Box 7, Folder 13, Document 36

Box 7, Folder 13, Document 36

lhe Urban Coalition / Federal Bar Building West [1819 H Street, N.W. Washington, D. C. { 20006

Steering Committee Co-chairmen: Andrew Heiskell / A. Philip Randolph

February 17, 1968

NATIONAL COORDINATOR'S WEEKLY REPORT



John W. Gardner this week advised Co-Chairmen Heiskell and
Randolph that he accepted the invitation of the Executive
Committee to become chief executive officer of the Coalition.

Mr. Gardner, who recently resigned as Secretary of Health,’
Education and Welfare, will assume his Coalition duties on
March 1. He will serve concurrently as a consultant to the
Carnegie Corporation of New York, with offices in Washington,
but will be on loan to the Urban Coalition, to which he will
devote a major portion of his time.

In their announcement of Mr. Gardner's acceptance, the Co-Chair-
men said the Coalition's Executive Committee agreed "enthusiasti-
cally and unanimously" last week to ask Mr. Gardner to take the
new position. Of Mr. Gardner, they said: "Only a man with the
exceptional stature and the rare combination of executive ability,
intellect and idealism of John Gardner can provide the leadership
needed to achieve the Urban Coalition's goals."

‘Mr. Gardner said he had discussed the new position with the
President “and he urged and encourgaged me to accept." The day
following the announcement, President Johnson said he was "gra-
tified" by Mr. Gardner's new appointment and had assured him of
White House cooperation.

Mr. Gardner was president of the Carnegie Corporation at the
time of his appointment to the Cabinet by President Johnson on
July 27, 1965. A native Californian, he holds A.B. and M.A.
degrees from Stanford University, a Ph.D. degree from the Uni-
versity of California, and honorary degrees from a number of
other colleges and universities. Before World War II he taught
psychology at the University of California, Connecticut College
for Women and Mount Holyoke College.

Mr. Gardner has been chairman of a number of Presidential task
forces and commissions. He holds the U. S. Air Force Exceptional
Service Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest
civil honor in the United States.

Mr. Gardner is editor of President John F. Kennedy's book
To Turn the Tide, and is the author of the books Excellence
and Self-Renewal.





National Coordinators: John Feild / Ron M. Linton
Telephone 293-7530
(2)

LOCAL COALITIONS

The expanded Task Force on Local Coalitions held a productive
meeting in Chicago on February 12. As a result of the meeting
the Task Force has called an April conference of local urban
coalitions to provide (1) an exchange of program and organiza-
tional experience, and (2) an opportunity to select representa-
tives to the Steering Committee.

The Task Force recommended that the Executive Committee proceed
with its plans for a one-day National Legislative Conference on
Employment in conjunction with the one-day conference of local
coalitions, scheduling the legislative conference for the day
following the conference of local coalitions. This plan, the
Task Force concluded, would attract greater participation from
local coalitions the first day and enhance the impact of the
legislative conference. These Washington conferences are tenta-

tively scheduled for early April.