Amory Houghton: “I think we all sort of feel that we walk in the shadow of John Lewis. We can reconstruct history. We can read about it.…”

“I think we all sort of feel that we walk in the shadow of John Lewis. We can reconstruct history. We can read about it. But to be part of history with a man like John Lewis, who was there and who suffered all the humilities and the physical beatings and the agonies of those times was really something. I mean, I do not think I will ever get over it. As I mentioned to Mr. Lewis, it was almost like my trip to the Holy Land. It was a religious experience. This was a group that did not have any legislative program. We did not want to start any new government project. But we wanted to deal honestly with ourselves. And I think Mr. Lewis will agree that we did that. I know that he has always tried to deal honestly with us, and I hope we were able to do this with him and some of his associates down there. It was extraordinary to see the people who were associated there. There was a wonderful lady. I call her lady now. But in those days, 30 years ago, she was a young girl; and when the conditions got very sad, she would break into song and pull everybody's spirits up. She did it with us.”