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SPECIAL
SUPPLEMENT
THE FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS AGENCIES
8-19-64
There are six Federal agencies operating principally and directly in
the field of civil rights. Since some of these agencies are newly created
and others have had their scope changed recently, there exists some confu-
sion as to their structure and functions. This brief summary seeks to clar-
ify this.
It should also be noted that plans are now underway to eliminate any
duplication of effort of the agencies and potential confusion among citizens
who seek assistance or who deal with the Government on civil rights matters.
The Commission cn Civil Rights (1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Wash-
ington) was established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957. There are six
commissioners appointed by the President who must be confirmed by the Senate.
The Chaizman of the Civil Rights Commission is John A. Hannah. The Commis-
sion has had no Staff Director since the resignation of Berl I. Bernhard
last fall; the acting Director is Howard W. Rogerson. There is a staff of
seventy, about half of whom are professionals. The 1964 Civil Rights Act
has extended the life of the Commission to January 31, 1968.
The Commission's functions are to investigate denials of the right to
vote and have that vote counted on the basis of color, race, religion or
national origin; to study and collect information concerning legal develop-
ments relating to a denial of equal protection of the laws to appraise the
laws and policies of the Federal Government with respect to equal protection
of the laws; to investigate allegations of vote fraud; to serve as a national
cleering house for civil rights information; and to make reports and rec-
ommendations to the President and to the Congress for corrective action.
Subjects covered by the Commission's studies and recommendations have in-
cluded voting, education, employment, housing and the administration of
justice.
Acting under the authority granted it by the 1957 Act, the Civil Rights
Commission established advisory committees in each of the fifty states.
These advisory groups consist of citizens of standing who are sufficiently
interested in civil rights problems to serve without compensation. The state
groups meet from time to time and make their own reports and recommendations
which are published periodically,
The Civil Rights Commission is unique in that it is the only one of
the civil rights agencies which is juasi-independent. Thus, the Commission
can -- and has -- submitted reports critical of the administrations under
which it has served and has made recommendations which have put the White
House in a defensive position (e.g., housing) For this reason, Washington
observers note a tendency to deal more cautiously with the Commission than
with the agencies under more direct Presidential control.
The President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity (Department
of Labor Building, Washington) was established by Executive Order 10925 of
March 6, 1961. It is a direct successor to similar committees which had
been established by Presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower. The Execu-
tive Vice Chairman is Hobart Taylor, Jr. The Committee is composed both of
Government officials and non-Government public members. There is a staff
of about sixty, some half of whom are professionals.
The Committee is concerned both with equal employment opportunity with-
in the Federal service and on Government contract employment. In addition
to acting on specific complaints, it also acts affirmatively to assure com-
pliance with the letter and the spirit of the Executive Order, including
educational programs. Periodic reports are issued.
The Plans for Progress program, which is part of the President's Com-
mittee, is directed at the recruitment of employers who voluntarily pledge
to engage in fair employment practices and to accelerate the employment,
training and advancement of minority group persons. It supplements the
Federal program applicable to government contracts; participants are major
employers, including companies not involved in government contracting.
Community Leaders Conferences are held periodically by the Committee in
different cities throughout the country to solicit the cooperation and aid
of various segments of the community in working toward solutions of problems
of equal employment opportunity.
Document source description
October 1963 memo on blacks appointed to positions in the Ohio state government.
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"ocrText": "SPECIAL\nSUPPLEMENT\nTHE FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS AGENCIES\n8-19-64\nThere are six Federal agencies operating principally and directly in\nthe field of civil rights. Since some of these agencies are newly created\nand others have had their scope changed recently, there exists some confu-\nsion as to their structure and functions. This brief summary seeks to clar-\nify this.\nIt should also be noted that plans are now underway to eliminate any\nduplication of effort of the agencies and potential confusion among citizens\nwho seek assistance or who deal with the Government on civil rights matters.\nThe Commission cn Civil Rights (1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Wash-\nington) was established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957. There are six\ncommissioners appointed by the President who must be confirmed by the Senate.\nThe Chaizman of the Civil Rights Commission is John A. Hannah. The Commis-\nsion has had no Staff Director since the resignation of Berl I. Bernhard\nlast fall; the acting Director is Howard W. Rogerson. There is a staff of\nseventy, about half of whom are professionals. The 1964 Civil Rights Act\nhas extended the life of the Commission to January 31, 1968.\nThe Commission's functions are to investigate denials of the right to\nvote and have that vote counted on the basis of color, race, religion or\nnational origin; to study and collect information concerning legal develop-\nments relating to a denial of equal protection of the laws to appraise the\nlaws and policies of the Federal Government with respect to equal protection\nof the laws; to investigate allegations of vote fraud; to serve as a national\ncleering house for civil rights information; and to make reports and rec-\nommendations to the President and to the Congress for corrective action.\nSubjects covered by the Commission's studies and recommendations have in-\ncluded voting, education, employment, housing and the administration of\njustice.\nActing under the authority granted it by the 1957 Act, the Civil Rights\nCommission established advisory committees in each of the fifty states.\nThese advisory groups consist of citizens of standing who are sufficiently\ninterested in civil rights problems to serve without compensation. The state\ngroups meet from time to time and make their own reports and recommendations\nwhich are published periodically,\nThe Civil Rights Commission is unique in that it is the only one of\nthe civil rights agencies which is juasi-independent. Thus, the Commission\ncan -- and has -- submitted reports critical of the administrations under\nwhich it has served and has made recommendations which have put the White\nHouse in a defensive position (e.g., housing) For this reason, Washington\nobservers note a tendency to deal more cautiously with the Commission than\nwith the agencies under more direct Presidential control.\nThe President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity (Department\nof Labor Building, Washington) was established by Executive Order 10925 of\nMarch 6, 1961. It is a direct successor to similar committees which had\nbeen established by Presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower. The Execu-\ntive Vice Chairman is Hobart Taylor, Jr. The Committee is composed both of\nGovernment officials and non-Government public members. There is a staff\nof about sixty, some half of whom are professionals.\nThe Committee is concerned both with equal employment opportunity with-\nin the Federal service and on Government contract employment. In addition\nto acting on specific complaints, it also acts affirmatively to assure com-\npliance with the letter and the spirit of the Executive Order, including\neducational programs. Periodic reports are issued.\nThe Plans for Progress program, which is part of the President's Com-\nmittee, is directed at the recruitment of employers who voluntarily pledge\nto engage in fair employment practices and to accelerate the employment,\ntraining and advancement of minority group persons. It supplements the\nFederal program applicable to government contracts; participants are major\nemployers, including companies not involved in government contracting.\nCommunity Leaders Conferences are held periodically by the Committee in\ndifferent cities throughout the country to solicit the cooperation and aid\nof various segments of the community in working toward solutions of problems\nof equal employment opportunity."
}