Mrs. Hicks, White Voted Places in Mayor Run-off

Mrs. Louise Day Hicks, the controversial School Committee member who is Boston's staunchest advocate of the neighborhood school system, led her nine male opponents in yesterday's preliminary mayoralty election.

She will face Secretary of State Kevin White, who trailed her by more than 13,000 votes, in the final election Nov. 7.

As soon as the rally assured White a place in the runoff, Senator Edward M. Kennedy '54 (D-Mass.) announced his support for White. He asserted that White, who is serving his fourth term as Secretary of State, is the only one of the two candidates nominated who believes in "progress and understanding in meeting the problems of the city."

"We will unite behind Kevin White, we will wage a strong campaign, and we will win," Kennedy said. The Senator had steadfastly refused to endorse anyone before the primary.

Light Turnout

A light turn-out of 155,000--about 56 per cent of the city's registered voters--produced 43,719 votes for Mrs. Hicks to White's 30,497. Unofficial returns put State Rep. John Sears, the first Republican in two decades to ener the non-partisan mayoralty race, in third place with 23,879. Edward Logue, former head of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, came in a close fourth with 23,826.

"May the best woman win," Mrs. Hicks declared, beaming over a green and white victory cake at 400 cheering campaign workers in her downtown headquarters at the Boston City Club. She then drove off to tour local television stations while the crowd broke into an Irish jig.

City Council

Also at stake in yesterdays elections were 18 nominations for nine city council seats. Thomas Atkins, a third year Harvard law student, was running in a field of 25. Atkins, 27, is a Negro and native of Roxbury.

John Saltonstall '38, also a candidate for the city council, made a surprisingly good showing and is now placed a likely fourth.

Thomas A. Sullivan, associated with the School of Education, is running twelfth.

'People's'

Expounding on Mrs. Hicks' victory, her supporters attributed the 48-year-old South Boston grandmother's appeal to being "the people's candidate," and denied it was based on racial prejudice.

"She doesn't have any big politicians behind her," said Mrs. Rita Marie Mattie, President of the Massachusetts Women Lawyers. Mrs. Mattie reminisced about the night 11 years ago when she and Mrs. Hicks studied together at Mrs. Hicks' home for the bar exam the next day. "She's just Louise Day Hicks. She's the people's candidate," Mrs. Mattie beamed.

Defends Property

Another worker, Miss Madeline Burns, explained tha "she's defending the right to private property, my right to my own home." But another enthusiast proclaimed, "Frankly I supported her because she'll get rid of the niggers. A lot of people in Boston secretly think the way she does--but didn't have the guts to come out and say it."