Correspondence Regarding Tampa's Cuban Refugee Center, January 1961

Refugees

Refugees--Government policy

Refugees--Services for

Cuban Americans

This correspondence begins with a letter from Earl Mullen, chairman of the Mayor's Cuban Refugee Committee in Tampa, to Governor Farris Bryant asking for help obtaining federal assistance for Tampa's Cuban Refugee Center, which to that point had been operating without federal aid. Included is a list of the members of the Mayor's Cuban Refugee Committee, as well as a response letter from John E. Evans of Governor Bryant's office.

Mullen, Earl Whitney, Sr.

Evans, John E., 1932-2017

State Archives of Florida, Series S756

1961-01

letters (correspondence)

eng-US

Text

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Postwar Florida (1945-1968)

Tampa (Fla.)

Hillsborough County (Fla.)

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Florida--Governor (1961-1965 : Bryant)

Voorhees, Tracy Stebbins, 1890-1974

Offices PAN AMERICAN COMMISSION FLORIDA HOTEL BUILDING TAMPA, FLORIDA EARL MULLEN VICE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CABLE ADDRESS “PACT” January 17, 1961 Honorable Farris Bryant Governor, State of Florida Tallahassee, Fla. Dear Governor: Realizing the amount of detail confronting you since your inauguration, the mayor’s Cuban Refugee Committee has deferred writing you about the Cuban Refugee problem in Tampa until the committee was well enough organized to clarify the local situation for your consideration. Attached is clipping of a news story announcing the opening of Tampa’s Cuban Refugee Center that made Page 1 in The Tamp Sunday tribune. The center, at 601 Twiggs St., YWCA building, officially opens tomorrow morning Wednesday, January 18th., from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. It will be staffed by volunteer workers of the Community Coordinating Council. As you know, the Cuban Refugee Center in Miami is a Federal Government project under the direction of Mr. T.S. Voorhees, Assistant to The president. The Tampa Center has been organized without Federal aid by the Mayor’s Cuban Refugee Committee, and is a civic project. Although Tampa’s problem with the refugees is much smaller than Miami’s, our committee feels we are going to need Federal assistance for the continuation of its successful operation. It is reported that Miami has approximately 40,000 Cuban refugees, and that Tampa has approximately 2,000. Cubans who have recently landed in Miami are coming to Tampa in greater numbers every day. Our committee requests that you appraise the refugee problem in Tampa at this time. In order to keep the Tampa Center opened, we believe that financial assistance will be required by February 1st. Thanking you for your cooperation and interest. Cordially yours, MAYOR”S CUBAN REFUGEE COMMITTEE Earl Mullen, Chairman EM:cf encl

MAYOR”S CUBAN REFUGEE COMMITTEE APPOINTED DECEMBER 9, 1960 Chairman Earl Mullen Executive Director & V. Pres Pan American Commission of Tampa P.O. Box 2910 Tampa 1, Fla. Phone: 2-8259 Mr. Ramon Alvarez, Secy. Ybor City Chamber of Commerce 1811-15th ST. Phone: 4-5885 Mr. L.S. Shebel Fla. U.S. Employment Service Room 203 - 800 Twiggs St. Phone: 2-5121 Dr. Henry J. Fernandez Pres. Ybor City Chamb. Of commerce 1507 - 8th Ave. Tampa 5, Fla. Phone: 4-2989 Dr. J.L. Hargraves Tampa Theatre Bldg. Phone: 2-7644 Mr. Casimiro Hernandez, Pres. Columbia Restaurant 22nd. St. & E. Broadway Phone: 4-3347 Rev. Father Larion J. Elliott Jesuit High School Residence Fla. Ave. and Madison St. Phone: 2-0274 Mr. Doyle E. Carlton, Pres. Pan American Commission P.O. Box 3239 Tampa, Fla. Phone: 2-8095 Mr. Cesar Medina, Pres. Holsum Bakeries, Inc. P.O. Box 11475 Tampa, Fla. Phone: 3-1131 Mr. Cody Fowler Former Pres. American Bar Assn. 1002 Citizens Bldg. Phone: 2-7141 Rev. Leonard W. Boynton, Pres. Tampa Ministerial Association 707 S. Packwood Ave. Phone: 8-5155 (Church - 8-3708) Mr. L. D. Smith, Treasurer Marine Bank & Trust Co. P.O. Box 3303 Tampa 1, Fla. Phone: 2-4751 C.W. Fritz, Pres. Builders Trade Union Carpenters Union Local 696 204 E. Henderson Ave. Phone: 2-2343 Mr. Rudolph D. Kassner Serving in Advisory Capacity only Chief, Immigration Department Post Office Bldg. Phone: 2-6996 Mr. I. D. Alexander Serving in Advisory Capacity only CIO - AFL United Fund, 509-Morgan St. Ph. 2-7211

STATE OF FLORIDA OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR TALLAHASSEE FARRIS BRYANT GOVERNOR January 23, 1961 Mr. Earl Mullen, Chairman Mayor’s Cuban refugees Committee Floridan Hotel Building Tampa, Florida Dear Mr. Mullen: Your letter regarding the Cuban Refugee problem in Tampa arrived in our office during Governor’s Bryant’s absence. I conferred with him by phone on it and he has instructed me to refer your letter to the Florida Industrial Commission, that agency of state government which has been handling the state’s participation in programs designed to give aid and relief to those who have sought refuge from the Island of Cuba here in Florida. We have done this and you will hear shortly from either Mr. Worley Brown, chairman of the Commission, or Mr. Harry Van Brunt, the member of the Commission staff who has been working in this field. Governor Bryant has asked me to advise you of the pride he has in this manner in which the people of Tampa, through the Mayor’s Cuban Refugee Committee, have taken the initiative in this project and have made action their by-word rather than waiting for federal or state assistance to become available. Governor Bryant feels, of course, that this problem is one which is the responsibility of the federal government and which cries out for effective federal participation and management.

Mr. Earl Mullen, Chairman January 23, 1961 Page 2 By copy of this letter to Mr. Tracy Voorhees who has directed federal participation in this area under the Eisenhower administration and to the Department of State in Washington, Governor Bryant is asking for a review of the Tampa situation by Mr. Voorhees or by those who will be responsible for the activities of the federal government in this field during the Kennedy administration. Although these refugees are a federal problem, they are on Florida soil and dependent upon the hospitality of the people of Florida and Governor Bryant will seek to do all within his power to obtain for them the maximum assistance which may be made available by the federal government or through the limited abilities of the state government to assist, primarily in areas of employment. The Governor asked that I extend to you his warm good wishes and congratulations for the work that you and your committee are doing. Sincerely, John E. Evans Administrative Assistance JEE:im Cc: Mr. Tracey Voorhees Cuban Refugee Center 223 N.W. Third Avenue Miami, Florida Department of State Latin Affairs Section Washington 25, D.C. Mr. Harry Van Bryant Florida Industrial Commission