Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
UNDERWOOD Martin
UNDERWOOD, Martin. (Cedar Rapids, IA--March, 2003). A graduate of the University of Iowa, Underwood lived with his mother in Dubuque from 1937-1940 while working as a regional sales manager for the Schaeffer Pen Company. He started a public relations firm in Chicago and worked five years for Mayor Richard Daley. Daley recommended Underwood for the position of advance man for newly-elected President John F. Kennedy. Underwood and Kennedy's wife Jacqueline tried unsuccessfully to convince Kennedy to use a protective bubble on the top of the car he rode in during his trip to Dallas.
Underwood was one of only two staff members retained by Lyndon Johnson when he became president after Kennedy's death. He admitted years later of secretly taking a seat on the floor of Congress. In this position, he was able to lead the applause during a Johnson speech helping the new president achieve his goal of receiving more applause interruptions than Kennedy.
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Source:
1. Bragg, Mary Rae, "Former Dubuquer who Worked for Presidents Kennedy, Johnson Dies," Telegraph Herald, March 21, 2003, p 1