Have you ever wondered what stories made headlines in Jacksonville 50 years ago? It may have been a different era of history, culture and politics, but there are often parallels between the kind of stories that made then and today. As interesting as the similarities may be, so are the differences. These are some of the top stories from the week of April 13-20, 1959. The items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library’s periodical archives by Staff Writer Max Marbut.
• A transit consultant from Philadelphia, Harvey S. Simpson, opposed competitive bus service for Jacksonville while a “jeering crowd in City Hall clamored for a public vote” on a bus franchise application filed by a company called “Public Transit Lines.” At
the time, the Jacksonville Coach Company held the exclusive contract for public transportation. A standing-room-only audience in City Council Chambers interrupted Simpson repeatedly as he listed reason why he thought the public was receiving “fully adequate” bus service.
The occasion was the first of three public hearings being conducted by the Council’s Motor Transportation Committee on an application filed by PTL that was supported by a group of “prominent local businessmen.”
Over loud protests from the audience committee chair Ralph N. Walter ruled that Simpson should hold the floor for the initial two-hour session. Walter also rejected a request by Fred S. Rizk, attorney for Public Transit Lines, that he be allowed to make an opening statement.
The stormy session ended with C.D. Towers Sr., attorney for Jacksonville Coach Company, shaking a finger at Rizk and proposing that the coach company would retain a transportation expert of PTL’s choosing to make a bus survey if PTL would abide by a resultant finding that two bus lines could not survive in Jacksonville.
PTL had proposed to begin offering service with a fare of 10 cents, half the 20-cent fare charged by the coach company.
• Circuit Court Judge William A. Stanly was honored for his contributions to the field of law and community service by the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity at the University of Florida College of Law.
It was noted Stanly had served on the bench in the Fourth Judicial Circuit since 1953 and prior to that in the Florida House of Representatives. He also was for nearly 19 years City Attorney for Jacksonville Beach.
• A two-day institute on corporation law, sponsored by the legal institutes committee of the Florida Bar, the General Extension Division Division of the University of Florida and the Jacksonville Bar Association was conducted at the George Washington Hotel.
Earl B. Hadlow, chair of the local association’s legal institute’s committee said the program planned “would be one of the most elaborate ever offered” in Jacksonville. Jacksonville Bar Association President David W. Foerster and Hadlow presided at the sessions.
Local attorneys on the presenters agenda were Ray W. Richardson and Louis Safer. Only one nontechnical item was scheduled, that being an address by U.S. Sen. George Smathers at the dinner meeting of the institute.
• A “pilot forest” in Loretto which was to serve as a permanent test plot for the growing of wood by small landowners, was dedicated marking the observance of the second annual “Southern Pulp and Paper Day.”
The land was owned by H.L. Arnold and the plot had been developed by the St. Regis paper Company, sponsor of the project. It was one of 90 such test forests established in the south that day.
Members of the Duval County Pilot Forest Committee included St. Regis Forester and chair W.L. Baker, A.T. Alvarez, Ish Brant, Frank Hill, Paul Hrabko, Bob Jones, Reid Powekk, Mallory Roberts, Frank Risher, Arthur Thein, Jim Watson, Walter Welkner and J.L. Whittle.
• More than 150 members of the Florida Public Relations Association met at the Hotel Robert Meyer for the organization’s spring conference. A highlight of the meeting was the dedication of the association’s hall of fame at the Florida State Chamber of Commerce. The 1959 inductees included Florida Gov. LeRoy Collins, Agriculture Commissioner Nathan Mayo, railroad builder Henry M. Flagler, John Ringling and Richard D. Pope Sr.
The theme of the convention was “the public relations challenge of a growing community.” Mayor Haydon Burns presented and narrated a short film, “The Jacksonville Story.”
• Jacksonville Beach was preparing plans for a few street improvements that would cost $60,000. Projects included paving North Fourth Street from Pablo Avenue to North 13th Avenue, since the area at that time was “growing rapidly and served only by a dirt road.” North 12th Avenue would be paved from Penman Road west to its termination and 1,800 feet of sidewalk would be installed in the vicinity of Fletcher High School.
• The Duval legislative delegation unanimously agreed to increase the annual salaries of the eight Fourth Judicial Circuit judges from $16,200 to $18,500.
• The Jacksonville-Duval County Civil defense Council participated in the nationwide “Operation Alert” with school and industry evacuations and special broadcasts on emergency radio frequency 1240. It was an annual test of civil defense procedures in simulated bombing attacks.
W.A. Weatherford, director of the local civil defense unit, said 65 schools and several local industries would conduct emergency evacuation drills. Also to be tested was a radio system designed to prevent enemy airplanes and missiles from homing in on radio signals broadcast from a single transmitter.