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keep Al before the world. She was connected with all kinds of charitable and civic organizations, either directly or by friendships. She would be the one who would say to somebody, “I think Governor Smith might be willing to speak. At least I would urge him to, because this is important.” What her object was was to get him speaking engagements - unpaid, but of such a connection that they would give him significance and status and keep him alive.

I recall these efforts of Gilchrist, George Van Namee, Mrs. Moskowitz and myself. I cooperated in all this because I was anxious as anybody to keep Al before the public. He'd been the most important Governor we ever had, had done more than anybody thought could be done and had done it with such skill and such political effectiveness that people liked it. He made people like it. He didn't have a great battery of black Republican opposition. Although they'd shake their heads and say, “No good,” they still liked him. You didn't have this bitter opposition to him that you have seen developed in other people in certain reform groups. He was a great asset. The fact that he would back the Maternity Center, or some other little social work project, was a great asset. The ladies starting it would just hit the ceiling, they were so pleased.

When Smith moved down from Albany, Johnny Gilchrist