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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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show that his interest in the performing arts was as great as the President's and which would give a background from which we could solicit funds from rich Republicans and some Democrats. There aren't very many rich Democrats, but such as there were, we wanted to show them that Johnson was also interested. And I wanted to remind him that President Kennedy had promised to come to the opening of the World's Fair, which would be preceded by a World's Fair Ball of benefit to the Cultural Center. He was angelic enough to say he would see me, although he was pressed beyond words.

I went in to see him about 6 o'clock and talked with him for a few minutes, and he said, “I have to leave for a working session with MacNamara. Tell all this to Jenkins and to Dungan.” I did.

Curiously enough, I had asked if I could bring Roger Stevens and Deegan and Lem Billings with me to see him, and he had sent word that he would see me at any time, any place, but he didn't want to see a lot of other people, so I wasn't able to bring them into his office. As a result, we probably lost the effectiveness of my pleas for the Cultural Center because this was a new angle that he hadn't known I was interested in.

At the same time Imentioned to him that I wanted him to consider the appointment of a commission on cancer, heart and stroke, but I didn't go into it in any detail.

The next day I went to see--or the next time I was in Washington--Feldman. Wait a minute. The President said to me, “Take it up with Fortas.” I went to see Fortas and went over





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