ries of problems existing "both
service-wide and at particular bases."[21-28] Specifically, the group
was not convinced by official reasons for the disproportionately small
number of Negroes in some services, especially among the
noncommissioned officers and in the officer corps. Chairman Gesell
called the dearth of black officers a "shocking condition."[21-29] His
group was particularly concerned with the absence of black officers on
promotion boards and the possibility of unfairness in the promotion
process where photos and racial and religious information were
included in the selection files made available to these boards. It
also noted the failure of the services to increase the number of black
ROTC graduates. The committee considered and rejected the idea of
providing preferential treatment for Negroes to achieve better
representation in the services and in the higher grades.[21-30]

[Footnote 21-28: The President's Committee on Equal
Opportunity in the Armed Forces, "Initial Report:
Equality of Treatment and Opportunity for Negro
Military Personnel Stationed Within the United
States, June 13, 1963" (hereafter cited as "Initial
Rpt"), p. 10. The following discussion of the
committee cannot carry the eloquence or force of
the group's report, which was reproduced in the
_Congressional Record_, 88th Cong., 1st sess., vol.
109, pp. 14359-69.]

[Footnote 21-29: Ltr, Gesell to Under SecNav, 6 Feb
63, SecNav file 5420 (1179), GenRecsNav.]

[Footnote 21-30: Intervs, author with Gesell, 13 May
72 and 3 Nov 74.]

Overrepresentation of black enlisted men in certain supply and food
services was obvious.[21-31] Here the committee was particularly
critical of the Navy and the Marine Corps. On another score, the Chief
of Naval Personnel noted that the committee "considers the Navy and
Marines far behind the Army and Air Force, particularly in the area of
community relations," a criticism, he admitted, "to some extent"
justified.[21-32] So apparent was the justification that, at the
suggestion of the Secretary of the Navy, Gesell discussed with Under
Secretary Paul B. Fay, Jr., ways to better the Navy's record in its
"areas of least progress."[21-33] Gesell later co