Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Through his friend Matt Ahmann, Fr. Mottet got Martin Luther King, Jr. to Davenport in 1965 to receive the Pacem in Terris award. It was a tremendous experience. They hired policemen to guard him, and he had a police escort from the airport to Davenport. They arranged a dinner at one of the biggest places in Davenport, the Masonic Temple. In his speech, Dr. King said, “You can tell we’re making some progress when a Catholic Interracial Council gives an award to a Baptist minister named Martin Luther King, Jr., and it takes place in the Masonic Temple.”