James T. Fischer has written two books in which he examines Dooley's medical intelligence work and Dooley as a propaganda tool against communism. Among other research, he uses letters from the Dooley Papers at Western Historical Manuscript Collection to support his ideas. See the two sections below for details.

          For more information on these perspectives of Dooley's life and activities see Fischer's books: The Catholic Counterculture in America 1933-1962, Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1989, and Dr. America: The Lives of Thomas A. Dooley 1927-1961, Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1997. Also see Nicholas Von Hoffman, "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley." The Critic November-December 1969 and Daniel Berstein, "The Defrocking of Tom Dooley: A Biographical Sketch." Gateway Heritage Winter 1988-1989, 28-37.