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MAIN 65-1240 WA i C CABLE WATCHTOWER
I
B E AND TRACT SOCIETY
OF [PENNSYLVANIA
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
124 COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11201, U.S.A.
May 25, 1967
Mr, Sidney Scarborough
Atlanta Stadium
Atlanta, Georgia 30312
Dear Mr. Scarborough:
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.,
(Jehovah's Witnesses) are interested in arranging for a con-
vention in Atlanta, Georgia, July 6 through July 13, 1969.
We would need at least two days of ingress and one day for
egress. So the dates that we would require are July 4 through
July 14, 1969, if we were to have our convention in Atlanta.
I fully appreciate that in order to make arrangements to
use the Atlanta Stadium things must be worked out with the
baseball schedule first, but very likely if you speak with
the officials in the National League to clear these dates they
may do so. However, before this would be done there are a few
questions that you may be able to answer, If you think it is
better for me to see you personally then I could fly to Atlanta
to discuss the whole matter with you and at the same time see
the stadium and the facilities.
What the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, (Jehovah's
Witnesses), would like to do in 1969 is have another inter-
national assembly in the United States. There is no place in
the United States that is large enough to hold all of Jehovah's
witnesses in one place. So we have to have the convention in
sections and we hope to have an eastern section convention
July 6 through July 13, from Sunday to Sunday inclusive, in
the summer of 1969. We would like to have a convention at
Yankee Stadium in New York and in Atlanta, Georgia on the
same dates. This would handle the eastern part of the
United States.
The following week we would like to arrange for conventions
in Chicago and St. Louis, to be held simultaneously, and this
would involve July 13 through July 20. From there we would
go to the West Coast to Anaheim, July 20 to July 27. It is our
plan to use five different ball parks during this three-week
period.
I am currently working with the American League and with
Mr. Joseph Cronin, its president, so as to try and clear the
A&A NONPROFIT CORPORATION
Mr. Sidney Scarborough
Atlanta Stadium
Atlanta, Georgia 30312
May 25, 1967, Page Two
dates for Yankee Stadium, Comiskey Park and Anaheim Stadium.
Of course, I can do the same, if necessary, with the National
league, with its president Mr. Warren C. Giles. At the time
I know whether the Atlanta Stadium will be available and you
would want us to use your stadium during the above-mentioned
dates, I could follow through with contacting Mr. Giles. I
have spoken to Mr, Glennon J. Walsh, Director of Operations
for the Civie Center Busch Memorial Stadium, and he is quite
agreeable to renting the stadium to us if we ean clear it with
the National League.
Are you willing to rent the Atlanta Stadium to the
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., for
these eight days with at least two days for ingress and one
day for egress, so that we can get things set up and then
dismantled? What would your rental fee be?
Would you also let us know who handles the concessions
at the stadium, because the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society
usually operates its own cafeteria and refreshment stands, as
well as handling all of the parking. We want agreement for
all of the facilities available.
To give you an example, at Yankee Stadium in New York city
we arrange with the concessionaire through the management of
the stadium to take over all of their facilities and to operate
them with our volunteer help, all of whom are very experienced.
We have handled large conventions for many years, but it may be
that you are not acquainted with us. That is why I would be
very happy to fly to Atlanta sometime early in June, if you
would give me the choice of a few dates as to when you would
be available, and then we would speak about this matter. Maybe
we could come to some agreement and you could fet a better
picture of what the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is and
what we would like to do.
Now that you know the dates we would like to have I am
sure something could be done to arrange the 1969 baseball
schedule. We anticipate that we would bring between 40,000 and
45,000 people to Atlanta and that very likely we would have
that many in attendance at our closing session, the eighth
Gay of the convention. That will give you some estimate of
the crowd that we expect. Whatever price you would give us
for the stadium we would want to include parking facilities
that you have, and stadium concessions. We have worked out
these matters satisfactorily with all other stadiums, and I am
Mr. Sidney Scarborough
Atlanta Stadium
Atlanta, Georgia 30312
May 25, 1967, Page Three
confident that it can be worked out with the Atlanta Stadium.
We would very much like to include Atlanta, Georgia in
our setup for the international assembly of Jehovah's witnesses
in the United States in July of 1969 and would be very happy
to hear from you. If you would like to discuss this more
thoroughly, which I feel is advisable, please let me know and
I will be happy to come to Atlanta to speak with you. JI think
that is a much better way to handle the matter. I would be
pleased if you could let me know soon just what might be done.
pincere ly yours,
Ni bla
N. H, Knorr
President
NHK/AG/AE