Apr. 6, 1964 - An application for an East Side cooperative apartment by Peter Lawford and his wife, Patricia, a sister of President Kennedy, was rejected today because of his occupation, acting, and her affiliations with the Democratic party.
The Lawfords had sought to buy a 16-room apartment from Mrs. Charles Amory in a cooperative at 117 East 72nd Street, near Park Avenue. Mr. Lawford and Mrs. Amory agreed to terms, but the sale had to be unanimously approved by the cooperative’s five-member board of directors. Four members of the board were said to have been in favor of the application but the fifth — reportedly the chairman, Francis R. Masters — turned it down on the grounds that Mr. Lawford was an actor and Mrs. Lawford a Democrat.
The city’s Commission on Human Rights was asked to intervene, but declined. It noted that there was nothing in the law to prevent a person’s being denied living quarters because he is an actor or a Democrat. However, a person cannot be denied living quarters because of his race, religion, creed, or nationality.
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