IN THE COMMUNITIES Program Highlights Community Leaders Conference___ Conference Recommendations The Regional Conferences. The Los Angeles Vocational Education Pilot Project_ CHAPTER TWELVE SUMMARY AND COMMENT by Hobart Taylor, Jr., Executive Vice Chairman Page 128 128 129 129 130 131 CHAPTER ONE The Story of the President's Committee Evolution and Trends 1961-1963 When the late President John F. Kennedy affixed his signature to Executive Order 10925 on March 6, 1961, he put forth one of the most important policy statements of his or any other administration. It put the Federal Government's economic power squarely in the forefront of the battle for equal opportunity for all. Two persons outside the administration were instrumental in the drawing of the order. They were Abe Fortas, a prominent Washington attorney, and Fred Lazarus, president of Federated Department Stores, Inc., who gave of his long experience as a member of the former President's Committee on Government Contracts. The Executive order became effective 30 days after the President signed it. Within a few days after the effective date, the new President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity met and approved plans and programs to carry out the order. At that meeting, and in subsequent planning. these specific programs for reaching the goals of the Executive order were begun (dates of program inauguration in parenthesis) : -A conference with contract compliance officers from Government agencies to get the compliance program under way (Apr. 21, 1961). -A meeting with the presidents of the 50 largest government contractors (May 2, 1961). -A meeting with the presidents of many of the international unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO (May 3, 1961). -Developing rules and regulations under which the Committee and agencies would operate and the holding of public hearings on the rules and regulations (June 7 and June 30, 1961). -Developing cooperative programs (later designated as Plans for Progress) in which companies would undertake equal opportunity programs supplementing the requirements of the Executive Order (first Plan for Progress signed May 25, 1961). -Determining through annual governmentwide surveys the employment status of minority group members in Government employment (first survey, June 1961). -Conducting training programs for employment policy officers and their deputies to insure effective implementation of the Executive Order in government employment (first seminar, July 27, 1961). -Holding regional conferences of top officials of government agencies throughout the country to study problems and initiate programs for carrying out the Executive Order (first such conference, June 1961). -Developing a comprehensive compliance reporting system for Government contractors under Committee jurisdiction. -Developing a complaint investigation and adjustment procedure that would protect the rights of both employees and employers, whether Government agencies or contractors. -Assigning skilled staff personnel in Government agencies to promote affirmative action programs for equal opportunity and to handle complaint investigations and adjustments. -Working with labor unions and other employee organizations to obtain their cooperation in opening the doors of opportunity to all, with special attention to disadvantaged members of minority groups. -Carrying out of intensive educational and community relations programs to obtain cooperation and assistance of all segments of society and the economy in achieving equal employment opportunity. |