The Nation: From the Penthouse Papers

Something like the Wizard of Oz, who spoke to the world in a disembodied voice from behind a huge paper head, Howard Hughes for the last ten years of his life communicated with his business staff chiefly by memos. He wrote down his instructions in pen on yellow legal pads, and the memos were delivered by his loyal Mormon retainers. His handwriting, though unstylish, was clear, but when he was nervous or overwrought he splattered his memos with word and sentence changes. Most of the missives went to Robert Maheu, his trusted top aide until the two men broke in late 1970. Maheu read the memos and handed them back to the messenger for return to Hughes.

On Thanksgiving Eve 1970, in the midst of the power struggle that pitted his Mormon palace guard against Maheu, Hughes abruptly decamped from Las Vegas and moved to the Bahamas, leaving behind some of his private files. Soon after, while his servants in Nevada were in a state of confusion over his sudden departure, someone entered Hughes’ 9th-floor penthouse in the Desert Inn and removed sheaves of his personal memos. Most of them ended up in the hands of Hank Greenspun, editor and publisher of the Las Vegas Sun. He published some of them and showed others to a few journalists writing about Hughes. Most of the memos remain secreted by Greenspun.

In a number of the memos, Hughes mentions Vice President Hubert Humphrey, whom he refers to as “Humphries,” “the V.P.” or “H.H.H.” Hughes seemed to think that he could enlist Humphrey’s aid in his own crusade to halt a huge nuclear test explosion that was planned in Nevada in 1968 by the Atomic Energy Commission (see cut above left). He had some environmental worries, but his real fear was that the blast would scare off tourists. His efforts failed; the test went off on schedule. Excerpts from Hughes’ memos to Maheu from 1966 to 1970:

>On race relations: “I know there is tremendous pressure upon the [Las Vegas] Strip owners to adopt a more liberal attitude toward integration, open housing and employment of more negroes … I can summarize my attitude about employing more negroes very simply—I think it is a wonderful idea for somebody else, somewhere else. I know this is not a very praiseworthy point of view, but I feel the negroes have already made enough progress to last the next 100 years and there is such a thing as overdoing it … I lived right in the middle of one race riot in which negroes committed atrocities equal to any in Viet Nam.”

> On threatening the Atomic Energy Commission: “I think that the AEC must be made to realize that I am dedicated to the minimum request made of them [to delay the explosion]. That if they do not grant it, I will ally myself completely with the all-out anti-bomb faction throughout the entire U.S. That this group had only been waiting for a strong leader and I am ready to dedicate the rest of my life and every cent I possess in a complete no quarter fight to outlaw all nuclear testing of every kind and everywhere …”

> On getting a lower price from Mobster Moe Dalitz, when trying to buy his Stardust Hotel: “You may be surprised how many times a man like Moe will make concessions for a friend. I mean, for example, that I believe Moe would go further as a gesture of personal friendship to you than he ever would as the result of negotiating pressure brought by me. You see, if I try to bargain Moe into a deal, his pride asserts itself and he says ‘Never!’ Whereas as a favor and gesture of personal friendship to you … Moe might easily do for you what he would not do for me. Anyhow, please try. Howard.”

> On constructing a mansion: “Bob, please go ahead and buy the two lots in the name of H.T. [Hughes Tool] Co., and please proceed to build likewise at the company’s expense. I think we might get the building job done more economically if the architect and the builder think it is for you at your expense. Many thanks. Howard.”