To Julian Bond from James Salem, 15 Oct 1968, with Bond's draft response

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES UNIVERSITY, ALABAMA 35486

PROGRAM IN AMERICAN STUDIES

October 15, 1968

The Honorable Julian Bond Member of the Assembly of Georgia Representatives Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Mr. Bond:

I am the new Director of American Studies at the University of Alabama, and I urgently solicit your help. Our Program desperately needs two things: intellectual variety and campus publicity. With your cooperation we can secure both.

I have persuaded this administration of the University to approve in principle the idea of installing Tele-Lecture equipment in the seminar room used by the American Studies Program. The final approval is contingent upon the willingness of important American personalities to speak to us on the telephone and upon the cost involves in securing such speakers. Letters of inquiry have gone out to representatives of all political philosophies.

American Studies majors at the University of Alabama desire and need to hear a variety of voices and ideas. Students in the Program are curious, bright, eager, and intellectually tough. And though the student administered Emphasis Program brings outstanding speakers to this campus every spring (last year: Robert Kennedy, Roy Wilkins, John Kenneth Galbraith, Charles Weltner, Strom Thurmond) public lectures do not provide for the give and take of an informal seminar arrangement.

If you could find time to devote fifteen or thirty minutes to the enrichment of the American Studies Program at the University of Alabama, we would be most grateful. The seminars meet from 9:30 to 11:00 A.M. and from 2:00 to 3:30 P.M. (Central time) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Tele-Lecture Program will run from October 29 to December 17. Once a date and time can be arranged we would merely telephone you at your home or office. All of us could hear you, and you could hear the whole class. No special equipment is required from the speaker's end, and no additional time on your part will be necessary.

Though I am aware of the great demands on your time, I sincerely hope you can see your way to respond affirmatively.

Very truly yours, [signature] James M. Salem Director

JMS/llp

[handwritten] No

[to the left of the underlined text above is a question mark]