Box 9, Folder 23, Document 5

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Box 9, Folder 23, Document 5

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June 19, 1968

Mr. Frank Roughton

Institute of Communicative Arts
of the Methodist Church

1279 Oxford Road, N. E.

Atlanta, Georgia 30306

Dear Mr. Roughton:

I have received from Mayor Ivan Allen your letter addressed to him of
June 17th regarding your suggestion for a symphonic drama on the struggle
of the Negroin America, with construction for same of an amphitheatre, as
a memorial to Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr. This has been brought to my
attention in my capacity as chairman of our Aldermanic King Memorial
Committee,

At the outset, I would like to express appreciation for your interest in this
matter and to tell you that I feel your idea is most appropriate and would
be extremely meaningful. Actually, one of Mrs. King's suggestions for
incorporation in the memorial we are planning was along this line.

As you have probably learned from the various news media, our committee
- and subsequently the Board of Aldermen - has taken a position supporting
a living, productive memorial as in contrast to something like a statue or
a street naming; and we have called on the federal government to assist in
the development of a national memorial with several working facilities in
the area of Dr. King's birthplace and mother church around Auburn Avenue
and Boulevard. We also have an ordinance before our Zoning Committee
referred to it by the Board of Aldermen at its meeting Monday which would
call for designation of this area ae an "historic district", which is our first
step in order to preserve the character of some of the neighborhood and to
protect it from other developments until we are in a position to make actual
acquisition. It is my opinion that in the near future we will probably work
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Mr. Frank Roughton aBx June 19, 1968

toward the establishment of a prestige national board of trustees, as
suggested by Mrs. King, which board would probably have the responsibility
of deciding on specific facilities to be incorporated in the development.

At the next meeting of our committee I will bring your communication to
their attention and will keep you advised as to our progress.

Sincerely,

Sam a
SMJr:ad
ce: Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Hon. Ivan Allen, Jr. Sl
(Attn: Mr. Dan Sweat)

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