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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 expressing his thanks to Committee members for the support and cooperation he had enjoyed in his role as Co-Chairman. He then turned the meeting over to Chairman Gardner. Chairman Gardner indicated that he would be grateful if Messrs. Heiskell and Randolph would agree to continue as Co-Chairmen. This suggestion was unanimously endorsed by the Executive Committee , and agreed to by Mr . Heiskell and by Mr. Rustin representing Mr. Randolph . Chairman Gardner then discussed his views on the appropriate func tions of the Urban Coalition at the national 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 Reut her J. Irwin Miller (Mr. Heiskell will serve as chairman) Chairman Gardner will take up with this committee such matters as potential e x pansion of Steer ing Committee membership, key appoi ntments to the p r o fe ssional s t aff of t h e Coalition, t he Coalit ion's task force a nd committee structure s, a nd r e late d s ign i f i cant pla ns . Mr. Gardner reported that consultation with legal counsel indi cated that there were no obstacles to the creation of t wo organizational enti t ies --one t ax exempt a nd the othe r not , to carry out the work o f t h e Coali t ion . Both e n tities would be under t h e juri sdicti on o f the Steer ing Commi t t ee a n d Exe cut ive Committee o f t he Coa l ition. The tax -exempt e n t ity would r e c e ive pote nti a l f oundation grants available to the Coalition as well as private contributions to carry out the r e ndering o f technic a l assistance to local coa litions and non-legi sla t i v e p r ogr am e ffo rts. The non- tax-e x empt enti ty would c arry out the legislat i v e wo rk o f the Coa liti o n. The Exe c u ti ve Commi ttee unanimo usly autho rize d Chairman Gard ner t o pro ceed. Mr. Gardner then repo rted that he was further deve loping the Coali tion ' s coope rat ive work ing re l a t i ons hip s wi th appr o priate governme nt age nc i es and national orga n izations. To d a t e, t his h as inc luded creating linkage with t h e White Ho use thro ugh Mr. Joseph Califano, and t h e National Alliance of Businessmen through Messrs. Henry Ford, II, and Leo Beebe. With respect to the National Alliance o f Businessmen, the Chairman reported that he had pledged to t h e NAB the suppo rt 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 development 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 Executive Committee then considered the matter of Coalition positions on a series of legislative items. Mr. Irving Bluestone, representing Executive Committee member Walter Reuther, presented a draft statement on housing and reconstruction, including the Administration's pending housing proposals, prepared by the three co-chairmen, Walter Reuther, David Rockefeller, and Joseph Keenan of the Task Force on Housing, Reconstruction and Investment. After discussion in the light of the imminent testimony in other capacities of Committee members Heiskell; Lindsay and Tate before the Congress on Housing legislation, the Executive Committee with the condition that a paragraph be added to the statement to emphasize the importance of pursuing , as a national objective, the goal of a single, integrated society through all efforts in the housing sphere . (This statement, in its final form was sent to you as an attachment with the last National Coordinator's Weekly Report-dated March 15 , 1968). The Committee then considered a proposal that the Coalition support the passage by Congress of a supplemental appropriation for the Office of Economic Opportunity in the amount of $279 million. After hearing a r eport by Mr. John Gunther of the U.S. Conference of Mayors , with respect to the legislative prospects for a supplemental appropriation, and statements on the need for continuing year -round and special summer OEO programs from othe r �