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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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after Lister Hill's father, and Terry came from Alabama. We --Gorman, Van Slick and I--agreed in this selection of Terry, as we thought at least that Terry would carry out Senator Hill's wishes. Hill took the matter up with Ribicoff and Terry was appointed. So far, in the last two years no very distinguished leadership has been taken by Terry but he is responsive to Senator Hill, perhaps more responsive than anybody else who could have been appointed at that time.

Q:

Where you really need a friend at court is in the cabinet post, isn't it?

Lasker:

Well, yes, we do, but we've never had one. We had had such a series of people who were totally just disinterested in health, except for Marion Folsom, that we almost forgot about even being bothered to do anything more than make one call on the Secretary of HEW, because they were always people totally disinterested in the subject.

Q:

But if a man occupying that position, or a woman, really were interested....

Lasker:

It would be fantastic. For instance, if Mrs. H had been made Secretary of HEW at any time, although it wasn't a job she particularly wanted, she could have been made to be interested in that field and the kind of action she could have gotten would have been extraordinarily much more effective than





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