A Democratic nominee for a state political office said today he had canceled a speaking engagement in the University Club here because the club barred Jews and Negroes from membership.
Norbert A. Schlei, a Catholic, who is a candidate for the post of Secretary of State, acted at the suggestion of Federal Judge Irving Hill, a former president of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation Council. Judge Hill said he had “reliable evidence” that the club discriminated against Jews.
Dana Bresnahan, the club’s immediate past president, replied in the absence of the organization’s president, Thomas Johnston. He said that “there is no stated policy” barring Negroes and Jews, and that “probably there are” Jews in the club. However, he said, “you don’t ask the question. “
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.