Newspaper Articles

U.S. Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota, one of the best known men in public life today, will be the principal speaker at a fund-raising dinner sponsored by the Marion County Democratic Executive Committee at 6 p.m. today in the Fairmont Hotel.

While he is one of the two candidates in the May 10 primary in West Virginia for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Humphrey's visit here was arranged through the Democratic National Committee before he entered the non-binding preferential election.

His race with Sen. John F. Kennedy in the West Virginia primary has attracted nation-wide attention and is expected to add interest to his appearance here. It will be Sen. Humphrey's first visit to Fairmont during the current campaign.

Aides of the Minnesota senator have said that he has frequently referred to his visit to Fairmont since it was the home of his close personal friend, the late Sen. Matthew M. Neely. They were closely allied in a Senate "liberal" bloc during the time they served together in the upper branch of Congress.

Starting out at 6 a.m. today, the senator will travel by bus through central West Virginia with speaking stops scheduled for Summersville, Webster Springs, Buckhannon and Philippi. He will speak at the courthouse square in the latter town at 3 p.m. and greet as many voters as possible.

The Humphrey campaign bus is scheduled to leave the Barbour County seat at 4 p.m. with arrival here 45 minutes later. Sheriff J. Max Gill will head an escort which will meet the visitors at the Taylor-Marion County line.

Humphrey will attend a reception sponsored by the Marion County Young Democratic Club beginning at 5 p.m. The reception is planned for the Fairmont Room.

Donald P. Smith will be toastmaster at the $10 dinner at which about 200 party leaders are expected and Bertram Cousins Jr. will introduce the principal speaker. State officials in the audience[e] will be presented, but no local candidates will be introduced in order that the program will be expedited.

The invocation will be given by the Rev. Walter Rival, M.S., of St. Joseph's Catholic Church and the benediction by The Rev. Clyde J. Wright, county commissioner.

Decorations for the dinner will be arranged today by Mrs. Emma Belle Price, Mrs. Dora Borowski, Mrs. Dora Young and Mrs. Nettie Minor.

Hostesses will be Mrs. Jackie Yeager, Mrs. Elaine Slack, Mrs. Bernice Kearns, Mrs. Frances Rowland, Mrs. Dora Borowski, Mrs. Gypsy Connor, Mrs. Paul Cumpston, Mrs. Laura Pellegrin and Anna Lou Griffith.

Sen. Humphrey will remain in Fairmont tonight and resume his campaign tour at 8 a.m. tomorrow when he leaves for Kingwood, first stop on a trip that will carry him to Charleston before he returns to Washinggon [sic] late tomorrow night.

A three-day campaign by Atty. Edward (Ted) Kennedy in behalf of his brother in this area closed at Farmington yesterday when a coffee was held in the Town hall. He was accompanied on the trip by Joe Stydahar, former football star. Both were in Morgantown dinner.

With the appearance here tonight of Sen. Humphrey, Fairmont will have been visited within a week by the two avowed candidates for President running in the West Virginia primary.

Only their aides are expected to remain active in this section between now and the primary - two weeks from tomorrow - as neither Humphrey nor Kennedy have other visits planned here.

The presidential candidates have somewhat taken away the spotlight from state and local races, but the latter are expected to be intensified in the fortnight remaining before the voters go to the polls.