Minutes of the Meeting of the President's Committee on Civil Rights

PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON CIVIL RIGHTS. Minutes of the Meeting Held on January 15, 1947. HARRY U.S. ARCHIVES GOVERNMENT SERVICE" "NATIONAL RECORDS AND The first meeting of the President's Committee on Civil Rights was held at the White House on January 15, 1947. A general discussion took place as to the purposes and aims of the Committee with a view toward getting some form of organization and some plan of procedure for the future work of the Committee. The Chairman suggested that the following sub-committees be set up: 1. A group to consider how existing law might be more factually used and recommend changes in the existing law and any new legislation that would be necessary to change the existing law. 2. A group to consider the social, economic, and educational phases of the problem. 3. A group to consider the related aspects of the civil rights problem and explore the organizations, membership and statutes of the groups operating against the minorities and civil rights. The Chairman suggested that if three such groups would study the problem, they would pretty well cover the field that is embraced in the franchise the Committee received from the President. A discussion followed as to the advisability of setting up such sub-committees and then Mr. Carey moved as follows: "I move that the recommendation of the Chairman, that three sub-committees be designated, be accepted". The motion was seconded, voted upon, and passed unanimously. The Chairman was asked to give the members some idea as to how much the Committee would have to spend, either in dollars or in man power. He said that to the best of his knowledge, there would be no limitation put on it; that if it ran into an extraordinary large figure, he would go to the President or somebody else to find out if what the Committee was spending was within the figure that was contemplated. From anything he knew, however, he thought there would be no question about it as he was assured that a pretty substantial organization was contemplated. Mr. Carey moved: "I would like to make the motion that the Committee invite national organizations, economic, religious, professional, civic, educational, and cultural, and other organizations, to forward to the Committee a summary report of their activities in the broad field over which this Committee operates." A lengthy discussion followed as