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Truman had been making with Margaret, Anna and I got an appointment with him one bright, sunny day, on October 9, 1952, in the White House. I flew down the night before, and he had just come in early that morning from a tumultuous welcome in Brooklyn. We went to a second-floor study in the White House where I'd never been before, and Anna did most of the talking. The President was handsome and jubilant about his reception in Brooklyn and felt the people really understood and loved him and said so. He said that he had brought tears to their eyes and that he felt that he had never before been able to do that to a crowd.

The room was sunny, large, handsome and cheerful, and he and Anna had a good talk while I listened. He promised to take the matter of construction of research facilities for cancer, heart and mental illness up, as well as for the other two Institutes, and that he would take up the matter of adding 40 million dollars with the Bureau of the Budget and made a note of it. We realized, of course, that the chances of getting any quick action were somewhat remote, because of the dead-heat excitement of the campaign, which was coming up to a finish in two weeks. However, we were rather pleased with ourselves and departed after a happy visit.

Did the President acknowledge Mrs. Truman's interest in the matter?

No, no, we didn't say a word about that. Florence was