Oral history transcript, James W. Symington, interview 1 (I), 7/14/1969, by Joe B. Frantz

Family political history; early recollections of the Johnsons; campaigning in 1952 and 1960 for/with his father, Stuart Symington; biographical information; 1960 convention and their belief that Stuart Symington would be asked to run for VP; LBJ’s acceptance of VP nomination; Stuart Symington’s relationship with LBJ; RFK and Joe McCarthy; how Symington became Deputy Director of Food for Peace; campaigning for the JFK/LBJ ticket; a Peace Corps-like proposal and ending world hunger; public policy related to food and China; the problem of being under a committee system; East-West trade and U.S. trade policies; Nixon’s proposal to open international trade; the Department of Agriculture; how Symington became assistant to Attorney General Robert Kennedy and the work he did in that role; Georgi Borshakov and Ambassador Dobrynin; Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett; Symington’s involvement in the Mississippi University civil rights problem; community involvement in Oxford, Mississippi; effective methods of disagreeing with people.