Dirk Jan Struik (September 30, 1894-October 21, 2000) was a Dutch-born American (since 1934) mathematician, historian of mathematics, and Marxist. Struik joined the Communist Party of the Netherlands in 1919 and remained a Communist his entire life.
During the McCarthy era, Struik’s Marxism led to accusations that he was a Soviet spy. He denied the allegations and was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Struik refused to answer over 200 questions, repeatedly invoking the First and Fifth Amendments. As a result, he was suspended from teaching for five years at MIT. Struik was reinstated in 1956, though he retired from MIT in 1960. Struik also helped found the peer reviewed Marxist journal Science & Society.
