Morris Childs, born Moishe Chilovsky, was a double agent who covertly supplied the U.S. Government with money and intelligence while also feeding information to the Soviet Union.
Early Days
Raised in a Russian‑speaking Jewish family, he grew up in Chicago where he worked as a bootmaker and cobbler before becoming involved with the Communist Party.
Fun Facts
Childs transferred more than $28 million to the U.S. Communist Party, a portion of which the FBI retained; his multilingual skills were honed through early exposure to Russian at home.
Family Life
In 1962 he married fellow FBI agent Eva Childs, and together they maintained a discreet household while both continued their covert work.
Collaborations With
Childs worked closely with the FBI’s counterintelligence division and, despite being betrayed by his Communist contacts, eventually cooperated with Soviet handlers to deliver intelligence back to Washington.