One of the more interesting moments in the book is when Jacobs receives a pair of questionnaires from the Loyalty Security Board, the State Department’s agency for rooting out Communist Party activity among government workers (Jacobs worked for the state department at the time). In the first one sent in 1949, Jacobs responded to all the questions, including those about her application for a visa to visit the Soviet Union, her subscription to the Daily Worker, and even addressed accusations that she was a troublemaker. Obviously her responses disturbed someone on the Loyalty Security Board, so they sent a second questionnaire in 1952. In responding, somewhat indignantly, Jacobs had the balls to write:
I was brought up to believe there is no virtue in conforming meekly to the dominant opinion of the moment. I was brought up to believe that simple conformity results in stagnation for a society, and that American progress has been largely owing to the opportunity for experimentation, the leeway given initiative, and to a gusto and a freedom for chewing over odd ideas.”
It took guts to write that in 1952 in the middle of the Red Scare and Joseph McCarthy, to the “Loyalty Security Board” no less.
