Texas State Honor Day, April 27, 1962
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Exclusive photo from Greater Seattle News Bureau.
Photo by Forde Photographers
It looks like April 27, 1962, was a windy day at the Plaza of the States as Tom H. Taylor, director of the Travel and Information Division of the Texas Highway Department, (in hat) and Welcome Chairman Leo Weisfield do their best to fold the Texas State Flag following the honoring of Texas at the Plaza. Flags of all 50 states flew from poles above plaques honoring the state. A copy of the plaque is shown below.
According to a newspaper story from late-February, there might not even be a Texas Honor Day.
The printed information card that was mounted at the base of each state's flag pole.
Cover Memo for sending the script to Texas. At this time, the plan was still to have Gov. Price come to the World's Fair.
Gov. Price was one of several states holding gubernatorial elections that year.
Very Interesting reservation confirmation slip.
For non-Seattleites, the "Polynesian head" had nothing to do with Ben Franklin. It was for Trader Vic's.
-(Seattle Post-Intelligencer photo)
Choralettes Do Their Best for C-21 Texas Day
Carol Hensleee (left) and Ann Brewer accompany on Bongo drums
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The day's schedule for Governor Daniel and party. Look just below for the Honor Day program schedule.
They sure packed a lot of activity into a half-hour.
The State of Texas was honored by the World's Fair Post Office on their State Day of April 27, 1962.
A STATEMENT BY THE GOVERNOR
Of all the states in the Union, Texas is the only one that was once a nation. Texas covers more total area than five other midwestern states and has a county which is larger than some states.
In addition to its size, Texas ranks high in many fields, It is first in mmining and stands high in agriculture and manufacturing. It produces more petroleum, natural gas, sulfur and carbon black than any other state. Pipelines carryt natural gas, as well as petroleum, to all sections of the country. Other valuable minerals include salt, limestone and iron ore.
Texas also leads other states in the production of beef cattle, cotton, rice and sheep. It has more farms and more farmed acres than any other state.
Texas refines more petroleum than any other state. This is one of the chief industries. The manufacturing of chemicals is also an important part of the economy. Although rich in mineral resources, the greatest resource in Texas is its industrious people who have developed Texas into a great state.
"NOW, THEREFORE, I, Albert D. Rosellini, Governor of the State of Washington, do hereby designate April 27, 1962, as
STATE OF TEXAS DAY
and urge the people of the State of Washington to extend our traditional warm hospitality to our many friends from the 'Lone Star State' at the Seattle World's Fair.
"G O V E R N O R"
Can't have a State Dinner without a State Governor.
From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Sunday, April 28, 1962
It was Texas Day yesterday and we had to put it on big for the folks of the Lone Star State—and we did.
We greeted the Texas delegation with 70-mile winds which whipped through the Plaza of the States and made flag poles play tunes as though they were reeds in a pipe organ.
THE TEXANS, bless them, just would admit to nothing and thought it doggone nice of us to have breeze for them to keep cool. Even the speakers who fought their way out to the podium carefully filed flight plans and let the press know of their next of kin just in case one of those gusts took hold.
The Lamar Choralettes, the Houston singing group, stole the show from the breeze when they sang their numbers. Their leader was careful not to extend his arms too far out lest he become airborne. The wind joined the high school chorus and played a tune on the plastic contour chairs and then made bongo drums out of them by--beating them along the platform for several fet.
But the gals, ages 16 to 18, disregarded the improvisation and sang "Don't Fence Me In" as though they were in the calm of the El Paso hills.
THEY SCORED a big hit when they sang "See That You Are Born in Texas" and "We Will Meet You With a Brass Band."
They have some more singing to do which includes an indoor performance at the Opera House Saturday at 5 p.m. No wind for accompaniment this time.
There was no piano for the Choralettes. A fork lift truck was dispatched to haul the piano to the scene but it was pressed into service for greater need. It was used to replace trees that were falling down all over the place.
The young ladies wore blue, pink, red, yellow and green outfits and all for a purpose. The color of the outfit matched their personality such as eyes and other general features.
TOM TAYLOR, director of travel and information for the Texas Highway Department, represented the state on behalf of Price Daniel, governor of the state. Taylor stands six-foot-four in his stocking feet and weighs in at 235 pounds.
"We Texans pride ourselves on doing things in a big way," he said, "but we doff our hats to you on this achievement."
With that he doffed his 10-gallon hat to the crowd that was standing at a 35 degree angle to keep from being swept into the fountain down at the other end of the plaza. But Taylor was not to spend all his time on our World's Fair. He had a few words to say about the state that has more cotton, more beef, more pretty women. And he said it.
HE IMPLORED everybody to come and visit Texas and have a see for themselves. He assured us, though, that the State of Texas was working on an import-export deal in which it was sending Texans to our fair during the summer.
It was a great Texas Day. Just as though some Texans came along and planned it thataway.
Governor Price apparently was still out campaigning in July.
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