From Julian Bond to David Brinkley, 10 Oct 1969

October 10, 1969

Mr. David Brinkley 50 Sutton Place New York, New York

Dear Mr. Brinkley:

As a member of the National Development Committee for the Mary Holmes College Fund Development Campaign, I am writing to enlist your participation.

Until June, 1969 Mary Holmes College functioned as a Junior College in West Point, Mississippi. Beginning with the fall term its students, who come from rural backgrounds, enlisted into a third year program which represented the first step towards becoming a four-year institution. The college has traditionally maintained active programs that serve to provide educational experiences for its students while simultaneously developing programs that serve the residents of the state of Mississippi.

As one of the member colleges of the National Board of Missions of the United Presbyterian Church, Mary Holmes has functioned without the benefit of its own Board of Trustees. Also, it has functioned without the benefit of its own independent base for funding. Nevertheless, the college established a strucutre in 1965 which led to its present role as sponsor to ten Headstart centers that are located throughout the state of Mississippi, an adult literacy program in one of the poorest counties in the nation, the establishment of a catfish farming cooperative program and several day care and tutorial programs in West Point, Mississippi.

Mr. David Brinkley October 10, 1969 page 2

The enclosed brochure describes the total systems approach to education presently being developed at Mary Holmes College.

The purpose of the campaign is to generate the financial resources that are necessary to underwrite the cost for captal improvements, faculty expansion, innovative curriculum reform and for improved library facilities. Our goal is to raise ten million dollars ($10,000,000). The major focus of support is through national corporations with plants that are located in the state of Mississippi, in adition to individual gifts and foundation support.

Your participation would greatly enhance our efforts to generate the necessary support that will make it possible for the development and expansion of a visible education facility in rural Mississippi.

The campaign will be operating out of New York City. A meeting of the National Development Committee will be held in the very near future.

I sincerely hope that you will agree to join me in membership on the National Development Committee of Mary Holmes College.

Sincerely,

Julian Bond

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