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Ford Press Releases - Leadership Letter, 1965
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Ford Press Releases - Leadership Letter, 1965
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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Republican National Committee (U.S.)
U.S. House of Representatives. 3/4/1789-
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The original documents are located in Box D8, folder "Ford Press Releases - Leadership
Letter, 1965" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D8 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
HOUSE REPUBLICAN
Leadership Letter
DEAR COLLEAGUE:
September 3, 1965
Communication among members of the House Republican team is vitally essential.
This new media offers an excellent opportunity to express ideas, exchange views and
keep members aware of the present situation and possible future actions.
We approach 1966 with optimism that our ranks will expand in the House. This
requires the highest possible degree of unity and singleness of purpose. By working
together and voting together whenever possible, we can increase House Republican
strength.
Thus far in 1965, on 27 significant roll calls, there has been Republican unity
of 93 percent. This is in contrast to Democrat unity of 77 percent. We can and must
do better, but progress has been made and the Republican record in the House is far
better than that of the Democrats.
Jerry Ford
WHIP COMMENT: "The Party Is Bigger Than Any Of Us"
Republican attendance on roll call votes has been very good. The response to
Whip Calls for votes on amendments offered in the Committee of the Whole has not been
what it should be.
This lack of response to Whip Calls has resulted in our losing some amendments
by close margins. It should be borne in mind that there are occasions when a Record Vote
in the House on some particular amendment is both desirable and of the greatest
importance. Such a Record Vote cannot be obtained unless the amendment is first adopted
in the Committee of the Whole. (Witness the MacGregor amendment vote on August 25
to the Immigration Bill.)
By and large Republican voting has shown a high degree of unanimity. We have,
however, lost some very, very important issues due to some few defections in our own
ranks. Yes, the Party is bigger than any one of us!
Les arends
CONFERENCE COMMENT: "Let's Unite on Article 19"
Without too many issues going for US right now, we should capitalize on those in
which there is a broad Republican consensus. One such is the recent retreat by the
United States over Article 19 of the United Nations Charter.
(over)
On August 17, 1964, the House passed a resolution urging the President to direct his
Ambassador to the United Nations to insist that Article 19 be enforced. That resolution was
unanimously voted for by all Republicans present. Our Republican Platform of 1964 also
called for General Assembly acceptance of the International Court of Justice advisory
opinion which also upheld Article 19.
It seems to me that, as Republicans, this is an issue upon which we can all unite and
to which we should address ourselves in the coming days and weeks.
POLICY COMMITTEE: "The Road Towards Fiscal Chaos"
The minority members of the Appropriations Committee issued a report the other day on
the first Supplemental Appropriation Bill for fiscal 1965. The brunt of the views expressed
in this report lay in the members' statement that "recent developments in Southeast Asia
dictate the necessity for a much more prudent evaluation of the domestic needs of this country."
That such a "prudent evaluation" has been lacking is obvious to anyone who has watched
the Democratic majority ram through the Congress a whole series of costly new domestic
programs. The war in Vietnam has now reached proportions of a magnitude sufficient to require
this nation to begin to weigh a careful balance between the need for "guns" and the need
for "butter."
New domestic spending proposals, no matter how desirable, must be viewed from the
standpoint of their effects upon our economy in a war situation. We cannot ignore the fact
that war requires sacrifice as has the Administration thus far.
It is incumbent upon all Republicans in this Congress to recognize the need for domestic
belt tightening and act accordingly. Perhaps, by our example, our Democratic colleagues
might be enlightened to the basic economic facts before the nation has gone too far down the
road towards fiscal chaos.
John Rhodes
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE: Mailing Piece For Negro Voters
Attached is a reprint of a mailing piece from the June issue of Ebony Magazine which
you may want to mail out to Negro voters in your District. The story deals with the appointment
of the first Negro pages to Congress by Paul Findley of Illinois and by Jacob Javits of New York.
Since the prices of these reprints will vary by the total number ordered from Ebony, the
Committee will collect orders from interested members and then place a quantity order with the
publishing company. For example, the price of only 1,000 reprints is $98 while the price of
50,000 is $649 a considerable saving in quantity, as you can see.
If you are interested in obtaining reprints, please advise Miss Bashoor at the Committee's
Public Relations Office (LIncoln 4-3010, ext. by September 10 of the number of copies
you will need. Many thanks.
BobWillion
A COUPLE
OF WHIZZES
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
GO TO
WASHINGTON
Brainy teen-agers are
first Negroes to serve as
Congressional pages
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
Discussing new jobs are Frank Mitchell (1.),
15, and Lawrence Bradford Jr., 16, who re-
cently became first of their race named Con-
gressional pages. Frank, of Springfield, was
nominated by Rep. Paul Findley, a Republi-
can representing his Illinois district. New
Yorker Lawrence was given the honor by his
representative, Republican Sen. Jacob Javits.
N. THE old days, a page was a very special young man. Proud, select,
for the Senate. A day later, Illinois' Republican Rep. Paul Findley an-
he was personal servant to society's absolute rulers-lords, bishops,
nounced the naming of Frank, a Springfield lad, to the House of
kings. In today's world, autocrats are passé; but the page-with his
Representatives staff.
long tradition and proud heritage-lives on. And the cream of the crop
Both youths are highly intelligent (Lawrence is an A-student and
are the 102 youths who serve the U.S. Congress.
Frank a citywide chess champ) and plan to make full use of the
Newest among the starry-eyeds are Lawrence Bradford Jr., 16, and
experience. Frank will bank his earnings-$4,000 to $5,000 a term for
Frank Mitchell, 15, a couple of high school whizzes who became the
running errands and performing other chores-for a pharmaceutical
first Negroes ever to fill the distinguished role. Lawrence, of New York
career. Lawrence, meanwhile, has set his sights even higher. He hopes
City, was nominated in April by Sen. Jacob Javits (Rep., N. Y.) to work
to return someday to the historic Capitol-as a senator.
Being welcomed to club is awe-stricken Lawrence (alias "Mickey"), shown with spon-
Frank is congratulated by sponsor Findley as fellow House Republicans Leslie Arends
sor Javits (r.) and Senate GOP Leader Everett Dirksen, who confirmed nomination.
of Illmois (r.), GOP whip, and minority leader Gerald R. Ford of Michigan look on.
At party in the capital, Lawrence ponders (left) over local dance steps. At right, he
swings out with Shirley Martin. Event honoring new pages was hosted by EBONY'S
Washington Bureau two blocks from the White House. Dozens of teens attended.
The center of attention (above) is Lawrence during press conference after appointment. At right,
he gets word of advice from insider Mrs. Daphne Coleman, Sen. Javits' patronage clerk. Loqua-
cious and outgoing, he distributed literature in Sen. Keating's unsuccessful re-election attempt.
Enjoying a rare break in grueling round, raincoated youths take in sights around
Capitol Hill. Despite dissimilar backgrounds (Lawrence is the suave Harlemite,
Frank the quiet Midwesterner) boys quickly made friends, accompany each other.
'JUST WANTED A BOY,' SAYS JAVITS
W HEN Mrs. Emma Bowen, youth advisor for New York City's
NAACP, dropped Lawrence's name to New York's then Sen.
Kenneth Keating last summer, she must have had her reservations.
Literally hundreds of applicants vie for openings on the 26-member
Senate page staff. And though her candidate had the background (he
was sophomore class president at Manhattan's experimental New
Lincoln School, headed the local NAACP youth council and was an
ardent GOP volunteer worker), the Senate had long had an "unwritten
rule" against Negro pages.
But early this year the state's other senator, Jacob Javits, began look-
ing around for a candidate of his own. Sen. Keating having been un-
seated in November, Mrs. Bowen took her request to Javits. "I wasn't
exactly looking for a Negro," recalls Javits, a longtime champion of
Warming up to new life, Lawrence chats with guest Langston Schoolers. Boys are
Settling down to work, Lawrence shares ride (above) with Javits aide Richard Aurelio
minority groups. "I was looking for a model youth. I think this boy is a
first Congress pages, but two Negroes serve Supreme Court. In 1959, Chicagoan
on subway linking Capitol with Senate Office Building. Below, he joins Frank as
fine example." Lawrence, the only child of a Ford assemblyman, thus
James Johnson was rejected as House page because another had already been named.
youths rush off to work after attending page school in the nearby Library of Congress.
became a national trailblazer.
Frank's appointment was much speedier. The horn-rimmed sopho-
more at Springfield's Feitshans High School was notified just days
earlier that he was being considered. Immediately he found himself
whisked away to Washington for interviews with Rep. Findley and
House GOP leader Gerald R. Ford, who confirmed the nomination.
As makers of history, both boys were treated to a dazzling round of
parties and press conferences. But the honeymoon soon ended and they
buckled down to the challenging and often exhausting job ahead.
Rising at dawn, pages attend a special school from 6:30 to 9 a.m. at
the Library of Congress. They then report to the Capitol, where they
are kept busy till about 4 p.m. As a general page, Lawrence takes
messages, delivers written material and performs assorted other jobs,
shuttling back and forth between the Capitol and the Senate Office
Building. Frank, stepson of a school custodian, is a telephone page. He
takes calls on phones outside the House chamber, either delivering the
message or summoning the lawmaker or his staffer from the floor.
Of general concern in the historic appointments was possible reac-
tion from Southerners in both houses, but both youths are reportedly
In a special classroom, industrious youths join other pages for three hours of instruc-
getting along fine. As the politic Lawrence analyzed it shortly after
his appointment: "I think they will be willing to go along with me,
Bevy of laughing girls welcome Frank with name cards reading "Hello!" While in
tion prior to Congressional duties. Both were sophomore class presidents before
town, he lives with a cousin, Mrs. Don Jackson, and her family. Many pages,'using
moving to Washington. Lawrence, a strapping boy at six-feet-two, plaved football.
because I am so willing to go along with them."
experience, go on to prominent careers in law, politics and other related fields.
Reprinted from the June, 1965
issue of Ebony