8:35 p.m.
To Anne Schwerner

After hearing the news from Hoover, Johnson made personal calls to the parents of Schwerner and Goodman, but was unable to find the phone number for the family of Chaney. Johnson had received white parents numbers from their congressmen, but had to rely on AT&T operators for Chaney’s number (a misspelling of Chaney's name kept them from finding the number). Ten minutes before the call to Anne Schwerner, Johnson exchanged views with Mississippi Governor Paul Johnson, a successor to Ross Barnett and a man who in a previous campaign had referred to the NAACP as standing for “Niggers, Apes, Alligators, Coons, and Possums.”

President Johnson: Mrs. Schwerner?

Mrs. Nathan Schwerner: Hello President Johnson.

President Johnson: Are you the mother of the . . .

Schwerner: Of Michael.

President Johnson: Yes. We have received word from Mr. [J. Edgar] Hoover that the investigation in the car indicates that there were no people in the car, and it’s very likely that none of them were burned as could have been possible under the early information.

Schwerner: Yes, thank you.

President Johnson: And I have talked to the Governor there, and he is making all the facilities of the state available in the search. And they have seen some tracks leaving the car.

Schwerner: Yes?

President Johnson: And they’re going to try to continue. We’re flying people in from the FBI tonight, and I just wanted you to know that, and that was a little hope that we didn’t have earlier, and I thought that we would enjoy it as long as we could.

Schwerner: [emotionally] Thank you so much, President Johnson. I appreciate this. Thank you very much.

President Johnson: Thank you, ma’am.

Schwerner: [emotionally] Thank you.

President Johnson: Bye.