To Julian Bond from J. A. Lawrence, 30 Aug 1967, with Bond's draft response

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF NEGRO ELECTED OFFICIALS c/o University of Chicago Center for Continuing Education 1307 East 60th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 312 BUtterfield 8-2500

August 30, 1967

Dear Colleague:

Preliminary plans for the National Conference have been completed. Before proceeding further we must know the number who may attend so we are therefore enclosing a form to be completed and returned if you intend to be a participant. Early response was both encouraging and enthusiastic.

As indicated in our previous letter, the Center for Continuing Education has all the necessary facilities for room and board (see folder) and while excellent they are also limited. We therefore recommend that you complete the form and mail immediately. Room reservations will be confirmed and further details will be sent as plans are formulated.

An exciting program is being planned in which you will have an opportunity to participate. We look forward to seeing you.

Sincerely, [signed] J A Lawrence For Sen. Dymally and P. Sutton Co-Chairmen

MD:PS:elw encl.

[The following is the marginal content left of the letterhead.]

Planning Committee

CO CHAIRMEN

Senator Mervyn M. Dymally California State Legislature

Borough President Percy E. Sutton Borough of Manhattan, New York

SECRETARY

Representative A. June Franklin Iowa State Legislature

*COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Honorable Horace C. Anderson School Board, Palo Alto, California

Honorable Lloyd A. Barbee State Assembly, Wisconsin

Honorable Julian Bond State Rep., Georgia

Honorable W. F. Bowen State Rep., Ohio

Honorable James Bradley State Rep., Michigan

Honorable Cloves Campbell State Senator, Arizona

Honorable Shirley Chisolm State Assembly, New York

Honorable James Del Rio State Rep., Michigan

Honorable Daisy Elliot State Rep., Michigan

Honorable Elwood Graham State Rep., Illinois

Honorable Curtis Graves State Rep., Texas

Honorable Marcus J. Gray County Clerk, Battle Creek, Michigan

Honorable Bill Greene State Assembly, California

Honorable Reese Hammond State Rep., Delaware

Honorable Richard Hatcher City Council, Gary, Indiana

Honorable David S. Holmes State Rep., Michigan

Honorable Troy L. James State Rep., Ohio

Honorable Dr. F. W. Johnson School Board, River Rouge, Michigan

Honorable Benjamin F. Jones City Council, Orange, New Jersey

Honorable Clarence Love State Rep., Kansas

Honorable C. J. McLin Jr. State Rep., Ohio

Honorable Virgil May Commissioner, Benton Harbor, Michigan

Honorable Calvin Moody County Supervisor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Honorable Richard H. Newhouse State Senator, Illinois

Honorable Larry A. Smith State Rep., Ohio

Honorable Bruce R. Watkins Court Clerk, Kansas City, Missouri

Honorable Verda Welcome State Senator, Maryland

Honorable Hazaiah Williams School Board, Berkeley, California

Honorable Woodrow Wilson State Rep., Nevada

*Incomplete List

[The following is the marginal content right of the letterhead.]

CONFERENCE DATES: Friday, Sept. 29th, Saturday, Sept. 30th, Sunday, Oct. 1, 1967

Dear Mr. Lawrence:

I'm returning the form you sent under separate cover.

I'm writing to see if any preliminary research you may have done has turned up the answers to these questions:

1. How many elected officials are there in the United States 2. How man are Negroes 3. How many of the Negroes represent constituencies that are 50% or more white.

If you could answer those questions or if you expect ^{be able} to/answer them any time soon, I'd appreciate your sharing the answers with me.

Sincerely

enc: list of Negro officeholders in Georgia