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Box 7, Folder 13, Document 34
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Th e UY f. ban Coalit fon / Federal Bar Building West | 1819 H Street, N.W. Washington, D. C. / 20006
Steering Committee Co-chairmen: Andrew Heiske// / A. Philip Randolph
MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
March 11, 1968
Time-Life Building
New York, New York
Attendees:
Mr. Arnold Aronson
Mayor Joseph M. Barr
Mr. Frederick J. Close
Dr. Arthur Flemming
Mr. Andrew Heiskell
Mr. Philip Sorenson (representing J. Irwin Miller)
Mr. Bayard Rustin (representing A. Philip Randolph)
Mr. Irving Bluestone (representing Walter Reuther)
Mayor James H. J. Tate (accompanied by Harry Galfan)
Mr. Whitney M. Young, Jr.
Mr. Joseph H. Allen
Mayor John V. Lindsay (accompanied by Jay Kriegel and Peter Tufo)
Rabbi Henry Siegman (representing Rabbi Jacob Rudin)
Mr. Theodore Schlesinger
Mr. John Gardner
Mr. Ron M. Linton (National Coordinator)
Mr. John Gunther (of the U. S. Conference of Mayors)
Mr. John Feild (of the U. S. Conference of Mayors)
Mr. Christopher Mould (Deputy National Coordinator)
Co-Chairman Andrew Heiskell called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.
He opened with a brief statement welcoming Mr. John Gardner as
Chairman and expressing his thanks to Committee members for the
Support and cooperation he had enjoyed in his role as Co-Chairman.
He then turned the meeting over to Chairman Gardner.
Chairman Gardner indicated that he would be grateful if Messrs.
Heiskell and Randolph would agree to continue as Co-Chairmen.
This suggestion was unanimously endorsed by the Executive Committee,
and agreed to by Mr. Heiskell and by Mr. Rustin representing Mr.
Randolph.
Chairman Gardner then discussed his views on the appropriate func-
tions of the Urban Coalition at the national level. (An outline
statement of these potential functions as developed by the Chair=
man is attached to and incorporated in these minutes). The Com-
mittee, after discussion, endorsed the several functions delineated.
National Coordinators: John Feild / Ron M. Linton
Telephone 293-7530
MINUTES
March llth Meeting
Page 2
The Chairman then turned to the matter of reorganization of the
national Urban Coalition to carry out the functions agreed upon.
In this connection, Mr. Gardner suggested the creation of a sub-
committee on reorganization to which he could refer for consulta-
tion as reorganization plans are developed.
The Executive Committee approved the designation of a subcommittee
on reorganization. The following Executive Committee members were
appointed to this subcommittee:
Co-Chairmen Heiskell and Randolph
George Meany
Walter Reuther
J. Irwin Miller
(Mr. Heiskell will serve as chairman)
Chairman Gardner will take up with this committee such matters as
potential expansion of Steering Committee membership, key appoint-
ments to the professional staff of the Coalition, the Coalition's
task force and committee structures, and related significant plans.
Mr. Gardner reported that consultation with legal counsel indicated
that there were no obstacles to the creation of two organizational
entities--one tax exempt and the other not, to carry out the work
of the Coalition. Both entities would be under the jurisdiction of
the Steering Committee and Executive Committee of the Coalition.
The tax-exempt entity would receive potential foundation grants
available to the Coalition as well as private contributions to carry
out the rendering of technical assistance to local coalitions and
non-legislative program efforts. The non-tax-exempt entity would
carry out the legislative work of the Coalition. The Executive
Committee unanimously authorized Chairman Gardner to proceed.
Mr. Gardner then reported that he was further developing the Coali-
tion's cooperative working relationships with appropriate government
agencies and national organizations. To date, this has included
creating linkage with the White House through Mr. Joseph Califano,
and the National Alliance of Businessmen through Messrs. Henry Ford,
TI, and Leo Beebe.
With respect to the National Alliance of Businessmen, the Chairman
reported that he had pledged to the NAB the support of the Urban
Coalition and given assurances that program efforts of the Coalition
would be complementary. These assurances included the pledge that
every effort would be made to include NAB local chairmen in the de-
velopment and functioning of local coalitions.
MINUTES
March llth Meeting
Page 3
The next item discussed by the Committee was the matter of Coalition
finances. Mr. Gardner stated that in conversations with the Ford
Foundation he had received assurance of substantial support. For
the purpose of these conversations he had developed tentative plans
for an annual operating budget of $1.3 million. In view of the stope
of our objectives, however, it seemed prudent to set a fund-raising
goal of $2 million. The $1.3 million figure reflected, Mr. Gardner
stated, an estimated need for a staff approximating fifty persons,
one half of that number to be professionals.
The Ford Foundation, Mr. Gardner reported, was prepared to match,
dollar for dollar, funds raised by the Coalition. In this connec-
tion, Mr. Gardner indicated that he planned to include one profes-
Sional on the staff devoting full time to fund raising. The Ford
Foundation, he said, had agreed to provide "start-up funds" imme-
diately for the period of March 1 to June 1, amounting to approxi-
mately $200,000.
Chairman Gardner requested and was unanimously given authority to
proceed to commit these funds for staff and office space and related
organizational needs.
The Executive Committee then considered the matter of Coalition
positions on a series of legislative items. Mr. Irving Bluestone,
representing Executive Committee member Walter Reuther, presented
a draft statement on housing and reconstruction, including the
Administration's pending housing proposals, prepared by the three
co-chairmen, Walter Reuther, David Rockefeller, and Joseph Keenan
of the Task Force on Housing, Reconstruction and Investment. After
discussion in the light of the imminent testimony in other capaci-
ties of Committee members Heiskell, Lindsay and Tate before the
Congress on Housing legislation, the Executive Committee with the
condition that a paragraph be added to the statement to emphasize
the importance of pursuing, as a national objective, the goal of
a single, integrated society through all efforts in the housing
sphere, (This statement, in its final form was sent to you as an
attachment with the last National Coordinator's Weekly Report~--
dated March 15, 1968).
The Committee then considered a proposal that the Coalition
support the passage by Congress of a supplemental appropriation
for the Office of Economic Opportunity in the amount of $279
million. After hearing a report by Mr. John Gunther of the U.S.
Conference of Mayors, with respect to the legislative prospects
for a supplemental appropriation, and statements on the need for
continuing year-round and special summer OEO programs from other
Steering Committee Co-chairmen: Andrew Heiske// / A. Philip Randolph
MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
March 11, 1968
Time-Life Building
New York, New York
Attendees:
Mr. Arnold Aronson
Mayor Joseph M. Barr
Mr. Frederick J. Close
Dr. Arthur Flemming
Mr. Andrew Heiskell
Mr. Philip Sorenson (representing J. Irwin Miller)
Mr. Bayard Rustin (representing A. Philip Randolph)
Mr. Irving Bluestone (representing Walter Reuther)
Mayor James H. J. Tate (accompanied by Harry Galfan)
Mr. Whitney M. Young, Jr.
Mr. Joseph H. Allen
Mayor John V. Lindsay (accompanied by Jay Kriegel and Peter Tufo)
Rabbi Henry Siegman (representing Rabbi Jacob Rudin)
Mr. Theodore Schlesinger
Mr. John Gardner
Mr. Ron M. Linton (National Coordinator)
Mr. John Gunther (of the U. S. Conference of Mayors)
Mr. John Feild (of the U. S. Conference of Mayors)
Mr. Christopher Mould (Deputy National Coordinator)
Co-Chairman Andrew Heiskell called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.
He opened with a brief statement welcoming Mr. John Gardner as
Chairman and expressing his thanks to Committee members for the
Support and cooperation he had enjoyed in his role as Co-Chairman.
He then turned the meeting over to Chairman Gardner.
Chairman Gardner indicated that he would be grateful if Messrs.
Heiskell and Randolph would agree to continue as Co-Chairmen.
This suggestion was unanimously endorsed by the Executive Committee,
and agreed to by Mr. Heiskell and by Mr. Rustin representing Mr.
Randolph.
Chairman Gardner then discussed his views on the appropriate func-
tions of the Urban Coalition at the national level. (An outline
statement of these potential functions as developed by the Chair=
man is attached to and incorporated in these minutes). The Com-
mittee, after discussion, endorsed the several functions delineated.
National Coordinators: John Feild / Ron M. Linton
Telephone 293-7530
MINUTES
March llth Meeting
Page 2
The Chairman then turned to the matter of reorganization of the
national Urban Coalition to carry out the functions agreed upon.
In this connection, Mr. Gardner suggested the creation of a sub-
committee on reorganization to which he could refer for consulta-
tion as reorganization plans are developed.
The Executive Committee approved the designation of a subcommittee
on reorganization. The following Executive Committee members were
appointed to this subcommittee:
Co-Chairmen Heiskell and Randolph
George Meany
Walter Reuther
J. Irwin Miller
(Mr. Heiskell will serve as chairman)
Chairman Gardner will take up with this committee such matters as
potential expansion of Steering Committee membership, key appoint-
ments to the professional staff of the Coalition, the Coalition's
task force and committee structures, and related significant plans.
Mr. Gardner reported that consultation with legal counsel indicated
that there were no obstacles to the creation of two organizational
entities--one tax exempt and the other not, to carry out the work
of the Coalition. Both entities would be under the jurisdiction of
the Steering Committee and Executive Committee of the Coalition.
The tax-exempt entity would receive potential foundation grants
available to the Coalition as well as private contributions to carry
out the rendering of technical assistance to local coalitions and
non-legislative program efforts. The non-tax-exempt entity would
carry out the legislative work of the Coalition. The Executive
Committee unanimously authorized Chairman Gardner to proceed.
Mr. Gardner then reported that he was further developing the Coali-
tion's cooperative working relationships with appropriate government
agencies and national organizations. To date, this has included
creating linkage with the White House through Mr. Joseph Califano,
and the National Alliance of Businessmen through Messrs. Henry Ford,
TI, and Leo Beebe.
With respect to the National Alliance of Businessmen, the Chairman
reported that he had pledged to the NAB the support of the Urban
Coalition and given assurances that program efforts of the Coalition
would be complementary. These assurances included the pledge that
every effort would be made to include NAB local chairmen in the de-
velopment and functioning of local coalitions.
MINUTES
March llth Meeting
Page 3
The next item discussed by the Committee was the matter of Coalition
finances. Mr. Gardner stated that in conversations with the Ford
Foundation he had received assurance of substantial support. For
the purpose of these conversations he had developed tentative plans
for an annual operating budget of $1.3 million. In view of the stope
of our objectives, however, it seemed prudent to set a fund-raising
goal of $2 million. The $1.3 million figure reflected, Mr. Gardner
stated, an estimated need for a staff approximating fifty persons,
one half of that number to be professionals.
The Ford Foundation, Mr. Gardner reported, was prepared to match,
dollar for dollar, funds raised by the Coalition. In this connec-
tion, Mr. Gardner indicated that he planned to include one profes-
Sional on the staff devoting full time to fund raising. The Ford
Foundation, he said, had agreed to provide "start-up funds" imme-
diately for the period of March 1 to June 1, amounting to approxi-
mately $200,000.
Chairman Gardner requested and was unanimously given authority to
proceed to commit these funds for staff and office space and related
organizational needs.
The Executive Committee then considered the matter of Coalition
positions on a series of legislative items. Mr. Irving Bluestone,
representing Executive Committee member Walter Reuther, presented
a draft statement on housing and reconstruction, including the
Administration's pending housing proposals, prepared by the three
co-chairmen, Walter Reuther, David Rockefeller, and Joseph Keenan
of the Task Force on Housing, Reconstruction and Investment. After
discussion in the light of the imminent testimony in other capaci-
ties of Committee members Heiskell, Lindsay and Tate before the
Congress on Housing legislation, the Executive Committee with the
condition that a paragraph be added to the statement to emphasize
the importance of pursuing, as a national objective, the goal of
a single, integrated society through all efforts in the housing
sphere, (This statement, in its final form was sent to you as an
attachment with the last National Coordinator's Weekly Report~--
dated March 15, 1968).
The Committee then considered a proposal that the Coalition
support the passage by Congress of a supplemental appropriation
for the Office of Economic Opportunity in the amount of $279
million. After hearing a report by Mr. John Gunther of the U.S.
Conference of Mayors, with respect to the legislative prospects
for a supplemental appropriation, and statements on the need for
continuing year-round and special summer OEO programs from other
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