The picture shows an undated group of men at “Track 61” at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. It identifies two of the men (I believe correctly) as Averell Harriman and Adlai Stevenson (fourth and fifth from the left). I found a website (see below for link) that identifies the small man with glasses and a moustache in the center as Sen. John Pastore of Rhode Island.
That site notes that on Aug 28, 1952, Gov. Stevenson (who was then the Democratic nominee for president) gave a speech at the Waldorf, and that the picture may have been taken at that time. I think that’s unlikely…be pretty hot wearing those heavy overcoats in late August!!
One possibility I found was from Eleanor Roosevelt’s daily newspaper column, “My Day”. She notes that in the morning of Feb. 16, 1953, she attended a meeting of the Democratic National Committe in New York City, and that in the evening she was one of 1780 people attending a $100 a plate dinner / fundraiser for the party at the Waldorf Astoria. It was presided over by Averill Harriman, and the main speaker was Adlai Stevenson.
“Averell Harriman, presiding, did a really wonderful piece of work in getting everything exactly on time. He made an amusing crack at one point while we were waiting for TV to pick up Mr. Stevenson. Looking at the gathering with satisfaction, Mr. Harriman said: “You see, the Union Pacific always runs its trains on time.” This was good preparation for some of Mr. Stevenson’s witticisms, which kept the crowd both laughing and applauding.”
http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/gct61.html
http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/displaydoc.cfm?_y=1953&_f=md002459