Interview with Benjamin V. Cohen, March 19, 1975

Interview Summary

Benjamin Cohen worked with Senator Sam Rayburn (Interstate Commerce Committee) on the Securities Act of 1933 and then later on Securities and Exchange Commission Acts and the Holding Company Act. Cohen met Fred Vinson through Rayburn while Vinson was chairman of the Tax Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee. Cohen talks about his work in the Office of Economic Stabilization with James Byrnes and how Vinson took the office over from Byrnes. He briefly discusses problems Vinson had at the OES, mainly by trying to "hold the line" on increases. He relates how, when he and Byrnes left for the Office of War Mobilization, they worked with Vinson through Ed Prichard. The two offices worked together, with Vinson having a close relationship with Byrnes. Cohen reviews the reasons Byrnes left the Office of War Mobilization and how he had little further contact with Vinson after his own departure.

Interview Keyword

Fred M. Vinson Politics and government United States Government James F. Byrnes Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry Truman Office of Economic Stabilization Office of War Mobilization World War II

Interview LC Subject

Law and legislation World War, 1939-1945 Economic stabilization

Interview Rights

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Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.