United States. Congress. House. Special Committee on Un-American Activities (1938-1944)

The Special Committee on Un-American Activities, also known as the Dies Committee, was created on May 26, 1938, with the approval of House Resolution 282, which authorized the Speaker of the House to appoint a special committee of seven members to investigate un-American activities in the United States, domestic diffusion of propaganda, and all other questions relating thereto.<p> <p>

The special committee was continued under the following resolutions:<p>

H. Res. 26 on Feb. 3, 1939; H. Res. 321 on Jan. 23, 1940; H. Res. 90 on Feb. 11, 1941; H. Res. 420 on Mar. 11, 1942; and, H. Res. 65 on Feb. 10, 1943. Under an amendment to House Rules contained in H. Res. 5 of Jan. 3, 1945, the standing Committee on Un-American Activities was created to replace the special committee.<p>

Democrat Martin Dies of Texas served as the chairman of the special committee throughout its existence. The committee had no direct predecessor. However, two earlier special committees of the House had similar jurisdiction: the Special Committee to Investigate Communist Activities, created in 1930 with Hamilton Fish as chairman; and, the Special Committee on Un-American Activities, created in 1934 under the chairmanship of John McCormack and Samuel Dickstein.<p>

The special committee was terminated on December 19, 1944. The standing Committee on Un-American Activities, created in 1945, was the successor to the Dies Committee.<p>