Memorandum on Proposed Directive to Mr. F. G. Seulberger, Chairman, Department of Industrial Relations, Northwestern University

After reading the attached correspondence it is my opinion that Mr. Feigon did not apply for the regular Engineering Science Management War Training course which is sponsored with the help of federal subsidy. In his letter to the President’s Committee on Fair Employment Practice dated August 11, 1942, Mr. Feigon states that he went to the Inland Steel Company of Indiana Harbor in an effort to get a guarantee that he would be given a job a year from the date of his application and in three month alternating periods from then on. This would mean that it could not be a regular ESMWT course because such courses are of short duration, usually from 12 to 16 weeks.¹

I have refreshed my memory on this point by calling the office of Dean George W. Case who has charge of the program. Mr. Clark of that office stated that he was familiar with the Northwestern program and indicated that no federal funds are given for the carrying on of the type of training which was being sought by Mr. Feigon. Our best strategy of attack, therefore, would be to direct our attention fully at the employer angle which is apparently the sole reason for excluding Mr. Feigon from the other type of training offered by the University. Accordingly I am suggesting that the text of our directive be as follows:

“In your letter of October 22 which was addressed to the President’s Committee on Fair Employment Practice, you stated the following: ‘We have a generous sprinkling of Jewish boys—including at least one refugee. We even have a German boy, who has not yet become a citizen of the United States. We have Poles and Czechs. However, if we had a very large proportion of any one race or group we could not operate successfully since our cooperating companies demand diversity of background among the students they hire.’

The President’s Executive Order 8802 forbids discrimination on the part of war industries. By honoring what you infer is a prejudice against Jews on the part of the companies, you become an accessory in the hands of those who violate the President’s Order. (In his letter dated October 22, 1942, Mr. Seulberger states, ‘the point I wish to make is that the boys do not hold ordinary routine defense jobs but are in cadet engineering training programs.’ This would seem to indicate that the University regards the training as essential to the war program.)

It is the custom of the United States Employment Service to list all companies which refuse to accept individuals because of race or other factors not related to individual fitness. Such reports are then given to the Committee on Fair Employment Practice and it in turn orders these companies to comply with the clauses in their contracts requiring them to refrain from discrimination based on race, religion or national origin.

Since your letter indicates that the reason for refusing Mr. Feigon admission is based on the attitude of companies who offer employment, we should like to have a list of these companies and specific charges against them indicating that they will not accept Mr. Feigon or persons of Jewish race. When you furnish us with this information we will take the necessary steps to correct the attitudes of the companies.

Meanwhile, because of the needs for individuals who are engineers in the war program we direct you to admit Mr. Feigon to this training and inform us of your action.”

I should like to point out that the Engineering Science Management Training very generally has been open to Negroes, Jews and others in northern communities.