Walter, Francis

Walter, Francis (Eugene) (1894–1963) U.S. representative; born in Easton, Pa. A lawyer before going to the U.S. House of Representatives (Dem., Pa.; 1933–65) he came to prominence when, as chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration, he sponsored the McCarran-Walter Act of 1952, which favored Northern Europeans over other immigrants. In 1955 he became chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee, casting a broad net to round up "subversives" and successfully resisting attempts to curb the committee's power.