Real Time 1960s

LBJ speaks out against extremism; Communist atrocities in Vietnam; Barry Goldwater wins the Illinois primary; history is made at the Oscars; Shea Stadium opens for business. Newscaster: Joe Rubenstein. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 16, 1964 - City government was carried out behind a cordon of uniformed Austin, Tex., policemen today after three civil rights demonstrators tried to take the floor away from City Council and were bodily ejected from the chambers. The dramatic confrontation between the council and leaders of the NAACP that has been building over the past two weeks blew up minutes after the council entered the chambers. Mayor Pro Tem Travis LaRue, speaking to a jampacked chamber, laid out strict ground rules for procedure. Mayor Lester Palmer remains in St. David’s Hospital recovering from “extreme exhaustion,” hastened by the four-day civil rights filibuster before the council which began April 2. The NAACP-sponsored demonstrations are being held to press the council into passing a penal ordinance to ban racial discrimination. Following the three ejections, a total of 14 persons, from both camps, were heard by the council. One of the greatest stirs of the day came when the Rev. W. Luther Holland, now pastor of Kashmere Baptist Church in Houston and former Austin minister, said: “No city in this state is any further advanced in civil rights than Austin.” Rev. Holland said he was a full-blooded Negro and agreed there was “still progress to be made in this city,” then added that Negroes should take advantage of the opportunities that were now open to them. “This is a city of love. I want the Negroes to employ culture and understanding to continue the march for higher ideals in civil and human rights,” Rev. Holland said. The Houston minister said no one had asked him to make his speech. In rebuttal, Mrs. Florence Bonner, wife of one of the ejected demonstrators, called Rev. Holland “the 20th century Booker T. Washington.” Booker T. Washington, the Negro educator, author, and orator widely praised by whites and Negroes during his period of activity — 1880 to 1915 — has been criticized by many contemporary civil rights activists for his alleged accommodationism to white supremacy. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 31, 1964 - Steve Barber, a 20-game winner last year, pitched three-hit ball for seven innings and scored his first victory of the season as Baltimore nipped the Los Angeles Angels, 2-1. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Enjoy this color film covering highlights from the Los Angeles Lakers' 1963-64 NBA season. The Lakers, who finished in third place in the Western Division, were defeated in the semifinal round of the playoffs by the St. Louis Hawks. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 30, 1964 - The fight for civil rights is at a crucial point both nationally and locally, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said today as he arrived in Los Angeles to participate in Religious Witness of Human Dignity ceremonies at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. "On a national level," he said, "failure of passage of the Civil Rights Bill -- without watering down -- will be the tragedy of the century. The big problem of California is the move to repeal the Rumford Fair Housing Bill. Any repeal will be a tragic step backward." He reiterated his stand that all demonstrations be nonviolent, with the main purpose to arouse the conscience of the community. Dr. King is expected to address 15,000 persons Monday night in Ratcliffe Stadium in Fresno at a rally sponsored by several church organizations. Earlier, he will speak at a rally in front of Fresno High School and will join a two-mile march to the stadium. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 29, 1964 - Bullets riddled an unoccupied beachfront cottage rented by Martin Luther King early today in St. Augustine, Fla., and a shotgun blast shattered two windows of another integration leader’s automobile. The shootings followed a midnight clash among Negro demonstrators, a group of whites, and police which sent two men to the hospital. The melee at the old slave market in the center of the historic city prompted authorities to ask Negroes to stay off the streets at night. Dr. King, who had arrived in St. Augustine Monday night to organize racial demonstrations, left yesterday for San Diego, Calif., with a promise to return. A newsman confirmed reports of other Negro leaders that the cottage Dr. King had rented was punctured by 19 rifle bullet holes and some shotgun pellets on all four sides. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 24, 1964 - Actress Jayne Mansfield was the mystery guest on tonight's edition of the CBS panel game show, "What's My Line." Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 24, 1964 - The Ed Sullivan Show tonight broadcast an interview Mr. Sullivan had with the Beatles, where they discussed production of their forthcoming film, "A Hard Day's Night." Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 22, 1964 - Chris Short, a lefthander who has allowed only one earned run in 32 innings this season, scored his fifth consecutive victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight as the Philadelphia Phillies won, 2-0. The Phillies also extended their win streak against the Dodgers to five games and beat Don Drysdale for the fourth straight time. They haven't lost to him in nearly two years. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 23, 1964 - President Johnson pledged today to “carry on the vision of the Marshall Plan” by continuing to “build bridges across the gulf which has divided us from Eastern Europe.” The U.S. is committed, he said, “to use every peaceful means to work with friends and allies so that all of Europe may be joined in a shared society of freedom.” That commitment was stated by President Kennedy in a speech at the Free University of West Berlin last June 26. Johnson, in effect, was committing his own Administration to the position Kennedy had taken.Johnson chose the dedication ceremony for the George C. Marshall Research Library at the Virginia Military Institute for this major statement of his attitude toward the Eastern European members of the Soviet bloc.Sharing the platform with him on the institute’s parade ground were General Dwight D. Eisenhower and General Omar Bradley, both former commanders under General Marshall, a graduate of VMI.A crowd estimated at about 10,000 was seated on the parade ground, and the institute’s corps of cadets sat nearby. Upon his arrival by helicopter from Roanoke, Johnson received a 21-gun salute and then reviewed an honor guard of cadets. He also got a mighty cheer from the cadets when he asked Governor Albertis Harrison of Virginia to direct the institute’s superintendent to declare an amnesty on cadet demerits. About 50 cadets benefited, it was reported, and at least three may have been saved from dismissal.In his speech, the President, terming General Marshall “among the noblest Americans of them all,” said that he was “not only a great soldier, not only a great statesman; he was first and foremost a great man.” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 22, 1964 - President Johnson called today for a “creative federalism” of local and national authorities to rebuild American cities, preserve the American countryside, and develop an educational system that “grows in excellence as it grows in size.” As a first step, he promised the 4,862-member graduating class of the University of Michigan that he will “establish working groups to prepare a series of White House conferences and meetings — on the cities, on natural beauty, on the quality of education, and on other emerging challenges.” In an appeal directed primarily to the nation’s youth, Mr. Johnson said that the “challenge of the next half-century” was to use American resources “to enrich and elevate our national life and to advance the quality of American civilization.” Mr. Johnson was interrupted frequently for applause, particularly when he urged better teacher salaries and spoke of civil rights. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 21, 1964 - Malcolm X, the black nationalist leader, said today he had received pledges of support from some new African nations for charges of discrimination against the U.S. in the United Nations. The case against the U.S. for its treatment of the Negro people, he said, would be prepared and submitted to the U.N. sometime this year. He did not say which nations intended to lodge the formal charges. Malcolm, speaking at a press conference in Harlem following his return from a trip to Africa and Mecca, said the pledges had been received from the heads of all the countries he visited. Among the nations on his itinerary were Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia. The case to be presented to the world organization, he said, would compel the U.S. Government to face the same charges as South Africa and Rhodesia. The U.S., he asserted, has colonized the Negro people just as the people of Africa and Asia were colonized by Europeans. He described the American method as “neo-colonialism.” “My racial philosophy has only changed to the extent that in Mecca and Saudi Arabia I met thousands of people of different races and colors who treated me as a human being,” he said. Malcolm, who formerly headed the New York followers of the Nation of Islam, recently split with the group and now leads the Moslem Mosque Inc., a black nationalist organization. Earlier today, he was greeted at Kennedy International Airport by a crowd of newsmen. A detail of airport police accompanied Malcolm to a side area where his wife and children awaited him. Also on hand was a heavy detail of Malcolm’s own security men, wearing dark blue suits, white shirts, and distinctive red or gray bow ties. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 17, 1964 - Actor Jack Lemmon was the mystery guest tonight on the CBS panel game show, “What's My Line.” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 16, 1964 - Bennie Daniels backed up his pitching with a two-run homer and profited by some wild Chicago baserunning today as the Washington Senators defeated the White Sox, 3-1. The White Sox had the bases filled with two out and Ron Hansen at bat in the top of the eighth when Ron Kline went in to relieve Daniels. Tom McCraw attempted to steal home on the second pitch to Hansen and was easily thrown out, Kline to Mike Brumley. Earlier in the inning, pinch hitter Minnie Minoso singled and attempted to go to third on Mike Hershberger's single to center but was thrown out, Don Lock to Don Zimmer. Daniels hit a homer off Eddie Fisher, working in relief of the loser, Ray Herbert, in the sixth inning. John Kennedy had singled before Daniels' homer. Lock's homer gave the Senators a 1-0 lead in the fourth. It was one of 10 hits off Herbert in five innings. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 14, 1964 - James Stewart and his wife Gloria were the celebrity guests tonight on the CBS game show, “Password.” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 10, 1964 - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. appeared tonight on the CBS-TV program "Face the Nation." He was questioned by host Paul Niven, Ben Bradlee, and Dan Rather. Among other things, the panelists asked Dr. King how a civil rights bill would be enforced in the South and whether he had plans to endorse President Lyndon Johnson's campaign for a full presidential term. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 12, 1964 - The Beach Boys performed their composition, "In My Room," on the Red Skelton Show tonight. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 10, 1964 - Bob Dylan performed his composition, "With God on Our Side," on the BBC tonight. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 9, 1964 - A two-run single by Tony Gonzalez in the seventh inning during a three-run rally and Ed Roebuck's scoreless two-inning relief hurling gave the Philadelphia Phillies a 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds today. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 7, 1964 - Lucille Ball and her husband Gary Morton were celebrity guests tonight on "Password," the CBS game show. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 8, 1964 - President Johnson cleared the way today for J. Edgar Hoover to remain as director of the FBI. Hoover will reach the compulsory retirement age, 70, on Jan. 1. Minutes before meeting with Hoover in the White House Rose Garden this afternoon, Johnson signed an executive order exempting him from the Federal retirement law for “an indefinite period of time.” Johnson said he signed the order because the nation needed Hoover. “I know you wouldn’t think of breaking the law,” the President told Hoover, who stood ramrod straight beside him. The brief ceremony, attended by a few Congressional leaders, was held shortly after Johnson returned from a two-day tour of poverty areas in Appalachia. The President described Hoover as a “household word, a hero to millions of citizens, and an anathema to evil men.” Although Hoover did not say he would remain on the job after Jan. 1, he is expected to stay. He has been director of the FBI since May 10, 1924 — for 40 years as of next Sunday. He has served under nine Presidents, from Calvin Coolidge to Lyndon Johnson, and has built up what some regard as the greatest criminal investigative body in the world. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 8, 1964 - Harry S. Truman turned 80 today and celebrated the occasion with characteristic verve and vinegar. The former President drew cheers and praise wherever he went, and he was on the go from early morning until evening.The most memorable event — “one of the greatest things that has happened to me in my lifetime” — was his return to the scene of what he has called his happiest years in politics, the Senate chamber.He sat at a front-row desk and heard himself eulogized by no fewer than 25 Senators of both parties. There was a standing ovation for him, one of several during his visit to the Capitol, as the presiding officer recognized him to make a speech in his own right. Choking with emotion, he was momentarily at a loss for words.It was the first time the Senate had used a rule, adopted last year, that permits former Presidents to address it while it is formally in session. “I’m so overcome,” Truman told the Senate today, “that I can’t take advantage of this rule right now. You can wish me many more happy birthdays, but I’ll never have another one like this.” Later, the Washington press corps sang “Happy Birthday” to the former President as a huge cake with candles was set before him at a luncheon in his honor at the National Press Club.As it turned out, he was in excellent form as he made a brief talk without text or notes and briskly answered questions.The way to get along with reporters, he said, was to “cuss ‘em out every time you get a chance.” But, he said, “my wife says I’ve thrown enough bricks and it’s about time for me to make a few friends.”Of the late General Douglas MacArthur, whom he relieved of his Far Eastern commands in 1951, Truman said: “He disobeyed orders of the commander in chief, whom he did not respect, and he got what was coming to him.”On the trustworthiness of the Soviet Government: “Russians never kept an agreement, and I don’t think they ever will.”On the current contest for the Republican Presidential nomination: “I don’t give a damn who they nominate. We can beat the hell out of him.”On how he would handle Governor George Wallace of Alabama: “I wouldn’t handle him at all because he will take care of himself. You don’t have to handle a man who is always wrong.”Later, President Johnson was a surprise visitor at a private dinner given for Truman in the State Room of the Mayflower Hotel. The President apologized for having only a few minutes to remain because of a previous dinner engagement. But he said he could not remain idling at the White House, knowing about all the compliments that were to be paid the former President without putting in a “word of my own” about “the man whose very actions as President became the bedrock of our foreign policy.”Tomorrow, Truman will be guest of honor at a luncheon given by members of the Supreme Court before leaving for a visit to New York. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 6, 1964 - Following are highlights of President Johnson’s news conference today: Guests — Said he thought the reporters’ children should have a press conference too since they had taken so many telephone calls for their parents. It had even been suggested, he said that they should be accredited to the White House. McNamara — Defense Secretary is leaving Friday for West Germany for discussions of mutual defense problems with German officials. Will go from there to South Vietnam with Gen. Earle G. Wheeler, Army Chief of Staff. Maritime — Announced establishment by executive order of a Maritime Advisory Committee to study the national defense, trade, manpower, and labor-relations programs of the maritime industry. Economic — Said he was pleased with record 39-month growth in nation’s economy, including $108 billion expansion in gross national product; corporate profits this year running $9 billion above 1961, and 1.8 billion increase in employment over year ago. Asks business and labor to hold line on prices and wages. Alliance for Progress — Will ask Ambassadors of each member nation to Washington next Monday for review of program and accomplishments. Panama — Gave encouraging report on progress of talks with Panamanian Government. Has directed U.S. Ambassador there and Governor of Panama Canal Zone to form new committee to study means of improving U.S.-Panamanian relations. Extra Session — Said he would “seriously consider” calling Congress into special session after political conventions if necessary to complete major legislative program. Cuba Overflights — Said he knew of no arrangement with Soviet Union giving this country permission to continue surveillance flights over Cuba. Wallace Vote — Said he did not think vote for Governor Wallace of Alabama in Wisconsin and Indiana primaries indicated “any overwhelming endorsement” of the Governor’s record. On the Alabama choice of free electors, said the people of any state had a right to vote for any party or candidate they chose, “without confusion.” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

May 6, 1964 - Enjoy these interviewers with observers of today’s contest between the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds at Shea Stadium. The Mets were trounced, 12-4. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

This KPIX-TV documentary covers the life and career of Max Baer, the American professional boxer and world heavyweight champion from June 14, 1934 to June 13, 1935. Two of his fights (a 1933 win over Max Schmeling and a 1935 loss to James J. Braddock) were rated Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine. Baer was also a boxing referee and had occasional roles in film and television. The film features clips from Baer's fights and interviews with contemporaries. This documentary was written and produced by Caryl Coleman and directed by Dick Williams. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s