Juliet Stuart Poyntz

Juliet Stuart Poyntz
Juliet Stuart Poyntz circa 1918
Born	Juliet Stuart Points November 25, 1886 Omaha, Nebraska
Disappeared	June 1937 New York City
Status	Unresolved
Died	June 1937? (age 50)
Education	MA Columbia University, BA Barnard College
Alma mater	Barnard College
Occupation	suffragist, feminist, trade unionist, socialist, communist, political activist, spy
Years active	1909–1937
Employer	various including Barnard College and CPUSA
Agent	GRU
Known for	unexplained disappearance
Political party	Socialist Party of America, Communist Party USA
Spouse(s)	Friedrich Franz Ludwig Glaser
Relatives	Eulalie Poyntz McClelland (sister)

Juliet Stuart Poyntz (originally 'Points') (25 November 1886–1937) was an American communist and intelligence agent for the Soviet Union. As a student and university teacher, she espoused many radical causes, and went on to become a co-founder of the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA). Poyntz travelled secretly to Moscow in 1936, just as some of her comrades were being executed in Joseph Stalin's Great Purge, and she resigned from the party. This is widely assumed to have led to her unexplained disappearance in New York City in June 1937, as the likely victim of an assassination squad, either because she had been mixing with Trotskyists, or because she was planning to write an exposé of the Soviet system.

Poyntz was born on November 25, 1886 in Omaha, Nebraska. Her family moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, not long before she entered Barnard College. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

She moved to New York City as a young adult, where she earned degrees at Barnard College in 1907.

She was class treasurer as a freshman, class president as a sophomore, secretary of the Barnard Union, and finally president of the Undergraduate Association and chairman of the student council as a senior. She was editor-in-chief of Mortarboard. She was a member of: Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, the Philosophy Club, the Classical Club, the Athletic Association, the Christian Association, and the Sophomore Dance Committee. In 1904, she acted "Casting the Boomerang," at the Brinckerhoff Theatre (now Minor Latham Playhouse). In 1905, Poyntz took part in Barnard's third annual Greek Games, where she recited the "Invocation to the Gods" and tied first place in wrestling. She partook in the Interclass Debate (class of 1906 versus class of 1907). In her senior year, she was voted most popular both in the college and for 1907. She was valedictorian of her class and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. By graduation in June 1907, her interests had expanded from suffragism and feminism to trade unionism, labor rights, and socialism.