<--PREV Doc #361  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  Second Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #363 Document #362; September 28, 1957 To Harold Engstrom Series: EM, AWF, DDE Diaries Series ; Category: Personal The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XVIII - The Presidency: Keeping the Peace Part II: Civil Rights; June 1957 to September 1957 Chapter 5: Little Rock   Dear Mr. Engstrom: Thank you very much for your letter; it is heartening to have such tangible evidence that a citizen of Little Rock, a member of the School Board, is thinking so clearly and fearlessly about the problem in your city now occupying the attention of almost the whole country.1 I was particularly encouraged by your forthright statement that you, the School Board, and other conscientious citizens, will continue your efforts to restore respect and support for the true ideals of America.2 I believe that if all of us are patient and considerate in our dealings with others, but firm in support of principle, we shall proceed toward a solution to this problem much faster than if we allow emotion and ignorance and demagogic appeals to characterize our words and actions. With best wishes, Sincerely 1Engstrom, Chief Engineer at the Arkansas Foundry Company, had written the President on September 25 (AWF/D). He said that he and the other members of the Little Rock School Board could make no public statement without further agitating "the people here who are doing great harm to our community and nation. . . ." Nevertheless, Engstrom said, he thought all of Eisenhower’s "statements and . . . actions have been most appropriate and accurately analyzed." Had Eisenhower not acted as he did, "education at Central High would have been warped." For background see nos. 330, 357, and 359. 2 Engstom had apologized for "the petty politics which has brought this difficult problem to its present status" but assured the President that he, the school board, and all other conscientious citizens would "continue our efforts to restore the respect and support for the true ideals of America which you so ably stand for." 3 As the mobs dispersed and integration proceeded at Central High, Eisenhower sought a speedy removal of federal troops from Little Rock. On September 25 he agreed to meet with the governors of Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, and Maryland to discuss Southern compliance with the Supreme Court rulings on school integration, as well as the removal of troops from Little Rock. The President would meet with the governors on October 1 (see New York Times, Sept. 26, 27, 1957). For developments see no. 365. Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. Personal To Harold Engstrom, 28 September 1957. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 362. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/second-term/documents/362.cfm <--PREV Doc #361  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  Second Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #363

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