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[[caption]] Walter Washington-- 1st Mayor of Wash., D.C. [[/caption]]

Washington D.C. ?? 1940-41 was to become the new center of the universe. Hitler was gobbling up the Continent, he had overrunned all the nations between Germany and the English channel; he circled The Magenot line in three days to take France and the Werchmacth was poised at the channel ready to invade England.

America under Roosevelt was doing all it could short of declaring actual war to aid the allies'—but when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, President Roosevelt could not hold out any longer so he declared war between us and the Japanese and we were in.

Washington immediately became the heart and capitol of the war world. Everyone came to Washington to join in the effort.

As our men left to do the fighting, the ladies left the home replaced them in the war plants, and took their place building the fighting equipments, bullets, guns, ammunitions, war tanks, vehicles, jeeps, medical supplies—And yes, the paper work and brain power necessary to turn a peaceful nation into the most awesome military force on the face of the world.

And all of this activity was concentrated in [[the]] town Benjamin Bannecker laid out when the ladies come from all over the nations to aid in the effort.

Washington in 1940 was not prepared but by 1941 the effort to house, lodge, feed and fit anyone in the pattern necessary for our war effort.

As the ladies came from all over the United States to take those jobs in government, places had to readily constructed to lodge them. The government built a dormitory on Second and T street for the Negro government workers; and Mary Burke Nichol's father was tapped to direct and manage that effort. All other available living space around Howard University was commandered [[commandeered?]] for the war effort and Negro America too, was on the March.

Among the firsts government ladies to answer the call were: Ann Roberts, Dorothy Heights, Crystal Bird Faucett, Ersa Possen, Carmel Marr, Isadora Smith, Evelyn Harding, Gloria De Fosett, Thomasina Johnson (Highest paid Negro worker in government at that time) Marie Posten, Evelyn Perry, Joe Louis friend, and more.

Mrs. Mary McBerthume aided Franklin and Eleanor in the white house by placing her Black cabinet members in all the government agencies to lend of their talents. Dr. Ambrose Caliver was sent to Department of Interior; Dr. Robert C. Brown, Public Health; Dorcor [[Doctor]] Robert Weaver, Housing Authority; Joseph Evans, Farm Security Administration; Dr.Frank Horne, the Housing Authority; Mary McCloud Berthune, National Youth Administration; Lt. Lawrence A. Oxley, Department of Labor; Dr. William J. Thompson, Recorder of Deeds; Charles E. Hall, Department of Commerce; William H. Houston, Department of Justice; Ralph E. Mizille, Post Office; Dewey Jone, Department of Interior; Edgar Brown (Lews Star) Civilian Conservation Corp; J. Parker Prescott, Housing Authority; Edward H. Lawson, Jr., Work Progress Administration; Arthur Weiseger, Department of Labor; Alfred Edgar Smith, Works Progress Administration; Henry Hunt, Farm Credit Administration; John w. Whitten, Works Progress; Joseph R. Houchens, Department of Commerce; William Hastig, Attorney in Department of Interior; Eugene K. Jones, Department of Commerce; and William J. Trent, Federal Works Agencies. 

Theodore Ted Poston was top kick in Office of War Information and among those fed with his information were; C. Melvin Patrick, Pittsburgh Courier; Ernest Jonson, Associated Negro Press; Harry McAlphin, First Negro Reporter to cover the white house and speechwriter for Mrs. Bethune; Joe Sewall; Ike Kendricks, Art Carter- Afro American; Albert Sweeney and Dutton Ferguson.

Washington under Roosevelt consisted of Hal Jackson, the Black Radio personality who was the voice of Griffith Stadium (no Haward [[Howard]] University Medical School and Black hotel) whenever a Black attraction, like the Negro baseball games, and concerts by Black attractions, were presented there. 

Washington nite life entertainment was dominated by Blanche Calloway, the sister of the famous Cab Calloway. Blanche, a musician in her own rights, operated the Crystal Caverns Night Club on the corner of 14th and T Street, where the patrons got two separate shows for one admission. The shows were the main attraction for which Blanche hired Duke Ellington, Maxime Sullivan, John Kirby or Louis Jordan and the second attraction would be her after hour attraction like Tommy Dorsey and his band. Tommy brought Dick Hayes, the singer he wanted to hire to replace Frank Sinatra to the Caverns one night for Blanche customers to help him make up his mind about hiring him. Sinatra had up and quit Dorsey while the band was performing at a K Street theatre. 

Dick Haynes was hired because the black audience in the Caverns went wild over him. 

I recall and after hour session between Ron Ramirez, Art Tatum and another known pianist which started at 4 a.m. after Blanche closed her doors which lasted until 11 'clock the next morning. The session was won by youn Ron Ramirez when he played the verse on one hand and the chorus and refrain on the 

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