To John F. Kennedy
Author: King, Martin Luther, Jr.
Date: March 1, 1961
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Genre: Letter
Topic: Martin Luther King, Jr. - Political and Social Views
Details
Responding to the opposition of Benjamin E. Mays’s appointment to the United States Commission on Civil Rights by Georgia senators Herman E. Talmadge and Richard B. Russell, King sends this telegram to President Kennedy expressing support for Mays.1 King defends Mays’s character and talent, warning Kennedy that black voters will be “gravely disappointed” if Mays is not appointed due to “untrue attacks” by the senators. Although Kennedy expressed his high regard for Mays in a 21 March 1961 reply to King, he acquiesced to the southern senators’ demand, and Mays was not seated on the Commission.2 The following telegram was partially reprinted in the Atlanta Daily World.3
the president
the white house
an article which appeared in the atlanta journal revealed that dr benjamin e mays is being considered for a position in the administration but that there is a possibility that he will not receive an appointment because senators russell and talmadge have raised certain questions concerning his eligibility.4 it would be tragic if such a distinguished american were deprived of the opportunity to serve his country in a unique position merely because of unwarranted and false accusations made by the two senators of georgia. it seems obvious that the real objection that the senators have to dr. mays is that he has not been an accommodating ultra conservative leader. he has been a man of genuine humanitarian concern and real integrity. it would be a credit to the nation and to your administration to have a man of dr mays caliber serving in some position by all standards of measurement he is one of the truly great men of our generation he has always evinced unswerving devotion to the principles of american democracy and has labored untiringly across the years to extend the frontiers of justice. all men of good will and negro voters in particular will be gravely disappointed if the unethical and untrue attacks by the senators from georgia will prevent dr mays from being appointed.
martin luther king jr.
1. A vacancy had recently been created on the commission by the resignation of George M. Johnson, an African American. Mays was president of Morehouse College from 1940 until 1967. Long-time opponents of the civil rights movement, Russell and Talmadge objected to Mays’s appointment to the commission because they believed his identification with the civil rights movement would render him partial. The senators also accused Mays of associating with Communist-front organizations (Harold Davis, “Senators Oppose Mays Appointment,” Atlanta Journal, 1 March 1961; “Russell Talmadge Rap Plan to Select Dr. Mays,” Atlanta Journal, 1 March 1961).
2. In his reply to King, Kennedy called Mays “an outstanding American who has ably served his country in the past.” Fearing a fight in the Senate over Mays’s confirmation, Kennedy relented to pressure from Russell and Talmadge and instead appointed Spottswood William Robinson, dean of Howard University Law School (Harold Davis, “Dr. Mays Not to Get Rights Panel Post,” Atlanta Journal, 2 March 1961; “Fighter for Civil Rights,” New York Times, 28 July 1961). Southern senators also opposed Robinson’s nomination. Senator James O. Eastland of Mississippi called Robinson’s nomination “equally as reprehensible a choice for such a position as would be Roy Wilkins or Thurgood Marshall.” Robinson’s nomination was confirmed 73–17 (U.S. Congress, Senate, Congressional Record, 87th Cong., 1st sess., 1961, Vol. 107, pt. 10, 13669, 13695).
3. “Two Atlantans Wire Kennedy for Dr. Mays,” 2 March 1961.
4. Harold Davis, “Morehouses’s Dr. Mays Studied for Rights Post,” Atlanta Journal, 28 February 1961. In his 21 March 1961 reply to King, Kennedy denied that Russell or Talmadge had contacted him “with any criticism” of Mays. Talmadge was incensed that the White House leaked to the press that Mays was being considered for the post. Talmadge wrote to Reverend Dow Kirkpatrick of Atlanta’s St. Mark Methodist Church, who had written to Talmadge in support of Mays: “Appearances would indicate that the story was leaked with the view of trying to leave the impression in certain quarters that the President would be glad to conisder such an appointment and leave the responsibility on Senator Russell and me for killing it” (Kirkpatrick to Talmadge, 6 March 1961; Talmadge to Kirkpatrick, 14 March 1961).
Source: JFKWHCSF-MBJFK, John F. Kennedy Presidential Papers, White House Central Subject Files, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Boston, Mass.