1932. While Taft and Gabrielson believed that they could recreate the 1946 results

without taking an inflammatory tone and engaging in purely political mudslinging,

Summerfield and Coleman thought no opportunity should be wasted and no charge

sparred.

 The most convincing evidence of this is the pair's embrace of Senator Joseph

McCarthy and his anti-communist crusade. Coleman had worked with McCarthy as a

member of the Wisconsin GOP, and he emerged as one of the Senator's most

prominent backers in the party. Shortly after "Tail gunner Joe" made his startling

revelations of Communist infiltration in the State Department, Coleman began

advising Summerfield of McCarthy's efforts and searching for a means to exploit the

charges for partisan gain. On March 27, 1950, Coleman informed Summerfield that

McCarthy had uncovered information on embattled China expert Owen Lattimore and

that the Senator "seemed very much elated and said that 'I have found a pumpkin,'"

alluding to the classified documents Whittaker Chambers had given Richard Nixon

regarding former diplomat Alger Hiss.95 Summerfield and Coleman then used their

political and industrial connections to raise money for McCarthy's endeavors.

McCarthy later wrote to Summerfield expressing his appreciation, saying "Your

assistance certainly has been welcome... While the odds at first seemed

insurmountable, it begins to look now as though we may ultimately be able to

accomplish at least some degree of house cleaning."96

 For a time, Summerfield and Coleman gave more than financial assistance and

used the RSC to further McCarthy's agenda. In March, McCarthy asked Coleman to


95 Thomas E. Coleman, Letter to Arthur Summerfield, 27 March 1950. Copy in Folder (Thomas
Coleman (1)), Box 2, Summerfield Papers

96 Joseph McCarthy, Letter to Arthur Summerfield, 23 May 1950. Copy in Folder (Joseph McCarthy -
Investigation State Department (2)), Box 5, Summerfield Papers.