July 9, 1964
Art Richardson, left, Public Information Officer for the Department of Public Safety, receives another of the many phone calls while Bill Plante, center, and Phillip F. Oramous wait for further developments in the current “civil rights” story.
Mr. Richardson has operated the pressroom at the Benwalt Hotel since last Thursday. It has been headquarters for about 75 visiting newsmen, furnishing a place to work, use the telephone, check details and to indulge in the ever popular sport of newsmen, swapping rumors. Seven telephones are installed in the room for United Press International, American Broadcasting Company, Associated Press, National Broadcasting Company, Columbia Broadcasting System, Highway Patrol and a pay telephone.
Newsmen signing the register at the headquarters during the week have been: John Barron of the Washington Evening Star; Jim Bourdier, Ferd Caughman and Philip F. Oramous of Associated Press; Mickey Carroll, New York Herald Tribune; Don Oberdorffer of Saturday Evening Post; John D. Harris of Hurst Newspapers; Gordon Yoder of News of the Day; Van E. Sauter, Detroit Free Press; Robert C. Nelson, Christian Science Monitor; David P. Welsh, Civil Rights Information Service; Ted Knapp of Schripps-Howard; Gordon Lawhead and Don Stevens, WHBQ, Memphis.
Seven Barber, Daily Telegraph, London; Mike Lala, WDSU T. V. New Orleans; Tom Gregory and Fran Long, Meridian Star, Hagan Thompson, WLBT Jackson; Charlie Caldwell and Morman Brewer of WMCT Memphis; W. C. Shoemaker and Bill Mynor of Jackson and William Chapman.
Con Brown and George Metz of the Birmingham News; Kenneth Toler and Bill Street of the Commercial Appeal; Christopher Kock WBAI, FM. Norris McNamara of Newsweek; Ken Thompson of Black Star; Jim Van Sickle, WNEW.
Andrew Fyail, London Daily Express; Jac Brooks, Vancouver B. C. Sun; Don Iddon, London Daily Mail; Philip Morgan, The National Observer, N. Y., Denise Goodman, Dayton Journal Herald; Ralph Blumenfield, N. Y. Post; A. De Segonroc, France-Soir; Michael Durham, Life Magazine; Dave Chandler, New Orleans States Item and Dick Cunningham, Minneapolis Tribune.
National Broadcasting Company: Richard Valeriani, Bob Zimmerman, Irv Gans, Henry Kokojan, John Chancellor, Nathan Cohen, Joe Oakly and John Landi.
Columbia Broadcasting Company: Jim Lucas, C. B. Carroll, Walter James, Jr., Bill Plante, Laurens Pierce, Paul J. Noto, Dick Perez, Lew Wood, Sy Wolen and Nelson Benton.
American Broadcasting Company: Arthur E. Haug, John E. Brennon, Dave Jayne, Gary Moore of Jackson, Steven Stanford and Joseph Sauris.
United Press International: John Lynch, Bill Brannigan, Jerry Huff, Randolp S. Kuriger, Leon Daniel and Dave Evans.
