December 2004 Newsletter

Phone Rage: LBJ, Averell Harriman, and G. Mennen Williams

Thomas J. Noer

Lyndon B. Johnson was not the first president to express his frustration with the in-fighting and bureaucratic politics of the State Department or to get upset about comments made by a foreign policy advisor or the press, nor would he be the last. But in two phone conversations on April 4, 1964, Johnson took on one of his own appointees, the press, and the entire State Department all at once and vented his rage against them in his typical bombastic, earthy style.

What provoked Johnson’s tirade were comments made by veteran diplomat Averell Harriman, whom he had just appointed ambassador at large with major responsibility for overseeing the United States’ African policy. Many in Washington saw the appointment of the cagey Harriman as a public demotion of Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs G. Mennen “Soapy” Williams. That was the interpretation that appeared in the newspapers immediately after Harriman’s comments, and it infuriated the president.

During his six terms as governor of Michigan (1948-1960), the flamboyant Williams had been the most outspoken advocate of racial equality in the Democratic party and had been a frequent critic of Johnson’s civil rights record. At the 1960 Democratic Convention he announced he would support any vice-presidential nominee “with the exception of Lyndon B. Johnson.” When Kennedy selected the majority leader as his running mate, Williams was outraged and tried to organize liberals for a floor fight. Unable to persuade any other delegate to join him, he vowed to vote against Johnson even if his was the only voice of dissent. Convention Chairman Sam Rayburn knew of Williams’s plans to speak publicly against the nomination and moved to have Johnson selected by acclamation, avoiding a roll call vote. When Rayburn called for a voice vote, Williams seized the microphone in the Michigan delegation and shouted “NO!” Rayburn ignored him and proclaimed the nomination unanimous. Williams was the only delegate to vote against Johnson.(1)

Based on his actions in Los Angeles in 1960, many in Washington assumed Williams would be one of the first of the New Frontiersmen to be pushed out of office, but to the surprise of many in the government and the press, Johnson retained the Michigan liberal. Ten days after he took office, the president phoned Williams and assured him that he would be “as welcome and as effective in the White House as you had been with Kennedy.” He dismissed Williams’s hostility to his nomination in 1960, claiming it would not jeopardize their relationship: “We’ve pulled down the curtain on Los Angeles that night. We’re a team.” He also encouraged Williams to suggest new civil rights initiatives, noting that he had “operated in Michigan so long,” he was “bound to know some things . . . that will be good in Mississippi,” and urged him to “get ideas on our Negro community,” since he “had more experience than any of us” on racial issues.(2)

Despite his reassurances, within five months of taking office Johnson had become disenchanted with the direction of American policy toward Africa and appointed Harriman to oversee Williams and the African Bureau. At the press conference announcing his appointment, Harriman made it clear that he was in charge of Africa and Williams would report directly to him rather than to Secretary of State Dean Rusk. He told reporters that Johnson wanted “a seventh-floor man” in control, not “a sixth-floor person” (the African Bureau was on the sixth floor of the State Department). The press immediately concluded that Williams had been demoted and attributed his reduced role to lingering friction over his public opposition to Johnson’s selection as vice-president.(3)

Johnson was outraged by both Harriman’s comments and the press reaction and took the opportunity to express his scorn for his new appointee, the press, and the entire State Department. He immediately phoned Press Secretary George Reedy and read him newspaper accounts of Harriman’s comments. He argued that Harriman had been “totally irresponsible” by trying to humiliate Williams and told Reedy that Williams “works hard and has my complete confidence. He and his wife have been as diligent and responsive as any two people in the government. I’m very fond of both of them.” Johnson then ordered Reedy to tell the press that Harriman’s appointment was not a reflection on Williams and had nothing to do with the 1960 convention. Reedy promised to “blow hell out of the story.”(4)

After finishing with Reedy, Johnson was still seething and immediately phoned Rusk. “Dean have you seen all this stuff Averell’s been spewing out about Mennen Williams?” Rusk responded that Harriman had “just got tangled up” and public relations officials in the department were working to counter the press coverage, but Johnson was not appeased and launched a tirade against Harriman and the State Department. He ordered Rusk to tell Harriman to call reporters and explain that there had been no demotion of Williams and to apologize personally to the head of the African Bureau. “Be God damn sure to make him walk the carpet or apologize or resign. I just think this is awful!” He told Rusk “if Harriman can’t get it straightened out, I can because I’ll have [a press conference] and I’ll damn sure make it clear. Tell him those fellows that sit around in their armchairs and mouth over in the State Department on background how Goddamned important they are ought to get out. I’m not pleased with Harriman’s griping around here all through this thing. Every since I took over he’s been mouthing about something and now he’s promoting himself.”(5) He added that he was “no intimate of Williams as you know, but I think it’s cruel and unfair and I don’t play that way. And I think you ought to tell Harriman that. If you don’t want to tell him, I will.” He then read Rusk a United Press story on Harriman’s comments that suggested some people in the State Department were happy to see Williams’s authority diminished. “All these damned officials over there talking instead of doing something,” he fumed. He then hung up on his secretary of state.(6)

The White House immediately tried to reassure the press that the Harriman appointment was not a demotion of Williams and had no relation to his actions in Los Angeles in 1960. Williams called Reedy to ask for a meeting with Johnson to talk about “the Harriman thing.” National Security Council staffers suggested the president personally announce Williams’s forthcoming trip to Africa to “please Soapy” and end “the gossip” about his reduced role. The White House quickly issued a press release praising Williams, confirming Johnson’s confidence in his ability, and hailing his upcoming trip to Africa.(7)

Despite Johnson’s public relations efforts, the damage had been done. The Harriman appointment began a gradual erosion of Williams’s direct influence on diplomacy and foiled his attempts to make Africa a major priority in U.S. foreign policy. Although Williams would remain in office for two more years before resigning to run for the Senate from Michigan, he never regained the access to the president or the power to shape policy that he had enjoyed under Kennedy.

Notes:

1. New York Times, April 28, 1960. For details of Williams’s anger and solitary dissent see G. Mennen Williams oral history, John F. Kennedy Library, Boston, Massachusetts, and G. Mennen Williams oral history, Lyndon B. Johnson Library, Austin, Texas [hereafter LBJL]. When Robert Kennedy told him “the liberals will raise hell. Mennen Williams will raise hell,” Johnson reportedly responded: “Well piss on Mennen Williams!” See Michael Beschloss, ed., Reaching for Glory: Lyndon Johnson’s Secret White House Tapes, 1964-1965 (New York, 2001), 259.

2. White House Telephone Conversation, Lyndon Johnson and G. Mennen Williams, December 2, 1964, K6312.01, LBJL.

3.Telephone conversation, Lyndon Johnson and George Reedy, April 4, 1964, WH6404.05, LBJL.

4. Ibid. Williams’ wife, Nancy, had a close rapport with Lady Bird Johnson, as they both had daughters and met often to discuss wedding plans. Nancy Williams would later invite Mrs. Johnson to visit her summer home on Mackinac Island, and the Williams were frequent guests at dinners and receptions at the Johnson White House. See W. S. Woodfill to Nancy Williams, June 18, 1964, box 104, G. Mennen Williams papers, Bentley Historical Library, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Lady Bird Johnson to Nancy Williams, March 3, 1966, Social Files, box 2115 and Social Event Cards, LBJL.

5. Telephone conversation, Lyndon Johnson and Dean Rusk, April 4, 1964, WH6404.05, LBJL.

6. Ibid.