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 1963. The items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library's periodical archives by Staff Writer Max Marbut.
• Police estimated 60,000 people lined the streets Downtown for Jacksonville's 45th annual Veterans Day Parade.
For 55 minutes, 3.5 miles of marchers paraded past the reviewing stand along the Julia Street side of the federal building. Military and public dignitaries on the stand saluted the U.S. flag each time it was carried past and traded salutes with personnel in the parade.
Dignitaries representing the military on the stand included U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Robert Goldthwaite, commander of Fleet Air Jacksonville and of all Navy bases in the 6th District; Maj. Gen. Henry McMillan, adjutant general of Florida; and James Mills, holder of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
The civilian dignitaries were led by U.S. Rep. Charles E. Bennett of Jacksonville, who was recipient of a Silver Star; and City Council member Lemuel Sharp, who was serving in place of Mayor Haydon Burns.
The oldest veteran in the parade was George Moran, who saw military service during the Spanish-American War. Moran, 84, dropped out of the line at the reviewing stand. "I want to see the parade," he said.
Police Capt. C.L. Raines said the parade went off as planned with only one incident – the lines had to be broken in the 200 block of West Forsyth Street when an unidentified spectator suffered a heart attack.
The parade was sponsored by the Veterans Patriotic Observance Committee of Duval County.
• The Florida Baptist State Convention elected Homer G. Lindsay Sr., pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, as president and approved a proposal to establish a denominational junior college.
The 102nd annual session of the convention comprised 1,359 churches with more than 500,000 members.
Lindsay, who was head of the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, would succeed Henry Allen Parker, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Orlando, as president of the state convention.
• Stockton, Whatley, Davin & Co. President J.J. Daniel cut a ribbon stretched across the entrance to open the company's new building at 100 W. Bay St.
The seven-story structure housed SWD's executive and Jacksonville real estate, mortgage, insurance and property management staff. Six floors were devoted to offices and the top floor was an employee lounge.
The mortgage portfolio of the firm was more than $500 million, making it the largest mortgage servicer in Florida and one of the top five in the United States.
• Prime F. Osborn III was re-elected president of the North Florida Council Boy Scouts of America at an annual meeting of the council in the Prudential Building auditorium.
Osborn, vice president and general counsel for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, headed a slate of 86 officers proposed by the nominating committee. All were elected unanimously and would serve one-year terms.
• A 110-foot-high replica of the Eiffel Tower was proposed for Hemming Plaza as part of Jacksonville's celebration in 1964 of the 400th anniversary of French explorer Jean Ribault's arrival in what would later become known as North Florida.
The copy of the famous Paris landmark was among the suggestions and preliminary plans detailed by Guy Girod of New Orleans, commercial counselor for France, to the Downtown Council of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Girod said the prefabricated scale model of the tower could be erected around the Confederate memorial statue in the park. The park would be the center of the French festival theme for the city, he said.
The observance was being planned with commercial and cultural aspects. A sidewalk café, concerts featuring French music or musicians and displays of products made in France were being considered, Girod said.
U.S. Rep. Charles E. Bennett also spoke to the council at its lunch meeting featuring a French motif and menu at the Robert Meyer Hotel.
Bennett pledged his cooperation toward making the celebration a success, citing his long interest in the historical significance of Ribault's landing on the banks of the St. Johns River. Bennett was instrumental in securing federal funding for the restoration of the Fort Caroline site.
• Tom Slade, one of Duval County's Democratic Party representatives in the state Legislature, went to the County Courthouse and switched his party allegiance to Republican on his voter registration form.
The change would bar him from becoming a candidate for re-election to the Legislature in 1964 under the banner of either party. Florida law prohibited a campaign for a state office within two years after changing party affiliation.
Slade, when he announced his party-switch intentions, declared he planned to be a candidate in the future, but did not name the office he would seek.
• Edward W. Lane Jr. was elected chairman of the board of trustees of the DeEtte Holden Cummer Museum Foundation.
He succeeded John W. Donahoo, who had been board chairman since the foundation was established after the death of Mrs. Ninah Mae Holden Cummer in 1958.
The foundation constructed the Cummer Gallery of Art along Riverside Avenue on the site of Mrs. Cummer's home and operated it with the bequest of Mrs. Cummer.
In a statement on the change of officers, Joseph J. Dodge, director of the Cummer Gallery, said he and the gallery staff appreciated "the energy, dedication and vision displayed by Mr. Donahoo. Under his leadership, and that of the other trustees, the underlying policies of the gallery were initiated and the dream of Mrs. Cummer was given its present tangible form.
"The appointment of Mr. Lane and the other officers promises vigorous continuation of these policies and furtherance of Mrs. Cummer's concept of presenting variety and quality in the visual arts to the people of Jacksonville."
Lane, a native of Jacksonville, was president of the Atlantic National Bank.
• Vintage logistics history was made when the world's largest railroad tank car delivered its first domestic shipment into Jacksonville.
It was brought to the Good Housekeeping Gas Co. at 1555 Haines St. by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.
The car was loaded nearly to capacity with 47,041 gallons of liquefied natural gas, was more than 90 feet long and rolled on 15 wheels instead of the usual eight. Previously, the capacity of the largest tank car was 12,000 gallons.
• The City Council approved naming the new waterfront park and marina on the south bank of the St. Johns River Downtown the "Dallas L. Thomas Park."
The bill, honoring City Parks & Finance Commissioner Dallas L. Thomas, was passed on all three readings by the council.
Establishment of the park was of special interest to Thomas since he became parks commissioner in 1955.
Plans called for berthing and launching facilities for small boats and yachts, an open air pavilion, a large water fountain and other recreational amenities.
Development of the park was approved in 1962 in a special bond election in which $1.7 million was allocated for construction.
• Duval County no longer was at the bottom of the state list in money spent per pupil in its school system.
Data from the Florida Department of Education showed that Gadsden County was last among the 67 counties in average per-pupil expenditure.
Duval County, which was ranked 66th, was only 3 cents from the bottom. Gadsden spent $280.26 per pupil, while Duval spent $280.29 per student.
Duval County still was spending $61.95 less than the state average on per-pupil expenses.