▁of ▁the ▁school ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁However , ▁they ▁invoked ▁the ▁Fif th ▁Am end ment ▁when ▁asked ▁about ▁Commun ist ▁invol vement ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁school . ▁Senator ▁Joseph ▁Mc Car thy ▁stated ▁that ▁their ▁ref us al ▁to ▁test ify ▁proved ▁that ▁both ▁were ▁Commun ists . ▁ ▁Rh odes ▁was ▁quoted ▁as ▁saying ▁to ▁Mc Car thy , ▁" I ' ll ▁match ▁my ▁record ▁against ▁yours ▁any ▁day ▁in ▁the ▁service . ▁That ' s ▁a ▁hor rible ▁thing ▁to ▁say ." ▁Mc Car thy ▁respond ed ▁to ▁Rh odes ▁saying , ▁" I ▁don ' t ▁doubt ▁a ▁bit ▁you ▁are ▁a ▁full - f led ged ▁Commun ist ." ▁ ▁Sil as ▁Rh odes ' ▁son , ▁David , ▁later ▁told ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁that ▁his ▁father ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party , ▁but ▁left ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁well ▁before ▁his ▁military ▁service ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁or ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁school . ▁The ▁V eter ans ▁Administration ▁aud ited ▁the ▁School ▁of ▁Visual ▁Arts ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁investigation . ▁The ▁government ▁and ▁the ▁school ▁later ▁settled ▁their ▁gr iev ances . ▁ ▁Career ▁Rh odes ▁served ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁School ▁of ▁Visual ▁Arts ▁for ▁six ▁years . ▁Rh odes ▁gu ided ▁the ▁school ' s ▁growth . ▁Under ▁his ▁presiden cy , ▁the ▁School ▁of ▁Visual ▁Arts ▁became ▁the ▁largest ▁independently ▁run ▁college ▁of ▁art