Governor David L. Lawrence

President Kennedy had a relationship with David L. Lawrence, Governor of Pennsylvania from 1959-63. As Kennedy was the first-Catholic president, Lawrence was the first-Catholic governor of Pennsylvania.

After he left office, Kennedy appointed Governor Lawrence to serve as chairman of the newly-created President’s Committee on Equal Opportunities in Housing. Kennedy made the following remarks on his induction into his administration:

“I want to express great pleasure in having Gov. Lawrence come with this administration as Chairman of the President’s Committee on Equal Opportunity in Housing. This is a most important assignment, which requires a good deal of experience, commitment, and administrative skill,” said Kennedy.

“It is not a very good way to repay you for all your political services by giving you one of our most difficult assignments, but I really feel that in this case you and your own personal qualities, plus your experience, plus the sensitivity and the importance of the job at hand, have all joined together, like the three rivers around Pittsburgh, and the country will benefit.”