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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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Then, on the 13th of January, a large dinner dance was given by friends of the Johnsons in New York City. As far as I know, this is a unique happening. I had recalled that when the Trumans left office, the day they left office, very few people accompanied them to the train, and it was a very sad an, unceremonious and unplanned leave taking, I had said for months beforehand that whenever they left, they must leave in a blaze of glory and attention and that it should be thought out. Well, this probably had been in their minds and probably in Elizabeth Carpenter's mind too, but at any rate, as I had been willing to give a party in Washington, Arthur Krim evidently heard about it and thought it would be better to give a party in New York, and he suggested that a group of friends, including Mr. and Mrs. Charles Englehardt and Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Weisel and himself and his wife, and Mr. and Mrs. John Leob and I give a party, I said that I thought that Mrs. Vincent Astor and Mr. and Mrs. Laurance Rockefeller, who were really great friends of Mrs. Johnson's, should be included, and they were. So we all give a large party for about 500 people at the Plaza Hotel -- mostly Democrats, some Republicans, many Negroes, with what one sees at the average large party -- Roy Wilkins, who's the singer from the Leontyne Price, Ralph Bunche, and a number of other distinguished Negroes were present. All of the Cabinet had been invited, and the Vice President was there. Not all the Cabinet case, as some of them were having misunderstandings or sulks with





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