Our Century 1962
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THE PLAIN DEALER . SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 1999 5-D OURCENTURY 1962 ATA GLANCE Missile crisis sends Shake-up fear into every home at City Solemn Clevelanders sat glued to their tele- vision sets the evening of Oct. 22. President John F. Kennedy told them that Soviet ships were carrying missiles to Cuban missile sites Hall and the Armed Forces had orders not to let them through. As Defense Secretary Robert McNamara Celebrezze gets put it, America and the Soviets were “eyeball to eyeball.” One of the TV sets was atop the Washington job, council president’s desk at City Hall, where party brawls over council had assembled for its regular meeting. When Kennedy finished, Councilwoman Mer- his replacement cedes Cotner arose. In a quavering voice, she proposed a resolution that “we back him all By Fred McGunagle the way, even if it is with sorrow in our hearts and tears in our eyes.” It passed unanimously. On a July day, Mayor Anthony Cel- Mayor Ralph Locher quickly conferred with ebrezze was doing what he loved best Civil Defense Director John Pokorny about — cooking a fish over a campfire in the city’s preparedness for nuclear war. Canada, hundreds of miles from the problems of City Hall — when a guide • caught up with him with an urgent message: Call the White House. Wreckers were tearing down the flophouses It was a message that would shake and cheap bars that lined lower E. Ninth St. the city. John Galbreath started construction of the key John F. Kennedy told Celebrezze Erieview building, a 40-story green tower at E. he was about to name him secretary 12th St. and St. Clair Ave., and the city ap- of Health, Education and Welfare. It proved a 32-story Federal Office Building was as much a shock to Celebrezze as where the county morgue and old Armory to everybody else: His name hadn’t stood on Lakeside Ave. I.M. Pei’s urban re- been mentioned in speculation about newal plan was already being changed. The the job. Erieview Tower was moved west to avoid util- It was a shock, too, to Law Director ity lines. Pei had proposed a six-story federal Ralph Locher, a prodigy of Sen. building occupying the whole block to St. Frank Lausche, who had been Cele- Clair. University Circle institutions were pro- brezze’s loyal No. 2 man for nine ceeding with their plans, but the other part of years. Locher, who had never run for the University-Euclid Urban Renewal project office, found himself acting mayor. —Hough — was dragging. Meanwhile, council He quickly announced he would be investigated inaction in the St. Vincent re- a candidate in the special election to newal area east of E. 22nd St., where hundreds fill the remaining year of the term. of tenements had been torn down, and the Locher won backing from Celebrezze, Gladstone renewal area southwest of E. 55th Lausche and Celebrezze’s cabinet, es- St. and Woodland Ave. pecially Utilities Director Bronis J. • Klementowicz, a key political adviser to the mayor. Nearly 1.5 million people — more than 90 Jack Russell, the most powerful percent of Greater council president in history, had Clevelanders — other ideas. Reached by The Plain lined up for sugar Dealer on vacation in Budapest, he said, “Mark McElroy is the best qual- cubes as Northeast- ified.” McElroy, a former council- ern Ohio marked a man, had been elected Ohio attorney PLAIN DEALER FILE series of Sabin Oral general in the Democratic “right-to- Sundays in July. Former Mayor Anthony Celebrezze gives the key to his office to Ralph S. Locher. Below,Celebrezze and his work” landslide of 1958. He had un- wife wave farewell to Cleveland. “This is really ex- successfully challenged Gov. Michael traordinary,” said DiSalle in the primary two months Dr. Albert Sabin, earlier. Locher campaigned against creator of the oral Russell had built a fiefdom in his “bosses” Miller and Russell. McElroy polio vaccine. Buckeye Rd. ward by keeping track campaigned against the newspapers. “Mark this well,” he told a cheering “There probably is of all the favors he had done for con- audience of organization Democrats, no other place in the stituents. After the Republicans ceased to be a force in council, he “ the newspapers are our major ad- country that could versary in this crusade for a better turn out such a large built a fiefdom in the Democratic caucus the same way. Cleveland.” Sabin portion of its popula- On the eve of the primary, Plain tion.” The council president realized Dealer political editor Ray Dorsey members were re-elected on what wrote that the election would be • they did for their wards, not for the close: If the turnout was below city. He promised them that if they 100,000, McElroy would win. But “the The 1960-61 recession was officially over, went along with the caucus, the cau- greater the turnout at the polls, the but Cleveland was slow in recovering. Cuya- cus would take care of them. In re- greater the influence of the two daily hoga County threatened to stop administering turn, they owed Russell their vote on newspapers.” matters important to him — espe- the city’s relief program unless the city paid It was a blowout. The turnout was cially legislation favoring developers. more than $1.5 million in overdue bills, mostly 137,000, and Locher received 75,000 He quickly became “the man to see at for hospital care. In October, U.S. Rep. to 46,000 for McElroy and 17,000 for City Hall.” Charles Vanik succeeded in having the county County Prosecutor John T. Corrigan. added to the pilot federal food stamp program. The Elections Board was in confu- It was the coup de grace for the Dem- Nearly all the 47,000 eligible families lived in sion. Kennedy let Celebrezze delay ocratic Party. Miller, who had been Cleveland. his resignation a week to avoid a spe- chairman since 1938, resigned the The Census Bureau reported that 1959 fam- cial election a week before the No- next year. ily income averaged $5,935 in Cleveland vember general election. But, in an Republican candidate Willard $6,932 in Cuyahoga County, including the sub- effort to end the string of Brown, a business executive, re- urbs. Eighteen census tracts — 17 of them on independent-minded mayors, the two mained, but Locher, now sporting a the East Side of Cleveland — were below parties had pushed through a charter Democratic donkey pin in his lapel, $3,000. Only the section of Shaker Heights amendment calling for partisan elec- campaigned confidently. Voter atten- around Fairmount Blvd. made the highest ech- tions. It conflicted with the section on tion turned to other issues. One was elon — $25,000 and up. special elections. The Citizens the state constitutional amendment to Cleveland ranked sixth in the nation in man- League sued to get a ruling. change Sunday closing laws, called ufacturing. But, Edwin Higbee of the Com- Meanwhile, Locher had a more im- the “Lawson Amendment” after its merce Department warned, it was only 12th in mediate challenge. Defeat of a 1.9- main backer, the Lawson Milk Co. capital expenditures. “Unless more is spent by mill levy in May had plunged the city Business and church leaders urged existing manufacturers to modernize and ex- into a financial crisis. Celebrezze, de- its defeat. Another was a city charter pand their plants and unless new plants are nouncing suburban owners of city amendment pushed by Councilman brought into this area, we shall lose rank as property who opposed it, had it re- Ralph Perk, who was also running for other geographical areas move ahead,” he submitted at a special election on county auditor. It would allow senior said. Aug. 14. citizens to ride the Cleveland Transit Locher threw himself into the cam- system for half-fare in non-rush • paign, traveling the city to urge a hours. “yes” vote. The vote was “no” by an The most bitter battle was between Gabe Paul was Indians general manager even bigger margin than in May. Gov. Michael DiSalle and his Repub- with Mel McGaha as field manager. Led by Then the Supreme Court ruled the lican challenger, State Auditor James Dick Donovan, the first 20-game winner since mayoral election would be partisan, Rhodes. DiSalle had alienated voters 1956, the team surged into first place in July. meaning independents could not vote. by his strong stand against the death tions” to make vicious personal at- percent of the vote, topping the re- Then it collapsed, falling to last before recov- That helped McElroy, who had the penalty. His sharp tongue didn’t help. tacks. Rhodes told DiSalle he was cord of 73 percent set by Celebrezze ering to finish sixth. When the season ended, support of Ray T. Miller’s Demo- Talking about his chances at a City willing to match morals and integrity the year before. He settled into office, Paul hired George “Birdie” Tebbetts to man- cratic organization. Things looked Council Democratic dinner caucus, with him “and they can start with only to find a relief crisis, a half- age in 1963. bad for Locher. DiSalle cracked, “At least I wasn’t en- your home life first.” million-dollar deficit, complaints Browns owner Arthur Modell helped the In September, Cleveland Press ed- dorsed from Budapest.” The audi- Rhodes swept the election, even about inaction on urban renewal and NFL negotiate a network television contract itor Louis B. Seltzer wrote a Page One ence roared. Russell glowered. carrying Cuyahoga County. The growing restlessness among blacks.