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This file contains:
The Vice President's Schedule. Les Arends Day-- Melvin, Illinois. 2 pages. Duplicate not scanned. [Memo], 5/27/1960
Vice-President Nixon to Speak at Melvin Friday, May 27. Author and newspaper unknown. Not scanned. [Newspaper], 5/12/1960
Nixon Blasts 3 Democrats. Written by William Anderson for the Chicago Tribune. Not scanned. [Newspaper], n.d.
To: Advance Men, From: Bob Haldeman. Re: Melvin, Illinois Trip. [Memo], 6/3/1960
Melvin, Illinois Trip details. 3 pages. [Memo], 5/27/1960
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26127465
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WHSF: Returned, 50-5
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26127465
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WHSF: Returned, 50-5
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This file contains:
The Vice President's Schedule. Les Arends Day-- Melvin, Illinois. 2 pages. Duplicate not scanned. [Memo], 5/27/1960
Vice-President Nixon to Speak at Melvin Friday, May 27. Author and newspaper unknown. Not scanned. [Newspaper], 5/12/1960
Nixon Blasts 3 Democrats. Written by William Anderson for the Chicago Tribune. Not scanned. [Newspaper], n.d.
To: Advance Men, From: Bob Haldeman. Re: Melvin, Illinois Trip. [Memo], 6/3/1960
Melvin, Illinois Trip details. 3 pages. [Memo], 5/27/1960
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Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
Returned White House Special Files
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Richard Nixon Presidential Library
White House Special Files Collection
Folder List
Box Number
Folder Number
Document Date
Document Type
Document Description
50
5
05/27/1960
Memo
The Vice President's Schedule. Les Arends
Day-- Melvin, Illinois. 2 pages. Duplicate not
scanned.
50
5
05/12/1960
Newspaper
Vice-President Nixon to Speak at Melvin
Friday, May 27. Author and newspaper
unknown. Not scanned.
50
5
n.d.
Newspaper
Nixon Blasts 3 Democrats. Written by
William Anderson for the Chicago Tribune.
Not scanned.
50
5
06/03/1960
Memo
To: Advance Men, From: Bob Haldeman.
Re: Melvin, Illinois Trip.
50
5
05/27/1960
Memo
Melvin, Illinois Trip details. 3 pages.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Page 1 of 1
COPY
CONFIDENTIAL
THE VICE PRESIDENT'S SCHEDULE
LES ARENDS DAY -- Melvin, Illinois
Friday, May 27, 1960
12:15 p.m. Both Arrive United Air Lines Hangar #8 - next to
Butler Aviation Washington National
Airport
:
12:30 p.m. Both Takeoff on United Air Lines Charter for Chanute
EDT
Air Force Base, Illinois
3:00 p.m. Both Arrive Chanute Air Force Base -- Greetings from
CDT
Congressman Arends and Governor Stratton
3:15 p.m.
Both
Depart Chanute by motorcade for Melvin
No one will ride with you - Congressman
Arends and Governor Stratton will
follow respectively in separate cars.
4:00 p.m.
Both Arrive outskirts of Melvin -change to convertible
Motorcade through downtown Melvin
4:15 p.m.
Both
Arrive Melvin High School greet assembled
students
4:30 p.m.
Both
Depart School Walk to Les Arends' home -
1-1/2 blocks -- greet townspeople enroute
4:45 p.m.
Both
Arrive Les Arends home -- sandwiches available
RN
Press meeting in back yard -- (30 minutes)
5:30 p.m.
Both
Depart Arends' home for Fairgrounds - 1-1/2 block
greet townspeople enroute
5:45 p.m.
Both
Arrive Barn Dance Hall at Fairgrounds
(RN, PN, Arends and possibly Stratton)
Receiving Line - distinguished guests - 600
6:30 p.m.
Both
Depart for Speakers platform
6:50 p.m. Both Entertainment begins
Kankakee Champion Drill Tream
Presentation of Colors
Bloomington Barbershop Chorus
LES ARENDS DAY - Melvin, Ill.
- 2 -
7:30 p.m.
Both
Program begins -- Mrs. C. Wayland Brooks, M.C.
Invocation
Distinguished Guests
Presentation by Bryce Harlow
Governor Stratton
Presentation of Lifetime membership
in the American Legion to Les Arends
8:30 p.m.
RN
THE VICE PRESIDENT SPEAKS
Program Continued
Retiring of Colors
Benediction
9:15 p.m.
Both
Program concludes
9:30 p.m.
Both
Depart Fairgrounds by car for Chanute
10:15 p.m.
Both
Arrive Chanute Air Force Base --
Takeoff on United Air Lines Charter for
Washington, D. C.
2:15 a.m.
Both
Arrive United Air Lines Hangar #8 - next to
EDT
Butler Aviation -- Washington National Airport
THE VICE PRESIDENT'S SCHEDULE
LES ARENDS DAY Melvin Illinois
Friday, May 27, 1960
12:15 p.m. Both
Arrive United Air Lines Hangar #8 - next to Butler
Aviation - Washington National Airport
12:30 p.m. Both
Takeeff on United Air Lines Charter for Chanute Air
EDT
Force Base, Illinois
3:00 p.m. Both
Arrive Chanute Air Force Base -- Greetings from
CDT
Congressman Arends and Governor Stratton
3:15 p.m. Both
Depart Chanute by motorcade for Melvin
No one will ride with you - Congressman Arends
and Governor Stratton will follow respectively
in separate care
4:00 p.m. Both
Arrive outskirts of Melvin ** change to convertible
Motorcade through downtown Molvin
4:15 p.m. Beth
Arrive Melvin High School -- Greet assembled students
4:30 p.m. Both
Depart School -- walk to Les Arends' home - 1 1.2
blocks -- greet townspeeple enrouts
4:45 p.m. Both
Arrive Les Arends home .. sandwiches available
RN
Press Meeting in back yard -- (30 minutes)
5:30 p.m. Moth
Depart Areade' home for Fairgrounds - 1 1/2 blocks
greet townspeople earoute
5:45 p.m. Both
Arrive Barn Dance Hall at Fairgrounds
(RN, PN, Areads and possibly Stratton)
Receiving Line - distinguished guests - 600
6:30 p.m. Both
Depart for speakers platform
6:50 p.m. Both
Datertainment begins
Kankahee Champion Drill Team
Presentation of Colors
Bloomington Barbershop Chorue
LES ARENDS DAY ** Melvin, Illinois
2.
Friday, May 27, 1960
7:30 p.m. Both
Program begins -- Mrs. C. Wayland Brooks, M.C.
Invocation
Distinguished Guests
Presentation by Bryce Harlow
Governor Strattes
Presentation of Lifetime membership in the
American Legien to Lee Areads
8:30 p.m. RN
THE VICE PRESIDENT SPEAKS
Program Continued
Retiring of Colors
Benediction
9:15 p.m. Both
Pregram Concludes
9:30 p.m. Both
Depart Fairgrounds by car for Chanute
10:15 p.m. Both
Arrive Chanute Air Force Base --
CDT
Takeeff on United Air Lines Charter for
Washington, D. C.
2:15 p.m. Both
Arrive United Air Lines Hangar 14 - next to Butler
EDT
Aviation -- Washington National Airport
cs
June 3, 1960
C 0 N F I D B N THE I A I
TO: ADVANCE MEN
FROM: Bob Haldeman
RE: Melvin, Illinois trip
As I did with the upstate New York trip I will try to summarize
some of the good and bad points of the recent trip to Melvin,
Illinois in the attached memorandum.
Alsc attached is a copy of the schedule for the Melvin, Illinois
trip. This trip was advanced by Bob Ogden and Bob Haldeman.
We did the Advance work two weeks ahead of the actual visit
and then went back into Melvin early Friday morning prior to
the 3 o'clock arrival at Chanute Air Force Base of the Vice
President's party.
As I am sure you understand, this critique is put together
solely for the purpose of taking advantage of the things we learn
on each successive trip and not to imply that there was anything
particularly wrong with the Melvin trip itself.
CONFIDENTIAL
MELVIN, ILLINOIS TRIP
May 27, 1960
AIRPORT ARRIVAL:
This airport arrival was somewhat different than usual because
of the fact that we used Chanute Air Force Base instead of a
regular civilian airport. This was necessary because Chanute
is the only adequate field in the area near Melvin, Illinois.
Melvin itself is a town of 550 people and therewere, of course,
no landing facilities there.
The usual problems involved in using a military field came up
in varying degrees. The base commander, of course, wanted to
have a full honor guard and the base band, etc. This was, of
course, not permitted. However, even at the last minute before
the plane landed, a large number of troops were turned out to
stand as an honor guard but the base commander, General Gainey
sent them away when it was requested that he do so.
We did leave a detail of air police who formed a passage from
the ramp of the plane up to the motorcade lineup by lining up
in two facing lines about 15 feet apart. The greeting committee
which consisted of the Governor, Congressman Arends and a couple
of other people, then formed within this area and it worked out
very well.
The cars were lined up in a good location, and swung out right
in front of the plane landing area as soon as the plane had
stopped so that it was easy to move from the aircraft to the
cars and to get out of the base.
MOTORCADE:
The motorcade lineup was very good and numbers were provided
for all the cars so that their positions in the motorcade were
easily determined. There was some problem in that we did not
have an opportunity to meet with the drivers and give them
their basic instructions. This is extremely important and
should always be done in the future.
We also ran into a problem because although we carefully spec-
ified the number of cars needed, the local committee had
arranged several more cars than were necessary and were very
disturbed by the possibility that they would not all be used,
There was no alternative but to firmly inform them that it
would not be possible to use more than the specified number of cars.
Melvin, Illinois Trip
- 2 -
June 3, 1960
CONFIDENTIAL
The instructions on not using a lead car came out after the
motorcade plans had been set up for Melvin and consequently
a lead car had been scheduled. We did arrange, however, to
have it run a mile or more ahead of the motorcade at all times
so it did not create any particular problem.
When the motorcade arrived in Melvin the Congressman, the Gov-
ernor and the Vice President changed to convertibles for a
motorcade through the downtown Melvin area.
This would have worked out all right except that ahead of the
Vice President's convertible they put an open car with press
photographers and TV people to get pictures of the parade
through town. This of course, is o.k. as long as we have
control of the speed of this lead vehicle. In this case,
the driver went much too slowly and we were unable to speed
him up. In this connection, it's important to be sure that
if there is a photographic car running ahead of the Vice Pres-
ident's car during a downtown parade, the driver is carefully
instructed as to the speeds he is to use, and that he is to
watch the No. 1 car for instructions on speed. He is not to
take his instructions from the photographers riding with him.
Later in the day we had some motorcade problems because the
drivers did not remain with their cars and as a matter of
fact, in the evening when it was time to depart for the Air
Force Base we never did find two of the car drivers and for-
tunately, the party going back to the plane was smaller than
that coming in, so we were able just to leave their cars there.
This could, however, have created a serious problem.
MEETINGS:
The first major stop was at Melvin High School to greet
assembled students and this worked out pretty well. They had
roped off a passageway from the street up to the High School
steps for the Vice President and his party and this was a very
good idea since he was able to walk along and greet the crowd
without being closed in by them. Unfortunately, this walkway
disappeared after he got to the steps so there was no way of
getting out except through the crowd.
This resulted in a number of policemen filling in around the
Vice President and the perennial problem of too many uniformed
officers arose then and stayed with us for the rest of the
trip. This is something we have got to figure out a way of
stopping. At this point, all we can do is stress at every
possible point, that there is no need for uniformed officers
to escort the Vice President through crowds or through the
various parts of his itinerary.
Melvin, Illinois Trip
- 3 -
June 3, 1960
CONFIDENTIAL
The main event at the Fairgrounds posed several problems that
would have been difficult to avoid.
Upon arrival at the Fairgrounds there was a receiving line set
up in the barndance hall; admission to which was supposed to be
for committee members and distinguished guests only who were
supposed to come in from a back entrance to the Fair Grounds.
This didn't work out and instead, the general public lined up
at the doorway to get into this building and therefore the re-
ception became a regular public reception. Fortunately, the
size of the crowd was not nearly as big as expected and it was
possible to accommodate a large number of the people who were in
line.
At the end of the reception, the Vice President and the official
party went over to the fish-fry line to get some food and have
pictures taken and then went over to the Speakers platform in
a different part of the fairgrounds. All of this was on foot,
and worked out pretty well as far as moving through the crowds
were concerned except for the fact that again there were too many
uniformed policemen.
The arrangement of the Speakers platform was extremely bad. It
was faced at right angles to the seating area which they called
a grandstand, because there was supposedly going to be a very
large standup crowd in addition to those who would be able to
sit in the grandstand. Because of rain and lack of adequate
personal contact in getting people out, the crowd was much smaller
than expected and there were consequently very few standees.
This made a rather awkward arrangement but no one seemed to be
particularly aware of it,
The local committee had roped off an area in front of the Speakers
platform extending back about 20 feet from the platform, leaving
a great, empty space. We changed this by moving the ropes in so
the people could come right up to a few feet from the platform
instead of being held way back. This is important to remember
for future occasions. We should never let them set something up
that keeps the people way back from the speaker.
The
program
was
too
long. especially for a stand-up crowd but
this seems to be hard to avoid at a testimonial occasion.