
Orleans, by Marina, indicates that LEE OSWALD wanted to send Marina
back to Russia. She said she recalled sometime in the latter part of
March 1963, Marina told her LEE wanted to send her back to Russia. She
said the tone of conversation and the letter indicated to her that LEE
did not intend to return to Russia himself. At that time she declined
to make these letters available because they contained a great deal of
personal talk regarding personal difficulties both in the marriage of
Mr. and Mrs. Paine and in the marriage of LEE HARVEY OSWALD and Marina
Oswald. She stated that she did not desire the contents of these
letters to be made public and if she furnishes them to the Commission,
it will be with the understanding they are not to be made public. On
March 21, 1964, when she was contacted, Mrs. Paine, Mrs. Paine advised
that when she appeared before the President's Commission, she was
required to turn the letters over to the Commission in whose
possession they now remain. In addition, the letters were read into
evidence as part of her testimony." [FBI Branigan to Sullivan
105-82555-29(?)84]
Some correspondence between Ruth Paine and Marina Oswald contained
veiled references to lesbianism. One of them concerned a conversation
with Dr. Froelick Rainey of the University of Pennsylvania's Music
Department.
AN INNOCENT INTEREST IN THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE
Ruth Paine alleged that the reason she associated with Marina Oswald
was because she was merely interested in speaking Russian. She wrote
Marina Oswald: "I confess that I think the opportunity for me to know
you came from God...God asked me that I study a language..."
Michael Paine agreed that it was his wife's interest in the Russian
language that brought her together with Marina Oswald: "Ruth would
have been more effective in the East/West Exchange program had she
spoke Russian. She went to Middlebury College one summer to learn it,
and then, in Dallas, she was paying people from the Russian community
to read Russian literature on to tape for her. That was fairly
expensive and cumbersome. She mentioned, when we were in bed together,
the possibility of inviting Marina to come live with us. And would
there be a danger in that? And how would OSWALD respond to that? How
would I feel about that? Well, I was fully in favor of it. I thought,
he probably won't be hating us because we would be relieving his
economic load. As for the cost to us, it was negligible. We had a free
house, I mean a free room there, and it was baby sitting and company
for Ruth and a free in-house tutor."
Michael Paine was asked if his hospitality to OSWALD was totally
innocent and not effected at the request of an intelligence agency:
"Absolutely, not. It was a free way to get a Russian-speaking person
in the house. A windfall."
HEMMING told this researcher: "I doubt if they found lesbian movies.
Her watching movies? She's a religious freak. If she was involved in
homosexual activities she could have been compromised. They wouldn't
take the chance."
ANALYSIS
Ruth Paine was nine years older than Marina Oswald and had never
conducted a similar living arrangement with a woman before. Evidence
presented in later information nodules indicated that Marina Oswald
was a sexually active individual. She could have engaged in homosexual
activities with Ruth Paine. Ruth Paine looked very "butch" around this
time and had separated from her husband, perhaps for sexual reasons.
She never remarried. Ruth Paine maintained that everything she did was
totally innocent, including her relationship with Marina. Another
possibility was that the films belonged to Michael Paine and he had
left them behind when he moved out of the dwelling.
MICHAEL PAINE: RUTH PAINE'S ESTRANGED HUSBAND
Although her husband lived nearby and visited her frequently, Ruth
Paine was separated from Michael Ralph Paine while she knew OSWALD. On
November 13, 1963, Ruth Paine filed a petition for a divorce from
Michael Paine in Domestic Relations Court. This petition stated they
were married on December 28, 1957, and separated on September 1, 1962:
"This petition alleged that about six months before their separation,
Michael Paine commenced a course of unkind, cruel, harsh and
tyrannical treatment and conduct toward Ruth Paine of such a nature as
to render their future living together insupportable." [DK-105-1716-
Hosty] Wilmer Joseph Stratton, a close friend of Ruth Paine, told the
FBI that Ruth Paine, in the past, "complained of the fact that Michael
Paine was so engrossed in his activities that he spent little time
with his family and when with them, he was so absorbed in his thoughts
and plans that he rarely discussed family matters or showed an
interest in any way with problems concerning Ruth or other members of
the family." Paul Lacy, the best man at Michael and Ruth Paine's
wedding stated: "He had never gotten to know Michael Paine due to his
reserved disposition. He said that he knew of no close friends or
associates of Paine's. He stated Paine is the type of person who while
friendly, is very quiet an uncommunicative and involves himself in his
own affairs and never takes time to seek out friendly relations with
other people or to become interested in other people or their
activities." In 1960 Michael Paine inherited money from his maternal
grandmother, Elsie Cabot Forbes. Under terms of her will, each of her
15 grandchildren were to receive equal shares of a fund when they
reached the age of 21. The appraised value of Michael Paine's share of
this fund as of January 1, 1963, was $269,000.00
MICHAEL PAINE'S FAMILY HISTORY
MICHAEL PAINE'S MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER
Michael Ralph Paine was born into the Paine and Forbes families on
June 25, 1928. He attended Harvard University and was dropped because
of low grades. He was noted as being shy and lazy. His only activities
were Glee Club, Bach Coral Group and Outing Club. He then worked at
the prestigious Bartol Scientific Research Foundation at Swathmore
University. He served in the U.S. Army from July 15, 1952, to April
28, 1954, and received an Honorable Discharge. His military service
record contained the statement dated July 15, 1952: "The following
inductee, Paine, was inducted today but refused to take the oath of
allegiance." [FBI 105-82555 NR 12.17.63] Like Ruth Hyde, Michael
Paine's family also traced back to the CIA. Michael Paine's maternal
grandmother, Elise Cabot Forbes, was the brother of Thomas Dudley
Cabot, the President of United Fruit in 1948. Michael Paine commented:
"He was active in the United Fruit Company. I only know we were
related to the Cabots through Elise, my grandmother. I wouldn't
recognize a Cabot, I've never seen one." The brother of Thomas Dudley
Cabot, John Moors Cabot, was the Assistant Secretary of State for
Inter-American Affairs during OPERATION PB SUCCESS. John Moors Cabot
visited Guatemala and reported: "Jacobo Arbenz had the pale, cold-
lipped look of the ideologue and showed no interest in my suggestions
for a change in his government's direction. He had obviously sold out
to the communists, and that was that." John Moors Cabot held a large
block of shares in United Fruit. [Mooney, Brown, Truman to Carter, p77
as cited in Washington Silhouettes] During the Truman Administration,
John Moors Cabot was the Director of the International Security
Affairs Office for the Department of State. In 1961 he offered the use
of one of his companies, Gibraltar Steamship, to the CIA during the
Bay of Pigs. Ruth Paine commented that these personages were "out of
where I come from."
MICHAEL PAINE'S MOTHER: RUTH FORBES
The mother of Michael Paine was Ruth Forbes. Ruth Forbes was a great-
granddaughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ruth Forbes grandfather, who
died in 1937, had been a founder and former president of American
Telephone and Telegraph.
MICHAEL PAINE'S MATERNAL UNCLES: THE FORBES
Michael Paine commented, "Uncle Cam [Cameron], W.C. Forbes, yes, there
were five brothers there, actually one of them died earlier, but five
that I knew. Forbes was Governor of the Philippines and Ambassador to
Japan."
David Cabot Forbes was another of Michael Paine's maternal uncles.
David Cabot Forbes was a distinguished Bostonian financier who owned
Naushon Island, located a half-mile from Cape Cod. David C. Forbes
told the United States Secret Service that "during the summer months
Paine and his wife Ruth usually came to Naushon Island, at Woods Hole,
Massachusetts, and remained there a few weeks each summer, but for the
past two years Paine has not appeared and his wife and two children
came along alone while he remained in Texas. He stated that he
realized there was a family strain, but did not pry into the whys and
the wherefores; that during the first two weeks in August 1963, Ruth
Hyde Paine came to Naushon Island and remained there with the children
for the two week period, residing with Mrs. Arthur Young, who has a
home on the island. The island is owned by the Forbes estate and has
been owned by this family for over 100 years. At present there are
approximately 20 houses and 500 sheep on the island. All inhabitants
are members of the Forbes family and very seldom, if ever, are any
homes rented or leased to outsiders." Ruth Paine disagreed: "David
didn't own that island. No individual does," however Michael Paine
stated: "The island has been owned by the descendants of J. M. Forbes
who bought it in 1834. I'm the fifth generation." One such outsider to
rent from the Forbes family was J. Richardson Dilworth. The Secret
Service reported that Dilworth "is employed by the Rockefeller
Brothers, New York, New York. He resides at 141 Hodge Road, Princeton,
New Jersey." [CD 687 p1252] In 1964 an employee of J. Richardson
Dilworth, William T. Coleman, was an Assistant Counsel to the Warren
Commission.
MICHAEL PAINE'S PATERNAL GRANDFATHER
The paternal grandfather of Michael Paine, George Lyman Paine, Senior
(born July 29, 1874; died September 1967), was a descendant of a
signatory to the Declaration of Independence. He graduated from
Harvard University in 1896. An Episcopal Priest, he described himself
as a pacifist. He was in the War Resistors League, and was involved in
a lawsuit around the time of World War I, after a Naval officer
stormed into his office and hit him for flirting with his wife. The
Reverend George Lyman Paine defended himself on the witness stand by
saying he had driven her out to the meadows around Boston and "tickled
her under the chin" with a piece of "Timothy grass." From then on he
was known as "The Reverend Timothy Grass Paine."
Herbert Philbrick wrote: "The Communist use of the Paine family is a
tragic reminder that the seeds of Marxism bear evil fruit. During my
years as a counterspy, I frequently came across George Lyman Paine Sr.
as a sponsor and supporter of numerous communist-front activities.
Paine fathered George Lyman Paine, Jr...a follower of Leon
Trotsky."Michael Paine commented, "It sounds exaggerated about my
grandfather, he was a subscriber to Readers Digest. Compared to his
son, I never thought of him as a radical."
MICHAEL PAINE'S FATHER
The father of Michael Paine, George Lyman Paine Jr., was born in New
York City on November 16, 1901. He married Ruth Forbes on March 20,
1926, at Milton, Massachusetts. They were divorced in 1934 and George
Lyman Paine Jr. married, Frances Drake, a follower of Leon Trotsky,
the Russian Communist leader who believed in waging war against
Capitalism rather than encouraging internal revolution. Leon Trotsky,
exiled to Mexico, was assassinated by Soviet agents in 1940. Lyman
Paine was a Trotskyist and wrote: "I came into contact with Marxism.
The writings of Marx, Lenin, Engels and Trotsky opened new doors upon
an old world...I became a follower of Leon Trotsky and a partisan of
the world working class." [25th Ann. Rep. Harvard Class of 1922] Ruth
Paine commented: "He was involved in left-wing politics before their
marriage. That was part of the problem with the marriage." Michael
Paine agreed: "He was very political before that, that was one of the
difficulties they had." Michael Paine's parents separated when he was
four years old. Ruth Paine: "It was not because of Trotskyism that he
did not see his father. People didn't divorce as much then, as they do
now, and there was much less skill and knowledge on how to deal with
being co-parents. My understanding from Ruth Forbes was that she and
Lyman thought it would be best to make a clean break and not see each
other. Michael didn't really get acquainted with his father until he
was grown." Michael Paine: "I saw my father very occasionally. He was
an idealist. I won't say that he didn't love us. He considered his
political actions far more important then tending to his own little
personal thing of raising his family. I do remember going to Communist
meetings with him in New York City. That absorbed his time, he didn't
have much interest his children. I did not feel any resentment against
the left. I admired his idealism in High School and I mentally or
emotionally followed a tact that was quite similar to my father, but
it led me in quite a different direction. In high school I had a long
daydream of a better society. The nature of it did not fit with
Socialists or Communists. During the war, my father may have gone
under a pseudonym and his wife Freddie was very active in union
organizing. The Trotskyites biggest quarrel was not with the Democrats
or Republicans, but with the Stalinists. My father called the Soviets
'state capitalists.' No friendly blood there."
ALLEN DULLES AND THE PAINE FAMILY
Mary Bancroft, who claimed she had an intimate association with Allen
Dulles, knew Lyman Paine: "Two of our Boston friends, Ruth and Lyman
Paine, had moved to New York and gave wonderful parties in their West
Side apartment. We met a lot of their friends, mostly in the arts.
Ruth was a painter. Lyman, an architect, was interested in what he
termed 'The ultimate reality,' which I interpreted as my old friend,
Truth. Lyman and I had endless discussions about this ultimate reality
while sipping highballs of bathtub gin and ginger ale..." [Bancroft,
Autobiography of a Spy p54] Abigail Schaffner, who knew Michael Paine
until he was seven years old gave Allen Dulles information on Michael
Paine which ANGLETON gave to the FBI:
TO: E. J.Brennan, Jr. DATE: December 9, 1963
FROM: S.J. Papich
SUBJECT: OSWALD
Enclosed herewith is a copy of a memorandum dated December (?) 1963,
which Allen Dulles, former Director of the CIA received from a friend,
not identified. The document, which was furnished to the liaison Agent
on December (?) 1963, by JAMES ANGLETON, CIA, sets forth information
concerning the family of Michael Paine. [FBI 105-126129-61 NR 199
12.17.63]
EDWARD AND ABIGAIL SCHAFFNER
On March 13, 1964, Edward and Abigail Schaffner were interviewed by
the FBI in Miami, Florida. They said they were 'employed from 1930 to
about 1942, and then again immediately after World War II until about
1948, at the Forbes Estate, Naushon Island, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
During these periods, Edward Schaffner was employed in a caretaker
capacity, and also assisted in the operation of a ferry boat owned by
this estate which traveled from the island to Woods Hole. Abigail
Schaffner was employed part-time in a domestic capacity. Her father,
William Allen, was superintendent of the caretakers at this estate.
During the above periods the Schaffners knew Michael Paine as a small
child, and later as a teenager, when he visited the estate during the
summer school vacations." [FBI 105-1717-181]
The letter to Dulles: "It has been reported in the press that a Mrs.
Michael Paine had given shelter to Mrs. Oswald and her children -- and
that Michael Paine, who is separated from his wife, liked to talk
politics and philosophy with OSWALD. All I know -- second hand --
about Mrs. Paine is that she is a Quaker and had 'studied Russian.'
However I know about Michael Paine's background and knew him until he
was seven years old. He is now approximately 35. His mother is Mrs.
Arthur Young of 1810 Delancy Place, Philadelphia. Mrs. Young was born
Ruth Forbes. Her mother was a Cabot and her father was Ralph Waldo
Forbes, a direct descendant of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ruth Forbes was
also a cousin or niece of Cameron Forbes, one time Governor of the
Philippines and U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Ruth Forbes had been married
three times, Arthur Young being her first husband. He is an inventor
(having 'invented' the helicopter.') I put this in parenthesis
because, I believe, he invented improvements to the helicopter rather
than he machine itself -- but am not sure. In any case, he is wealthy
-- as is his wife -- and in recent years he had devoted himself
entirely to researches in what is know under the general heading of
ESP (Extra-Sensory Perception). (He believes that there is another
'force' in the universe -- like electricity or similar -- that has not
yet been tapped). His researches have been extremely complicated an
esoteric and he has worked with the Institute for Advanced Studies at
Princeton -- consulted with them -- and also with Bell Laboratories.
Ruth Young's first husband -- and Michael Paine's father -- was Lyman
Paine who father, Reverend George Lyman Paine -- descendant of a
signer of the Declaration of Independence -- was a famous Boston
crackpot. He was involved in a lawsuit around the time of World War I,
after a Naval officer stormed into his office and slapped or hit him
for flirting with the Naval officer's wife. The Reverend Paine on the
witness stand defended himself by saying that his relations with the
Naval officer's wife had been entirely harmless. He had simply driven
her out to the meadows around Boston and 'tickled her under the chin
with a piece of 'Timothy Grass.' From then on the Reverend Paine was
known as 'Timothy Grass' Paine. I understand he is still alive and in
his late 80's -- if not older. He is, of course, Michael Paine's
grandfather.
"Lyman Paine, Michael's father -- and Ruth Young's first husband --
was an architect -- but around 1930 -- 34 after divorcing Ruth, he
became a 'Trotskyite' and married a girl active in Trotskyite circles.
However, typical of the sort of New England crackpot tradition, they
were not real Trotskyites, but belonged to some infinitesimal splinter
group that as far as I know did nothing but sit around and talk, talk
about how the other Trotskyists were 'betraying the Revolution' as
conceived by Trotsky. I have not heard for many years anything about
Lyman Paine. I believe he and his wife lived -- in the 30's -- in
California...Mrs. Young is very much upset about recent happenings and
my friend who is her cousin -- although I also know Mrs. Young very
well -- 'imagines' that the fact that Lyman Paine was such a talky,
talky 'Trotskyite' will lend to Michael's association with OSWALD an
implication that in reality it may not have. In other words, Michael's
talk may well have been -- although not necessarily was -- simply an
offshoot of what he knew to be his father's interests. My own
evaluation of Lyman Paine, whom I also knew well in the 1920's, is
that he could not do anything, that he was thoroughly incompetent.
However, he sure could talk. And I think that it should be pointed out
that granted the social position and standing of someone like Michael
Paine -- plus someone of his obvious advantages -- for advantages he
did have -- and education -- that for a character like OSWALD to tune
in on what all this must have meant to him could actually be a
'trigger." I have also heard, but not from his mother, that Michael
had homosexual tendencies -- although he did marry and have
children."
SPLINTER GROUP POLITICS
George Lyman Paine moved to the West Coast where he became part of the
Forest-Johnson Faction, a Trot splinter group. The Johnson-Forest
faction was a group of former Socialist Worker's Party members who
broke away from the Socialist Worker's Party in 1951 over the question
of whether Yugoslavia should be considered a 'worker' state. George
Lyman Paine Jr. and his wife were described as the brains behind the
Forest-Johnson Group in the Los Angeles area. The Forest-Johnson then
broke into the Forest Faction and Johnson Faction. In 1964 the Johnson
faction had six members.
ANALYSIS
Lyman Paine was a factionalist - he was more interested in debating
the fine points of Socialism then in defeating the capitalists. He was
an armchair revolutionary. OSWALD wrote that he hated the "factional
mutants...odd ball Hegelian idealists out of touch with reality."
MICHAEL PAINE
Abigail Schaffner wrote, "Michael Paine from the minute he was born
was a strange child. He yelled all the time, was afraid of everything,
very destructive and generally weird. His mother, a very placid
person, was in despair coping with him, as he would become excited at
just about anything." The FBI reported a file from the Military
Personnel Records Center in Saint Louis, Missouri, concerning Michael
Paine, "contains the following statement: (deleted)." Ruth explained:
"When he was sworn into the Army during the Korean war he indicated
that he refused to follow orders he felt were immoral." The CIA
checked its "security and foreign indices" and reported "no reference
identifiable with Subject." [FBI 105-126129-44]
BELL HELICOPTER
The stepfather of Michael Paine was Arthur Young, an inventor who
helped perfect the helicopter. Arthur Young helped found Bell
Helicopter. Michael Paine was a research engineer at Bell Helicopter
with a high security clearance. [WCD 208, 213]
WALTER R. DORNBERGER
Walter R. Dornberger, a senior vice president of Bell Helicopter, was
a former Nazi general who supervised the construction of the first
guided missile, developed by Werner von Braun. He was an ardent
supporter of Adolf Hitler and used slave labor to build his missiles.
After the perfection of the V-2 rocket in 1942, Dornberger directed
the bombardment of London with V-2's late in the war. From 1945 to
1947 he was held as a prisoner-of-war in Great Britain. He was brought
to the United States in 1950. FBI files indicated "that this
individual is a German scientist brought to the United States under
the custody and control of the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency."
In 1957 it was alleged that Dornberger was still a Nazi:
Airtel TO: Director, FBI
FROM: SAC, Los Angeles (105-5122) December 3, 1957
RE: Werner Von Braun and Walter Dornberger.
Regarding Los Angeles letter to the Bureau, October 11, 1951,
captioned (Deleted) INFORMATION CONCERNING; Albany letter to the
Bureau November 9, 1951, titled "Guy Boisino del Vall, Misc;" two
Washington Field airtels to the Bureau and Los Angeles, July 30, 1954;
Washington Field airtel to the Bureau and Los Angeles, August 1, 1954;
Los Angeles airtel to the Bureau August 6, 1954, setting out
background information concerning (Deleted) and Los Angeles airtels to
the Bureau, August 13, 1954, and August 23, 1954, all captioned
"(Deleted) Misc. Info Concerning,"
Referenced communications deal largely with de Valle efforts to
interest the Department of the Navy and Air Force in (Deleted) and his
efforts to have the FBI assist him in this regard.
Enclosed herewith is a blank memorandum with five copies to the Bureau
concerning the captioned individuals.
On December 2, 1957, (Deleted) advised ASAC Ralph W. Machman (Deleted)
had been in (Deleted) office on December 2, 1957, and claimed to have
information that Von Braun is still a Nazi.
On December 3, 1957, (Deleted) interviewed by SA's (Deleted) and
(Deleted) and furnished information which is set up in enclosed blank
memorandum.
(Deleted) advised that his primary purpose in contacting (Deleted) was
to attempt to have either (Deleted) of the FBI arrange and
introduction of (Deleted). He said if (Deleted) believed that this
(Deleted) that it would tend to prove the activities of Von Braun and
Dornberger have not been in the best interests of the United States.
(Deleted) was advised that the Bureau could not arrange such an
introduction. (Deleted) One copy of each blank memorandum is being
furnished for San Francisco (Deleted) California, Birmingham (Werner
Von Braun, Huntsville, Alabama) and Albany (Walter Dornberger, Ithaca,
New York).
Another FBI document stated: "FBI files and other agency files of the
FBI do not contain any derogatory information concerning Dornberger.
Files of the Cincinnati Office revealed that (Deleted) the subject of
Bufile entitled (Deleted). A review of this file reflected that
(Deleted) was very pro-Nazi and might be a security threat to the
United States. Investigation revealed that (Deleted) may have made
statements which were considered pro-German, but many of these
statements (Deleted) later denied, others, he insisted, were
misinterpreted. A large number of neighbors, friends and acquaintances
testified to (Deleted)'s loyalty to the United States. There was no
evidence of organizational activity. The facts of this case were
presented to the United States Attorney on November 13, 1943, who
informed that in view of existing court decisions and policies of the
Department, this was not a strong enough case to institute
denaturalization proceedings against (Deleted). Confidential Informant
T-1, another Government agency which conducts security type
investigations, advised that their files contained no record of
derogatory information regarding Dornberger and no record of any
security violations.
In 1958 Dornberger was considered for a non-sensitive position with
the United States Government. The FBI reported: "No investigation of
this individual is being conducted by the FBI in the absence of a
specific request. This is not to be considered as a clearance or
disapproval of this individual by the FBI for Federal employment."
Dornberger died in July 1980. [FBI 140-0-497321; Newsweek 7.14.80]
Bell Helicopter supplied many CIA-sponsored dictators, such as the
Shah of Iran, with materiel. The Textron Corporation, which eventually
purchased Bell Helicopter, was investigated for having paid millions
of dollars in kickbacks to an Iranian sales agency. Bell Helicopter
was a member of the Aircraft Manufacturers Association, like Lockheed,
Martin-Marietta and the General Dynamics Corporation. This Association
was represented by Albert Jenner when it was a defendant in a Federal
antitrust lawsuit. [72-Civ-1307-USDC-NY] Albert Jenner went over Ruth
Paine's account of OSWALD with her on the morning that she testified.
[WC Paine Testimony p455] He personally knew the Paine family and
generated this memo: "After reading the attached article, it occurred
to me that may be Michael Paine's father, Lyman Paine, whom I knew
well thirty years ago but have not seen since, possibly did play a
role somehow. As I told you before, Lyman Paine was -- and I believe
still is -- a Trotskyite, but based on my knowledge of his ineffective
personality and to the fact that I have been told that he belonged to
a small splinter group of the Trotskyites. -- I imagine that all he
ever did was talk. However, granted that Trotsky lived in Mexico --
maybe Michael knew of connections and maybe names of various
individuals was all OSWALD needed. I don't know if Trotskyites are pro-
Castro - but I suppose they could be anything. I have reflected on
whether it would make any sense to talk to Lyman Paine -- for I
imagine I could locate him -- but I am inclined to think he wouldn't
talk -- that he would resent any authority -- for that was always his
trouble. However, I think if anyone wanted to talk to him -- it would
be wisest -- and most productive -- to talk first to Michael Paine's
mother, Mrs. Arthur Young, whom I am sure would be cooperative -- and
who could probably tell as much about Lyman Paine as he would tell
himself." [UnID Warren Commission document by Jenner to file]
Ruth Paine claimed her husband only worked for Bell Helicopter for six
or seven years: "He got the job because of his stepfather. Michael is
not somebody who likes the military-industrial complex." Michael Paine
was questioned about his association with Bell Helicopter: "The
company was not like that. Personally, I went out there quite
independent of that. My stepfather invented the Bell Helicopter. Larry
Bell from Bell Aircraft in Buffalo saw it and bought the idea. They
got a license around the same time Sikorsky did in 1941. Then I came
along - my mother married Arthur in 1946. Arthur engaged me to make
models and another friend of his, a Vice President of Bell Helicopter
and I were invited to go to Dallas. I stayed for ten years. Union
regulations made it very difficult for an engineer to handle a tool. I
worked on the 'convertaplane' that eventually became the Osprey. Bell
Helicopter was largely a commercial company and it wasn't until the
Vietnam war - maybe they used helicopters in Korea - but it was during
the Vietnam War that Bell Helicopter made 40% of the aircraft that
were used. So it was a vital part of the Vietnam War. I was president
of the Committee for Peaceful Solutions in Vietnam. Bell allowed me to
show a movie by a CBS correspondent which looked favorably on Ho Chi
Minh. Another high officer there named Bob Licten, the promotor of the
XB-3, was President of the Dallas American Civil Liberties Union. He
died in an automobile accident. Bell was more liberal than many other
companies that made the major part of it's income from military
sales."
THE JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY
After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, S.A. Hosty
questioned Mrs. Werner R. Grimes about Michael Paine. She informed
S.A. Hosty that "on two or three occasions in the Fall of 1963,
Michael Paine requested that he be permitted to attend a meeting of
the John Birch Society of which Mrs. Grimes stated she was an active
member. Mrs. Werner R. Grimes stated she invited Michael Paine to
attend one John Birch Society meeting at her residence and later, when
this meeting was canceled, she was unable to get in touch with Michael
Paine to advise him of this cancellation. Michael Paine appeared at
her residence for this meeting, which was not held. Mrs. Grimes stated
she then tried on another occasion to get in touch with Michael Paine
and advise him of another meeting but she was unable to get in touch
with Michael Paine." [FBI DL 105-1776 3.15.64 Hosty] Mr. Werner R.
Grimes was interviewed by telephone in April 1993: "No, I was not
Michael Paine's friend, I barely knew him. This was a number of years
ago, and I was interviewed by the FBI at the time because I mentioned
to a friend of mine in the Unitarian Church choir that I had met
somebody who knew [OSWALD]. My job at Bell Helicopter was field
engineer in high-pressure hydraulics. I met Paine in that lab. I don't
know if this was the initial meeting, or if I first met him at the
church choir." Werner Grimes was a Unitarian because he and his wife
came from differing Protestant backgrounds. Mrs. Grimes died about
1983. According to Werner R. Grimes: "Mrs. Grimes was not an active
member of the John Birch Society, although she attended several
meetings. I was at that John Birch Society meeting held in my house, I
also was at one other meeting. Otherwise, I had nothing to do with
it." Ruth Paine was asked if her husband joined the Birchers for
counter-intelligence purposes? She laughed and said, "You live in an
entirely different world than me. He was curious about their beliefs
and wanted to see what a meeting would be like. He figured he'd go and
make his own judgments. To him, it was a way of gathering information.
Michael's a freethinker. He doesn't always do what is politically
correct." Michael Paine explained, "I was a member of the Unitarian
Church and was quite proud of the fact there was a member of the John
Birch Society in our church, that it could span that much political
spectrum. I didn't realize he had any connection to Bell Helicopter. I
was distressed because there was no conversation between the liberals
and the right-wing. We both said we cherished freedom of speech, but
in practice, my actions and the right-wing were very far apart. So I
was going to various right-wing seminars and groups trying to discover
for myself why they didn't like the liberal point of view. So I was
trying to find a bridge, language, ideas, that would get back to the
root where we agreed and disagreed. I recall talking with LEE. He was
likewise going around to - by the way I did go to a private home of a
right-wing group - I don't recall the name. The only thing I can
remember about it, nobody ever asked me what my point of view was. I
wouldn't have lied about it, I can't lie. But I was glad I didn't have
to tell them. I didn't view myself as spying on them. I was trying to
understand what was the real bug under the skin that made these people
feel that way. I wanted to be able to write something about how we
both cared about freedom of speech, yet they didn't want to give
Communists freedom of speech. And I remember taking LEE OSWALD to an
American Civil Liberties Union meeting. I asked him, in my car, if he
would like to join the American Civil Liberties Union. He said, 'No,'
he did not want to give freedom of speech to the right-wing, Nazis. We
had mentioned specifically Walker at this supper where I had mentioned
that I was going around sort of observing right-wing groups, and he
was doing it also. I didn't want to pursue it further, because I
wanted to have a pleasant evening with him. I didn't find out
explicitly, but I assumed he was doing it because he was of the view
that America was controlled by a capitalist cabal, who manipulated the
country to its interests. He thought the church, for instance, was
just 'an opiate of the people.' He thought it was manipulated and
controlled and put in place by capitalists who were trying to keep the
people happy. And he wouldn't tell me much about them. I think David
Rockefeller was the only name he ever gave. I surmised that when he
was listening in on some of these right-wing groups, that he thought
he was listening to the people who were behind the actions of this
country. I saw them as a fringe groups."
An airtel from the FBI Legal Attache in London dated February 5, 1964,
regarding Michael Paine was almost totally deleted. [FBI
105-126129-44]
JOHN FORBES KERRY, MICHAEL PAINE, LEE HARVEY OSWALD AND JOHN F.
KENNEDY
John Forbes Kerry's mother was Rosemary Forbes, a member of the
Brahmin Bostonian Forbes' who made its name and wealth developing
trade routes to bring tea from China. Cameron Forbes was the key
player in this undertaking. The Boston Globe reported, "Today, the
Forbes's own most of the Elizabeth Islands off Cape Cod where John
Forbes Kerry still goes to sail and ride horses."
When Lee Harvey Oswald, the fall guy in the Kennedy assassination,
lived in Texas prior to the November 22, 1963 coup d'etat he stayed at
the home of Michael and Ruth Paine, in Irving, before moving into a
rooming house in Dallas. Subsequently he stayed with the Paine's on
weekends. Michael Paine's mother was Ruth Forbes. Ruth Forbes
grandfather was Cameron Forbes. Michael Paine commented, "Uncle Cam
[Cameron], W.C. Forbes, yes, there were five brothers there, actually
one of them died earlier, but five that I knew. Cam Forbes was
Governor of the Philippines and Ambassador to Japan."
David Cabot Forbes was another of Michael Paine's maternal uncles.
David Cabot Forbes was a distinguished Bostonian financier who owned
many of the Elizabeth Islands including, Naushon Island, located a
half-mile from Cape Cod.
On August 26, 1962 John Kerry went boating with JFK. Did the young
John Kerry run into Ruth Paine the same summer he met President
Kennedy? According to documents released under the JFK Documents Act
Ruth Paine's sister and father were connected with the CIA. Was Ruth
Paine informed that Oswald had some tangential connection with the
intelligence community and was this why she put him up? Did the fact
that Oswald had a connection with people on this social level play a
part in the subsequent cover up of the assassination? This is will
always remain one of the most closely guarded secrets of the American
Government. The truth will never be known.
END OF NODULE.
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