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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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there. There were a few policemen there and they asked us what we were doing and we told them. And when the Johnsons came, they were alone, only the members of their family--his sister and his children--and they said, “Come with us. Come with us.” We were ushered into a room totally without windows, about 18 feet square, behind the platform, where we sat while the nominating speeches were going on, and could listen over the radio. And there was one horrible moment when whoever was nominating Johnson finally named his name, and there were enormous boos. It was horrifying! And then this was all sort of overcome by cheers, and then Johnson left the room where we were and went up to the platform to accept the nomination. But I never felt such embarrassment as when I heard these boos at the mention of his name. You know the convention was very noisy and unruly, and it was like a horrifying sound, especially when heard in the Johnsons' presence, and we felt so sorry for them.

Well, later that evening, Joan Eraden and Stewart Alsop gave a large party at the Beverly-Wilshire Hotel, which was very entertaining and where all the Democratic faithful foregathered.

On Friday the people were rather exhausted, and I was exhausted, but I went at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon to listen to the acceptance speeches in the stadium at Los Angeles. This was a huge, huge bowl, an enormous thing, with bright sun. I'd been warned to get there early because there would be no seats otherwise, and I did get there early and saw the place fill up. But it was tremendously impersonal, with crowds of people,





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