Leo M. Hurvich '32, who served as an instructor and laboratory assistant here from 1930 to 1940, yesterday refused to tell the House Un-American Activities Committee whether he had ever been a Communist on grounds of possible self-incrimination.

Hurvich, now a psychologist at Eastman Kodak, said he never had access to secret materials when he ran tests on optical instruments for Army Ordnances during the Second World War. He refused to answer questions about alleged attempts of the Reds to run the Boston chapter of the American Federation of Teachers.

He also refused to say whether he had known about a Communist cell of Boston teachers while he was teaching at the University.

Hurvich admitted, however, that he knew both Wendell H. Furry, associated professor of Physics, and Robert G. Davis '29, professor of English at Smith and teacher here from 1933 to 1943. Hurvich refused to state whether they had ever had any Communist affiliations. He also declined to say whether he had contributed to the defense fund for the trial of Israel Halperin in the Canadian spy trial.