Page:Interregional Highways.pdf/9

 LETTER OF SUBMITTAL

Washington, D. C.

Maj. Gen. PHILIP B. FLEMING, Administrator, Federal Works Agency, Washington, D. C.

SIR: In a letter under date of April 14, 1941, addressed to the Honorable John M. Carmody, then Administrator, Federal Works Agency, the President appointed a National Interregional Highway Committee of seven members to serve in an advisory capacity to the Administrator. He directed the Committee to review existing data and surveys and, upon completion of its review, to report to him not later than October 1, outlining and recommending a limited system of national highways designed to provide a basis for improved interregional transportation.

The President expressed the hope that our national needs would be paramount in the deliberations of the Committee and that as a result of its recommendations it would be possible to prepare detailed plans and specifications. This, the President, stated would permit us, upon the conclusion of the defense program, to utilize productively some of the manpower and industrial capacity then available to construct a national system of interregional highways.

The President also directed the Federal Works Agency to furnish such staff as necessary for the efficient functioning of the Committee and to compensate its members for travel expenses incurred.

The following persons were asked by the President to serve as members of the Committee:
 * Thomas H. MacDonald, Commissioner of Public Roads, Federal Works Agency.
 * G. Donald Kennedy, State highway commissioner, Lansing, Mich.
 * Bibb Graves, former Governor of Alabama.
 * C. H. Purcell, State highway engineer, Sacramento, Calif.
 * Frederic A. Delano, Chairman, National Resources Planning Board.
 * Harland Bartholomew, city planner, St. Louis, Mo.
 * Rexford Guy Tugwell, chairman, New York City Planning Commission.

All of those invited accepted membership and responded to the call for attendance at the initial meeting which was held at Washington, D. C., on June 24, 1941. At this meeting, the Committee elected as its chairman, Thomas H. MacDonald, Commissioner of Public Roads; and as its vice chairman, G. Donald Kennedy, State Highway Commissioner of Michigan. Mr. H. S. Fairbank, Public Roads Administration, was appointed secretary of the Committee and a small staff was supplied by the Public Roads Administration. The research and writing of this report are the work primarily of Mr. Fairbank, assisted by this staff. In addition to Mr. Fairbank, the IX