▁b ills ▁to ▁create ▁Medic are , ▁the ▁Small ▁Business ▁Administration ▁and ▁Ever gl ades ▁National ▁Park . ▁He ▁pushed ▁for ▁federal ▁hol id ays ▁to ▁be ▁moved ▁to ▁Mond ays , ▁essentially ▁creating ▁the ▁modern ▁three - day ▁week end , ▁and ▁he ▁ar d ently ▁supported ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁Vietnam . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁S math ers ▁released ▁a ▁statement ▁calling ▁for ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁" Fre edom ▁University ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas " ▁with ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁instruct ing ▁Latin ▁Americans ▁on ▁comb ating ▁commun ism ▁in ▁their ▁countries . ▁Fin ancing ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁volunt ary ▁contributions ▁of ▁Americans ▁from ▁Americans ▁willing ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁fund ing ▁of ▁a ▁project ▁intended ▁to ▁er ad icate ▁commun ism ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁Hem is phere ▁and ▁S math ers ▁said ▁he ▁would ▁soon ▁introduce ▁legisl ation ▁creating ▁a ▁special ▁commission ▁that ▁President ▁Johnson ▁would ▁have ▁to ▁appoint ▁for ▁the ▁studying ▁on ▁how ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁proposed ▁institution . ▁ ▁Rel ations hip ▁with ▁J F K ▁S math ers ▁be fri ended ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy , ▁speaking ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁Kennedy ▁at ▁his ▁wed ding ▁dinner ▁re he ars al ▁and ▁reception . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁president ial ▁campaign , ▁S math ers ▁was ▁a ▁favorite ▁son ▁candidate ▁for ▁the ▁Democratic ▁nom ination . ▁He ▁later ▁managed ▁Kennedy ' s ▁campaign ▁in ▁the ▁S out heast . ▁ ▁Journal ist ▁Roger ▁M