White House Press Release, Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and L. Welch Pogue

IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY 15, 1946 The President has addressed the following letter to Honorable L. Welch Pogue, accepting his resignation as Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board: "My dear Mr. Pogue: I had been mindful during the last half year of your desire to retire as Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board. I appreciate particularly your acquiescence in my wish that you continue at your post of duty. until next month. Because of the circumstances which you emphasize in your letter of May ninth, I accept regretfully your resignation, effective upon the qualification of your successor. This will permit me to appoint you as a delegate, in accordance with the suggestion of the Department of State, to the First Annual Assembly of the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal before relinquishing your duties. You have been associated with the work of civil aeronautics since the creation of the organization. You have witnessed a remarkable period of evolution and have been a vital part of that evolution from the start. Your contributions to many phases of this development have been not only. numerous but of incalculable value. I am grateful for all that you have contributed to the national welfare during your period of service. This con- tribution was all the greater because of your early awareness of the importance of aviation both in war and postwar transpor- tation. It is a satisfaction to know that your interest will not flag as you return to your law practice. We shall wish to call upon you from time to time for the counsel which you can give out of such a varied and rich experience. Very sincerely yours, HARRY S. TRUMAN" Following is the text of Mr. Pogue's letter to the President: "My dear Mr. President: When I first asked you last fall to accept my resig- nation at the end of 1945 so that I could return to private law practice, I knew, as I realize SO well now, that leaving the Civil Aeronautics Board would not be an easy step to take. When you requested me to stay on until June of 1946, I rearranged my personal plans to that end SO that time might be offorded for securing a successor. Accordingly, I deeply appreciated it when you advised me some time ago that you had found a successor who would be available in June. Please accept this letter, there- fore, as my formal resignation to become effective in June, the agreed time of my departure from the Board. Let me assure you that I shall be honored to be of service to you in the future if at any time the need should arise. (OVER)