Singer Convicted For Contempt of Velde Committee

Marcus Singer, former instructor in Zoology, was convicted Friday of contempt of Congress for refusing to state whether he had attended wartime meetings of a Communist study group at Harvard. He will probably appeal the Washington, D.C., Federal Court decision.

At Singer's indictment in November, 1954, Cornell, where he is professor of Zoology, relieved him of teaching duties, although he has continued to receive a salary. If Singer's appeal is denied, it is likely that Cornell will initiate formal proceedings to consider his dismissal.

Testifies for Committee

The indictment resulted from Singer's appearance before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, under Representative Harold Velde (R-Ill.) in May, 1953.

The original indictment contained 22 counts, but Singer was convicted on only one, which charged that he was in contempt for not declaring whether or not he had attended meetings of the group between 1940 and 1945, which included Wendell H. Furry, associate professor of Physics, and other faculty members.

The trial was held without jury in January with U.S. District Judge Burnite S. Matthews presiding. If the conviction is upheld on appeal, Singer faces up to a year in jail and $1,000 fine on each count.