The Stooge Grebanier

This chapter turns to the inquiry’s first main “friendly” or cooperative witness, Brooklyn College (BC) English professor, Bernard Grebanier. Windels began by investigating BC because of its reputation for left-wing activism and the involvement of teachers and students in Popular Front causes. Grebanier, like many of his colleagues, joined the Communist Party because of its strong stance against European fascism, anti-Semitism, and right-wing movements in the United States. Although Grebanier was an unreliable witness, Windels led him to promote the myth that Brooklyn faculty indoctrinated their students.