Have you ever wondered what life was like in Jacksonville half a century ago? It was a different era of history, culture and politics but there are often parallels between the kind of stories that made headlines then and today. As interesting as the differences may be, so are the similarities. These are some of the top stories from this week in 1962. The items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library’s periodical archives by Staff Writer Max Marbut.
• The Duval County School Board postponed for one week a decision on whether to award one or more contracts for extensive improvements, including new auditoriums and gymnasiums, at five senior high schools.
The delay was necessary “because of the complexities involved in bidding this kind of work,” said board member Raymond A. David.
Four general contractors bid on the five school jobs as a package and three others bid on certain of the jobs separately. Extremely close bidding, coupled with the various contractors’ offers to include many alternate items, left no clear-cut low bidder.
The schools involved were Robert E. Lee, Englewood, Terry Parker, Ribault and Paxon senior highs.
• The City Planning Advisory Board canceled plans for a proposed study of the feasibility of constructing a tunnel Downtown underneath the St. Johns River because of the apparent high cost of such a project.
The study had been suggested by board President O.E. Harrell at the board’s June meeting.
Harrell said he had discussed the idea with members of an engineering firm which was working on a tunnel near Norfolk, Va., and they all agreed that building a tunnel generally cost twice as much as building a bridge.
A tunnel was selected at the Norfolk site due to the lack of adequate footings for a suspension bridge, Harrell said.
Since adequate footings would be available for construction of a bridge Downtown, and in view of the additional cost of tunnel construction, the board decided not to pursue the project any further.
• Duval County citizens showed their resolve in the fight against cancer by exceeding the 1962 Cancer Crusade fundraising goal.
James W. Taylor, president of the Duval County unit of the American Cancer Society, and Leonard R. Pavelka, chairman of the local crusade, announced the goal to collect $121,500 had been exceeded by $719.50 for a total contribution of $122,219.
“We expect more funds to come in before the end of our fiscal year on Aug. 31,” Pavelka said.
He said 6,000 women and 1,000 men volunteers worked to distribute educational literature about cancer and solicit donations during the drive.
In addition, more than 500 civic club members and employees of various firms participated in special events to raise funds, Pavelka said.
• More than 4,000 people went to the Gator Bowl stadium to attend the first “Southeastern Parade of Champions,” a drum and bugle corps and colorguard contest.
With almost 400 participants, it was the largest competition of the type ever held in the Southeast. Sponsored by the Emerald Buccaneers Junior Drum and Bugle Corps of Jacksonville, the performances were observed and graded by a team of judges from Connecticut, Florida, New York, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
Squads from Miami made a clean sweep of the contest, taking first place in each of three categories: senior and junior drum and bugle corps and junior color-guard.
Van Lindsay, drum major of the Presidents from Greeneville, Tenn., won the individual Bruce Pick Memorial Trophy, presented to the outstanding drum major of the contest on behalf of the City of Jacksonville. The trophy was named in memory of a charter member of the Emerald Buccaneers of Jacksonville.
At least 15 of the participants passed out from a combination of heat, nervousness and exhaustion. All were quickly revived by members of the Jacksonville Emergency Corps of Volunteers.
• Gloria Brody of 9746 Lem Turner Road was crowned Miss Florida 1962 at the state pageant in Sarasota, her 12th win.
The 19-year-old graduate of Ribault High School said she wasn’t superstitious about trying for her 13th win at the Miss America Pageant in September in Atlantic City.
After the 35 entries in the state contest had been narrowed to five, the judges posed a question to each finalist: “If you had three wishes, what would they be?”
“To be Miss America, to be Miss Florida and to be happy after having these honors,” said Brody, who was entered in the contest as Miss Duval County.
• Bronze medals for heroism were awarded to two Jacksonville men by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission for a dramatic rescue April 4, 1961.
Ivery W. Elps Jr., 38, was awarded a medal and $750 for saving John W. Mattison and Paul R. Jones from suffocating in a liquid coffee storage tank at the Maxwell House plant at 735 E. Bay St., where all three were employed.
Jones, 20, was awarded a medal and $500 for entering the tank in an effort to save Mattison.
Mattison, 37, had entered the tank through a 17-inch opening in the top to make a minor repair. Shortly afterward, he slumped to the floor.
Jones was working with him and watching through the small opening as a safety precaution. As soon as he saw Mattison was in distress, he immediately lowered himself into the tank on a rope to aid his co-worker, but also was overcome by fumes.
Elps, seeing a crowd of workers gathering around the tank, which was used to store liquid coffee extract, ran over and asked what was wrong.
When informed Mattison and Jones were unconscious inside the tank, Elps told the others, “I can’t just stand here. I’m going in.”
Even though Elps was warned of the danger, he slid down the rope into the narrow container and lifted one of the victims high enough that someone was able to lift the man out of the tank.
Elps then lifted the second man to the waiting hands of workers outside the tank. Elps was able to ward off unconsciousness with a small canister of oxygen that was dropped to him.
Elps then exited by climbing the rope, assisted by workers outside the tank.
The steel tank was 8 feet high and 43 inches in diameter. It was used to store liquid coffee extract used to manufacture instant coffee.
It was noted the liquid was so strong that it would take only a single drop to make a cup of coffee and that it created strong fumes.
• A restaurant in the city and a restaurant in the county were the targets of burglars.
Thieves took more than $800 in cash and checks from Hargraves Charcoal Steak House at 1038 Park St. Police said the burglars broke through a door in the rear of the Five Points restaurant.
About $50 in cash and $140 worth of food was stolen from the Airport Inn at 10385 Main St. According to Duval County Detective W.D. Booth, entry was gained through a rear window.
• City Council member Cecil F. Lowe said he would seek the support of his colleagues for a new public library in Murray Hill.
Lowe said he would introduce a resolution requesting the library trustees to include funds for a branch library in their capital improvement budget.
Lowe said the cost of a building similar to the Westbrook Branch would be about $90,000 and the new library could be built on land owned by the City.
In 1962, the Jacksonville public library system consisted of the Main Library (now the offices of the Bedell Firm), eight branch libraries and a bookmobile.