Letter from Dick McCool to President Harry S. Truman with Attached Newspaper Clipping

TEXAS BAPTISTS 'CALL' POKER-LOVING TRUMAN Association Votes Against Any Honorary Degree FORT WORTH, Nov. 15. - (AP) - The Baptist General Convention of Texas Thursday leveled criticism at President Truman for what it asserted was his attitude toward gambling and drinking. The convention, on motion of the Rev. L. L. Roloff, Corpus Christi, instructed trustees of all Texas Baptist colleges and universities not to confer an honorary degree on persons holding "to such a position." The resolution: "Because of the reported attitude of the President of the United States as a Baptist toward gambling and drinking and because of the invitation of Baylor University to confer upon him the high recognition of an honorary degree, I move that we instruct the trustees of all our colleges and universities not to confer an honorary degree on those holding such a position." The resolution was adopted by the convention without opposition. At Waco, Pat M. Neff, president of Baylor, replied, "No comment," when told of the resolution. "No Baptist school should confer a degree on a man who likes his poker and drinks his bourbon," the Rev. W. L. Shuttleworth, Houston, said. Filed 3/7/46 AN Dick C. McCool ATTORNEY AT LAW CANTON, MISSISSIPPI 16 November, 1945 Honorable Harry S. Truman, President United States, White House, Washington, D.C. My dear Mr. President:- Anent the enclosed clipping: Lose no sleep; for those brethren of the Baptist faith who consort with john Barleycorn are legion. Only a small minority of the members of your church prefer a plunge beneath the wave over a slug of navel tingling rum! Any time you trade a libation of real good panther juice for a college degree, you prove to me you are not very discriminating in your taste! The people believe you to be O.K. It is true that you joined the Baptist Church; but every red-blooded American has committed at least one indiscretion. Tell them to keep their old college degrees; and you'll look to those of us who love to swill and guzzle sweating tankards of ale as it beads at the brim, and who love to polish off copious swings of mint juleps and raw, rebellious liquor. Fact of the matter is, a sure short atomic cure for liver trouble, would practically disrupt and decimate the membership of a lot of our churches. Mr. President, as a poker-player and as a lover of good, old bourbon, you're not only in darned good company, but you are lined up with a discriminating majority! I am lined up with the Episcopalians. Some one has said they have nothing to do with either religion or politics; but, O, brother, how they extract those wicked corks! Truly, [Signature of Dick McCool]