East Carolina College

Greenville, North Carolina

24 August 1960

Honorable John F. Kennedy

Senate Office Building

Washington D.C.

Dear Senator Kennedy:

I am confident the people of this area will greet you with enthusiasm during the forthcoming campaign. You would be assured maximum television coverage in eastern North Carolina by the Greenville and Washington stations. Some five thousand students and faculty members of East Carolina College would form part of a most enthusiastic audience. We have facilities for a large outdoor rally and there is a convenient local airport.

I believe it would be fitting and appropriate to address the young people of this section of the state. Practically all of the counties of the state are represented in our student body. We have a very active group of Terry Sanford backers among the faculty and students.

Defection from party ranks, acts of political perfidy, assumption of the "conservative" label, appeals to race prejudice and religious bigotry have all made this campaign year memorable for bitterness and hysteria. I hope this state will be true to its liberal tradition in spite of all the ordeals the candidates have had to face. The primary results were encouraging and Kefauver's victory in Tennessee was reassuring. But we are all aware of an uphill fight in the election.

We look forward to greeting you and the other Democratic candidates during the campaign.

Yours very sincerely,

Joseph F. Steelman

Associate Professor of History