I WANTED TO GIVE MY LIFE TO HELP HUMANITY ADVANCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86M00886R000200080006-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 15, 2008
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: June 4, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
ROUTING SLI P
ACTION
INFO
DATE
INITIAL
1
DCI
. ODCI
3
EXDIR
4
D/ICS
5
DDI
6
DDA
DDO
8
DDS&T
9:
Chm/NIC
0
GC
11
IG
12
Compt
1 13
D/Pers
'14
D/OLL
D /?AO
Td
t7
F 8- 1
SA/IA
AO/DCI
C/IPD/IS
70
L
22
Please acknowledge directly'for DCI.
4 June 1984
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I Wanted To Give My Life
To Help Humanity Advance'
By Sally Ana Stewart
lteraatsraawrher
When the Central Intelligence
Agency expands its Langley head-
quarters in a few years, leveling Part
of a nearby pine grove, it might
change Margaret Scattergood
's
view. But It won't change her
outlook.
For 64 of her 87 years, Scattergood
has worked for social reform organ.
zations and labor unions whose polit.
ical philosophies oppose the CIA. To-
day, the tiny Quaker woman is just
as staunchly disapproving of her
nearest neighbor and co-tenant as
she was during her activist days.
Scattergood doesn't even like
to
say that she lives next door to the
CIA. She prefers to describe bee
home as "at the beginning of George'
town Pike."
"We bought this land In 1933 and
the CIA didn't come out here until
1942," Scattergood said. "1 don't
want lobe connected with theCIA."
ScatteTaen, da friend, Florence
Calvert jointly purchased
the McLean property 48 years ago
for x33.00+0. During the Great Depression. that wasn't cheap, but Scatter.
good points out that today "you
couldn't even touch this property for
a few hundred thousand dollars-"
The 322-acre estate includes three
family-sized houses, a barn, a can
riage-house-turned-garage and a
children's play house.
In I941, the U.S. governmen.
bought the house from Scattergood
and Congress passed a law allowing
the two women to live In their home
until the last one dies, when the prop.
erty will be used by the government.
The CIA moved in next door in 1941
and Thorne died In the late-19508.
Scattergood said.
Scattergood an her career I.
political and socia reformduring an
era when most women were limited
to accepting housewife and mother
roles.
When she graduated from Bryn
Mawr in 1917 at the age of 23, Scatter-
good went to work for tote American
Friends Service Committee in Mar.
euil-lePon, France, helping reset-
tle wine growers who Bed the Ger-
man invasion of World War L After
the war ended, the farmers returned
to their destroyed land to rebuild
their vineyards.
"All their homes were gone and
they were living In cellars ; Scatter
good remembered. "So the men in
tiro American Friends Service Co'
mitten worked to build houses, as'
we women opened a store where we
said the French peasants supplies
the
hey needed for below cost. This Is
we we sold beds and materials for
making bedding and clothing and
other things they needed."
That was before women to the U.S.
secured the right to vote but Scatter-
good said she never considered her-
self a women's tiberatioa pioneer.
"I never thought about women's
rights and that didn't Influence me,"
she said. "I'm Quaker and I simply
wrantedto give my life In someway to
help humanity advance."
When Scattergood returned to the
U.S. In 1928, she volunteeered to work
for the American Federation of La-
bor In Washington. A year later, she
became an employee of the first la-
bor unloa's researchslaff.
"The research service for trade
unions enabled them to know im
Weywere about tbeipdu
said. "When collective bargaining
Took place, union members could use
those facts to their bargaining ad.
vantage and It meant that the people
who worked had a chance to enjoy
the benefis and that the profits could
be equitably divided."
Scattergood'a father was a textile
dye manufacturer in Chester. Pa.,
who op labor unions as firmly
as hit daughter supported them. But
that didn't sway bertrom devoting 23
years to the AFL before it merged
with the Congress of Industrial Or[gga?
dsations and became the AFI,-C1O.
"Oh, my tatherhated labor unions,
just hated them;" she said. "But I
went to co" and made my mind
upformysel f. I
Scattergood said she realizes that
corruption breeds at the top level of
anion management, but believes
that union benefits outweigh the dis-
advantages.
Margaret Scattergood, seated at center, and friends take a
break from theirwork In Mreuil, France.
"Union officials certainly are no
different from other human beings."
Scattergood said. "There's turnip.
lion In the unions just like there's
corruption in government. Even re-
gardless of that, labor unions do rep
resent a great body of Americans
who, without labor unions, would
have to accept the conditions their
employers gave them.
Once, during the early riot- and
strike-ridden years of union organiz.
tng, Seat tergmd recalled, she was
talking on the telephone to a local
union leader who wanted advice on
an upcoming collective bargaining
session. Scattergood told the local
union leader to cooperate as much as
possible with the employer, and then
an AFL officer passed by her office
door.
"I asked the man on the phone to
hold on and I asked the officer, 'It Is
true, isn't it. that we cooperate with
employers?' And he answered, 'only
when they beat Rout of us.' "
Scattergood reti red from the AFL
In 1952, after 23 years. Since then,
most of her time has been spent trav.
cling through Europe, continuing to
aid the American Friends Service
Comminttee and working for a
McLea racial unity organization,
Neighbors fora Better Community.
At 87, Margaret Scattergood isn't
about to give up. She spends four
hours every day with her personal
secretary compiling her memoirs,
and her afternoons are reserved for
studying international affairs.
'I'm particularly interested now in
avoiding World War III." Scatter-
good said. "I think it [s possible. I'm
hoping to find ways I can help in dme
veloping negotiations between na-
ti?u to replace war. Collective bar-
gaining between nations is really the
only thing that makes sense."
Technically, Scattergood's house
and land belong to the Government
Services Administration. A GSA
spokesman said there are :o plans to
turn the property over to the CIA, al-
though the agency could gain owner
shipp soon Sea :tereood s death.
The CIA is in the early stages of
tuning its future expansion, and
'lie Richards, president of the Fair-
fax County Federation of Citizens
Associations, said three CIA plan-
ners presented preliminary plans at
a November federation meeting.
..Her (Scattergood's) house would
not be affected but there might he a
visual impact," Richards said.
"They showed us anal photographs,
and the new building is going to be
between the existing building and
Margaret's house."
The CIA expansion plans call for a
seven-story, one'millionsquare-fool
building to be constructed on the
agency's property next door to Scat-
tergood's home of almost So years.
CIA spokeswoman Kathy Pherson
said the new building will not be visi-
blefrom Scattergood's property.
Apparently, there is nothing In
the plan that would Intrude on her
view," Pherson said. "But this Is all
In the preliminary stages. We
haven't secured the funding for the
projector hired an architect."
Pherson said the CIA will present a
formal preliminary plan to the Na.
tional Capital Planning Commission
during the first week of January, af-
ter which Congress will be asked to
appropriate the building funds.
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9//x/99
Activist A'W,, hat More Can I Do?'
By William Ruberry
Special to the Journal
Margaret Scattergood of McLean
Isn't stopping to take bows attar re-
ceiving Fairfax County's Human
Bights Award.
For one thing, she's far too busy wit It
her work to pause and reap praise for
her achievements.
From the small garage-turned-office
at her home, Scattergood launches her
campaign to promote what she calls a
"friendly mingling" between mem-
bers of the community.
"She never stops," says Lilla Rich-
ards, former McLean Civic Associa-
tion president, noting that Scattergood
no sooner completes one project than
she is pursuing another, continually
asking, "What more can I do?"
Yet even If Scattergood weren't so
busy, she would still shun the acco-
lades.
"All I want to do Is work in a very
modest way,.. she says, quickly men-
tioning others who deserve the award
inure than she and dismissing her con-
tribution as that of an "office girl."
She accepted the award, presented
by the county's Human Rights Com-
mission, on behalf of the Neighbors for
a Better Community, a civic group for
which she Is secretary, because
"we've done It by working together."
Reared in a Philadelphia family of
Quakers. Scutlergeod graduated from
Bryn Mawr College in 1917. She joined
the American Federation of Labor in
1926 as a researcher: Through her ef-
forts, a "factual basis" for uegotla-
tions was created, which she says ena-
bled labor to explain in black-and-
white why higher wages or better
conditions were needed.
Scattergood moved to McLean in
1933, when land sold for $5 an acre,
with her friend and AFL colleague
Florence Calvert Thorne, a descend-
ant of Vie Calverts who established
Maryland as a colony. of religious free-
dom in 1634.
As she points to the Calvert family
crest on the wall of her home, Scatter-
good relates their history, as If this
emblem were a source of strength for
her commitment to what she calls
"human values."
After leaving the labor movement in
1952, Scattergood became involved In a
variety of community projects, many
through her church, the Langley hill
Friends Meeting.
Since 19118, she has been active In
Neighbors for a Better Community,
formed in 196:1 "to foster liar ninny aid
cooperation" between local black and
while communities- This longstanding
dedication earned her the award.
The organization seeks to educate
citizens about civic problems and
works with therm to develop solutions.
Margaret Scattergood
Scattergood and the Neighbors
organization also are concerned about
the late of Odrick's Corner, a black
community that is threatened by a pro-
posed interchange at Springhill Road
and the Dulles Access Road.
Officials plan a "partial intersec-
ton," which Scattergood says will not
by Itself prove harmful. But she says
highway consultants know iron 11 past
experience that a "partial intersec-
tion" inevitably develops Into a "full
intersection." According to Scatter-
good. such a development would
"scatter the community," setting the
stage. for serious community prob,
hems.
Along with the Rev. Ronald Winters
at Shiloh Baptist Church on Spring~,hill..
Road, Scattergood and the Neighbors
organization are fighting to save Od
rick's Corner from extinction.
Broadening black participation in
the local community center also con-
cerns Scattergood, for she believes
increased Interaction between the
races creates a basis for understand-
ing and cooperation.
Race relations In this country "de-
veloped out of a bad situation," she
says, but, when whites realize the
black community would enrich the
white community and blacks over-
come their reluctance to work with
whites, the way will be cleared for true
progress.
"This organization has shown how
splendidly the two groups can work
together," she says, pointing to Neigh
hors' integrated membership.
Though Scattergood focuses her ef-
forts on local problems, she does not
entirely restrict herself to them. One
of her major Interests lies in a pro-
grain she labels "education for
responsible citizenship," which helps
citizens of developing countries deter-
mine their own futures and the futures
of their nations.
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