Copyright 1995 by Longview Rotary Endowment Fund, Inc. The Adobe Acrobat PDF file of which this notice is a part was created (with minor corrections) from a book entitled The Club and the Town: The Rotary Club and the City of Longview, Texas, Year by Year from 1920 to 1995, published in 1995 by Longview Rotary Endowment Fund, Inc. Notwithstanding the prohibi- tion of reproduction without permission on the copyright page of the book, the publisher provides this PDF file to the general public without charge, but only for purposes of reference and research. The publisher strictly prohibits publication, distribution, or dissemination of this file or any part or printed pages thereof, or conversion of the file into any other format, without prior written permission. Longview Rotary Endowment Fund, Inc., PO Box 2244, Longview, TX 75606 Chapter 5. Goodbye to Downtown Longview, 1978 to 1995 1978–79: Rogers Pope, President the Overton bank and chairman of Lindale State Bank and First State Bank of Van. He is married to the for- mer Joyce Davis of Overton, and they have three chil- John Rogers Pope was born into the third generation of dren: Jan McClelland, Rogers, Jr. (a member of this a banking family in Overton in 1937. His grandfather club), and Jennifer Jones. Besides being a deacon at R. A. Motley married a first cousin of Longview oil man First Baptist Church, Rogers has served in about two and Rotarian Rogers Lacy and founded the First State dozen local, regional, and national organizations, rang- Bank of Overton in 1910. His father John L. Pope estab- ing from the Longview Chamber of Commerce (past pres- lished Pope and Turner Furniture Company with ident) and the Baylor University Board of Regents to the Judson Turner in Overton in 1938 and still operates it American Bankers Association. in addition to the bank. Graduating as valedictorian of Overton High School in 1955, Rogers earned highest HE YEAR 1978 marked another turning point in honors at Baylor and later SMU, where he received an the history of the Rotary Club of Longview. Since M.B.A degree in 1966. Along the way, he was employed T founding the other two Rotary clubs in Longview, this at First National Bank in Dallas and the family bank in Overton. Then as a C.P.A., he worked at Peat Marwick one had become known informally as the Longview Mitchell in Dallas. In 1969, he joined the Rotary Club Downtown club. The nickname was especially fitting as well as Longview Bank and Trust, where he has because the hotel where the club had been meeting for become Chairman and CEO. Rogers is also a director of 48 years had long since been renamed the Downtowner. Photo by courtesy of Gregg County Historical Museum Home of the Rotary Club of Longview, 1979 to 1987 The Longview Community Center, looking southeast at the corner of Whaley and Second Streets — 59 — On December 26, Past President Bob Carroll spoke to us on community service, urging us to sponsor a Rotoract club—similar to an Interact club but for both men and women of college age (18 to 28). Nothing came of it, then or later. On February 27, Joe Fugitt announced that the club’s board of directors had approved sponsorship of a Hubert Gregg Day and the collection of contributions to help him pay off his house. Mr. Gregg was the ami- able blind man who had been making a living selling peanuts in Longview for decades. Joe’s successful effort was crowned by the city’s proclamation of Hubert Gregg Day in Longview at our meeting on April 3. This was the beginning of what became our annual Longview Rotary Citizen of the Year award. The death of Tom Putman was noted in the Rotaview for March 13, 1979. Though not an active Rotarian for several years due to illness, he was still listed as the club’s only honorary member. The following programs stand out in reading through the Rotaview bulletins for the year: August 1, Lionel Barry of Hospital Corporation of America, on his plans for the new Longview Regional Hospital, scheduled for completion in June, 1980; Both August 15 and 22, Longview’s own Nazi Holocaust survivor, Coen Rood; September 5 with all three Longview Rotary clubs, Senator John Tower; March 20, Tommy 59. John Rogers Pope Carlisle and Jack Reeves, candidates for mayor under the newly adopted city charter (Jack drew our President, 1978–79 applause for opposing federal revenue sharing but lost the election); April 17, Congressman Ray Roberts. At the Sweetheart Banquet on February 20, the club presented its annual Paul Harris fellowship to But the central business district of the city was follow- Past President Bob Carroll. The Tom Putman award ing the path of stagnation which has affected nearly all for the year was presented to outgoing District American cities. Loop 281 had been established Governor Charles Tullis on June 26 after he inducted around the northern part of the city beginning in 1964, the club officers for the coming year. and Longview Mall opened this very year. Now, because the hotel was being closed, the Rotary Club of Longview had moved its meeting place to Pinecrest 1979–80: Charles Cobb, President Country Club on June 6, 1978. Thus, although the central business district still had many years of life The son of Frank and Lillie May Ottman Cobb, Charles remaining, for this club it was goodbye to downtown was born in Longview in 1944 and graduated from Longview in more ways than one. Longview High School at the top of his class in 1962. When outgoing District Governor Bill Campbell of (Frank joined this club when Charles was president.) Mount Vernon installed Rogers Pope and his officers, He majored in math and engineering at the University of Texas, then joined Frank in electrical contracting and he also installed his own successor: our former presi- became a member of the Rotary Club of Longview in dent Charles Tullis. Members of Rogers’s administra- 1967 when he was barely 23 years old. When Mike tion were President-Elect Charles Cobb, Secretary- Hutchison moved to Dallas, Charles was appointed sec- Treasurer Tom Brown, Club Service Director Henry retary-treasurer of the club in February, 1972, and Gossett, Community Service Director Milton served more than a year, being succeeded by Tom Brown. Cammack, Vocational Service Director Julian Fiegel, He was this club’s youngest secretary-treasurer, third and International Service Director Dick Dial. Dick youngest president, and perhaps the youngest person Avent continued as chief Rotaview editor, assisted by ever inducted. He served as Boy Scout committee chair- Mike Macey, Porter Brandon, Gene McWhorter, Jr., man, Interact Club sponsor and district chairman, and Attendance Committee chairman; became a Paul Harris and Lloyd Schultz. fellow when he was president; and received the Tom Since our man was district governor, it was fitting Putman award for 1982–83. Charles was married to the that the annual district conference be held in Longview. former Elizabeth Amick of Longview, and their children It took place on March 23 and 24 at the Holiday Inn, are Beth, May, and Susie. In September, 1994, he mar- under the general chairmanship of Henry Gossett. ried Dr. Ann Rhodes of Longview. Charles has served — 60 — on the school board of Longview Independent School District. He has been president of the Longview Museum and Arts Center, treasurer of the Greater Longview United Way, and a director of the Northeast Texas Electrical Contractors Association. HIS YEAR WAS the diamond anniversary of TRotary International. It was also the year when the club moved its meeting place from Pinecrest Country Club (after only a year and a half there) to the Longview Community Center. Some of the country club members had objected to our taking up so many parking spaces for the Tuesday noon meetings. On November 13, 1979, Rotaview editor Ted Mooney noted, “Our club will be tested during the next few weeks as we resolve the meeting-place problem. We need to pull together to meet this challenge by support- ing our directors and officers. If a change takes place I am sure we can adjust.” On August 14, 1979, Reese Middleton and Kerry Cammack announced plans to reactivate our Boy Scout Troop 202. They had a scoutmaster lined up but need- ed more scouts and a meeting place. Fellow Rotarian and Scout executive Bud Trigleth presented an annual troop charter to the club on August 21. However, as President Charles later explained, it was not a good time to reactivate the troop. This is the last mention of Troop 202 in the weekly bulletin. 60. Charles Franklin Cobb, Jr. On October 30, the Rotaview carried excerpts from President, 1979–80 Texas Business, including the following: Last year, Longview moved back into its Number 2 statewide position in number of new industrial plants built (14) and expanded (28). In On June 17, 1980, we inducted Ray Jackson two 1977, it had been nosed into Number 3 by the months after he became city manager. Former City [Dallas and Fort Worth] Metroplex and Houston. Manager Larry Martin continued as a Rotarian in the Some...employees who relocated...in Longview classification of Banking, Public Relations. will no doubt settle their families among the 18 new Here are some programs that stand out in the list: subdivisions currently projected or planned for the November 18, Texas Railroad Commissioner Jim city in 1979. During 1978, a total of 24 residential Nugent; March 18, the Four-Way Test speech contest subdivisions were added.