Andrew Hatcher

Andrew Hatcher (1923–1990) was an associate press secretary to President John F. Kennedy and a founder of 100 Black Men of America in 1963.^[1]

Andrew T. Hatcher in 1962

Life and career

Born in Princeton, New Jersey,^[2] Hatcher graduated from Witherspoon School for Colored Children in 1937 and Princeton High School in 1941. He attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts^[3] and served three years in the United States Army as a second lieutenant until 1946.^[2][4][5] A few years later, he relocated to San Francisco, California, working as a journalist at the San Francisco Sun-Reporter and later as an assistant labor commissioner under Governor of California Pat Brown.^[2] From 1950 to 1959, Hatcher worked as a court clerk for Federal Judge Oliver J. Carter.^[2][4] In 1950, Hatcher worked with Pierre Salinger as a coordinator on Helen Gahagan Douglas's senatorial campaign against Richard Nixon.^[4] Hatcher served under Adlai Stevenson as a campaign organizer during Stevenson's two unsuccessful runs for President of the United States in 1952 and 1956.^[2] He worked on the 1958 campaign of Clair Engle.^[5]

In 1960 with his close friend Pierre Salinger, he joined Sen. John F. Kennedy’s campaign press staff as a speechwriter. Immediately after his election as President, Kennedy named both men to his White House staff, with Salinger as White House Press Secretary, and Hatcher as Assistant White House Press Secretary.^[3] This made Hatcher the highest ranking black person to serve in the White House.^[6] After Kennedy was assassinated, Hatcher resigned from the Johnson administration to support Salinger's successful senatorial campaign in California.^[6][7]

In 1972, Hatcher was working on the staff of Senator Henry M. Jackson.^[7] Hatcher also later worked as vice-president of an advertising agency.^[8]

Hatcher was married to Ruth Avery, with whom he had seven children.^[5] His young son Avery was a student in the home school which Jacqueline Kennedy established for her daughter Caroline Kennedy and children of White House staffers.^[9]

Hatcher died in 1990.