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Telegram to General McArthur Concerning the Dispute Between the Amateur Athletic Union and Other Athletic Federations.

January 09, 1963

ALL PARTIES in the sports dispute have agreed to proceed with you as arbitrator. The National Collegiate Athletic Association will be represented by the United States Track and Field Federation in its arbitration with the Amateur Athletic Union. May I again express my deep appreciation to you for your willingness to take on this matter.

JOHN F. KENNEDY

[General Douglas MacArthur, The Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York, New York]

Note: The President summarized the issues in the dispute, which threatened to interfere with U.S. participation in the 1964 Olympic games, in his news conference of December 12, 1962 (see 1962 volume, this series, p. 866). He appointed General MacArthur later in December.

On January 6, 1963, the White House released a telegram to the President from the Council of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The telegram commended the President for his efforts to terminate the dispute and applauded the choice of General MacArthur as arbitrator.

John F. Kennedy, Telegram to General McArthur Concerning the Dispute Between the Amateur Athletic Union and Other Athletic Federations. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/236973

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