Who Is Alger Hiss? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Alger Hiss was born on November 11, 1904, making him 121 years old as of 2025. He is best remembered as an American diplomat who played a significant role in the early days of the United Nations. Hiss was later accused of being a Soviet spy during the Cold War, which led to a highly publicized trial that captured the attention of the nation. His legacy remains controversial and is often debated among historians.
| Occupation | Writers |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | November 11, 1904 |
| Age | 92 Years |
| Birth Place | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 15 November, 1996 |
| Died Place | New York City, U.S. |
Popularity
Alger Hiss's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Despite his advanced age, records indicate that Hiss stood approximately 6 feet tall (183 cm) during his prime. His weight fluctuated, typically ranging around 175 lbs (79 kg). As for measurements, they are reflective of a man of his stature during his youth, although precise metrics may be more of historical interest than factual detail today.
In 2009, Haynes, Klehr, and Alexander Vassiliev published Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America, based on KGB documents reportedly hand-copied by Vassiliev, a former KGB agent, during the 1990s.
The authors attempted to show definitively that Alger Hiss had indeed been a Soviet spy and argue that KGB documents prove not only that Hiss was the elusive ALES, but that he also went by the codenames "Jurist" and "Leonard" while working for the GRU.
Some documentation brought back by Vassiliev also refers to Hiss by his actual name, leaving no room, in the authors' opinion, for doubt about his guilt.
Calling this the "massive weight of accumulated evidence," Haynes and Klehr conclude, "to serious students of history continued claims for Hiss's innocence are akin to a terminal case of ideological blindness." In a review published in the Journal of Cold War Studies, military historian Eduard Mark heartily concurred, stating that the documents "co
nclusively show that Hiss was, as Whittaker Chambers charged more than six decades ago, an agent of Soviet military intelligence (GRU) in the 1930s." Newsweek magazine reported that Civil Rights Movement historian David Garrow also concluded that, in his opinion, Spies "provides irrefutable confirmation of [Hiss's] guilt."
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Alger Hiss married his wife, Priscilla Hiss, in 1929, and together they had two children, a daughter named Ellen and a son named Anthony. The couple remained married until Priscilla's death in 1990. Hiss's personal life has been a point of speculation, especially in light of the trials and accusations that marred his reputation. As of 2025, he remains a historical figure without known relationships posthumously.
Arguments about the case and the validity of the verdict took center stage in broader debates about the Cold War, McCarthyism, and the extent of Soviet espionage in the United States. Since Hiss's conviction, statements by involved parties and newly exposed evidence have added to the dispute.
In the 1990s, two former senior Soviet military officers responsible for the Soviet Union's military intelligence archives stated, following a search of those archives, that the "Russian intelligence service has no documents proving that Alger Hiss cooperated with our service somewhere or anywhere", and that Hiss "never had any relationship with So
viet intelligence." The 1995 Venona papers provided evidence for the theory that Hiss was a Soviet spy.
See also: But:
Net Worth and Salary
Considering his career as a successful diplomat and the controversies that enveloped him, Alger Hiss had an estimated net worth of around $1 million at the time of his death in 1996. This approximate figure is a culmination of his earnings from government positions and speaking engagements after his trials, where he provided insights into politics and international relations.
Career, Business, and Investments
Hiss’s career peaked during the 1940s when he held significant positions within the U.S. State Department and was instrumental in the founding of the United Nations. However, his career took a dramatic turn following the accusations of espionage, leading to a conviction for perjury in 1950. Post-trial, Hiss remained involved in political discussions and wrote several works that reflected his views on politics and governance, but he never returned to government service.
Minnie Hughes attended teacher's college and was active in Baltimore society. Shortly after his marriage at age 24, Charles Hiss entered the business world and joined the dry goods importing firm Daniel Miller and Co., where he became an executive and shareholder.
Social Network
Given that Alger Hiss passed away in 1996, there are no social media accounts associated with him today. However, his legacy is discussed often in historical contexts online, with multiple forums and websites dedicated to analyzing his life and the broader implications of his trials on American politics and Cold War dynamics.
Hiss learned to compartmentalize and to seek out paternal surrogates. At school, he was popular and high performing. He attended high school at Baltimore City College and college at Johns Hopkins University, where he was voted "most popular student" by his classmates, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa.
In 1929, he received his law degree from Harvard Law School, where he was a protégé of Felix Frankfurter, the future US Supreme Court justice. During his time at Harvard, the famous murder trial of anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti took place, ending in their conviction and execution.
Like Frankfurter, who wrote a book about the case, and like many prominent liberals of the day, Hiss maintained that Sacco and Vanzetti were convicted unjustly.
Education
Alger Hiss graduated from Johns Hopkins University before earning his law degree from Harvard Law School. His educational background established a strong foundation for his career in public service and diplomacy, making him a prominent figure in American history.
The five rolls of 35 mm film known as the "pumpkin papers" had been characterized as highly classified and too sensitive to reveal and were thought until late 1974 to be locked in HUAC files. In 1975, independent researcher Stephen W.
Salant, an economist at the University of Michigan, sued the US Justice Department when it denied his request for access to them under the Freedom of Information Act. On July 31, 1975, as a result of this lawsuit and follow-on suits filed by Peter Irons and by Alger Hiss and William A.
Reuben, the Justice Department released copies of the "pumpkin papers" that had been used to implicate Hiss.
One roll of film turned out to be totally blank due to overexposure, two others are faintly legible copies of non-classified Navy Department documents relating to such subjects as life rafts and fire extinguishers, and the remaining two are photographs of the State Department documents that had been introduced at the two Hiss trials.
A few days after the release of the Pumpkin Papers, on August 5, 1975, Hiss was readmitted to the Massachusetts bar. The state's Supreme Judicial Court overruled its Committee of Bar Overseers and stated in a unanimous decision that, despite his conviction, Hiss had demonstrated the "moral and intellectual fitness" required to be an attorney.
Hiss was the first lawyer ever readmitted to the Massachusetts bar after a major criminal conviction.
