Little Rock voters approve what would become Robinson Auditorium on January 26, 1937

Posted on January 26, 2020 by Scott

On January 26, 1937, Little Rock voters went to the polls to vote on three different municipal bond issues. One of them was the construction of a municipal auditorium.

The bonds for the auditorium would be $468,000 in general obligation bonds which would be paid off between 1940 and 1971. This was toward a total cost of $760,000 for the entire project.

The official campaign for the auditorium was sponsored by the Little Rock Forward Committee which was led by W. H. Williams. In campaign advertisements it showed the value of conventions in New York City which was estimated at $100 per convention attendee. Little Rock organizers were estimating a $10 a day expenditure by visitors, which the committee stressed was very conservative. The campaign committee emphasized the importance of acting at that time due to the federal government money involved.

Various committees and organizations endorsed the auditorium project including the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, Little Rock Federation of Women’s Clubs, and the Young Business Men’s Association.

The thrust of the campaign focused on the economic benefit to Little Rock as well as the fact that the auditorium would be for all citizens. This message was picked up in editorials by both the Democrat and Gazette. In editorials on January 23 and 25, the Democratopined that the benefits of the auditorium would be distributed among all classes of the citizenry. The next day, both papers ran editorials which touted the economic boon an auditorium would bring through conventions and meetings.

The Democrat’s approach broke down the current value of conventions to Little Rock with, what it termed, the city’s “existing inadequate” facilities. The paper emphasized a conservative estimate of what the added value to Little Rock’s economy would be with the new auditorium.

In expressing support for the auditorium the Gazette stressed the values for local, statewide and national groups. “An auditorium would provide a more convenient and better adapted community center for all kinds of local gathering,” and continued that it would make Little Rock “the logical meeting place for state conventions of every sort.” In discussing the value of state, regional and national meetings the paper stressed that the outside money spent by convention attendees has an impact beyond stores, hotels and restaurants.

Both papers also echoed the importance of the federal government financing to make this possible. The Democrat noted that the Public Works Administration grant and federal low cost loan made this an ideal time.

On January 26, 1937, Little Rock voters approved the auditorium bond by a vote of 1,518 to 519. It passed in each of the city’s 23 precincts. Little Rock Mayor R. E. Overman expressed his pleasure at the outcome of the vote and extended his thanks to the voters. (The City Library addition received 1,673 for and 359 against, while the African American park received 1,588 for and 442 against.)

After the election, a Gazette editorial commented on the low turnout for the special election by commenting that the weather had been nice and there were no other barriers to voting. The editorial writer opined that those not voting in the election must not have been opposed to the endeavor.

27 African American students seek to integrate Little Rock schools in January 1956

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Scott

Arkansas Democrat photo by staff photographer Mr. Bisgood.

On Monday, January 23, 1956, twenty-seven African American students attempted to integrate four Little Rock schools. By the end of the day, all four school principals had refused entry and some of the students had met with LRSD Superintendent Virgil Blossom.

Eight girls who were students at Horace Mann High School arrived at Central High at 9:30 am accompanied by Daisy Bates and Frank W. Smith both of the NAACP. One male student attempted to integrate Little Rock Technical High School. Four students arrived at Forest Heights Junior High (accompanied by three adults) and fourteen students attempted to integrate Forest Park Elementary (accompanied by four adults). Neither the Arkansas Gazette nor the Arkansas Democrat broke down the age or gender of the junior high and elementary students.

Though all were referred to meet with Mr. Blossom, only the young women from Horace Mann visited with him. After the conversation both he and Mrs. Bates declared the conversation had been friendly. Mr. Blossom, in denying the request, noted that the Little Rock School District had a plan for integration. To allow them to integrate immediately would have been going against the plan. The integration plan was connected to the completion of the new high school. If it were ready to open in the fall of 1957, then integration at the high schools would start then. The newspapers noted that there was no timeline for when it would extend down to the junior high and elementary levels.

That evening, Rev. J. C. Crenchaw, the president of the Little Rock NAACP, issued a statement. In it he expressed frustration that the LRSD was vague on its timeline for integration. He noted that the students lived near the schools which they tried to integrate and were therefore forced to travel several extra miles each day to attend school. He also commented that the young man who attempted to enroll at Tech was not afforded the training available there at his current school.

The Arkansas Democrat ran a photo of the meeting with Mr. Blossom. It identified the seven students who were pictured. No mention was made as to whether the eighth student was present but not photographed, or if she did not attend the meeting. As was the practice at the time, the addresses of the students were listed by their names. Based on those addresses, the students lived between 0.4 and 0.9 miles from Central High School and were between 2.1 and 3.2 miles away from Horace Mann High School. Of the seven students in the photo, two were seniors, three were juniors, and three were sophomores. None of the students named became part of the Little Rock Nine who did integrate Central High twenty-one months later.

There was no discussion in the media as to how long this plan had been in place or the genesis of it–had it been part of a national initiative or simply the local NAACP? There were also no details as to how the students had been selected.

On January 24, the Gazette editorial writer opined they were glad for the amicable nature of the conversations. They hoped it did not affect the good race relations in Little Rock. The writer concluded by saying they did not want it to incite extremists (but did not specify if they viewed the extremists as being for or against integration.

MLK in LR

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Scott

Ernest Green, Dr. King and Daisy Bates share a relaxed moment — which was probably rare for the three in 1958

Today is the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. It is an apt time to think about Dr. King and Little Rock. A friend of L. C. and Daisy Bates, he attended the 1958 Central High School graduation to witness Ernest Green receiving a diploma. Each senior only received eight tickets to the ceremony at Quigley Stadium. Dr. King was in the state to address the Arkansas AM&N (now UAPB) graduation.

His attendance was briefly mentioned in the local press, but there was no media photo of him at the ceremony. The Little Rock School District limited the press to one Democrat and one Gazette photographer. Other press were limited to the press box.

Ernest Green has a photo of him with Daisy Bates and Dr. King (pictured on this entry).

In 1968, when Dr. King was assassinated, Little Rock did not see the unrest that many cities did. Part of that was probably due to quick action by Governor Winthrop Rockefeller. The Governor released a statement fairly quickly expressing his sorrow at the tragedy and calling for a day of mourning. He also made the State Capitol available for the NAACP to have a public memorial, as well as worked with a group of ministers to host an interdenominational service.

Little Rock Mayor Martin Borchert issued a statement as well:

We in Little Rock are disturbed about the incident in Memphis. We are disturbed regardless of where it had happened. Killing is not the Christian solution to any of our problems today.

In Little Rock, we feel we have come a long way in 10 years toward solving some of our problems of living and working together regardless of race, creed or color.

The city Board of Directors in Little Rock has pledged itself toward continuing efforts to make Little Rock a better place in which to live and work for all our citizens.

We feel the efforts of all thus far have proved we can live in harmony in Little Rock and are confident such an incident as has happened will not occur in Little Rock. We will continue our most earnest efforts toward the full needs of our citizens.

The day after Dr. King was assassinated, a group of Philander Smith College students undertook a spontaneous walk to the nearby State Capitol, sang “We Shall Overcome” and then walked back to the campus. President Ernest T. Dixon, Jr., of the college then hosted a 90 minute prayer service in the Wesley Chapel on the campus.

On the Sunday following Dr. King’s assassination, some churches featured messages about Dr. King. As it was part of Holy Week, the Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of Little Rock had instructed all priests to include messages about Dr. King in their homilies. Some protestant ministers did as well. The Arkansas Gazette noted that Dr. Dale Cowling of Second Baptist Church downtown (who had received many threats because of his pro-integration stance in 1957) had preached about Dr. King and his legacy that morning.

Later that day, Governor Rockefeller participated in a public memorial service on the front steps of the State Capitol. The crowd, which started at 1,000 and grew to 3,000 before it was over, was racially mixed. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Governor and Mrs. Rockefeller joined hands with African American ministers and sang “We Shall Overcome.”

That evening, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral was the site of an interdenominational service which featured Methodist Bishop Rev. Paul V. Galloway, Catholic Bishop Most Rev. Albert L. Fletcher, Episcopal Bishop Rt. Rev. Robert R. Brown, Rabbi E. E. Palnick of Temple B’Nai Israel, Gov. Rockefeller, Philander Smith President Dixon, and Rufus King Young of Bethel AME Church.

Earlier in the day, Mayor Borchert stated:

We are gathered this afternoon to memorialize and pay tribute to a great American….To achieve equality of opportunity for all will require men of compassion and understanding on the one hand and men of reason and desire on the other.

Mayor Borchert pledged City resources to strive for equality.

Another Little Rock Mayor, Sharon Priest, participated in a ceremony 24 years after Dr. King’s assassination to rename High Street for Dr. King in January 1992. The name change had been approved in March 1991 to take effect in January 1992 in conjunction with activities celebrating Dr. King’s life. At the ceremony, Daisy Bates and Annie Abrams joined with other civil rights leaders and city officials to commemorate the name change.

In tribute to Phyllis Brandon

Posted on January 12, 2020 by Scott

It seems fitting that I learn of Phyllis Brandon’s death on a Sunday, since she shaped Sundays for so many people for decades.

Phyllis D. Brandon played a unique role in shaping and supporting Little Rock’s cultural life. As the first and longtime editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette‘s High Profile section, she promoted cultural institutions, supporters and practitioners.

Since it started in 1986, being featured in High Profile has been akin to the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. It exposes cultural institutions and events to new and wider audiences. There is no way to put a monetary measure on the support Brandon gave to Little Rock’s cultural life during her time leading High Profile from 1986 to 2009. From 2009 to 2011, she served as editor of Arkansas Life magazine, again supporting and promoting cultural life.

With her unassuming manner, she coaxed stories out of interview subjects and captured photos which highlighted events. A journalist since her junior high school days in Little Rock, Brandon was also a witness to history. As a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas, Brandon returned to her alma mater, Little Rock Central High, to cover the events in early September 1957 for the Arkansas Democrat. Eleven years later, she was in Chicago for the contentious and violent 1968 Democratic National Convention as a delegate.

From 1957 until 1986, she alternated between careers in journalism and the business world, as well as being a stay-at-home mother. Upon becoming founding editor of High Profile, she came into her own combining her nose for news and her life-long connections within the Little Rock community. As a writer and photographer, she created art in her own right. A look through High Profile provides a rich historical snapshot of the changes in Little Rock and Arkansas in the latter part of the 20th Century and start of the 21st Century.

It is impossible to overestimate the positive impact that Phyllis Brandon had on Little Rock’s cultural and philanthropic scene. But she would never take credit for anything. She always gave it to the leadership at the newspaper or to the people and organizations she covered.

Her modesty was genuine. One year I was seated as her dinner companion at the Arkansas Arts Center’s Tabriz. During dinner I asked her if she had ever considered writing a book. I mean, she had been a first-hand witness to Central High integration AND the 1968 Democratic Convention. Her response to me was a sheepish smile and then in a soft voice, “No. Who would want to read about my experiences?” I tried to assure her that many people would. But she was uncomfortable talking about herself, so I allowed her to change the subject.

Once I DID have the chance to honor her for her commitment to Little Rock’s arts scene. But to do so, I knew it had to be a surprise. It was at an event she was planning on covering. So I approached Walter Hussman about recognizing her. He assured me that he’d make sure she was there, and then proceeded to fill a table at the event with Democrat-Gazette leadership as an added tribute to her.

Then-Mayor Jim Dailey (who shared a July 31 birthdate with Phyllis) presented the award to her. She was shocked and probably would have preferred not to be in the spotlight. But she was gracious in accepting the honor. Thankfully, she did not have to make a speech. It is one of my favorite memories of Phyllis Brandon.

150, 100, and 50 years ago in Little Rock

Posted on January 1, 2020 by Scott

As a new year starts, a look back to newspapers on January 1 of 1870, 1920, and 1970. (While people may debate whether those years marked the start of a decade or not – no one can argue they were new years, and were 150, 100, and 50 years ago, respectively.)

150 Years Ago
The Arkansas Gazette of 1870 was four pages. It was still, as it had been up to that point in time and would be for a decade or so, largely a combination of delayed national news and advertisements. Of the four pages, there was probably only about half of one page that was actually local news.

There were two articles in the Gazette about the requirements for Georgia to be readmitted to the Union. There was also an update on the adoption of the 15th Amendment. Locally, the Arkansas River had risen eight inches on December 30 and 31. There was also discussion about the Little Rock Police Department, which consisted of a chief, two sergeants, and ten privates. As the Arkansas Democrat was eight years away from being founded, the Gazette was the only Little Rock daily newspaper in 1870.

100 Years Ago
The January 1, 1920, editions of the Arkansas Gazette and Arkansas Democrat covered pretty much the same stories. Prices were going up, Bolsheviks were getting deported from Chicago, the League of Nations was being debated in Washington DC.

Local news in both papers included word that a trace of oil had been found in El Dorado (foreshadowing the boom which would occur later in the decade), and that Jack Dempsey was arriving in town to box. Both papers carried similar editorial cartoons on the front page of the paper with a Baby New Year theme.

The Gazette noted that planning for the 1920 Census was underway and that women’s clothes were going to be cheaper because with changing fashions, they would be wearing fewer clothes.

The Democrat (an afternoon paper) ran an article stating that New Year’s celebrations in DC were somewhat muted, perhaps because of concerns about the health of President Wilson, who had suffered a stroke in October 1919. There was also an article about planning being underway for the 300th anniversary of the Mayflower with events set for England, Holland, and the US.

The Democrat also noted that Arkansas had seen 12 lynchings in 1919 (though the Elaine massacre was no doubt not included in this number).

50 Years Ago
As 1970 dawned, the Gazette and Democrat both carried stories about Vietnam and the Department of Justice seeking a delay in implementation of school desegregation. Locally, it was announced that KATV was purchasing the old Worthen Bank Building at Main and Fourth Streets. The Hogs were getting ready to face Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl (which the Razorbacks would lose by a score of 27 to 22 to the Archie Manning led Rebels).

The Gazette carried stories about Roy Cohn being indicted in Illinois for financial fraud, the US Supreme Court being asked to define obscenity, and flooding in Appalachia. The Democrat had a story about five US soldiers being killed during a 24 hour cease fire, which brought the total number of American casualties in Vietnam to more than 40,000 in nine years. That same day, Vice President Spiro Agnew had visited troops in Vietnam.

Teamsters Union president Jimmy Hoffa, in the middle of an eight year prison term, had indicated he would share information with authorities in return for President Nixon commuting his sentence. In local crime news, City Hall and the municipal garage behind the building had been broken into. While there had been a failed attempt to pry open the Collector’s office, thieves had apparently only been able to get a small amount of cash by breaking a vending machine in the building.

The Gazette and Democrat both ran editorial cartoons (though no longer on the front page) which dealt with the start of a new decade. The former’s merely featured a calendar with “Happy New Decade.” The latter noted that Communism had been a focus of the 1960s, but that the environment looked to be a focus of the 1970s.

First ARKANSAS GAZETTE printed in Little Rock took place on Dec. 29, 1821

Posted on December 29, 2019 by Scott

Earlier this year, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette marked 200 years since the publication of the first issue of the Arkansas Gazette. For the first two years of its existence, that paper was printed in Arkansas Post. Today marks the anniversary of its first printing in Little Rock.

After months of planning, on Saturday, December 29, 1821, the first edition of ARKANSAS GAZETTE to be published in Little Rock came off the press. Due to a shortage of paper supplies, it was only a two page edition, instead of the four pages which publisher William Woodruff had been customarily printing.

Because the capitol of the Arkansas Territory had moved from Arkansas Post to Little Rock earlier in 1821, Woodruff wanted to relocate as well. Not only did it make sense for a newspaperman to be close to the seat of government for purposes of stories, there was a financial reason for the move, too. Woodruff wanted to continue to be the contracted official publisher of government records. If he stayed in Arkansas Post, someone else would certainly have opened up an operation in Little Rock to do the printing.

The first Little Rock edition featured the usual mix of national news (often culled from other newspapers once they arrived at Woodruff’s establishment), local stories, and advertisements. One of the stories was a letter from General Andrew Jackson to the citizens of the Florida Territory. There was also a dispatch from Pernambuco, Brazil.

Because it was the first issue from Little Rock, Woodruff took time to write about Little Rock. He noted it was located on the south side of the Arkansas River on a “beautiful gravelly bluff” with picturesque views of the river and surrounding areas. He noted the territorial and federal government offices which were located in Little Rock.

Though the Gazette ceased publication in 1991, the 1821 publication of that paper in Little Rock set the stage for more than just that one newspaper. It marks a continual presence of newspaper and journal publication in Little Rock for 198 years.

While the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has switched to digital-only printing for Mondays through Saturdays with digital and paper editions on Sundays, Little Rock does continue to be home to journalism operations and celebrates the near-continual (the Gazette did take occasional breaks in printing during the middle of the 1800s) existence of newspapers in the city for 198 years.

100 years ago – Christmas Day 1919 in Little Rock

Posted on December 25, 2019 by Scott

Christmas Day in 1919 was on a Thursday. In Washington DC, the federal government celebrated its first Christmas since 1916 following the cessation and wrap up of The Great War. (Though the Armistice had been signed in November 1918, they were still winding down operations by Christmas that year a few weeks later.)

John D. Rockefeller also made national headlines by announcing a $100 million dollar donation (roughly $1.5 billion today) with half of it going to increase salaries for college professors and the other half going to fight diseases.

Closer to home (this was about 35 years before a Rockefeller would live in Little Rock), philanthropy abounded as well. The Arkansas Democrat had a program at the Kempner Theatre for needy children. In addition to performances by several local singers, they were invited on the stage to receive a gift beneath a large Christmas tree. The Democrat and its readers donated the approximate $2,000 (equivalent of $30,000 in 2019) for the gifts. Elsewhere in Little Rock, the Salvation Army, Red Cross, and YWCA also presented toys, clothing, and food baskets to those in need.

Soldiers convalescing at the Camp Pike hospital were given an entertainment and gifts. Likewise, at St. Vincent’s Infirmary, staff presented presents to patients and to each other.

The only government office open was the Police Court in Little Rock to address those arrested the night before. One man, who had been caught with an oversized revolver, was set free but given a warning. The only person arrested for enjoying Christmas cheer a bit too much was a woman. The judge ordered her to be released, as soon as she was sober enough to go on her way.

Little Rock Culture Vulture

Cultural events, places and people in the Little Rock area

Tag Archives: Arkansas Democrat

Little Rock voters approve what would become Robinson Auditorium on January 26, 1937

27 African American students seek to integrate Little Rock schools in January 1956

MLK in LR

In tribute to Phyllis Brandon

150, 100, and 50 years ago in Little Rock

First ARKANSAS GAZETTE printed in Little Rock took place on Dec. 29, 1821

100 years ago – Christmas Day 1919 in Little Rock

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