Alger Hiss was a Soviet spy who worked in the United States government during the 1930s and 1940s. He was important to Whittaker Chamber's career because Chambers and Hiss were both members of the Soviet espionage ring known as the Ware Group, which supplied American secrets to the Soviet Union. Hiss's importance to Chamber's career is that he accused Hiss of espionage, leading to multiple congressional hearings and eventually Hiss's conviction for perjury.