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Bennett CerfBennett Cerf
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Session:         Page of 1029

people from Fortune, people from Saturday Evening Post, people from all of the conservative newspapers. It was a distinguished group. They were all very polite. They all liked Adlai very much, but it didn't change the mind of one of them.

Harry Guggenheim wouldn't come to the party. Telegrams were read from a lot of people who hadn't been able to attend. Harry Guggenheim sent a telegram that said, “Dear Adlai, Sorry I have to miss the dinner; but I hope that we will meet some time next year at dinner at the White House, where we will both be guests of President Eisenhower.” That was the telegram that he sent Adlai, which, I must say, Adlai read to the assemblage with great amusement and said, “How typical of Harry Guggenheim.”

Q:

He could laugh at himself.

Cerf:

Of course he could. He loved Harry. We all loved Harry. He was a rather stuffy gentleman but true to all of his traditions.

Q:

You were also at this dinner?

Cerf:

Phyllis and I were there, yes, as friends at court to sustain Alicia, who was a little worried at being surrounded by political enemies. Also, I think that we told her that if she didn't invite us, we'd kill her.





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