Yellin was a youthful member of the Communist Party prior to his enrollment at Illinois as an engineering graduate student and recipient of a paid university fellowship. When he was found guilty of four charges of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), the university suspended him, then later rescinded the suspension, all with no apparent involvement by President Henry. The United States Supreme Court eventually overturned Yellin’s conviction.
