Arizona sun., 1961-08-17
Officials Requested
Benefits Resignation
Because OF Wife y

Louisville, KY. - A Louisville
white man whose employment was
terminated because of his wife'S
activities in anti-segration demon
strations plans to file formal
complaint with the Presidents
Committee on Equal Employment
Opportunity.
1t may be the first case Of a
white person, who is Disseminated
against as a result of pro-integra-,
ton stands, seeking the protection
of this committee which was es-
tablished by President Kennedy to
eliminate job discrimination be-
cause of race or color.
The man is David F. Bennett,
80, formerly office manager for
the Louisville branch of the Min
neapolis Honeywell Regulator Com
pany. Bennett said his employment
was terminated as of July 81.
His termination papers list him
as resigning, as company officials
asked him to resign on July 20.
He said they evidently concluded
that he verbally agreed but that
he has since written them with
drawing any verbal consent he
might have given.
Bennett quoted company officials
as giving two reasons for the re-
quest for his resignation: Cd They
said the activities of his wife, Mrs.
Jose Marie Bennett, in pro-inte-
grafton demonstrations in Louis
willie were adversely affecting sales
and customers and (2) They said
his own expressions of opinions
regarding segregation to other en-
ployees of the company had "af-
fected office morale adversely
Company officials declined any
immediate comment on the case.
Mrs. Bennett has been an active
member of Louisville CORE for
several months. She has partici-
pated in picketing of segregated
establishments and in other peace
full demonstrations. Her name APP
peared in the newspapers in this
connection once last spring and
her picture once this summer.
Bennett himself is not a MEM
ber of CORE and has not partici
pated in any demonstrations. He
is mild-mannered man, and says
he is not given to broadcasting
his opinions unless asked for them.
The conversations with his fellow
employees concerning segregation
all took place after working hours,
he said.
Il thought my ideas were very
discreetly mentioned to people who
were my working companions and
who l thought were my friends"
he said. when the subject came
up, l just stated that | felt that
the injustices suffered by Negroes
in this area were foolish and bad"
Bennett has worked for Minnea-
polls Honeywell for over a year,
the last six months in Louisville.
His wife is from France, and he
is an American citizen.
He said that the request for his
resignation came from Todd Car
ley, midwest regional manager of
the company from Chicago, and
Robert Scott, Louisville branch
manager. He noted that they COM
mended him on the quality of his
work and gave him a letter of re-
commentator stating that his
work had been ''most satisfactory"
Minneapolis Honeywell makes
air conditioning and heating con-
trolls. About one-fourth of the COM
pany's business is in government
contracts, Bennett said.
This is why he and his friends
in Louisville feel that he has re-
course to the Presidents Commit
tee on Equal Employment Oppor-
tunity.
'It's not that I want any re-
venge," he explains, but l feel
that a dangerous precedent is be.
ing set"
Louisville integrationists, white
and Negro, agree with him and are
organizing a campaign of protest
and asking sympathizers through-
out the nation to join them. 1t is
requested that protests be sent to
Minneapolis Honeywell Regulator
Company, 2747 Fourth Ave., South.
Minneapolis 8, Mimi, and to the
Presidents Committee on Equal
Employment in Washington, d. G.