Francis Walter - Definition and Overview

Francis Walter (May 26 1894 - May 31 1963) was an American Congressman. Born in Easton, Pennsylvania, Walter graduated from George Washington University prior to serving in the First World War. After demobilization he became a lawyer and businessman in his home town. He was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1933 as a Democrat.

Walter is best known as the co-sponsor with Senator Pat McCarran of the McCarran-Walter Act which imposed entry quotas on immigrants and allowed the United States government to deport and bar from entry those identified as subversives, particularly members and former members of the Communist Party. A strong anti-Communist, Walter went on to serve as chairman of the House Un-American Activites Committee from 1955 until his death in 1963. Walker also served as a director of the Pioneer Fund, a foundation seeking the betterment of the race.