To Julian Bond from Grover Thompson, 9 Mar 1968, with Bond's draft response

635 East First South

Salt Lake City, Utah 84102

March 9, 1968

^[illegible]

The Hon. Julian Bond

162 Eurahlee Street, S. W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30314

Dear Mr. Bond:

I'm sorry to be so slow in replying to your letter, but decisions are slow around here. Because the Challenge Committee would not like any major address to come before the Tuesday noon date, I suggest that you plan to arrive in Salt Lake on Monday afternoon, April 1, and leave on Thursday morning, April 4. That will give us two full days.

In addition to the major address at the U. of Utah, you are wanted at Westminster College and by a group at Brigham Young University. The same address could be used for all three times, because it would be different audiences. Westminster would be on Wednesday morning, and BYU probably on Tuesday evening. In addition, we definitely would you to meet informally with our SOUL group (this might be a mixed group with a Free U. class on Negro History.) Then there would probably be a couple of classroom situations of an informal nature, not needing a set speech.

We hope you can undertake this schedule. We'll try not to fill it so full you can't enjoy the trip. It is fine for you to stay all three nights at the hotel arranged by the Challenge Committee.

As for money, we have about $75 in sight beyond the Challenge Committee allotment. That would mean about $25 or $30 for the extra expenses and about $45 or $50 extra for you. Will that be enough for the extra day?

We'll go ahead hoping and planning this way, but hope to hear again soon.

Sincerely,

(signed) Grover Thompson

GROVER THOMPSON

President, SOUL

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(Peggy: Please send a carbon copy of this letter to the person from the University of Utah whose name letter is the most recent in my file - I can't recall his name)

^{√ Merrill Cook)}

^√Dear Mr. Thompson:

Thank you for your letter.

The arrangements you have mentioned are fine with me. As I understand it I should plan to arrive on the afternoon or evening of the 1st, speak for the Challenge Committee on the 2nd, fulfill the arrangements you have made on the 3rd, and be free to leave on the mroning of the 4th.

The financial arrangements are also satisfactory, although I think I mentioned in my telephone conversation with you that I would not be at all averse to a larger fee.

At any rate, I look forward to seeing you in April.

Sincerely,