Laurence Duggan, known as Larry Duggan, was a 20th-century American economist who headed the South American desk at the United States Department of State during World War II, best known for falling to his death from the window of his office in New York, ten days after questioning by the FBI about whether he had had contacts with Soviet intelligence.
18 Facts About Laurence Duggan
1.
2.
Laurence Hayden Duggan was born on May 28,1905, in New York City.
3.
Laurence Duggan's father, Stephen P Duggan, was a professor of Political Science at the City College of New York before founding the Institute of International Education.
4.
Laurence Duggan's mother Sarah Alice Elsesser was a director of the "Negro Welfare League" of White Plains, New York.
5.
In 1927, Laurence Duggan began his career by working for Harper Brothers publishers.
6.
Laurence Duggan accepted, learned Spanish and Portuguese, and toured the region to become better acquainted with it.
7.
In 1930, Laurence Duggan moved to Washington, DC to join the US Department of State.
8.
Laurence Duggan assisted Secretary of State Cordell Hull at major conferences in Lima, Peru and Havana, Cuba.
9.
Laurence Duggan expanded students to include trainees, entrepreneurs, labor leaders, professionals, artists, and musicians.
10.
Laurence Duggan was a close friend of Noel Field of the State Department.
11.
Laurence Duggan told the FBI that Henry Collins of the Ware group had tried unsuccessfully to recruit him to the NKVD.
12.
The plan, suggested by Gutzeit, was to use Laurence Duggan to draw Field into the network.
13.
Laurence Duggan provided Soviet intelligence with confidential diplomatic cables, including from American Ambassador William Bullitt.
14.
Laurence Duggan was a source for the Soviets until he resigned from the State Department in 1944.
15.
In 1932, Laurence Duggan married Helen Boyd, a Vassar College graduate.
16.
On December 20,1948, Laurence Duggan fell to his death from his office at the Institute of International Education, located on the 16th floor of a building in midtown Manhattan.
17.
Laurence Duggan's body was discovered around 7:00 PM that evening.
18.
Laurence Duggan is referenced in the following Venona decryptions, which provided information to the Soviets about Anglo-American plans for invading Italy during World War II:.