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Hollybush, center of attention

In the mid-1800s, Hollybush was already a notable Victorian home, the estate of the Whitney family and evidence of its success in the glass industry. But in 1967, Hollybush and the campus of Rowan University (then Glassboro State College) became the epicenter of international news as the leaders of the world’s superpowers met for talks at the historic mansion.

On Friday, June 23, and Sunday, June 25, 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin joined together for the Summit at Hollybush—nearly 10 hours of talks that helped quell tensions between the two countries during the height of the Cold War.

As thousands congregated on campus and in the streets of the Borough of Glassboro to witness global history, Johnson and Kosygin met in the library of Hollybush to discuss their opposing views on the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War, as well as issues related to the nuclear arms race and conflicts in Vietnam.

While no agreements were reached during the Summit, Johnson said of the talks, “It does help a lot to sit down and look a man in the eye all day long and try to reason with him…particularly if he is trying to reason with you. And that’s why we went to Hollybush this morning. And reasoning together throughout the day was the spirit of Hollybush.”