President Johnson and Sargent Shriver Discuss the War on Poverty

"But I’m talking about the man that’s involved in the organization and in charge of perfecting it right now. And his name is Sargent Shriver...I’m going to make it clear that you are Mr. Poverty both home and abroad."
Washington, DC • February 01, 1964

President Johnson announced America’s “unconditional war on poverty” on January 8th, 1964, but he didn’t name Sargent Shriver as the Director of that effort until February 1st. In fact, the announcement came as a surprise to Sarge, because for virtually the entire month of January, he had been engaged in a round-the-world trip at the behest of LBJ.

On January 3, Shriver had set off to the Middle East and Asia, conducting Peace Corps business but also carrying messages from the new President to Pope Paul VI and heads of state in Jordan, Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan, India, and Thailand. Shriver returned on January 31, and on the following day, he was playing ball outside with three of his children – Bobby, Maria, and Tim – when he received a phone call from the President.

This is the tape of that phone call, and it is fascinating to listen in on this historic moment.

Sargent Shriver was reluctant to accept the post; LBJ refused to take “no” for an answer. The personalities of both men are on display in the exchange - Shriver’s mettle is evident in the way he embraced the enormous responsibility LBJ placed upon his shoulders without much warning. Three days later, on February 4th, Shriver began working night and day to pull together a team of experts and advisors to help him brainstorm the programs and policies that would be required to launch and win a war on poverty.

Peace requires the simple but powerful recognition that what we have in common as human beings is more important and crucial than what divides us.
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Sargent Shriver
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