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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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“But we promised Joe Guffey he should have this place.” Jim pulled a little book out of his pocket and said, “Here's the name - Donald Smith.”

I said, “What do you know about Donald Smith?”

“Oh he's a fine man,” said Jim. “He's had lots of experience. Mr. President, he's the mainstay of the younger Democratic movement in Western Pennsylvania.” (This was not so - everybody was just talking.)

I piped up by saying, “He's had no special experience. He's just really a third-rater.”

By this time I was worn out with trying to fill that post. I said, “All right, it's nothing to me. Joe Guffey is responsible for him. Jim says it's all right.”

The President said, “I think it'll be all right, Frances. You have to give into the politicians sometimes.” He laughed and said, “All right, finish it up so that I can sign something during the day.” So by the time we got to Cambridge I had something typed up and sometime during the day, between lunch and the speech, the President signed it, with as little consideration as that as to what Donald Smith might be.

I say all this because the two Smiths - Edwin and Donald - both, before we were through with the





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