1945–46: Ralph Parker, PresidentRalph was born in 1908 and reared on Wild Rose StockFarm at Concord, a community three miles north ofChandler. His father raised sugar cane and prizeJerseys. On graduation from Chandler High School in1926, he moved to Dallas and married his childhoodsweetheart, Audrey Rowland, daughter of Dallas County

Commissioner John W. Rowland. After working forKrohler Manufacturing and Gulf Oil, Ralph went towork for Southwestern Bell in 1936. From 1941 to 1951,he was manager of the office in Longview. Having mar-ried into the Disciples of Christ, Ralph became one of theyoungest elders in First Christian Church of Longview.Among other activities, he was a Camp Fire dad, boys’baseball team manager, president of the Quarterback

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Chapter 3.The Postwar Era,

1945 to 1962

Boy Scout Day at the Rotary Club of Longview, 1950–51(See appendix for identifications.)

Photo by courtesy of Ann N. Grant

Copyright 1995 by Longview Rotary Endowment Fund, Inc.The Adobe Acrobat PDF file of which this notice is a part was created (with minor corrections) from a book entitled The Club and the Town: The Rotary Cluband the City of Longview, Texas, Year by Year from 1920 to 1995, published in 1995 by Longview Rotary Endowment Fund, Inc. Notwithstanding the prohibi-tion of reproduction without permission on the copyright page of the book, the publisher provides this PDF file to the general public without charge, but only forpurposes of reference and research. The publisher strictly prohibits publication, distribution, or dissemination of this file or any part or printed pages thereof, orconversion of the file into any other format, without prior written permission. Longview Rotary Endowment Fund, Inc., PO Box 2244, Longview, TX 75606

Club, member of the Civic Music Association andLongview War Price and Rationing Board, charter mem-ber and vice president of the Longview Knife and ForkClub, board member of the Longview Chamber ofCommerce, Knight of Pythias, and active in theCommunity Chest.

When the telephone company transferred Ralph backto Dallas, he and his family returned to Pleasant GroveChristian Church, where Audrey’s family had worshipedfor six generations (and she still does). He was electedElder Emeritus. A parakeet fancier, Ralph became pres-ident of the Dallas Bird Club and treasurer of the TexasBird Club. At Southwestern Bell, he worked as a com-mercial staff assistant until retirement, which was has-tened by Parkinson’s disease. At his death in 1980,Ralph was survived by his wife Audrey, son Jack,

daughters Mary (Mrs. Jerry) Lanier and Martha Lane,brother Rudolph, sister Lola Hanson, nine grandchil-dren, and two great-grandchildren.

WORLD WAR II was coming to an end when pastDistrict Governor George Kelly installed Ralph

Parker and the other new officers on July 3. Germanyhad surrendered on May 8, and fighting with Japanended August 15. Longview attorney Earl Sharp pre-sented a program November 27 on the establishment ofthe United Nations at the recent World SecurityConference in San Francisco, which he attended as amember of the armed forces intelligence corps.Rotaview editor Bob Speight (principal of LongviewHigh School) commented on the war’s end as follows:

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Members of the Rotary Club were hosts to the RotaryAnns at a Christmas dinner and party Tuesday night[December 11] at the Community Center building andwere, in turn, entertained with a clever program present-ed by the honorees.

For the occasion, the reception rooms of the buildingwere beautifully decorated with Christmas suggestions.A special arrangement of white and gold chrysanthe-mums was used on the drop leaf table in the parlor andthe large mantel was banked with red candles.

The receiving line, which welcomed the guests in thefoyer was composed of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Parker, Mr.and Mrs. George Kelly, Mr. and Mrs. R. S. McGowen, Mr.and Mrs. Oliver Daniel, Mr. and Mrs. Dell Messner andMr. and Mrs. Lawrence Birdsong.

The feature of the decorations in the banquet hallwas a beautifully decorated holly tree that reached theceiling. The tree was supplied by Lawrence Birdsongand caused much comment. Large floor baskets filledwith holly were used at vantage points about the roomand the tables were spread with white damask cloths.Long strips of holly were interspersed with red tapersdown the center of the tables.

The menu consisted of turkey, dressing, gravy,English peas in nests of creamed potatoes, waldorf salad,candied sweet potatoes, hot rolls, celery, olives, pickles,pumpkin pie, whipped cream and coffee.

Mrs. Ralph Parker, program chairman for the affair,introduced Mrs. O. Thomas Welch, who presided as mis-tress of ceremonies and presented the clever program.

Preceding the program, “A Forecast of 1946,” A. E.Reider, chalk talk artist, depicted the changing monthswith drawings on a calendar. As the seasons of the yearwere ushered into the room, two heralds, RussellWilliams and Dale Jones, announced their arrival withblasts from a trumpet.

January was represented by little Algur Meadows,son of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Meadows, shyly entering theroom as 1946 while Mrs. Howard Eason played Auld

Lang Syne. February was portrayed by Mrs. TomRichardson as Martha Washington and Curtis Meadowsas George Washington and Mary Lou Harris, Vera Gray,and Jimmie Hudnall enacted the scene for March whichbrought peals of laughter.

A Texas Independence Day scene represented themonth of April with Mr. Henry Foster enacting the spiritof the pioneers while the entire group sang “The Eyes OfTexas.” For the month of May, a commencement scenewas portrayed by Norman Messner, who, dressed in acap and gown, played an appropriate accordion solo.June, the wedding month, was enacted by Sarah JoDunsworth as the bride and Algur Meadows as thegroom, while Martha Jane Parker sang “I Love YouTruly.” July was appropriately portrayed with R. L.Speight making a patriotic speech while guests threwfire crackers and sang “The Star Spangled Banner.”Mrs. Curtis Meadows enacted the month of August bycanning vegetables while her son, Curtis Meadows, Jr.,and Brewster Welch calmly sat fishing.

October, the Halloween month, was cleverly dis-played by Mrs. Claude Barbee, dressed as a fortune tellerwho billed herself as Madam “I Tell Em,” who knew alland told all. For November, Linda Jane Ryan andBrewster Welch, dressed in puritan costumes, very effec-tively argued which Thanksgiving day should beobserved and the month of December was observed bysinging “Jingle Bells” and distributing the gifts, lovelyboxes of toilet soap, to each of the guests from under thetree.

Approximately 150 members and guests were inattendance. The program committee for the affair con-sisted of Mrs. Thomas Welch, Mrs. Curtis Meadows, Mrs.Curtis Morris, Mrs. Lawrence Birdsong and Mrs.Howard Eason. Mrs. Rembert Rea served as chairman ofthe decorations committee and was assisted by Mrs. LeeNorton, Mrs. Bill Patterson and Mrs. Casey P’Pool, whileMrs. T. D. Campbell and Mrs. Henry Foster served onthe gift committee.

The 1945–46 Rotary Ann Christmas Party“Rotary Members Entertain Wives With Christmas Party On Tuesday”

reported by Society Editor Julia Shaw Acker (a founding Rotary Ann) in the Longview News-Journal

President Ralph begins his administration in amost auspicious time. This year will mark the turnof things economic, social, and governmental to amore nearly normal condition. Business will get bet-ter. The consumer will find more of the products heneeds. Labor will begin to hunt jobs. Rotary willfind more and greater opportunities for service tothose who need it.

Ralph left behind a very informative scrapbook onhis administration, which has been loaned to us by hiswife Audrey. A highlight of the year for the club aswell as the city was a major successful effort to bringR. G. LeTourneau to Longview early in 1946 with hisexisting manufacturing company and newly formedLeTourneau Technical Institute. The committee work-ing with newspaper publisher Carl Estes to secure theLeTourneau move was composed mostly of Rotarians.In May, plant manager Bob Flanagan was inductedinto our fellowship by Curtis Morris.

As in the preceding year, the Rotary Ann banquetcelebrated Christmas instead of Valentine’s Day. (Seethe newspaper report opposite.) The program featuredthe children of the club, including one of our newermembers of 1994, Linda Ryan Butter, who was eightyears old at the time. The Rotaview noted, “It was sur-prising how many youngsters there were. We may notbe such an old man’s club after all.”

The annual banquet for all Longview IndependentSchool District teachers was held at the CommunityCenter on October 9. There were 99 white and 31black teachers in LISD. Each Rotarian was expectedto buy a one-dollar ticket for himself and another for ateacher. Editor-Principal Bob Speight noted, “In thepast, the teachers have been present; the Rotarianshave been absent. This year you are expected tocome.” Entertainment was provided by HarryMcDaniels, amateur magician from Dallas.

Participation in the Salvation Army Christmas col-lection continued. On the Tuesday before Easter, themeeting consisted of attendance at a “pre-Easter unionservice” for our club, conducted at First Baptist Churchby the Reverend Frank Richardson of First MethodistChurch, followed by lunch at the Hilton Hotel. Theclub had 68 members at beginning of the year and 80at the end. Dues were $25 per year, which is equiva-lent to $207 in 1994 after adjustment for inflation.

1946–47: Dell Messner, President

Besides being presently the oldest member of this cluband having the longest perfect attendance record in ourhistory with 52 years, Dell is the only member who hasmet Paul Harris, founder of Rotary. Delbert M. Messnerwas born in 1904 to Pennsylvania Dutch parents at Etna

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27. Delbert Michael MessnerPresident, 1946–47

26. Ralph Ray Parker1908–1980

Photo by courtesy of Audrey Parker

Green, Indiana, and attended high school at WhitePigeon, Michigan. In Chicago in 1923, he started workfor L. E. Myers Company, a construction contractor forelectric utility firms, where he became an accountant.Having been transferred to Michigan, Kentucky, andMarshall, Texas, Dell wound up in Longview during theOil Boom, joining First Methodist Church in 1930. Heresigned from Myers in 1934 and founded MessnerElectric Supply Company, a wholesale dealership.Rooming and boarding at Rotarian Dee Plyler’s house,Dell met a pretty schoolteacher from Nacogdochesnamed Barbara Elizabeth Perritte, and they were mar-ried the next year. (Barbara’s father Hiram had beenpastor of First Methodist Church in the early 1920s.)They have one son, Michael, who lives in Longview. Dellsold his business in 1960 but continued in its manage-ment until 1970. He has also been active in farming,ranching, and oil and gas investments, not to speak offishing a lot. Dell is a Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner.He was president of the board of trustees of LongviewIndependent School District in 1963.

Dell joined this club in 1941. His meeting with PaulHarris came in the winter of 1942–43 at the Dixie Hotelat Monticello, Florida, where Paul was spending thewinter. Dell stayed there about a month while supplyinga wartime construction contract, visiting with Paul regu-larly at breakfast. Dell’s half-century attendance recordhas involved both heroic effort and luck. When a lungwas removed at Baylor Hospital in 1959, he made up inadvance and was home the second Saturday, making upon Monday at the closest club in Mineola. After coronarysurgery at Baylor on a Tuesday in November of 1980, afriend took him to the Oak Cliff club the next Monday,and he came home the same day. After all that, he saysit was easy to make up before and after carotid surgeryat Baylor in 1983 and at Good Shepherd in 1994.

AFTER SERVING as Rotaview editor at least threeyears, Bob Speight turned the job over to John

Harrison. Annual events included the teacher appreci-ation banquet on October 22 (the club being dined andentertained in return by the high-school home econom-ics department at the Community Center) and theRotary Ann banquet at the Community Center onDecember 3. A tour was made of the LeTourneauplant, with lunch at their cafeteria. The annual city-farm fellowship banquet this year consisted of a picnic-style lunch on the courthouse lawn, organized by therural-urban committee chaired by William GardnerMitchell. All Rotarians mourned the death of PaulHarris, the founder of Rotary, in January, 1947. TheRotaview for June 3 reported the opening of the newGregg County Airport.

1947–48: Steve Topp, President

John Stephen Topp was born in 1897 in Carroll County,Mississippi. After working as a bookkeeper for a lumbercompany in El Dorado, Arkansas, he came to Longview.In 1920, he married Bessie Vallery and became a found-ing stockholder in Pinecrest Country Club. In 1936, hebought Tony Printing Company by pawning Bessie’s wed-ding ring for the down payment, establishing Topp

Printing and Stationery company, which he operateduntil 1972. It is still in business under Steve’s name. AScottish Rite Mason, he was a member of First MethodistChurch, where he attended the Men’s Bible Class regular-ly from 1933 until his final illness. Among other commu-nity services, he was a member of the board of directors ofLongview Chamber of Commerce. At his death in 1984,Steve was survived by his sons Stephen of Aiken, SouthCarolina, David of Sugar Land, and three grandchildren.

MEMBERSHIP WAS about 85, and 24 committeeswere listed. John Harrison turned over editor-

ship of the Rotaview to Austin Hatchell. Regularannual activities included the Schoolteachers’ Banquetand the Sweetheart Banquet, which was held onFebruary 10 at the Community Center. The R. G.LeTourneau plant was going strong; on January 20,1948, plant manager and Rotarian Bob Flanagan pre-sented a program on the heavy equipment they weremaking, including enormous rubber-tired bulldozerscalled Tournadozers. One Monday in May, PresidentSteve’s store was heavily damaged by fire, but he wasat the podium with his characteristic smile the nextday. The annual end-of-year district assembly forRotary District 128 was held in Longview on Monday,June 21, 1948, at the Community Center. The assem-bly luncheon, with attendance of about 160, was ourmeeting for the week: 13 of us missed without makeup.

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28. John Stephen Topp1897–1984

From photo on Page 23

At the end of the year, as Rotaview Editor AustinHatchell turned the job over to Tom Putman on June29, he addressed the editorial to his successor:

Dear Tom:We greet you as editor of the Rotaview. But our

heart goes out to you in a most peculiar manner.Now and then you will suffer a brainstorm and

write a front-page article you think to be the cat’swhiskers. It will be your baby, and you will beproud of it. When the Rotaview is delivered, you willwatch the members glance at it and turn over to thejokes, which some think are too dumb and othersthink are too dirty.

In your off moments, you will get soft and makeup your mind to say something nice about somemember. You will exhaust your vocabulary and thedictionary in search for adjectives to tell of his goodtraits. You will expect him to read it and rush up toyou with generous thanks and appreciation. Youwait a week, two weeks, or perhaps a month, andthen timidly approach him and say, “Fellow, did youread all the nice things I said about you in theRotaview?” He will look startled, hesitate, and final-ly say, “Well, no, I must have missed that issue.Somebody told me my name was in the bulletin.”

You will then grow hard with a determination totell the truth. You will pick out some member andbegin to write. After you have written a few lines,you will suddenly stop and exclaim to yourself, “No,I can’t tell this. If I do and the members believe it,they will turn him out of the club. If they don’tbelieve it, they will turn me out. Being only an edi-tor, they won’t believe me, and it will be curtains onmy career.” Yes, Tom, there will be times when youthink you were a sap for accepting the honor.

But you will find it to be fun and the work mostinteresting, as I have done. You will find there isn’ta sweller bunch of guys anywhere than the membersof this club. They have been patient, tolerant, andappreciative of the efforts put forth by the Rotaview,for which we are most grateful. We wish for yougood hunting and success and predict you will giveus from week to week a good bulletin. Good luck!

Starting on July 6, 1948, Tom Putman was to beeditor of the Rotaview for 17 of the next 27 years.

1948–49: Dr. V. R. Hurst, President

Vesse Reeves Hurst was born at Timpson in 1887 andreared at Hursttown (named for his family), near Center.After graduation from the University of Texas MedicalSchool at Galveston in 1912, he practiced two years inMarshall, then moved to Longview. In 1916, he marriedGenevieve Yates, daughter of Jack Williams Yates ofLongview (a founder of First National Bank in 1889 andlater president of Kelly Plow Company) and his wifeMary Alice, sister of R. Marvin Kelly, the father of thisclub. In 1919, Vesse established the first eye, ear, nose,and throat clinic in Texas, located first in a red brickbuilding east of the downtown post office, then in a largerwhite brick building on the southwest corner of Centerand Whaley Streets, both built by him (the latter stillstanding). As president of the Longview Chamber ofCommerce in 1929, he was responsible for building the

Gregg Hotel on the site of the Yates home. (See 1929–30.)Vesse was a fellow of the American College of Surgeonsand of the American Academy of Ophthalmology andOtolaryngology. He was a charter member and vicepresident of the Private Clinics and Hospital Association,vice president of First National Bank and of Kelly PlowCompany, president of Longview Savings and LoanAssociation, director of Allen Foundation (operatingAllen Academy), founder and president of the LongviewFoundation, a Freemason, and trustee and steward ofFirst Methodist Church. He died in 1957. Vesse andGenevieve reared two daughters: Mary Marchman ofDallas (wife of Oscar Marchman, Jr.) and JacquelynJameson of Longview (wife of Blackshear Jameson ofthis club). Two grandchildren have been members of thisclub: B. H. and Kelly Jameson.

OUR VICE-PRESIDENT G. Artemus McCreighthad been mayor of Longview for eight years. He

moved to Longview in 1927 to succeed this club’s firstpresident, Ed Bussey, as president of RembertNational Bank, later Longview National Bank.

For the annual rural-urban program on October 5,1948, eighty “farmers and guests from many EastTexas areas” were invited to the meeting.Congressman Lindley Beckworth of Longview spoke onthe hope of preventing World War III. He declared theAmerican farmer the bulwark of democracy. Teachers’Night was on October 26 at the Community Center.

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29. Vesse Reeves Hurst, M.D.1887–1957

Photo by courtesy of Jacquelyn and Blackshear Jameson

Alex Ryan, Rotary chairman of fund-raising for theplanned new teenage Round-Up Club, announced thatthe drive would begin Monday, January 17. TomPutman commented, “It’s our sacred duty to help allwe can, to keep our boys and girls and the children ofour neighbors and friends, and strangers too, frombecoming Juvenile Delinquents.”

Ladies’ Night was a Valentine Party on Tuesday,February 15. The Rotary Anns decorated theCommunity Center in a “Forty-Niner” gold rush theme.Dr. Trent Root of SMU spoke, and the program wascompleted by a square dance and community sing.

Our meeting on April 12 was at Longview HighSchool. Rotarians held a vocational clinic and gavevocational talks to the student body.

At the district conference in Sherman in April, ourmembers Ray Newnham and Blackshear Jamesonwere elected delegates to the Rotary International con-vention in New York, with George Kelly and Roy Kingas alternates. On July 1, 1949, the number of ourRotary District 128 was changed to 188.

Other special programs were as follows: August24, 1948, Ann Weeks sang, accompanied by BoggsRyan (son of our member Alex), followed by Judge EarlSharp speaking on the hospital situation; September21, Dr. F. C. Bolton, president of Texas A&M;November 2, Lawrence Birdsong, Jr., manager of R. G.LeTourneau’s Radio Station KLTI, on FM radio broad-casting; November 23, Bill Kendricks, superintendentof the ore mines of Lone Star Steel Company;December 28, Longview City Manager Jim Giddings;January 11, Sonny Birdsong’s sister Blanche in a songprogram accompanied by their mother Mabel, organistof First Baptist Church; June 28, District AttorneyWilliam A. Wilson of Dallas, who toward the end of histenure as Attorney General from 1957 to 1963 openedup the “Slant Hole Scandal” in Gregg County.

1949–50: John Harrison, President

John was born in Marshall in 1892, son of Mr. and Mrs.Y. D. Harrison and grandson of Major and Mrs. JohnWomack, pioneer Harrison County settlers. Havingearned a bachelor’s degree from Southwestern Universityat Georgetown, he pursued graduate studies at theUniversity of Chicago. During World War I, he servedas an army officer in France. He taught school atGraham and Plainview, then in 1924 married WinnieDee Hamilton of Abilene. The newlyweds moved toLongview at the invitation of John’s aunt, Kate WomackRembert, whose husband, Frank, had recently died.They lived with her in her home on the northeast cornerof Fredonia and College Streets. (See President EdRembert, 1921–22.) John taught science and biology atLongview High School until 1938. He then managedfamily business interests until joining the faculty atKilgore College, where he taught geology for 10 yearsuntil his retirement. He was a director of First FederalSavings and Loan Association, trustee of LongviewIndependent School District, director of the LongviewChamber of Commerce, district chairman for the Boy

Scouts of America, and served in the wartime Office ofPrice Administration. A lifelong Methodist, John wasalso a Mason and served in high posts in the KnightsTemplar. At his death in 1955, he was survived by hiswife, four children, and six grandchildren. John’s sonJohn, Jr., is a past president of this club. His daughter,Marjorie, married Jim Bivins, whose father, Maurice,was also a president of this club.

THIS WAS THE YEAR when Texas Eastman wasestablished. Their purchasing agent Duncan

Kincheloe joined our club early in 1950. (See PresidentDuncan, 1963–64.)

The program for July 26, 1949, was devoted to theclub’s Boy Scout Troop 202. Two boys of the troopattended: Patrick Kelly and Billy Hines. The Rotaviewpointed out that this was the only project which theclub sponsored as a corporate body, under Boy ScoutCommittee Chairman German Hollandsworth. Thetroop, in turn, entertained the committee at a banquetin City Park on the evening of January 16, 1950. Andon May 2, about 15 scouts attended another Rotaryprogram on scouting

Teachers’ Night was October 4. The annual rural-urban program was a speech by a county agriculturalagent at our meeting on November 29, without the tra-ditional country guests. The Ladies’ Night party wason Tuesday, February 14. After the April 25 meeting,

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30. John Womack Harrison1892–1955

Photo by courtesy of Marjorie Harrison Bivins

Rotarians gave vocational talks at Longview HighSchool. On June 6, three outstanding vocational stu-dents at Longview High School spoke to the club, andit was announced that Wayne Pevey had received the$100 Rotary scholarship for the year. Rotarians,wives, children, and guests were invited to a picnic atDann Budd’s Cherokee Lake house on Thursdayevening, June 8.

Here are some other outstanding programs:September 13, joint meeting with the Gilmer andGladewater Rotary Clubs at Hotel Longview;November 29, talks by three students of White OakHigh School; December 6, C. C. Turner, LongviewHigh School Teacher, on teenage driving; and May 9,Harry Miller, business manager of Gregg MemorialHospital, discussing the 93-bed addition under con-struction, including one room furnished by Rotarians’donations.

1950–51: George Kelly, II, President

Named for his grandfather, founder of G. A. Kelly PlowCompany, George was the son of R. Marvin Kelly, fatherof this club. (See 1922–23.) He graduated fromLongview High School, attended the University of Texasand SMU, and got a mechanical engineering degree atthe University of Cincinnati. After serving in the armyduring World War I, George came home to work in thefamily business, eventually taking over as president. In1922, he married Leita Cunyus Young of Crockett. Theyreared two sons: James Marvin, who was a member ofthis club before moving away in 1964, and George theThird, who transferred from the Kilgore Rotary Club tothis one in 1992. At the time of his final illness in thespring of 1977, George had almost achieved 51 years ofperfect attendance in this club. He was our secretary-treasurer from 1931 to 1943, serving also as district gov-ernor in 1940–41. During World War II, George was adirector of the War Production Board and served in theWar Foods Administration. During the Korean war, hewas one of 15 members of the national Advisory Councilof the Defense Production Administration. He was presi-dent of the Farm and Industrial Equipment Institute,member of the Department of Commerce AgriculturalEquipment Advisory Committee, a director of theLongview Chamber of Commerce, board chairman ofFirst National Bank, director of Longview Savings andLoan Association, and partner in King Tool Company.He was a lifetime member of First Methodist Church,where Leita still attends.

THE KOREAN WAR began in 1950 as a so-calledpolice action by the United Nations. The frequency

of programs and Rotaview editorials with patriotic andanti-communist or anti-socialist themes increased dra-matically. For instance, on October 24, a joint meetingof this club with the Kiwanis and Lions Clubs wasaddressed by former heavyweight boxing championGene Tunney, who said war with Russia wasinevitable. Two weeks later, retired army colonel R.W. Holderness proclaimed to us that the Korean con-flict was actually the initial stage of World War III.

Floyd Huddleston joined Tom Putman as associateeditor of the Rotaview, becoming the sole editor inMarch when Tom took a leave of absence from the club.At a club assembly Monday night, October 16, the pos-sibility of starting to use identification badges againwas discussed. On November 14, future presidentJohn W. Harrison, Jr., then a student at LongviewHigh School, was our guest as the Junior Rotarian ofthe month. On February 27, dinner music was provid-ed by members of the White Oak School band.

The photograph of a Boy Scout program shown atthe beginning of this chapter was apparently takenduring this year, because George Kelly is shown nextto the speaker (German Hollandsworth), and theposter advertises a 1951 Scouting anniversary.

The Teachers’ Night party at the CommunityCenter on October 10 was supposed to serve also as theRotary Ann Banquet. This was presumably supposedto boost attendance, but it didn’t work, so we had a reg-ular Ladies’ Night banquet at the same place on De-cember 5. Once again, the Rural-Urban program wasmerely a speech at a regular meeting, on January 16.

Some other programs of interest were as follows:August 8, Longview Mayor R. B. Williams; February13, an evening tour of the Lone Star Steel plant, fol-lowed by supper, with 60 members attending in coldrain; and June 5, City Manager Gary Summers.

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31. George Addison Kelly, II1898–1977

Photo by courtesy of Leita Kelly

1951–52: Thomas Welch, President

O. Thomas Welch was born in 1897 in Alexander City,Alabama. He had three brothers and three sisters.Their father William, an undertaker and hardware deal-er, moved the business in 1907 to Kerens, Texas, whereThomas finished high school in 1913, and then toLongview the next year. On graduation from the DallasSchool of Embalming in 1919, he became the firstlicensed embalmer in Longview. Thomas joined hisfather as a partner, taking over the business onWilliam’s death in 1930. In 1926, he married theSpanish teacher at Longview High School, Alta RitaBrewster of Killeen. They closed the hardware store ablock south of the downtown depot when a fire sweptthat area in 1937. The funeral parlor, in turn, contin-ued in a former residence where the Petroleum Buildingnow stands, being moved to to the present location onSouth Green Street in 1939. At First Baptist Church,Thomas was a trustee and chairman of the deacon body.He was a Freemason, president of the LongviewChamber of Commerce, city commissioner, member ofthe Texas Insurance Rate Board, President of the EastTexas Funeral Directors Association, vice president ofthe Texas Funeral Directors Association, and presidentof the LHS Band Boosters Club. Sons Thomas, Jr., (amember of this club) and Brewster continue in the fami-ly business. Grandson Thomas the Third was in theLongview-Greggton club before moving to Austin, andgrandson Marcus is a past president of the LongviewSouth Club.

THE KOREAN WAR continued, and so did the bittertone of editorials about national political trends in

the Rotaview. However, Editor Floyd Huddlestonallowed that not all members agreed with the speakerfor September 25, former congressman Martin Dies,who had been chairman of the House Un-AmericanActivities Committee.

After some uncertainty as to whether a Teacher’sNight would be held this year, it took place on October30. As usual, only about half of the club showed up.

Boy Scout Committee Chairman GermanHollandsworth was described as scoutmaster of ourTroop 202 at the beginning of 1951, but college studentFrank Baccus (or Bockus) took over for the summer.The committee held a board of review at the Rotaryscout cabin on Tuesday night, August 7, 1951.

1952–53: Austin Hatchell, President

Born in Granger in 1885, Austin attended SouthwesternUniversity and received a law degree at the University ofTexas. He practiced law in Plainview, then Dallas, final-ly settling in Longview in 1931. His first wife, the formerDelsa Dale Dillingham, died in 1926. Of their two chil-dren, Austin Lee is a retired attorney in Austin, Texas;and Virginia (Mrs. John Baxter) is deceased. Austinmarried Vera Smith of Dallas in 1933, and their sonRaymond is a charter member of the Longview-GreggtonClub with the classification of pipeline equipment manu-facturing. Austin’s law practice in longview was firstwith Rotarian T. D. Campbell and Bailey Salmon, later

with others, and then solo until his death in 1969. Hejoined this club during the 1945–46 year, edited theRotaview very capably in 1947–48, and remained for 20years. An active member of First Baptist Church, Austinwas also an Elk and a Knight of Pythias. In addition tovarious civic service, he was president of the GreggCounty Bar Association and chairman of the board ofdirectors of the State Bar of Texas.

TOM PUTMAN RETURNED from his leave ofabsence from the club in January, 1952, and Floyd

Huddleston passed the Rotaview editorship back tohim at the beginning of this Rotary year. In an editori-al on April 7, 1953, Tom expressed the heady spirit ofthe postwar development that Longview was experi-encing under the roughshod leadership of the mercur-ial developer of industrial real estate who also ownedthe city’s only newspaper:

C I T Y B U I L D E R SCarl L. Estes

When Carl Estes moved from Tyler to Longview 19years ago to assume ownership of the LongviewNews & Journal, he found here a sleepy little citywithout vision—a town completely in the doldrums.Folks were self-centered, self-satisfied. Their busi-ness fronts were shabby, dilapidated, and uglyunsightly awnings hung heavily over the sidewalks.Carl Estes wanted progress. He visualized a mightycity someday of industries. He started out to push

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32. Obediah Thomas Welch1897–1953

Photo by courtesy of O. Thomas Welch, Jr.

Longview forward in the path of progress. He wasconfronted with obstructionists, reactionaries, andthe horse-and-buggy gang. Undaunted, he foughtfor a greater Longview. He knew that the “pen wasmightier than the sword,” and with the power of hisprolific pen, intestinal fortitude, and indomitablecourage he moved forward, and Longview moved for-ward with him. He was slandered, cussed, and dis-cussed, but he fought on. He has been Longview’sambassador of good will, its super salesman, itshard-hitting ramrodder! The vast industrial mightin Longview today is the result of a doer—not adreamer. Yes, to us, Mr. Estes, you are the Spirit ofProgress!!—A City Builder Extraordinary!!

The following week, Tom expanded on the sametheme in a tribute to the evangelistic industrialist withwhom Estes had started the postwar boom:

C I T Y B U I L D E R SR. G. LeTourneau

When Mr. R. G. LeTourneau decided to build a greatindustrial plant in Longview and to make this theheadquarters of his world-wide industrial empire, itwas the spark needed to awaken Longview to itsvast possibilities as an industrial center. With himcame chemists, engineers, scientists—men of vision,men of action, men of achievement, men of abilitythat were soon to transform the dormant city ofLongview into a mighty, thriving metropolis.Following close in his wake came other great leaders

of industry and great industries to expand theiroperations—Texas Eastman, Powers Manufacturing,the LeTourneau steel plant, expansion of the LoneStar Steel plant, the great Knox Lee power plant,the Groves Manufacturing, and many others. Theresoon followed a great technical school, a junior andsenior college, a new shopping and residential cen-ter, a great new Fedway department store, othersmart shops, and smaller industries. Stimulated bythe spark ignited by Mr. LeTourneau, Longview isforging ahead in rapid strides. Thanks to the pio-neering spirit of R. G. LeTourneau, a great spiritualleader, a great industrialist, a great city builder! Wejoin in wishing him well as he helps to pioneerLongview into a greater tomorrow!

The shopping and residential center to which Tomreferred was Pinewood Park. The Fedway buildingwas later occupied by Dillard’s and is now the Atriumoffice center.

The next weekly editorial of this series, in turn,reflects the effect of the LeTourneau location in draw-ing urban development to the south of the city. It alsoserves as a reminder that many others besides CarlEstes were responsible for postwar industrialization:

C I T Y B U I L D E R SG. A. McCreight

G. A. McCreight has played a vital role in thegrowth and progress of Longview during the past 25years. While on the city commission, where heserved untiringly for 12 years, he was instrumentalin giving Longview one of the most efficient andmodern water and sewerage systems in the State ofTexas. Under his leadership, High Street waswidened and opened up, giving Longview its firstthrough artery in the city. It is the only street thatcrosses the entire city from north to south and con-nects two highways—No. 26 and No. 149. As amember of the finance committee of the FirstBaptist Church, his influence again was felt in thebuilding of the new million-dollar Baptist Church ofLongview. He is an active director in the massiveLone Star Steel plant. ...He helped organize theCommunity Chest in 1934. ...Today we pay tributeto a City Builder who has served well his communityfor a quarter of a century.

In a similar tone, Tom Putman went on to eulogizetwo more city builders on the front page of the next twoRotaviews: Clayton Loftis, president of First NationalBank, and Verne A. Clements, president of LongviewNational Bank (formerly Rembert National Bank).These were the only banks in the city. Clements wascredited with fathering the Cherokee Lake project. Ofthese five men, only McCreight and Loftis wereRotarians.

Interestingly, Tom began this City Builder Seriesnot with Carl Estes, but right before him with theReverend Dr. W. Morris Ford, pastor of First BaptistChurch. He dismissed the imposingly domed 1914church building (demolished in 1982 for a parking lot)as small and inconspicuous. Tom was expressing aspirit that ran counter to the later ideals of historic

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33. Austin Cleveland Hatchell1885–1969

Photo by courtesy of Raymond Hatchell

preservation. Where we now see a few remnants of anirreplaceable architectural heritage, Tom saw onlyshabbiness. To him, old buildings were symbols ofwhat he called the horse-and-buggy gang. He was pre-sumably speaking of the civic leadership cadre thathad maintained continuity with the town’s long agrari-an past, established this club, steered the city throughthe Oil Boom, and eventually yielded to the boomersduring World War II.

Teachers’ Night began at 7:00 on October 28 at theCommunity Center, attended by 130 teachers. TheRural-Urban program was an ordinary meeting onDecember 30, with a speech by Dallas dairy operatorEarl Cabell. On February 10, the club was host to BoyScout Troop 202, and a talk on Scouting was given byRobert Gibson, Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church.

Some noteworthy programs of the year were as fol-lows: July 8, 1952, R. E. Slayton, new superintendentof Longview ISD (succeeding Rotarian Henry Foster);September 16, Swede Dees, coach of the Lobos footballteam; October 7, a tour of the LeTourneau plant, host-ed by R. G. himself, talking about his plans for agricul-tural investment in Liberia; January 27, a 50-voicemixed chorus from the Longview Colored High School,directed by Eddie Henry; March 31, Congressman andfuture senator Lloyd M. Bentsen of McAllen; April 7,Paul Williams of Dallas, speaking on air conditioning;and May 12, G. R. McGeeney, manager of the Fedwaystore, prophesying that Longview would be thePittsburgh of tomorrow.

1953–54: Ellie Hopkins, President

Born in 1909 in Meridian, Mississippi, Ellie Hopkinswas raised in the country near Hallsville, Texas, wherehis father Jack was a farmer and stock man. He latersaid that when he first earned 50 cents as a child, hespent it on a book. After completing all the gradesoffered at the local two-room Mulberry Springs School,Ellie worked his way through the College of Marshall (ajunior college, now East Texas Baptist University) as aproofreader for the Marshall Messenger. Then instead ofteaching school as originally intended, he became editorof the Jefferson Journal at the age of 19 and joined theLongview Daily News on June 27, 1930. He was areporter in the crowd when the Oil Boom dawned inSeptember at Dad Joiner’s Number Three DaisyBradford well. Remaining with the Longview newspa-per after Carl Estes acquired it from Clarence Faulk in1934, Ellie worked up to become Editor-in-Chief beforeretirement in 1974. His editorials won statewide andnational awards.

In 1933, Ellie married Nina Hall of Hallsville, whosefather John T. Hall was a first cousin of Judge Sam B.Hall, Senior, of Marshall. (Thus Nina is likewise acousin of our former member Dr. John L. Hall.) Elliejoined this club on November 27, 1945, and never misseda meeting in 38 years until his final illness. At FirstBaptist Church, Ellie was deacon, general superinten-dent of the Sunday school, and president of the choir.He was president of the Texas Press Association; a

director of Lone Star Steel Company, LeTourneauCollege, and the National Association of PetroleumWriters; and a trustee of the Baptist Standard. At hisdeath in 1993, Ellie was survived by Nina, their chil-dren Mary Beth Shaw of Canada and Jack of Longview,a brother Sidney of Hallsville, a sister Zula Mae Bunt ofHallsville, and six grandchildren.

THE WAR IN KOREA dragged on as the Rotaryyear began. Tom Putman, who had been fulminat-

ing against President Harry Truman and communistconspirators for years in Rotaview editorials, nowpraised President Dwight Eisenhower, Governor AllanShivers, and Senator Joseph McCarthy. On May 25,1954, he delivered a diatribe against the SupremeCourt’s recent ruling on school segregation in Topeka,linking the court to communist infiltration. On June15, he lauded Texas Congressman Brady Gentry foropposing the sending of U. S. troops to Indochina,where Ho Chi Minh was defeating the French. Tomwas doubtless preaching to an agreeable choir on mat-ters such as these. However, on August 10, 1954, henoted that his editorials did not necessarily reflect theviews of the club, and that members’ views on bothsides of all questions would appear from time to time.

In an article headed “Rotary and Tolerance” onFebruary 2, Tom noted that this club had 52Methodists, 24 Baptists, 9 Christians, 8 Presbyterians,

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34. Ellie Hopkins1909–1993

Photo by courtesy of Nina Hopkins

4 Episcopalians, 3 Jews, 2 members of the Church ofChrist, 1 Lutheran, 1 Catholic, and 1 member of theSalvation Army—105 members in all.

According to the custom of that time, AustinHatchell became vice-president when Ellie succeededhim as president. Rotarian J. Clyde Tomlinson wasmayor. The speaker at Teachers’ Night on October 27at the Community Center was Dr. Willis Tate, vicepresident of SMU. The club manned the SalvationArmy kettles during a blizzard on December 22. TheRotary Ann Banquet was held on February 9 at theCommunity Center.

On February 16, the club was host to our Boy ScoutTroop 202. W. B. Higgins was scoutmaster, and SamVaughn was his assistant. The members were listed asJames Roberts, David Hornbeck, Marvin Curnutt,David Stuckey, George Green, Kenneth Moon, JackStracener, Roland Jones, Leon Coody, Billy Gray, MikeMullins, John Lanham, Eddie Fudge, ThomasKornegay, Billy Smith, Eugene DeGeorge, JohnBurkett, Winder Lay, Kenneth Sanders, Dan Stuckey,Dick Rathbun, John Hicks, Roger Wade, JohnnieRundell, Gerril Whittlesay, and Bill Martin.

The annual conference for Rotary District 188 washeld Sunday and Monday, March 14 and 15, at theHotel Longview and the Community Center. The gov-ernor’s banquet took place in the high school gymnasi-um, with entertainment by the Kilgore CollegeRangerettes.

Here is a sampling of programs: July 21, 1953,State Representative D. H. Buchanan; January 26, theLongview Colored High School Choir; February 2, amovie on civil defense; June 15, County SchoolSuperintendent J. W. Hagler, denouncing school inte-gration; and June 22, Ewing Adams, president of therecently formed Longview YMCA, located in the newWare Addition on South High Street.

1954–55: Henry A. Pitts, President

Henry Pitts and his presidential predecessor EllieHopkins shared much the same experiences in childhoodand youth. They were friends on neighboring farmsnear Hallsville, where Henry was born to Mr. and Mrs.Robert H. Pitts in 1908. Like Ellie, Henry attendedMulberry Springs School and the College of Marshall.In 1928, he went to work in Marshall for SouthwesternGas and Electric Company, now known as SouthwesternElectric Power Company. Transferring to Longview, heserved under Quest Whitney (president of this club in1930–31). Back in Marshall as Division Sales Managerfor the same company, Henry married a schoolteacherfrom Hallsville named Orisca Ponder in 1942. Shepassed away in 1949. After a three-year leave fromSWEPCO as an infantry sergeant during World War II,Henry succeeded Quest Whitney as manager of theLongview office in 1949 and joined this club the follow-ing year. At his retirement from that position in 1976,he was followed in turn by Rotarian Toby Abney fornearly three years, then Rotarian Jerrell Huffman, andnow Rotarian Buck Birdsong. A member of First

Methodist Church, Henry has been president of theLongview Chamber of Commerce, chapter chairman ofthe Texas Manufacturers Association, and board mem-ber of LeTourneau College, Good Shepherd MedicalCenter, and Gregg Home for the Aged. Besides lookingafter his prize polled Herefords, Henry enjoys fishingand bird hunting.

THIS WAS THE YEAR when club members startedwearing the present name badges during meetings.

The innovation was instituted in January, 1955.Membership increased by 15, exceeded only by the firsttwo years of the club and the current year. We were inthe midst of our longest period of uninterruptedgrowth, when membership doubled in twelve yearsfrom 68 to 137. (See the graph on Page 95.)

On Wednesday, January 12, Club Director andService Committee Chairman German Hollandsworthhosted a luncheon in the Tropical Room of the HotelLongview for the 33 committee chairmen of the club.Twenty-seven attended, dining on an enormous salmoncaught by Lee Travis. (Lee, along with German’sbrother Earl, had recently bought the hotel with theintent of modernizing it. They also planned to build an“ultra-modern skyscraper office building.”) At the clubmeeting the day before, Attendance Chairman AustinHatchell had urged members who were lax on atten-dance to reform or resign.

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35. Henry Allison PittsPresident, 1954–55

As usual for that era, Longview’s booming growthwas reflected in the club’s proceedings. The Rotaviewfor October 5 noted that First Federal Savings andLoan Association had bought the old Brookshire gro-cery store (catercorner from the new First BaptistChurch building) for erecting their new building. Sixof the eight First Federal officials named wereRotarians. The speaker for January 25 was C. A.Bullen, president of Manhattan ConstructionCompany, describing the forthcoming new FirstNational Bank building. Although only 10 stories tall,it was to be engineered for future expansion to 17 sto-ries.

On August 31, 1954, a $250 scholarship was fur-nished to Teddy Thomas to attend Kilgore College.The Teachers Appreciation Banquet was held at thenew Ware Elementary School cafeteria on November16, with 168 LISD teachers and a few Rotarians inattendance. The club manned the Salvation Army ket-tles one day at Christmas time, winning the service-club competition with over $1,000 ($5,600 in 1994 dol-lars), which was about 30% of the total collected.Twenty boy scouts of our Troop 202 attended our meet-ing on February 11, 1955, with Scoutmaster BillHiggins and his assistant Carroll Harris. The annualSweetheart Banquet was held at Hotel Longview thefollowing week. On Monday night, June 13, all threeRotary clubs of Gregg County met at the three-year-oldLongview Junior High School gymnasium for a speechand musical entertainment celebrating the goldenanniversary of Rotary.

State constitutional amendments on the ballot onNovember 2 included one providing jury service forwomen. Editor Tom Putman said he would notattempt to influence members’ votes, but that particu-lar item was quite controversial.

Some memorable programs were as follows:November 9, the Longview Colored High School choir,directed by O. J. Lloyd; March 29, the Longview HighSchool A Cappella Choir, directed by Herbert Teat(they had also entertained at the Teachers’ Banquet inNovember); May 3, J. E. Arnold, manager of the 300Convair employees operating the U. S. Navy Aero-physics Laboratory wind tunnel at the Lone Star Steelplant; February 22 (the golden anniversary of Rotary),Dr. Willis Tate, President of SMU.

1955–56: Dr. Wayman B. Norman,President

Wayman was born in 1923 in Louisville, Kentucky,where his father was a student at Louisville TheologicalSeminary. Raised in Waxahachie, Wayman finishedhigh school at Roswell, New Mexico, in 1939. He gradu-ated from Baylor in 1943 and Southwestern MedicalSchool in Dallas in 1946, then interned one year atBaylor Hospital. From 1947 to 1949, he served in thearmy as an ear-nose-throat doctor, including some earlyresearch on Streptomycin at Fitzsimmons General

Hospital in Denver. After residency in St. Louis andDallas, he joined the staff of Dr. Vesse Hurst’s eye, ear,nose, and throat clinic and hospital in 1951. (See1948–49.) Dr. Hurst immediately brought him into thisclub. Meantime, in 1944, Wayman married JessieEvelyn Jackson, originally of Louisville, whom he met atBaylor. They reared two children, Paul and Melanie.Wayman took over the ear, nose, and throat portion ofthe Hurst clinic in 1954. About ten years later, he builthis own clinic at 905 Judson road, where he brought inDr. Clayton Mitchell, and in 1988 he retired.

Besides involvement with various professional orga-nizations, Wayman has been a very active Baptist, teach-ing Sunday school since 1948. He became a deacon atFirst Baptist Church in 1954 and was deacon chairmantwice at Oakland Heights Baptist Church. He led achurch choir in Waco as a Baylor student. When theOakland Heights congregation was established in 1957(meeting at Bramlette School for three years), Waymanserved as choir leader for seven years, and Jessie provid-ed piano accompaniment until an organist was secured.Since retirement, Wayman has been president of theEast Texas Civil War Round Table and a docent at theKilgore Oil Museum and the Gregg County HistoricalMuseum.

ONLY 32 YEARS OLD when he took office,Wayman was the youngest president the club has

ever had. Rotaview editor Floyd Huddleston liked torefer to him as “Ole Doc.”

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36. Wayman Bowers Norman, M.D.President, 1955–56

Tom Putman had retired from the editorship at theend of the 1954–55 year. In his valedictory editorial,he noted that letters of commendation had come to himfrom Secretary of the Interior Douglas McKay, theDallas Morning News, Governor Allan Shivers, TexasAttorney General John Ben Shepperd of Gladewater,Senator (and future governor) Price Daniel, SenatorLyndon Johnson, Congressman Brady Gentry, andSenator Robert Taft of Ohio. Floyd continued Tom’sdenunciations of communism and desegregation. Butin a guest editorial on July 19, 1955, Ellie Hopkinstook a calmer position on the social stress of the era:

Many people have been shocked, as we have, atrecent crimes of violence as reported in the press.Perhaps you’ve been caused to wonder what is com-ing over us—Is this a major danger signal? Are wegoing to the dogs? ...Our population is growing rapid-ly; living and recreation areas are highly congested;sexes and races, and rank strangers, are more oftenthrown together under conditions of dress and con-duct far less formal than a mere half generation ago....But alarm will not help. A sense of proportion willhelp maintain our emotional balance.

According to the 1963 club history, the highlightsof the year were the excellent work of Carroll Harriswith the Boy Scout troop and the work of C. W.Richardson as secretary. On August 16, plans wereannounced to move the Boy Scout cabin to the newPinewood City Park on Patricia Street, near RadioStreet. Teachers’ Night was November 1 at theLongview Junior High School cafeteria (formerlyCampus Ward elementary school cafeteria). TheSweetheart Banquet was held on February 14 atPinecrest Country Club. A District Assembly forincoming club presidents and secretaries was conduct-ed on Tuesday, April 24, at the Hotel Longview.

Among other interesting programs were the follow-ing: July 19, 1955, music and readings by ClaudeBarbee’s teenage daughters Emily and Claudia andtheir cousin Madeline Wallace; August 30, futureworld-famous pianist Van Cliburn, then 20 years old,son of Rotarian Harvey Cliburn of Kilgore; and May22, “The Voice of Boys” choral group from LongviewHigh School, directed by Herbert Teat.

1956–57: Cecil Richardson,President

Born in Warren, Texas, in 1910, Cecil graduated fromhigh school in Nacogdoches, where his father was asewing-machine dealer and his mother kept a boardinghouse for college students. He attended Stephen F.Austin State College, worked for Texas Power and LightCompany, and moved to Longview in 1933 to becomeassociated with Leo Butter, who had established EastTexas Plumbing Supply Company in 1930. As a side-line, Cecil operated a bookkeeping service. He was presi-dent and general manager of Leo’s company (whichbecame International Supply Company about 1965),remaining until retirement in 1988.

Having joined this club on March 14, 1950, Cecilnever missed a meeting for over 40 years. With VicFerchill, he led this club’s efforts to establish theLongview-Greggton Rotary Club in 1962. He is also con-sidered the father of the Longview South club, for whichwe awarded him a Paul Harris fellowship on April 2,1974. The first recipient of the Tom Putman award onAugust 10, 1976, he was also the Longview RotaryCitizen of the Year in 1991.

Cecil was a Mason, Shriner, Elk, Knight of Pythias,and Civitan. At First Methodist Church, he served asgreeter for many years. He was a founder of theLongview Community Chest in 1934, serving as presi-dent, secretary, and treasurer, and likewise participatedin establishing the successor organization, GreaterLongview United Fund (later renamed Greater LongviewUnited Way). He was president of the Longview Jaycees,director of the Longview Chamber of Commerce, andmember of the Retail Merchants Association, PinecrestCountry Club, and the Summit Club. At his death in1993, Cecil was survived by his wife, the former VirginiaAllen Pruitt of Tatum; his daughter Camille Reynolds(another daughter Lacolian Reid having died earlier);stepsons Jimmy and Don Pruitt; and five grandchil-dren.

THE YEAR OF 1956 was a big one for constructionin Longview. The First National Bank (now Bank

One) Building, Petroleum Building, and Jaycee ExhibitBuilding at the county fair grounds were completed,

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37. Cecil Willard Richardson1910–1993

Photo by courtesy of Virginia Richardson

and construction of the Longview National Bank build-ing was announced. The Jodie McClure and ErskineBramlette elementary schools were completed, andForest Park Junior High School was under construc-tion. Trailmobile, Inc., began production in their newplant early in the year. Longview Industrial Districts,Inc., was formed, acquiring a 250-acre tract onHighway 80 just east of the city and an 86-acre tracton Highway 80 just west of the city. Ferrell’s BridgeDam was completed, forming what would later benamed Lake o' the Pines by Lady Bird Johnson.

Vic Ferchill took over from Floyd Huddleston asRotaview editor on May 22, 1956. In a guest editorialthe preceding week, former editor Tom Putman wrote,“Should a Rotary bulletin discuss politics? We believeso. ...No editor is expected to remain mutely silentwhile corruption runs rampant—and evil and treach-ery abound.” However, Vic wisely avoided inflammato-ry editorials.

A student guest committee was established thisyear under the chairmanship of Dr. Tom Francis toinvite a Longview High School student to each of ourmeetings. The first guest, on September 11, was GeneMcWhorter, Jr., a twelfth-grader almost 16 years old.As he writes this more than 38 years later, he regretsto report that he has absolutely no recollection of hisfirst Rotary meeting and only the vaguest memory ofhis second, when he was inducted into the club in thesame room nearly 20 years later, on April 13, 1976.

The Teachers’ Banquet was held on Tuesday,October 2, at the Longview High School cafeteria, tak-ing the place of the weekly meeting, with 235 teachersand Rotarians in attendance. The first weekly meetingin December was with all other service clubs of the cityat the annual banquet of the Longview Chamber ofCommerce, on Monday evening, December 3, at thenew Jaycee Building at the Gregg County Fairgrounds.Members’ ladies, friends, and associates were invited.The club manned the Salvation Army kettles onDecember 18, winning the competition by collecting$1,075.31. The Sweetheart Banquet was heldFebruary 26 at Pinecrest Country Club, with 218attending. The club’s annual college scholarship of$250 was awarded in May to Roland Reynolds, seniorat Longview High School.

1957–58: Dr. Allen C. Tyler,President

Allen Charles Tyler was born in 1892 in Joliet, Illinois,and grew up there and in Granville. After dropping outof school in the eighth grade to work in his father’s plan-ing mill, he came back at age 25 and finished highschool in less than two years while working as the schooljanitor. Allen earned a B.A. degree at BradleyPolytechnic in Peoria and an M.A. at the University ofIllinois. At Hall Township High School and VocationalSchool in Spring Valley, Illinois, he served as teacher,principal, and then superintendent. In 1926, he was

president of the Spring Valley Rotary Club. His firstwife Dena Steele of Spring Valley died in 1934, leavinghim with a 10-year-old son, Donald. Allen then marriedMildred Leslie Anderson of Cobden, Illinois, whom hehad hired to teach home economics. Their two childrenare Nancy and John. Retiring from public school in1944, Allen became the training director at R. G.LeTourneau’s heavy equipment manufacturing plant inPeoria. Two years later, he was transferred to the newLeTourneau Technical Institute in Longview, where hebecame the second dean in 1947, succeeding RotarianDr. Walter Brooking. He was awarded an honorary doc-torate of vocational education by John Brown Universityin 1951. Allen was responsible for transforming thevocational school into LeTourneau College, which heserved as first president in 1961. Upon his retirementlater that year, the first permanent building on the cam-pus, a men’s residence, was named Allen C. Tyler Hall.

Raised a Methodist in Illinois, Allen married into theDisciples of Christ and became a deacon and elder atFirst Christian Church in Longview. Believing thatLeTourneau Tech should be an integral part of theLongview community, he took great pride in his serviceas a director of the First National Bank and in Rotary,the Longview Chamber of Commerce, Community Chest,Boy Scouts of America, and the Masonic order. Havingserved in the military during World War I, he was amember of American Legion Post Number 140 inLongview. After retirement, he remained active as a realestate investor in Longview. Mildred died in 1979, and

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38. Allen Charles Tyler, D.V.E.1892–1986

Photo by courtesy of LeTourneau University

Allen moved to a nursing home in Kansas City near hisson Donald in 1984. At his death in 1986, Allen’s sur-vivors included his three children and nine grandchil-dren. Burial was at Lakeview cemetery in Longview.

THE ROTARY YEAR got off to an impressive starton July 2, 1957, with a program of songs by Alice

Lon, one of the most popular vocalists in the country,known as the Champagne Lady of the Lawrence WelkOrchestra. Held at the Community Center to accom-modate a larger crowd than usual, this meeting wasattended by a sizeable number of Rotary Anns. Alice,who died in 1981, was a sister of our future presidentCharley Rader’s wife Betty. Named Wyche, they werereared in the Monroe community southeast of Kilgore.

Officers serving with President Allen were Vice-President Cecil Richardson, Secretary-Treasurer RayTracy, Club Service Director Ray Matthews, VocationalService Director Lambert Ballard, Community ServiceDirector Starlin Marrs, and International ServiceDirector Joe Dunsworth. Vic Ferchill continued as edi-tor of the Rotaview.

One of the highlights of the year was the RotaryInternational convention in Dallas on June 1–5, 1958,with a large contingent from the Longview club. TheTeacher’s Night banquet was held on Tuesday, October29. District 188 became District 581 at the beginningof this year.

1958–59: Charles Perkins,President

Born in 1904 at Calvert, Texas, Charlie was reared inBeaumont, graduating from Beaumont High School in1922. After three years with the Santa Fe Railroad, hejoined Sun Oil Company and married Winona Banks ofBeaumont in 1926. Attending East Texas College ofLaw part-time, he graduated in 1938 and was thentransferred to Evansville, Indiana, as office manager ofthe newly created production office. In 1950, Charlestransferred from Sun Oil to become secretary and trea-surer of Mid-Valley Pipe Line Company, a joint ventureof Sun and Sohio which operated a 20-inch and 22-inchcrude oil pipeline running from Longview to Lima, Ohio.Having been president of the Optimist Club inEvansville, he joined our fellowship in 1951. InLongview, he was a member of the board of stewards ofFirst Methodist Church and the board of directors of theSalvation Army and president of Pinecrest CountryClub. Charles was an avid golfer, fisherman, andhunter. At his death in 1988, he was survived by hiswife Winona, daughter Winona Martin of Villanova,Pennsylvania, son Charles, Junior, of Longview, andthree grandchildren.

THE ADMINISTRATION for the year consisted ofVice-President Allen Tyler, Secretary-Treasurer

Bob Steed, Club Service Director Guy Yent, VocationalService Director Percy Northcutt, Community Service

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39. Charles Reagan Perkins1904–1988

40. Joseph Wesley Dunsworth1889–1976

Photo by courtesy of Sarah Jo Dunsworth Lackey

director L. T. Williams, and International ServiceDirector Carl Erman. Norman Galyon succeeded VicFerchill as Rotaview editor.

A seed was planted this year which lay dormantthree years and then sprouted into the Longview-Greggton Rotary Club (See Chapter 6). On November19, 1958, former Secretary-Treasurer Ray Tracy wrotea letter to the board of directors, proposing that wesponsor a second club in Longview. He did not men-tion a location. The reasons he listed were to facilitatemaking up attendance, to allow men whose classifica-tions were filled in this club to become Rotarians, andto allow Rotary to grow as fast as the city, unhinderedby this club’s limited room and facilities. Ray’s propos-al was rejected by the board at its next meeting onNovember 25.

The Teachers’ Night banquet was held at PinecrestCountry Club on Wednesday, October 22, with a recordturnout. Rotary Anns were entertained with dinnerand a program. A contribution was made to the CampFire Girls for construction of a new bath house atCamp Natowa. We also gave $300 to the Gregg Homefor the Aged. Arvin Redfearn chaired our participationin the Salvation Army Christmas kettle drive.

1959–60: Joe Dunsworth, President

Joe was born in 1889 in Brownwood, Texas, where hegraduated from Howard Payne Academy in 1916. Heserved as registrar and bursar of Howard Payne Collegein 1918 before enlisting in the army for a year duringWorld War I. Back in Brownwood, he graduated fromHoward Payne College in 1921. In 1926, he marriedSadie Mae Neel, one of ten children of a Presbyterianminister. She was a graduate of Baylor Nursing School.Joe entered the transportation industry in 1930 andmoved to Longview in 1931, working as general manag-er of the Longview terminal of Red Ball Motor FreightCompany until retirement about 1968. A member of thisclub from 1934 until 1975, Joe served as secretary-trea-surer for three years starting in 1951–52. He was aFreemason, an elder in First Presbyterian Church(where he also served as assistant Sunday school super-intendent and a leader in operating the EcholsPresbyterian Mission on Highway 80 near LakeLomond) and president of the Longview-GreggtonDistrict Dad’s Club of Camp Fire Girls. He said his hob-bies were young people, golf, and the Longview Lobosfootball team. At his death in 1976, Joe was survived byhis wife, their daughter Sarah Jo Lackey ofNacogdoches, and three grandchildren. Sadie died inNacogdoches in September, 1994, at the age of 97.

OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR included Vice-President Charlie Perkins, Secretary-Treasurer

Jim Deakins, Club Service Director Vic Ferchill,Vocational Service Director Jim Kelly, CommunityService Director Jimmie Knox, and InternationalService Director Tom Wilmoth. Norman Galyon con-tinued as Rotaview editor. The roster at the beginningof the year shows a membership of 127.

1960–61: Dale McDaniel, President

Dale was born in Prescott, Arkansas, in 1897 andattended high school there. He served in the Americanexpeditionary army on the Mexican border in 1916 andin the navy during both world wars. In 1925, he mar-ried Julia Ogden of Prescott. Dale had a varied busi-ness career that included banking, lumber, gasoline, andoil field equipment. Moving to Longview from Kilgore in1945, he joined this club on September 21, 1948, andworked at First Federal Savings and Loan until heretired as president. He was a Freemason, chairman ofthe board of stewards at First Methodist Church (wherehe taught the men’s Bible class and sang bass in thechoir), president of the Longview Chamber of Commerce,and member of the Salvation Army advisory board. Athis death in 1973, Dale was survived by his wife Julia, asister in Prescott, and several nieces and nephews.

SERVING WITH PRESIDENT DALE were Vice-President Joe Dunsworth, Secretary-Treasurer Jim

Deakins, Club Service Director Jimmie Knox,Vocational Service Director Andy Guinn, CommunityService Director Arvin Redfearn, and InternationalService Director Rich LeTourneau. The roster foldershows 132 members. Franklin Martin took over editor-ship of the Rotaview from Norman Galyon.Unfortunately, only one or two issues are available foreach year from 1957–58 through 1960–61.

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41. Dale Harris McDaniel1897–1973

Photo by courtesy of First Federal Savings Bank

1961–62: Vic Ferchill, President

Vic was born in 1918 in New Philadelphia, Ohio. Hisparents, John and Mary (originally named Fucilli), wereborn in Italy. He attended Sacred Heart Catholic Schooland graduated from New Philadelphia High School in1936. At Ohio State University, he was on the golf teamand then was the pro at Sugar Creek Golf Course, grad-uating with a journalism degree in 1941. Enlisting inthe army, Vic served in the quartermaster corps and wascommissioned directly from the ranks in France.Meantime, his brother Pat had come to Longview barelyahead of the Oil Boom in 1931, establishing Ohio AutoParts Company. When Pat and Vic returned from thewar, they formed Reliable Motor Supply in Longview in1946, bringing in their brother Joe in 1948. Vic marriedCara Mae Price of Marshall in 1947, and they reared ason, Cary, and two daughters, Vicki and Cindi. Afteracquiring sole ownership of Reliable, Vic sold out toABC Auto Parts in 1978 and has been a real estate bro-ker since then.

Vic is a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church andthe Knights of Columbus. He became a member of thisclub on April 12, 1955, editing the Rotaview in 1956–57and 1957–58 and being awarded the club’s Paul Harrisfellowship in 1985. He was honored by the Civitan Clubas Outstanding Citizen of Longview in 1953 and 40years later by this club as Longview Rotary Citizen of theYear in 1993. With Cecil Richardson, Vic is considereda father of the Longview-Greggton Rotary Club. In the

Elks lodge, he has earned virtually every distinction: hewas a charter member at the reorganization of theLongview Lodge in 1947, exalted ruler of that lodge, andthe youngest president of the Texas Elks StateAssociation at age 35. Among other achievements, Vichas been a member of the board of directors of GoodShepherd Hospital and president of the LongviewJaycees, Meals on Wheels organization, Good ShepherdMedical Center Auxiliary, and the Fourth of JulyHeartland Celebration (which he originated with JoeLaBarbera and others). Cara Mae died in 1980, and Vicnow has seven grandchildren.

THE FOLLOWING SUMMARY of President Vic’sadministration is excerpted directly from his

farewell speech at the end of the year, slightly edited:

Special emphasis has been placed on atten-dance, programs, indoctrination, information, andfellowship. While performing all of these functions,it was our aim to have lots of fun and much levity. Ihope that we have not disappointed you.

The phase of our year that really bears mention-ing is attendance. Early in the year, the job wasturned over to Rotarian Duncan Kincheloe. We didnot know it at the time, but our attendance worrieswere over. The monthly percentages read as follows:89.02, 89.37 (these were PK figures—pre-Kincheloe),90.2, 93.72, 93.97, 95.24, 95.80, 98.37, 98.23, 99.48,99.46, and 98.57. There have been seven 100%meetings during the year. Attendance rankedamong the top ten of Rotary International fourtimes. In April, the Longview Rotary Club wasranked Number One in Rotary International inclubs of membership of 100–199, with a percentageof 99.46. [Despite draconian enforcement, member-ship increased by ten during the year.]

Much great work has also been done in the fieldof extension, headed by Past President CecilRichardson. With a starting date in January, thiscommittee held organizational meetings until planswere finalized to charter a club at Greggton underthe able leadership of Forest Sartain, a member ofthe Longview club and a past president of both theArp and Kilgore Rotary Clubs. The Greggton Clubheld its charter night on Monday, June 18, at theFirst Methodist Church in Greggton, with DistrictGovernor George Cullum, Senior, presenting thecharter. Twenty-nine members formed the chartermembership of this fine club. [They met at theGreggton Community Center.]

Another outstanding event was a program hon-oring all past presidents at the Rotary meeting onMarch 6. At that time, a plaque listing all past pres-idents and the years they served was presented.[The plaque is the kind with letters set in slots, withroom for future years.] Sixteen of the past presi-dents who are still in the club have been appointedas a committee to write a history of the LongviewRotary Club, edited by Floyd Huddleston. It ishoped that this history will soon be ready for distrib-ution. [It incorporated Vic’s remarks on each presi-dent as master of ceremonies at the luncheon.]

We now have a downtown Rotary office locatedat 222 Glover-Crim Building, adjacent to that ofMerton Young, the incoming Secretary-Treasurer.

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42. Victor Eugene FerchillPresident, 1961–62

Andy Guinn, in addition to editing theRotaview, found time to design a banner for the club,which is now presented to the Rotarian who makesup from the farthest distance. The banner is indica-tive of this section of Texas. [Andy says the bannerused in 1994 was designed later by a student.] Indue time, you will hear a report from E. K. Bennettand his committee about plans for the erection of aRotary park. A Rotary golf tournament was stagedon Saturday, April 28, which produced much fellow-ship and two winners in the persons of RotariansArthur Clapp and Gene Matthews. This club assist-ed the YMCA membership drive, which proved aresounding success and saved your president frombeing thrown into the swimming pool. We againassisted in manning the Salvation Army kettles, andthe club won the trophy for securing the most moneyof all the clubs during this campaign. John Murphy,Jr., did a grand organizational job. During the dis-tress of Hurricane Carla, the Longview club assistedthe relief fund of District 581 with a contribution of$280 from its members.

Among the events I enjoyed most were the meet-ings of the board of directors on the third Monday ofeach month. We met in the homes of one of the offi-cers each month and had dinner, to which our wiveswere invited. After dinner, the ladies socializedwhile the board held its business meeting. I heartilyrecommend that such meetings be continued.

By secret ballot on August 15, 1961, the club decid-ed to discontinue the annual Teachers’ Night banquet.

The speaker for August 22 was State ComptrollerRobert Calvert. On January 30, Scoutmaster BarcusDubose presented members from our Troop 202; anadvisor was needed for the Explorer post.

1962–63: Starlin Marrs, President

Starlin was born in 1897 in Terrell and graduated fromTerrell High School. His father S. M. N. Marrs wassuperintendent of the Terrell schools and later was elect-ed as state superintendent of schools. During World WarI, Starlin served as a lieutenant in the army medicalcorps in Galveston. In 1919, he married CorneliaGranbery of Marshall. Starlin worked for Magnolia OilCompany in Olden, Texas, then managed ice plants inHartshorne, Oklahoma, and Shreveport and a Sherwin-Williams store in Dallas. In 1932, he moved to Marshalland went to work for the state comptroller of publicaccounts in Longview, becoming head of the office. Thiswas the peak of the oil boom, when hot oil was flowingfreely. Colorful tales are told of subterfuges of some ofthe 95 local refineries and associated truckers as theyattempted to evade gasoline taxation by the sharp-eyedbut fair-minded Starlin Marrs and his trusty staff,including Tully Scott. Starlin moved to Longview in1941 and retired from the comptroller’s office in 1968.He was a deacon in First Baptist Church, president ofthe East Texas Knife and Fork Club, and member of theAmerican Legion. At his death in 1974, he was survivedby his wife Cornelia (who died in 1981); daughter AnnDaniels; and grandchildren Z. T. Daniels, II, and EllenAnn Wooley. Starlin’s descendent now include threegreat-granddaughters and one great-grandson.

OUR MEMBER J. Clyde Tomlinson was still Mayorof Longview, retiring in 1963 after 20 years as city

commissioner. Our member Hamp Smead, Jr., waselected interim county judge in Earl Sharp’s absenceby the Gregg County Bar Association on September 14.In November, our member Peppy Blount was electedcounty judge. Interstate Highway 20 was beingplanned, and city officials including Mayor Tomlinsonand our members E. K. Bennett and Tom Wilmoth dis-cussed it with the State Highway Commission onSeptember 24. (The previous May 22, HighwayCommissioners Charles Hawn and Hal Woodward hadaddressed the club.) On July 31, it was noted thatsince our Boy Scout cabin was moved to PinewoodPark, several hundred dollars’ damage had been doneby vandals breaking in. We won the Salvation ArmyChristmas collection trophy for the third year in a row.The Rotary Ann Banquet was held at PinecrestCountry Club on February 19, 1963. The district con-ference was conducted in Kilgore on March 24 and 25.

Some noteworthy programs were as follows: July24, 1962, State Representative John Allen of Longview;August 14, a film of Ronald Reagan’s famous speech onAmericanism; August 21, Democratic state senatorialcandidate Jack Strong of Longview; October 9, FormerGovernor John Connally; and December 18, theLongview High School choir, directed by Herbert Teat.

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43. Starlin Marion Marrs1897–1974

Photo by courtesy of Ann Marrs Daniels