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The Urban Coalition I Federal Bar Building West/ 1819 H Street, N. w. Washington, D. C. / 20006 Steering Committee Co-chairmen: Andrew Heiskell/ A. Philip Randolph MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING March 11, 1968 Time-Life Building New York, New York Attendees: Mr. Arnold Aronson Mayor Joseph M. Barr Mr. Frederick J . Close Dr. Arthur Flemming Mr. Andrew Heiskell Mr. Philip Sorenson (representing J. Irwin Miller} Mr. Bayard Rustin (representing A. Philip Randolph} Mr. Irving Bluestone (representing Walter Reuther} Mayor James H.J. Tate (accompanied by Harry Galfan} Mr. Whitney M. Young, Jr. Mr. Joseph H. Allen Mayor John V. Lindsay (accompanied by Jay Kriegel and Peter Tufo} Rabbi Henry Siegman (representing Rabbi Jacob Rudin) Mr. Theodore Schlesinger Mr. John Gardner Mr. Ron M. Linton (National Coordinator) Mr. John Gunther (of the U. S. Conference of Mayors) Mr. John Feild (of the U. S. Conference of Mayors} Mr. Christopher Mould (Deputy National Coordinator) Co-Chairman Andrew Heiskell called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. He opened with a brief statement welcoming Mr. John Gardner as Chairman and e x pressing his thanks to Committee members for the support and cooperation h e had enjoyed in his role as Co-Chairman . He then turned the meeting over to Cha irman Gardner. Chairman Gardner indicated that he would be grateful if Messrs. Heiskell and Randolph wou ld agree t o continue as Co - Chai rmen . This suggestion was unanimously endorsed by the Executive Committee , and agreed to by Mr. Heiskell and by Mr. Rustin repre senting Mr. Randolph . Chairman Gardner then discussed his views on the appropriate func tions of the Urban Coalition at the nati o nal level. (An outline statement of these potential functions as developed by the Chairman is attached to and incorporated in these minutes). The Committee , after discussion, endorsed the several functions delineated . National Coordinators: John Feild/ Ron M. Linton Telephone 293-1530 �MINUTES March 11th Meeting Page 2 The Chairman then turned to the matter of reorganization of the national Urban Coalition to carry out the functions agreed upon. In this connection, Mr. Gardner suggested the creation of a subcommittee on reorganization to which he could refer for consultation as reorganization plans are developed. The Executive Committee approved the designation of a subcommittee on reorganization. The following Executive Committee members were appointed to this subcommittee: Co-Chairmen Heiskell and Randolph George Meany Walter Reuther J. Irwin Miller (Mr. Heiskell will serve as chairman) Chairman Gardner will take up with this committee such matters as potential expansion of Steering Committee membership, key appointments to the professional staff of the Coalition, the Coalition's task force and committee structures, and related significant plans. Mr. Gardner reported that consultation with legal counsel indicated that there were no obstacles to the creation of two organizational entities --one tax exempt and the other not, to carry out the work of the Coalition. Both entities would be under the jurisdiction of the Steering Committee and Executive Committee of the Coalition. The tax-exempt e ntity would receive potential foundation grants available to the Coalition as well as private contributions to carry out the rendering of technical assistance to local coalitions and non-legislative program efforts. The non- tax-exempt entity would carry out the legislative work of the Coalition. The Executive Committee unanimously authorized Chairman Gardner to proceed. Mr. Gardner then reported that he was further developing the Coalition's cooperative working relationships with appropriate government agencies and national organizations. To date, this has included creating linkage with the White House through Mr. Joseph Califano, and the National Alliance of Businessmen through Messrs. Henry Ford, II, and Leo Beebe. With respect to the National Alliance of Businessmen, the Chairman reported that he had pledged to the NAB the support of the Urban Coalition and given assurances that program efforts of the Coalition would be complementary. These assurances included. the pledge that every effort would be made to include NAB local chairmen in the de v e lopment and functioning of local coalitions. �MINUTES March 11th Meeting Page 3 The next item discussed by the Committee was the matter of Coalition finances . Mr. Gardner stated that in conversations with the Ford Foundation he had received assurance of substantial support. For the purpose of these conversations he had developed tentative plans for an annual operating budget of $1.3 million. In view of the s ~ ope of our objectives, however, it seemed prudent to set a fund-raising goal of $2 million. The $1.3 million figure reflected, Mr. Gardner stated, an estimated need for a staff approximating fifty persons, one half of that number to be professionals . The Ford Foundation, Mr. Gardner reported, was prepared to match, dollar for dollar, funds raised by the Coalition. In this connection, Mr. Gardner indicated that he planned to include one professional on the staff devoting full time to fund raising. The Ford Foundation, he said, had agreed to provide "start-up funds" immediately for the period of March 1 to June 1, amounting to approximately $200,000. Chairman Gardner requested and was unanimously given authority to proceed to commit these funds for staff and office space and related organizational needs. The Ex ecutive Committee then considered the matter of Coalition positions on a series of legislative items. Mr. Irving Bluestone, representing Ex ecutive Committee member Walter Reuther, presented a draft statement on housing and reconstruction, including the Administration's pending hous i ng proposals, prepared by the three co-chairmen, Walter Reuther, David Roc k efeller, and Joseph Keenan of the Tas k Force on Housing, Reconstruction and Investment. Afte r discussion i n the light of the imminent testimony in other capaci ties of Commi ttee members Heis k ell , Lindsay and Tate befor e t h e Congr ess on Hous i ng legislati on, the Ex ecutive Committee wi th the condition that a par agraph be added to the statement to emp ha s i z e the impor tance of pursuing, as a nati onal objective , the goal of a sin gle , i ntegrated soc i ety through all efforts in the hou si ng sphere . (Thi s s t atement, in its f i nal fo r m was sent to y ou as an attachment with t he last Nati onal Coo r dinato r' s Weekly Re p o rt-dated Ma rc h 1 5, 1 968) . The Co mmitte e then c o ns ide r ed a p r o p o s a l that the Coa li t i o n s up p o rt the passage by Congr ess o f a s u pplemen ta l app ropriation f o r the Office o f Eco n omi c Opp o r t unity in the amount o f $279 mi l lion. After hearin g a re po r t by Mr. J o hn Gunthe r o f the U.S. Co nfere nce of Mayo rs, wi t h r e spe ct t o t h e l egis lat ive prospects for a supplemental appro priatio n, and state ments on the need fo r continuing year - round and spe ci a l summe r OEO pro grams from othe r �