Nevada State Honor Day at Century 21, the Seattle World's Fair, was Wednesday, June 13, 1962

SILVER STATE HONORED AT SEATTLE WORLD'S FAIR

SEATTLE, June 13 — Nevadans packed the Plaza of the States at the Seattle World's Fair today as the Silver State was honored in ceremonies there.

The White Pine High School Band, Ely, Nev., and the Sierra Singers of Reno opened the program. Paula Bane sang "Seattle Opens Its Heart To You" and Chet Christiansen, Speaker of the Nevada Assembly, sang the National Anthem.

Invocation was said by Rabbi Raphael Levine of Seattle's Temple de Hirsch.

Washington State Rep. Leonard Sawyer was chairman of the day and welcomed the visiting Nevadans and set the stage for the Fire Font of Unity ceremony, in which Gov. Grant Sawyer, of Nevada, and Washington's Gov. Albert D. Rosellini kindled the flame that is a symbol of national strength and unity. The governors together raised the flag of the State of Nevada to a place of honor in the Plaza of the States.

Then, one by one in order of their admittance to the Union, the flags of all 50 states were raised by Seattle area Boy Scouts.

Narrator Richard Thomas told of the rugged explorers who discovered the Silver State, of the silver strike at the Comstock Lode, and how the miners who had rushed through Nevada in the California gold rush came rushing back.

He described the rich strikes at Tonopah, Goldfield and Ely, and told of present-day cattle raising, irrigation projects and agriculture.

World's Fair official Louis Larsen welcomed the visitors and introduced Gov. Rosellini who in turn introduced Gov. Sawyer and his wife and daughter, Faith.

Gov. Sawyer, in responding, praised Rosellini's zeal in selling the Fair.

"Gov. Rosellini stampeded everyone in a great promotional job," Sawyer said. "What you see here today started as an idea in the minds of a few and has grown to what is a dramatic example of what can be done.

"It is a wonderful thing for the whole West. We are having an increase in tourists in Nevada and we feel this is due to the Fair.

"We regard the World's Fair as a common enterprise of the West."

With the Sawyers in the Nevada party were Director of the Nevada State Department of Economic Development Jack Lehman and Mrs. Lehman; and administrative assistant to the governor Frank Shattuck and Mrs. Shattuck.

The program ended with a patriotic medley by Paula Bane and selections by the White Pine Band.

An official state dinner will be held this evening at Club 21 on the World's Fairgrounds for the visiting Nevadans. It will include an exchange of tributes and gifts between the host state and the honor state.

Rain Stops for Nevada Day at Fair

Nevada Celebrities At The Fair

Gov. Grant Sawyer of Nevada, who helped reorganize the governments of the Philippines and Korea after World War II, reorganized the weather yesterday.

The drenching rain of early morning gave way to sunshine in time for Nevada ceremonies in the Plaza of the States at the Seattle World's Fair.

Gov. Albert D. Rosellini of Washington gave the visiting governoor full credit for the good weather.

HOWEVER, THE morning end late evening showers helped lower the attendance from Tuesday's 68,889—a record weekday crowd—by more than 7,000 to 61,850.

The program, which attracted a goodly throng to the plaza, focal point for state honor-day ceremonies at the fair, started with concerts by the White Pine High School Band of Ely, Nev., and the Sierra Singers of Reno's Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Then as Washington's governor; his wife; Gov. and Mrs. Sawyer and their daughter, Faith, and other visitors took their places on the platform, singer Paula Bane opened the formal part of the program with Rosetta Gibbon's lilting song, "Seattle Opens Her Heart to you." The World's Fair Band, led by Jackie Souders, played "Century 21 March" and the Nevada Day program was off to a running start.

MASTER OF Ceremonies Bill Sears recited "The American Creed" and Chet Christiansen, speaker of the Nevada Assembly and a member of the Sierra Singers, sang "The Star Spangled Banner."

The two governors raised the Nevada State flag, then lighted the fire font symbolizing the unity of the 50 states. Boy Scouts raised the flags of all 50 states.

Richard Thomas, narrating the Guy Williams - written script about the Silver State, ended with these words:

Nevada, 91 times size of Rhode Island, is still a State with lots of elbow room for the adventurous. It's big: and breezy, free and easy, wonderful to visit, rich in opportunity for those who live and work in Nevada, 'All For My Country" is Nevada's motto. Turn it about, 'Our country is all for Nevada' — Our gaudy and bold, wide and wonderful silver state."

GOVERNOR SAWYER praised the build-up for the World's Fair as "one of the most exciting promotional jobs I've ever seen."

"We expect to have 18,400,000 tourists this year, two million more than last year," he said. "A lot of this increase can be attributed

"I'm glad we can be a neighbor of such a vigorous, wonderful state as Washington," he said. Then the World's Fair Band played "Home Means Nevada," the Nevada state song, and there were broad smiles all over the place.

Nevada State Honor Day, June 13, 1962

Rain Stops for Nevada Day at Fair

Nevada Celebrities At The Fair