Forum Flashbacks: Jan. 22-28
MARYVILLE DAILY FORUM, JAN. 28, 2001
25 YEARS AGO: Don’t Fall – Humpty Dumpty, better known as Shane Owens, portrays his favorite nursery rhyme character during Eugene Field Elementary School’s Kindergarten “Nursery Rhyme Day,” Friday. He is reciting the nursery rhyme for Aaron Becker, Northwest football player, who was assisting in the class.
50 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, Jan. 24, 1976
Frank Expressions: Cradle to Coffin Help Still Draws Criticism
It seems a young man lived with his parents in a public housing development. He attended public school, rode the free school bus, and participated in the free lunch program. He entered the Army and upon discharge kept his national life insurance.
He then enrolled in the State University, working part time in the State Capitol to supplement his GI check. He received additional compensation in the amount of one day’s pay: for a two-hour meeting in an Army Reserve Unit.
Upon graduation, he married a public health nurse and bought a farm with an FHA loan and then obtained a Small Business Administration loan to go into business. A baby was born in the county hospital. He bought a house with the aid of a GI loan.
Books from the public library were delivered to his door. He subscribed to several magazines and papers which are subsidized by the Federal government through token postal rates. He is assured of purer food through the FDA of 1938. He banked money which a Government agency insured. His children grew up, entered public schools, ate free lunches, rode free buses, played in public parks and swam in public pools.
The man owned an automobile so he favored the Federal-aid highway program. His home is protected from floods by a 90 per cent federally-financed river and watershed development project.
He flys(sic) a private aircraft using airport facilities and airway and weather control services financed by Federal, State, and Local public funds.
His second child was born in a private hospital financed in part through Hill-Burton federal matching funds; his grandmother lives in a federally sponsored senior citizen’s home which saves him the responsibility of caring for her. His uncle received his entire income from a government pension due to serving 20 years in the Navy.
He recently signed a petition seeking Federal assistance in developing an industrial project to help the economy of his area. He was a leader in obtaining the new Federal building and a new post office and went to Washington with a group to ask Congress to build a great dam costing millions of dollars so that the area could get “cheap” electricity and a public water recreation area.
Then one day he wrote to his Congressman:
“I wish to protest excessive governmental spending and high taxes. I believe in rugged individualism. I think people should stand on their two feet without expecting government handouts. I am opposed to all socialistic trends and demand a return to the principles of our Constitution.”
75 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, Jan. 24, 1951
Vanatta Says Maryville Fans Spit on Him During Cage Game
Springfield, Mo. — (AP) Alarm at “increasing hostility” of basketball fans was expressed today by Bob Vanatta, cage coach at Southwest Missouri State College.
Vanatta, whose Bears won MIAA conference games in week end visits to Maryville and Kirksville, said at both places the fans got out of hand.
Rubbish Thrown at Cages
At Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, the coach said fans twice spit on him as he sat on the bench with his players and the Springfield cagers were showered with paper and “rubbish” while the game was in progress.
The Bear coach reported that at Northeast Missouri State Teachers in Kirksville Monday night a soft drink was poured on an SMS trainer and two of his players were pelted with eggs as they stood on the court.
First Time Says Vanatta
“This is the first time anything like this ever happened to me or a team I was coaching,” said Vanatta, who came here last summer after successful seasons at Central College in Fayette.
He added he felt that spectators who were unfamiliar with basketball rules were those causing the most trouble, and suggested that conference officials embark on a program of crowd-education. …
Jones Regrets Conduct
President J. W. Jones of the Maryville college said “this college deeply regrets any unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of their fans and we will use every effort to correct such action in the future.”
He added that the college “neither condones nor approves such behavior.” … President Jones said he was writing to Vanatta and to President Roy Ellis of Southwest Missouri State.
He further added that the “M” club and student body had taken steps to prevent the recurrence of such behavior.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The 50- and 75-year flashbacks are courtesy of the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project from the State Historical Society of Missouri, accessible at shsmo.newspapers.com.
