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my chauffeur and somebody she had left there, we got the flowers out of the storeroom and put them on the tables, got the candles lighted, and by this time, people started to come.

Mrs. Johnson arrived from the other end of the ballroom and started to go through the ballroom and the reception rooms with Mr. Fortas while I was still receiving at the other end. She told me that she was sure the President wouldn't come because she wanted him to go to bed so he'd be fresh for the next day for his Inaugural speech, and I was sure that she would persuade him not to come. However, as I went through the rooms with her, I finally came upon him, eating supper quietly with the Director of the Budget and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Kermit Gordon. As I sat down next to him, he said to Kermit Gordon, “Now what? She'll ask me for money.” To which I replied, “Well, I don't know, but it wouldn't be the worst thing that had ever happened to you if I do.”

He then got up to watch his daughter dancing the Watusi with James Fortas, my nephew, which I must say was a very cutting sight as she's extremely pretty and was wearing a lovely red dress and looking extremely charming, very charming.

The cast of characters that was there that night was really astonishing. I remember seeing almost every member of the Cabinet, except McNamara, but he may have been there for all I know. We invited all the Medal of Freedom winners --among them were Paul White; Aaron Copeland, the musician; Herman Wouk;