After joining the National Capital Housing Authority in 1941, he rose through the ranks to become its director in 1961. He held that post for five eventful years. There he won the respect of his fellow citizens-not only in Washington but from urban experts throughout the nation.

A year ago, Walter Washington went to New York to take the job as chairman of the New York City Housing Authority.

Now Mr. Washington has expressed his desire to come back home to lead his city in the job of first responsibility to the 800,000 citizens of the District.

He will be ably assisted by Mr. Thomas William Fletcher. Mr. Fletcher is now deputy assistant secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Throughout his career, Tom Fletcher has been a leader in city government. Over the past 15 years, he has been a city administrator-one of the best in the business.

In five productive years as city manager of San Diego, California-from 1961 to 1966-Tom Fletcher won a national reputation as one of America's outstanding city executives.

There, he pioneered the most advanced city management budgeting techniques. These have served as a model for other cities.

He is an expert fiscal planner.

Tom Fletcher has earned the high praise and strong endorsements of the leaders of the nation's top municipal organizations: The National League of Cities, the International City Managers Association and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

He is an innovator, he is experienced, highly respected and eminently qualified for his new job. He is a man who can make government work for the good of the people it serves.

In a special way, the problems of the nation's first city are also the problems of the nation. No men in any other public jobs face more exciting or exacting challenges than this new team of leaders for Washington.

We believe we have found the right men for the right jobs at the right time.

[From the Washington Afro-American, Sept. 9, 1967]

LBJ ENDS PRESS CORPS SPECULATION

(By Stephen Johnston)

As the newsmen gathered in the west wing of the White House on Wednesday at 11 a.m., speculation ran high that the President was about to name the appointee to the post of city commissioner under his new reorganization plan for the District.

Guesses as to the identity of the new commissioner ran high, the assembled reporters were about equally divided in their opinions. Half thought Walter Washington would be named and the other half thought Washington's chances for the post were diminished if not eliminated because of the amount of speculation in the newspapers and other media.

A few minutes after the hour of eleven the photographers were called into the press room and allowed to take their pictures. A couple of minutes later the press corps were ushered into the room where the President sat flanked by Walter Washington on the left and Thomas W. Fletcher on the right.

The President made a brief announcement of his appointment of Washington to the top post in the newly reorganized District Government and the appointment of Fletcher to become deputy commissioner.

President Johnson announced the appointments would go promptly to the Senate and expressed the hope that the Senate would act promptly.

He stated a number of positions on the City Council would be selected in the next few days he would not answer questions on the appointments. He said he was meeting with the recently returned Vietnamese election observers. The press was ushered out of the room.

The naming of Thomas Fletcher to the deputy post caused momentary consternation because no one seem to know anything about the man. The press aide bringing copies of the official biographies of the two men was almost swamped by the eager newsmen. Water Washington is a known commodity on the District political market place, having formerly served as executive director of the National Capital Housing Authority and numerous other posts, but his deputy Fletcher was a cipher and no one seemed familiar with the name.

Fletcher is a native of Portland, Oregon and re ceived his education at the University of California's Berkeley campus. He was until his appointment on Wednesday, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Fletcher is an experienced administrator and his backgrounds includes considerable experience in the field of professional city managership.

Washington said as he met with the press outside the west wing that he did not know of his appointment until this morning although he indicated he had followed speculations in the press.

He stated his belief in a strong commissioner as envisioned in the President's reorganization plan.

Washington refused attempts to get him to predict when the new city council would be named. He also said he believed the new plan for the District's government was the beginning of the process of "home rule."

Washington said in response to questions on his feelings about being the first colored to head the government of a major city, "I feel highly honored that the President of the United States appointed me," and he then expressed a desire to start the business of “organizing and reassessing the District government.

[From the Washington Afro-American, Sept. 9, 1967]

HISTORIC DAY FOR DISTRICT-EARLY SENATE CONFIRMATION OF NEW "MAYOR" EXPECTED CITIZENS HAIL APPOINTMENT OF WALTER E. WASHINGTON

APPOINTMENT

President Johnson announced on Wednesday the appointment of Walter E. Washington to the post of City Commissioner, and Thomas W. Fletcher to the post of Deputy Commissioner, in the newly reorganized District Government. Washington, former executive director of the National Capital Housing Authority and an acknowledged authority in the field of public housing, in a surprise move by the White House was named to the top post at an annual salary of $28,500.

Fletcher, less well known, was serving as deputy assistant secretary in the Department of Housing and Urban Development prior to his appointment. Fletcher brings to his new post an extensive background in professional city managing. His salary as deputy commissioner will be $26,500.

Still to be named by the President are appointees to the posts of chairman, city council, vice-chairman city council and seven additional city councilmen. As City Commissioner Washington will become the chief executive of the District. He will exercise full executive authority, for carrying out the laws and supporting and supervising personnel. He will also be responsible for organizing the District Government below him to administer to the needs of the city.

At this point no authoritative source will predict which areas of responsibility will be delegated to his deputy, although it is presumed that his long experience as a professional city manager will be utilized.

REACTION

Public reaction to the appointment on Wednesday of Walter Washington as the first mayor-commissioner of the District under the President's reorganization plan and the simultaneous appointment of Thomas W. Fletcher as deputy com missioner was generally greeted with enthusiasm by District leaders.

District Democrat, Joseph Rauh, Jr., said, "as the man who led the fight for Walter Washington, I can die happy. I have seen the District go from a segregated city to a city with a colored mayor-commissioner."

Local NAACP head, H. Carl Moultrie, said, "I think the appointment is a good one. Mr. Washington brings to the job expertise in housing and public relations. He has been exposed to the city of Washington for many years and knows its problems."

"Certainly, his background puts him ahead of others. His knowledge in the field of business administration is badly needed. I feel he will do an excellent job," Mr. Moultrie stated.

District Republican chief, Carl Shipley said of the appointment, "I think the Republican party and all good citizens will support Mr. Washington. He is a man of great reputation."

Shipley stated, "I had hoped the President would pick a former governor or mayor with experience in big city problems."

"Mr. Washington will have to face some very serious problems," he continued. "The most serious being the problem of crime in the District. Crime is causing the flight of white families and businesses to the suburbs. This particular problem has all the earmarks of a disaster."

"The District cannot be an integrated society with an all colored population," he added.

Mr. Shipley asserted the Washington Post erroneously attributed to him a desire for a white commissioner. He stated that the District Republicans had submitted the names of two colored people for the weekly created post.

He added that he wished Mr. Washington well and hoped he could cope with the problems he faces in his new appointment.

Former SNCC chairman Marion Barry, a determined fighter for "home rule," said, "I have said all along that a black man should be commissioner and that we should have home rule."

"Of all the names of black people for the position, Walter Washington is the best. I hope he continues to be innovative and creative and can get the city really moving,' 'Barry stated.

Human relations council director, Mrs. Ruth Bates Harris, said, "I am happy to see such status given a colored person.

"It makes the nation's capital seem a citadel of democracy."

Militant civil rights leader, Julius Hobson, was somewhat less enthusiastic over the Washington appointment. Hobson said, "I think the Washington appointment is typical of President Johnson's appointments. I think he is the kind of black man Mr. Johnson would like to do business with."

"I can't get excited," he continued, “over the President's reorganization plan over the Washington appointment. Hobson said, "I think the Washington appointment is typical of President Johnson's appointments. I think he is the kind of black man Mr. Johnson would like to do business with."

"I can't get excited," he continued, "over the President's reorganization plan. I didn't have the right before to appoint or elect three commissioners and now I don't have the right to appoint or elect the one commissioner."

"I think Mr. Washington is an agreeable man. I can't imagine him being disagreeable to Congress or anyone else. I think that is why he was appointed to the job," he said.

The man in the street was generally happy over the appointment, and most hopes seemed optimistic regarding the amount of change foreseen.

84-529-67-11

APPENDIX B

BIOGRAPHIES OF NOMINEES TO DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA COUNCIL

JOHN W. HECHINGER

John Walter Hechinger, a fourth-generation Washingtonian, was born in 1920 at the Columbia Hospital for Women-where many years later he became President of the Board of Directors in the 100th anniversary year of that hospital. He is the son of the late Sidney L. Hechinger, who was vitally interested in many of the Washington community affairs with which John Hechinger is now associated. His mother, Mrs. Edward H. Weiss, is still most active in Washington affairs and just last Spring received an award from the Women's Advertising Club of Washington for her community service.

John Hechinger is a product of the local public schools, having attended the Cook and Eaton elementary schools, Alice Deal junior high, Western high, and was graduated from Woodrow Wilson high school in its first graduating class. While in high school he was an interstate swimming medal winner. He continued this sport at Yale, where he graduated in 1941 with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Sheffield Scientific School. Upon graduation he was elected to the honorary engineering fraternity, Tau Beta Pi. Before going to Yale, Mr. Hechinger had attended Lehigh University for one year, following in the footsteps of his father, who graduated in Civil Engineering at Lehigh in 1909.

After graduation from Yale, Mr. Hechinger worked for Hamilton Standard Propellers of United Aircraft Corporation on the lend-lease program for France. He had taken R.O.T.C. in college and was in uniform by December 7, 1941, the date of Pearl Harbor. He was in the Field Artillery for approximately one year, and then went to the Army Air Corps at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, where he worked on the development of the (at that time) mammoth new B-29. He was with the first combat unit of B-29's to leave the country, and was with this group overseas for four years-first in the China-Burma-India theatre, where hazardous daily flights over the Hump contributed as much to the danger as the enemy aircraft and anti-aircraft fire. Later, the 58th Wing to which he was attached flew over China and Formosa to establish a base on Tinian in the Marianas.

Mr. Hechinger was with the 20th Bomber Command on Tinian until the end of the war and was discharged with the rank of major. He had been awarded the Air Medal, two Distinguished Unit citations, four theatre ribbons, and five battle

stars.

Shortly after his return to the States, he married June Meredith Ross, whom he had dated while at Yale. At that time Mrs. Hechinger was also in uniforman ensign in the Waves, attached to the Communications Section as a cryptologist and later as assistant watch officer. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan in psychology-where she, too, followed in her father's footsteps. Her brother and her sister also attended Michigan.

Returning to Washington, Mr. Hechinger joined the Hechinger Company, and following his father's death in 1958 became President of the Company.

The Hechinger Company was established in 1911 by Sidney L. Hechinger and therefore, ranks as one of the oldest businesses under the same ownership in the Washington area. It is now listed as one of the 33 largest building materials chains in the country.

The Hechinger Company is known not only by its slogan. "The World's Most Unusual Lumber Yard," but for its involvement in civic and social programs such as tours of lumber yards for schoolchildren—an educational program that has been running continuously since 1920, participation with the on-the-job training program of the Urban League, and many others.