Offices PAN AMERICAN COMMISSION FLORIDA HOTEL BUILDING TAMPA, FLORIDA EARL MULLEN VICE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CABLE ADDRESS “PACT” January 17, 1961 Honorable Farris Bryant Governor, State of Florida Tallahassee, Fla. Dear Governor: Realizing the amount of detail confronting you since your inauguration, the mayor’s Cuban Refugee Committee has deferred writing you about the Cuban Refugee problem in Tampa until the committee was well enough organized to clarify the local situation for your consideration. Attached is clipping of a news story announcing the opening of Tampa’s Cuban Refugee Center that made Page 1 in The Tamp Sunday tribune. The center, at 601 Twiggs St., YWCA building, officially opens tomorrow morning Wednesday, January 18th., from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. It will be staffed by volunteer workers of the Community Coordinating Council. As you know, the Cuban Refugee Center in Miami is a Federal Government project under the direction of Mr. T.S. Voorhees, Assistant to The president. The Tampa Center has been organized without Federal aid by the Mayor’s Cuban Refugee Committee, and is a civic project. Although Tampa’s problem with the refugees is much smaller than Miami’s, our committee feels we are going to need Federal assistance for the continuation of its successful operation. It is reported that Miami has approximately 40,000 Cuban refugees, and that Tampa has approximately 2,000. Cubans who have recently landed in Miami are coming to Tampa in greater numbers every day. Our committee requests that you appraise the refugee problem in Tampa at this time. In order to keep the Tampa Center opened, we believe that financial assistance will be required by February 1st. Thanking you for your cooperation and interest. Cordially yours, MAYOR”S CUBAN REFUGEE COMMITTEE Earl Mullen, Chairman EM:cf encl