Memorandum on Telephone Conversation with Mr. Dillard Lasseter, War Manpower Commission

MEMORANDUM

To: Mr. Malcolm Ross
Chairman

From: Clarence M. Mitchell
Associate Director of Field Operations

Subject: Telephone Conversation with Mr. Dillard Lassiter, War Manpower Commission

December 6, 1944

On the above date, I talked with Mr. Dillard Lassiter,¹ Regional Director of the War Manpower Commission in Atlanta. He was in Washington for a Regional Director’s meeting.

We discussed the war training for the Reynolds Corporation in Macon, Georgia. Mr. Lassiter stated that it was his understanding that a class would begin shortly for Negro applicants. He also said that he expected FEPC to pursue the matter of getting the Reynolds Corporation to hire these persons after the training is completed. I told him we are already in touch with the Navy Department on this matter and hope for an adjustment.

Mr. Lassiter also expressed his appreciation for Dr. Dodge and asked me to let you know that he is happy to work with our new Regional Director. Mr. Lassiter said that he expects to have a conference of his state directors in Tampa, Florida and will urge them to extend full cooperation to Dr. Dodge.²

MS: LH, HqR1, Office Memoranda, 10/42–1/45, M.

[1] The spelling elsewhere is Lasseter.

[2] David Witherspoon Dodge replaced A. Bruce Hunt as regional director in Atlanta in October 1944. In his autobiography, Dodge reported “good cooperation from the Atlanta office of the WMC’s southern regional director [Dillard Lasseter] but it was a different story with many of the state directors who made it evident they did not intend to help implement FEPC policies. Some made promises which they never intended to fulfill. Others stalled along, paying little or no attention to my correspondence with them, asking for more time to prevent the needed decisive action. To some of them the Regional Director sent sharp letters” demanding prompt action on complaints. Even so, no action was taken.

Dodge explained that, as “cogs” of the local political machines, the WMC regional directors “doubtless considered it part of their job to keep FEPC harmless whenever possible.” Nevertheless, Dodge said, “FEPC did a much better job in the South than reasonably could have been expected of it.” Dodge and Cooke, Southern Rebel 150–51. See 1/23, 2/6/45.