Montana:

Helena Montana Association for the Blind. Nebraska :

Lincoln: Christian Record Benevolent Association. New Hampshire:

Bedford: Camp Allen.

Concord: New Hampshire Association for the Blind.
New Jersey:

Leonardo: New Jersey Blind Men's Association, Inc.
Morristown: The Seeing Eye, Inc.

Plainfield League for the Handicapped.

New York:

Albany Albany Association of the Blind.
Binghamton: Blind Work Association, Inc.
Buffalo:

Buffalo Association for the Blind.
Catholic Guild for the Blind.

Elmira Elmira Association for the Blind, Inc.

Glens Falls: The Glens Falls Association for the Blind.
Jamestown: Southwestern Tier Association for the Blind.
Monsey: Matilda Zeigler Publishing Company for the Blind.
New York City:

American Bible Society.

American Foundation for the Blind, Inc.

American Foundation for Overseas Blind, Inc.

American-Israeli Lighthouse, Inc.

Anthonian Hall, Inc.

Associated Blind, Inc.

Athletics for the Blind, Inc.

Blind Industrial Workers' Association of New York State, Inc.
Brooklyn Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor.
Brooklyn Bureau of Social Service and Children's Aid Society.
Catholic Center for the Blind, Inc.

Catholic Guild for the Blind for the Archdiocese of New York.
Catholic Guild for the Blind, Diocese of Brooklyn, Inc.

Church Charity Foundation of Long Island-Home for Aged and Blind.
Gospel Association for the Blind, Inc.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Inc.

Industrial Home for the Blind.

Industries for the Blind of New York State, Inc.

Jewish Braille Institute of America, Inc.

John Milton Society.

Louis Braille Music Institute of America, Inc.

National Council, Protestant Episcopal Church, Committee on Literature for the Blind.

National Council To Combat Blindness, Inc.

National Industries for the Blind, Inc.

National Society for the Prevention of Blindness, Inc.

The New York Association for the Blind.

New York Bible Society.

New York Guild for the Jewish Blind.

Queensboro Home for the Blind, Inc.

Recording for the Blind, Inc.

Second Sight-Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind.

The Society for the Relief of the Destitute Blind of the City of New

York and Its Vicinity, Inc.

Swedenborg Foundation, Inc.

Vacation Camp for the Blind.

W. C. Handy Foundation for the Blind, Inc.

Rochester: Association for the Blind of Rochester, Inc.

Syracuse Syracuse Association of Workers for the Blind, Ins.

Utica: Central Association for the Blind.

Watertown: Jefferson County Association for the Blind, Inc.

North Carolina :

Asheville: Lions Club Industries for the Blind of Western North Carolina, Inc.

Charlotte:

Charlotte Workshop for the Blind, Inc.

Mecklenburg County Association for the Blind, Inc.

Durham:

Durham County Association for the Blind. Lions Club Industries for the Blind. Greensboro: Industries for the Blind, Inc.

Ohio:

Canton: Phyllis Wheatley Association.
Cincinnati:

Cincinnati Association for the Blind.
Clovernook Home for the Blind.

Negro Sightless Society of Ohio.

Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries Rehabilitation Center.
Samuel W. Bell Home, Inc.

Cleveland Cleveland Society for the Blind.

Columbus:

Columbus Association for the Blind.

Delta Gamma Foundation.

Pilot Dogs, Inc.

Dayton: Goodwill Industries of Dayton, Inc.

Elyria Center for the Sightless, Inc.

Toledo Toledo Society for the Blind.

Youngstown: Youngstown Society for the Blind and Disabled.

Oklahoma:

Oklahoma City: Oklahoma League for the Blind.

Tulsa Tulsa Association for the Blind.

Pennsylvania:

Allentown: Lehigh County Association for the Blind.

Altoona Blair-Centre Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind. Beaver Falls: Beaver County Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.

Bedford Bedford Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind. Bethlehem: Northampton County Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.

Butler: Butler County Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind. Chester: Delaware County Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind. Coatesville Chester County Branch, Inc., Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.

Doylestown: Bucks County Association for the Blind, Inc.

Erie: Erie's Center for the Blind.

Greensburg: Westmoreland County Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.

Harrisburg:

Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.

Tri-County Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.

Hazleton: Hazleton Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.
Indiana Armstrong-Indiana Branch of the Pennsylvania Association for
the Blind, Inc.

Jim Thorpe: Carbon-Monroe Branch, Inc., Pennsylvania Association for the
Blind.

Johnstown: Cambria County Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the
Blind.

Lancaster: Lancaster County Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the
Blind.

Lewistown:

Beacon Lodge-Camp for the Blind.

Juniata Foundation Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind. New Castle: Lawrence County Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.

Norristown: Montgomery County Association for the Blind.

Oil City Venango County Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.

Philadelphia:

Blind Relief Fund of Philadelphia, Inc.

Board of Inner Missions, Lutheran Ministerium of Pennsylvania.
Catholic Guild for the Blind.

Chapin Memorial Home for Aged Blind.

Home for Aged and Infirm Deaf.

Pennsylvania Industrial Home for Blind Women.

Pennsylvania Working Home for the Blind.

Philadelphia Association for the Blind, Inc.

Philadelphia Lighthouse of the Blind.

Philadelphia Protestant Episcopal City Mission, Church Work Among the Blind.

Volunteer Service for the Blind, Inc.

Pittsburgh:

Catholic Guild for the Blind.

Pittsburgh Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind
Torrance House Association, Home for the Blind Women.

Reading: Berks County Association for the Blind, Inc.

Scranton: Lackawanna Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind. Sharon Mercer County Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind. Sunbury Lower Susquehanna Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.

Uniontown: Fayette County Association for the Blind.

Washington: Washington County Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.

Wilkes-Barre: Wilkes-Barre Branch, Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.
Williamsport:

Lycoming County Association for the Blind.
Williamsport Sightless Home, Inc.

Rhode Island:

Providence: Rhode Island Association for the Blind.

South Carolina :

Charleston: Charleston County Association for the Blind.
Columbia: Association of the Blind of South Carolina.

Tennessee:

Clarksville: Opportunity Training Center.

Memphis: Lions Institute for Visually Handicapped Children.
Morristown: Volunteer Blind Industries, Inc.

Nashville: Blind Girls Home.

Texas:

Austin: Travis Association for the Blind.

Beaumont: Beaumont Association for the Blind.
Dallas:

Dallas County Association for the Blind.
Dallas Services for Blind Children, Inc.

El Paso: El Paso County Association for the Blind.

Fort Worth:

Fort Worth Foundation for Visually Handicapped Children, Inc.
Lighthouse for the Blind.

Houston: Houston-Harris County Lighthouse for the Blind.

La Marque: Lions Lighthouse of Galveston County.

San Antonio:

San Antonio Association for the Blind.

San Antonio Council for Visually Impaired Children. Waco: Waco Lighthouse for the Blind.

Utah:

Salt Lake City:

Col. Andrew S. Rowan Reading Room for the Blind.
Society for the Aid of the Sightless.

Vermont:

Barre: Vermont Association for the Blind.
Hardwick: Camp Wapanacki.

Virginia :

Arlington: Northern Virginia Preschool for Blind Children, Inc.
Richmond:

Chairman, Subcommittee on Special Education of the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. ELLIOTT: Our attention has been invited to certain statements made by Mr. Paul Kirton, of Texas, on a bill which requires the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to consult with organizations of the blind, and guarantee to the blind the right of expression through organizations for the blind.

We appreciate the opportunity our Congress gievs to individuals to express their thoughts and recommendations on various legislation. However, in certain statements made to your committee by this gentleman, certain allegations or presumptuous expressions were made that are not representative of the facts, with reference to our very capable executive secretary-director of the Texas Commission for the Blind, Mr. Lon Alsup.'

Too, we are very concerned over the possibility that such misinformation could possibly affect Federal legislation; for we strongly believe that the supervision by the Federal Government of personnel practices in the State is not an appropriate area for such legislation.

The record of Mr. Alsup and the Commisson of the Blind is such that we are not on the defensive, but we do wish to invite your attention to the established facts.

Mr. Alsup follows the policies established by the Texas Commission for the Blind, in that no blind person or persons will be denied any services of the agency regardless of affiliation with any organization, political or otherwise. This policy would certainly also apply with reference to membership in the National Federation for the Blind, whose operations are questionable in some areas by the National Better Business Bureau.

Mr. Alsup's life has been dedicated to the betterment of his fellow blind in the State of Texas, and in the Nation. His selfless devotion to others at a great personal sacrifice is well known. His strength of character and administrative abilities have built the State Agency for the Blind of Texas from practically nothing to one of the outstanding in the Nation. This has been done despite those selfish, or perhaps misinformed, individuals who attempt to dictate a policy that will only benefit the few, and not the entire blind population. His record will show, among his many achievements, national recognition by way of a citation of merit by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare for rehabilitation service in this region during 1958; a resolution of commendation by the Texas Legislature for outstanding service to the blind; and many other significant honors.

We respectfully invite your attention to these matters for your consideration. It will be a pleasure to provide additional information or appear before your committee, if you desire.

Sincerely yours,

ASHER THOMPSON.

P.S.-We are pleased to enclose a copy of biennial report to the Texas Legislature on the activities of the Commission for the Blind in the State of Texas.