rv, author with Gesell, 13 May
72.]

Some of the members had definite ideas on how the committee should
operate. Warning of a new mood in the black community where
"impatience and expectations" were far different from what they were
at the time of the Fahy Committee, Whitney Young wanted the committee
to prepare a frank and honest report free of the "taint of whitewash."
To that end he wanted the group's directive interpreted in its
broadest sense as leading to a wide-ranging examination of off-base
housing, recreation, and educational opportunity, among other
subjects. He wanted an investigation at the grass roots level, and he
offered specific suggestions about the size and duties of the staff to
achieve this. Young also recommended commissioning "additional citizen
teams" to assist in some of the numerous and necessary field trips and
wanted the committee to use Congressman Diggs and his files.[21-20]

[Footnote 21-20: Ltr, Young to Gesell, 27 Aug 62,
Gesell Collection, J. F. Kennedy Library.]

Benjamin Muse, on the other hand, considered direct, personal
investigation of specific grievances too time-consuming. He wanted the
group to concentrate instead on the command level, holding formal
conferences with key staff officials. The best way to impress upon the
services that the White House was serious, he told Gesell, was to
learn the opinions of these officials and to elicit, "subject to our
private analysis and discount," a great deal of helpful
information.[21-21]

[Footnote 21-21: Ltr, Muse to Gesell, 26 Jan 63,
Gesell Collection, J. F. Kennedy Library.]

Chairman Gesell compromised. He wanted the group to develop some broad
recommendations on the basis of a limited examination of specific
complaints. President Kennedy agreed. He told Gesell: "don't go
overboard and try to visit every base, but unless you see at least
some bases you will never understand the situation."[21-22] White
House assistant Lee C. White suggested that while the committee had no
deadline it should be advised that a report would be needed in June if
any legislative proposals were to be submitted to Congress. At the (p. 538)
same time he wanted the White House to make clear that the members,
"and particularly the Negro members," would be left free to act as
they chose.[21-23]

[Footnote 21-22: Quoted by Gesell during interv