BLACK ARCHITECTS: By Frank White 111

Shapers of Urban America

Dasfcner of the lohnso• htlllshllc Ct. buiJdJng. home of EBO!'IY, Jr:r and EBONY JRI magazines ln Cbkago. is ChJcago architect John Moutoussamy. n.e U-stoty budding w:u completed in 197L A partner lo the Rrm o( Dub{o. Dubin&: Moutoussam)'. bels also the designer orthe ~ward-winning, 36-"ory Regents Park twin towers to the p~stlgfous Hyde Patk atea in ChiCago.

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They've helped to mold the nation, but say their biggest · success is survival

BLACK architects in the United States don't respond quickly when

asked to cite their most outstanding individual achievement in architec. ture. One might expect Robert Perkins of New Orleans, a planner for the World's Fair, to rattle off the conven· tion cente r in Ne w Orleans or the 840 million Lenox subway station in At­lanta or the South bank Rlverwalk to be constructed in Jacksonville, Fla. But he doesn't. pausing instead to properly phrase an aoswer that has oothlog to do with c-hoosing ll building.

Charles F. McAfee of Wichita, Kan­sas, could easil}' mention the Midtown subway station in Atlanta or the McKnight Art Center and The Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichilll

nt-.a CIO MA.Jwi.&U. ._.,.L_

As IIJ., ll two-tlllnls ,,r thl" ho.ultl inlt" ut it''CilS ~uthem tlnht'rsltv ~t'l't' d<'liiJtnNI b) llou,tnn ,.,, h•trcc John Ch_. <pbtn'f'). tw•hind hfn• i$ IMM" ofthrrn tlu· TSL1 'Omr~111tl \l llr,lt,,JI ~l•ool or l.o!". Ch.a.~~·~~ flnn \1.1L~ 11...- lr;tininte K~•ml f,,," 1111nllll"r or tii.K'k Tt-.ltiL1 a.rd.it..cu-. lkLJW, Ch~tlirt"hitctt \\'t•fldo II C'~nlphdldt•'IIVII'd $2.'; 111illiun C.ary(IMI )Ci, •M- Cco-nto"r in fN~·&c~en~tlnd fi t• hd pt'(l ~M11ld NnliOtllll OtW~lli:tatiOftofMi.ool'il)' Ardtlh~lli In 1071

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Robert (U;Ip) Ptrkhu of:-:~""' Orle .. ulll.lbo,·~). priltcif)li.l uf Perkin.v alld P;lftn~r.o , i~ a ~igner fOf lbt! 1984 Wo rld's Frur tu Nc•• Or1l~llnS through • joint ventutt! wilh lbe Onn of Pere-z and Parbl~N Ccntcrpk'«' Wr the fair b the convcntlorl C<>nter. shO\'. n m tl~ backgi'O\md.

Ont ollllt ftSitJatrs of du! 8109 miliJon CAncer l\e$eareb Ceoter m w.-s.hi:ngton, O.C'!., Js ur. cllitect ltah..-rt XaJ(h, Mc-hih:i: t HQI)('rt I' Mndison ;and l1h b"'tb .. r, Julbu C. {bt!II)W), a~ d~i}Qk'ti nf tlu.• Clt'vt~land St:tlh~ University ~'iencl" b-1ilding lwhind du 111.

BLACK ARCHITECTS <••HnueJ

State University. Yet none or these will do. and his pause. like Perkins·. sug· gests thnt a refen)ncc tc> S<)mcthing in­tangible is fo rthcoming.

No diffe rent is Andrew Heard in Chicago. who srnilcs wryly in his luke­front office over n query that might he answered in one word o•· a thousand words. Certainly ):ds .nost outstandiog nchicvc mcnl 'illpC}rScdCll by rar the Chicago Cook Count)' Ins titute or Forensie Medicine he deslgoed . And no t many b loc ks awo.y, \ Ve nd e ll Cnmphcll. fre sh rn)m dc·signing the recently comp1eted Clvic Cente r in Gouy. lnd., doesn't cite that downtown landmark.

Whc;n these and otl1e r Black ar­chitects do teU their highest achie ve .. rnents, tb('ir answe rs llfC ide ntical: su ,.vi cui.

'' I think the m has been a gene ration of guys like me.'' says Heard. " When we s tar ted , t11e oo lion of a Black· owned flrm was very r.1dical. 1 thh1k to have take n sud) a thing and managed to make it survive is our greatest con· l rlbution."

Accomp lished designers that they are. some Black architects sec the m­selves as being confined to public· re lated jobs. which in their vJew doesn't make them noticeabl~1 bette r off than they were 20 or 30 )'Cars ago. The)' believe more oontrocts from pri· vate industry- making t he m designers of hanks, office building and corporate headquatters -would not only give the m a se nse of greater fulfillment but also make the ir naturally unstable bus­inesses more stable . "None of us is guar!ln tced wo rk for the next 18 months," notes Heard . .. Our market base is jus t thnt thin." Says McAfee . whose nrm includes two daoghte rs. ar­oh itects Cheryl ond Choryl: .. We have a country club profession without a country club license. It doesr~ ' t get you on the golf course in the CQuntry club, and it doesn't get you in the bank board

" room. Jn Hous ton, john Chase agrees that

Black architects are ye t to make the ir presence fe lt in industry. Says he : "I think H •night be khld of hlteresting to take th0 Fortune 500 list and see how many Black architects have designed fOr the compa1lies. And I'm talking about c:ompanics that sell a great dt..oal of the ir products to both Whites and Blacks." It isn't a question of expe rtise, he assures. "Charli e:: (McAfee), as far as I'm concerned, is one ofthe better ar· chitectural designers io the country, bar none," he says. "The man is good. Bt~t Ch:1rlie' s nre.;~. of projects is lim­ited."

t he limitations facing the architects aren't jus t c:omingout ofindust~ry; they are built into the Black archite<:tural f~rms as we ll. Unlike a few Black busi­nesses. Blac-k architectural firms have no reliable clie ntele . Contracts for schools, ch\lrchcs and multi-purpOse s tructures financed by tax money t.'OmC v.;th no freque ncy. Black business ba­rons who might provide bus itless are few and fur between . Even $0, some consider it presumptuous to expect these well~to·do Blacks to automati~ caiJy e tt'lploy Black architects . "You can"t put that burden on a Black guy who happens to be tmcces!)ful," says john Moutoussamy of Chic;ago, de­signer of the johnson Publishing Co. building. " I think he ought to use the architect that serves his needs best ."

LIMITATIONS notwithstanding , Black architects aren't crying over

not receiving more of the Jucmtive jobs coming out of industry. And they pride the mselves io haviog made the grade whe n affirmative action m andate s

• Juty, 1983 Continu• d on Pog• 68

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BLACK ARCHITECTS c-"•••d made them benenctaries in .some multi·mllllon-dollar jobs. In many ~ they were an:hitectu:raJ •uxilia­rie.s i_n ventures where majority f'irms couldn't get federal dollan without hiring mfnoriJies. ·· aut peculiarly enough. something interesting came out of that," says Robert Nash of Washingt on. D.C .. one of the de· siguers of the $109 miiUon Cancer Rc­:«:arch Center fn·the District. "Before, their was o constant s tatement, 'Ho~ cnn I give you a $25 million project when you've never worked on one? ..

Asa result ofthis breakthrough. new doon are being opened for more Blaclc arehitectural Onns. Meanwhile, the equal opportunity legislation seem­ingly bas made Black m:hitects see the stance of their White counterparts as being not so racial: The competitive­ness from Whites is perhaps a manifes· tation thot Blac.k architects are being viewed as full-nedged. Says Nash, "It's kind or turned into • backla>h in the sense that one says, 'Okay. we helped you to get there. Now you're taking the jobs from us."'

The ro""' behind initiating the equal opportunity legislation came from the architects. OinatisGed over common problems • .some or them me t in the early '70. to form the National Organi­zation of Minority Architects. NOMA sought to do some ne tworking and si­lence governme nts and others who were sayin~ Black architects couldn't be found. · I think if we've done any­thing," says Robert Perkins, .. we've made the public aware that we exist. But I don't think private industry is utilizing this awareness-.-

EVEN the quickest glimpse at the role of Black arcl!itects fosters tho

At WkiiiU ShU lllv..-, m Wich•ta. K~. atthilttt Charles ~k4.f~ aod hO dau~ter, Cb«yl, an t.rdilhm Ia his flrm. statld ln frootoltM MC'I::n.Jiflt Art CH.wraodlhe E~io A. Vltk-h Mu.JeUmof An deslp<d .,. !he ...... McAfc< - clousht<r, a.u,f. is abo wllh lois llno

qu6tion of "'hether they are distinct, four percent might have 20, the either as artists or operators. number carried b)r many top Black

Whe ther Blacks have a motifin their nrms. There are excepttons: Robert architecture is a topic that has been Madison in Cleveland, owner of Madi­tossed about for years, with no con· son Madison International, stn.fTs 92. crete conclusions. Generally s-pcnkfng, Blacks who have recently become any nrt form tl\llt Blacks could ex1>rc.ss architects are demonstraUng tho.t any would be found in structures that call llrChitcctural firm is ju.st that. Madison for such. In the case-s of The Schaum- and Chase can remember the ir offices burg Ubrary in New York City and the being the only outlets for Blacks Martin Luther King Center ln Atlanta, needing experience for licensing. for <umple. Max Bond and his st:IIIT Today, young Black architeds from the designed the main reading room.s wflh most reputable schools are star1ing in oct.gonal space- an eifort to relate to nonminority Rrm.s before moving on to building$ designed by Blacks based on - or up to - Black Rrms. Cheryl African traditions. They went a step McAfee. 26, with a malter"s degree further: In both buildings tbey paneled from Harvard. worked for • n lnte ma­$Omeorthe rooms with wood imported ti01tal firm before joining her rather in from Mric•. Wichita. "Technically. I d eveloped

Whether Black archite<:ts can claim working "1th the other Rrm because I an expression or not, tho.se who huve was n tt."Chnician and an architect /' she OrmJ cannot operate them differently. recalls. "But here. I do de tnlled spe­Few Arms, mOljority or minority, can ciflC'ations and marketing. where you alford to sustain lalge stallS. and own- have to perform with the client." A ers usually hire suppOrt ~xpettise only Houston architect, \Vesley Hender· when the job calls lOr it. Probebly 95 son, 31, took a similar route al\er pe""'nt of all m:hitedural f'mns have earning bachelor's and master's de­no more than two architects:; three to grees with honors fto1n M.J.T. While

no longer with a Bl~k firm, Hender· son says personal re<:Ognltion might have come faster had he chosen to re­main. ''There's no one building I can point to and say it's lll}' design.'' he says. ··And 1 wouJd have to be on staff (nt 11 nonmjnority firm) an awful lot of years before I could do this."

If the predictions of Black arch item hold up. their chalj.,nges "111 be the same as everyone else· s as we appi"'iiiiCb the 21s1 Century' adapting to technical and environmental changes in a capita1 intensive industry. Madison sees greater opportunity ahead. ·· But there will be greater stress," he add$. "Com­pe t-ition from majority firms will be keener and Black architects 11re going

stnctunt ,...,..d by Andrn Mt.ard of Chicago have to•f.led 1ln1t .S200 million in cost Jin<.'t' he tl•rted to be getting more lnvolve d with Hea.rd& AJsodllel in 1967. lie is .shown •lxwewUh theCooltCo.mty lwtituh.ocllJo~orensk; McdJdne. multi-ethnic- personne l.''

68 fJIONY • July, 1983

The Brvan Times, Friday, November 11, 1983

WORLD EXPO WASHINGTON !UPll

The People's Republic or China will lake part In lhe 1984 Louisiana World Ex· position in New Orleans.

Its pavilion will realure many aspects or Chinese art, technology and culture and wUl tnclude a restaurant and cafeteria.

'fOtllmT ATniAC'I'IOio"S

New Orleans gets ready for the 1984 World's Fair An()( her world's faJ r-whh \-ember J I this year thc:re will dry land fealllt'in.g a 50,000· memoriC'S of Knoxville's 1982 be a special world's fair in E9IIOrl ~quarlum, and the selg· f:alr Still lingering? The Bureau Jl.~· Orle:•ns, which I::Lst hosl· lng of Mardi Gras JX!ntdes of lntem:uional Expositions in ed ooe-the great Cotton E.'t· each day of Lhe fair. A motlO• Plri.s saooions two kinds of p<»ilion-JOO ye-.trS ago. rail will circle the 82·acre ex· wol'ld's faitS: Universal fai rs At the LOuis-iana World Ex· position sl1e (most of il en­;~re scheduled at least 1cn position this year will be ex· dosed :md air-conditioned). years ap:tn, and $maller-scale hlbits from up 10 2S roumrles.. For general Informal ion, "speci:tl" birs c:1n be schetJ.. a pavilion •.vilh major art call 504 525-FAJR o r write to uled any rear in bcrween. works from the \'alic~m col lec~ Louisiana World E:~positioo,

From M:rr 12 through NO· don. the sp.1« shunJe Enter· P.O. Box l984, New Orleans, :m olshorc oil on I.a. 70l58·1984.

-Record-Journ~ .. Meriden, Ct ., Mo~L._.~~}I 23, lJ~!.

Netv Orleans air limps toward debut NEW ORLEANS (UPI)

-:- Despite forecasts of economic doom and fears or half ·constructed exhib· Its, officials predict the 198~ World's Fair that be· gins next month will be a financial success.

The Legislature last week gave Louisiana World Exposition Inc. a $5 million emergency loan to pay April con· structlon bills and prom· !sed another $10 million to

'.keep the fair afloat. To alleviate money

problems in March, the •fair sold $6 million in dis· counted tickets to depart· ment store chain D.H.

·Holmes. Fair officials also are trying to arrange

: a $2.5 million ticket sale to the Superdome to use In a tour package.

Petr Spurney, general manager of the LWE, said all Is well at the fair, snd construction of exhlb· Its and vending outlets on the 84-acre site along the Mississippi River will be

' finished when the gates open at noon May 12.

"The fair will open on May 12. It will be com· plete," he said. "It is

going to be a success. " In the past there have

been times when I won· dered If we would make it or if it would be worthy of being called the World's Fair. Such is not the case today. We've got a great show."

The theme of the expo­sition along the Mississip­pi River Is "The World of Rivers. Fresh Water as a Source of Life." At least 24 countries and 71 cor· porations are setting up exhibits, including an ex­travagant pavilion featur­Ing a multimillion-dollar Vatican art display.

Visitors will be able to ride a gondola that stretches across the Mis· slsslppl River or a futu· rlstlc monorail train that goes around the site.

Spurney said the fa ir asked Gov. Edwin Ed· wards for a state loan be· cause It could not meet about $10 million in pay­ments due Its contractors. But he said he was sure contractors would not halt construction, even If their payments were de· layed.

"I assure you the con· structlon will not stop. There's a lot of pride there (among construe·

tlon workers). We're all lease a portion of the fair working on the same goal site for a riverside devel· -to open May 12." opment in 1985 st3lled an·

Spurney blamed the other source of expected cash flow problem on lax Income, Spurney said. advance ticket sales, a "We were very close," large construction rlraln he said. "We almost In the waning days before made it without additio· the fair opens and efforts nal funding." to make the fair felt in Spumey said or$aniz­New Orleans long after it ers do not foresee msur­closesNov. ll . mountable money

He said the fa ir spent crunches in the future, extra money to permo· and the fa ir will repay the nently rejuvenate the $10 million loan with 12 city's rundown riverfront percent interest in 100 and to secure attractions, davs. such as the space shuttle "Our projections show Enterprise, to increase we definitely will be able attendance. to make our Ma~ pay-

A d e I a y i n a n ments," he said. 'Reve· agreement between the nues depend on ticket city and the Rouse Co. to sales, of course."

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NEW ORLEANS, La. (CP) - A question that forms in the mind of the vi~itor about the 19M4 Louisiana World Exposition goes this way: What's a nice place like New Orleans doing with a fair like this?

That's not to knock the ex­clamation points in the advance promises of "a World's Fair built

on fantasy and dreams," May 12 to Nov. 11 - "See it all!"

There's a $350-million invest­ment. by private sponsors in amusements, entertainment and attracting 22 fore ign govern­ments to the riverside site of abandoned war~houses, includ­ing a Vatican exhibit of artistic treasures, a Canadian spot with

a wrap-around Imax cinema and a provincial exhibit from Onta-

• no.

It's not s imply that world fairs generally seem to be rush­ing North America, with "special cat~gory" frequency allowed by the Bureau of Internrt ional Expositions in Paris.

Two years ago, it was Knox-

Canadian Press

New Orleans will host world's fair from May l 2 to Nov. 11

r eans room rates NEW ORLEANS, La. (CP)

- Whatev~r else the 191:!4 Loui· siana World Exposition adrls to New Orleans - and sponsors count on plenty of tourisr dollars - it has already spawned new cobble s1dewalks in the old French Quarter, fresh street paving and hundreds of hotel rooms.

New hotels raised total rooms in the city to about 25,000 - more than half within walk· ing distance of the downtown, riverside fair - and most are priced high by standards in nearby cities.

The •·ange runs from $19.25 single. $24.20 doubie at the YMCA, right on t! .e old street· car line in central Lee Circle, up to a range of $140 to $ln0 a night in the bright new Inter­Continental nearby and at the old, swank Royal Orleans in the heart of the Fren<:h Quarter. There's a 10-per-cent tax on top of all rates.

Chain motels on the city fringes are pric<td between the extremes. But others in the old quarter - a dozen blocks down· river from the fair - are priced in the near-luxury range and

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some are nsmg.

A q~.:ality lnn on B0urbl)n Street, for example, priced a double before the fa ir at a bask $77.75, but during the fair it is $103. with parking extra

A pl'icey bargain in the heart of the action is tht· brand new Windsor Court, furnished and servit·ed in the English style. A bask double is $1 :l5 a night, but th1: basic is a suite with a mas· .,iv~ hving room, bedroom, bath· room, kitchen ancl balcony. Tea is served, with scones and straw­benies.

Food, one of the glories of New Orleans, can be humblv

• priced but tastily done in Creole and Cajun fashion in spots as

modest as the Tall~· Ho or at dozens of s imilar restaurants in the old quarter.

tio it is at Mother's, long ehtablished on lower Poydras Hl reet as producer of the city's winning poor-bo (pronounced po' -boy) sandwich, an exalted

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su umanne. But Mother's (no relation to

the pizza chain) also serves up local specials such as gumbo, a spicy concoction of gravied sau­sage and turkey necks . The place starts gett ing takeout and sit-down lineups at mid-morning, halfway through its 6 a.m. to 3

ville, Tenn., stepping into a de­lay by New Orleans and losing money. Two years hence it will be Vancouver. Six years later it will be Chi<·ago again (previously 11:!93 and 19:.J3-34).

The New Orleans expo, at $15-a-head daily admission, fea­tures an · Aquacade on a scale said not to have been seen since the precision swimming at the New York World's Fair in 1939. A 10-storey-tall ferris wheel ri­vals the ft.rst erected by George Washington Ferris at Chicago in 1893. Scheduled shows in an extra-admission amphitheatre include the Boston Pops and Culture Club, starring Boy George.

Beyond the publicism, prolif­eration and plagiarism of world fairs, the main question right here is based on the feeling that any organized expo seems super· fluous in a city that is a living exhibition in itself, a permanent celf:tbration for all the senses, a vibrant place also g iven to masks, mime and frequent festi­vals.

Here is a fair, the official theme of which pays tribute to "Fresh Water as a Source of Life" with man-built lagoons and machine-powered streams cours­ing through a concrete pavilion - · right beside the levee on the mighty Mississippi itself.

Here are a stationary mockup riverboat and made -up bu~·ou canoes - just steps away from real river traffic. steamers and free ferries, a bustle of barges, tankers, freighters and tugs in the world's busiest river port.

Here is a roundabout expo

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p m. day, Tuesdays to Saturdays only.

One of the finest spots for more formal eating, at entrto prices of almost $10. is Dooky Chase's in the black neighbor· hoori of Orleans Street. an ex· tenl-iion of Basin Street.

The Creole fish dishes, gum· bos and even ritual •·ed beans and rke are deliciously done by Leah Chase, dnughwr-in-law of the founder, who is also a volu· ble store of information about the city's present and past when she has time to chat with cus· turners at a late lunch.

CALGARY HERALD Sat.. Apr. 28, 1984 C5

monorail - within a few down­town blocks of the clanging old streetcars that run regularly, at 60 cents a ride, alongsid~ ante­bellum mansions, gardens and parks the length of St. Charles Street and out toward Desire.

Here is n fair full of franchise eateries with microwave cuisme - in a community that assails the nose and palate with fresh­cooked Creole and Cajun tradi­tions, the poor-bo~ sandwiches at Mother's, gumbos at Dooky Chase's, fish dinner at Antoine's, spicy red beans and rice any­where, especially on Mondays.

Here is a tent for fairground music in a town where music is already everywhere, and espe· cially at the city's annual spring Jazz and Heritage Festiva l, which will be held from now until May 6.

Music whistles from the slith­ering fingers of the busker play­ing ,J. S. Bach on water goblets among the weekend s t reet musi­cians and magicians of .Jackson Square. It's a big-band sound in the Blue Hoom downtown and pumps from the pep of old Di­xiemen in Preservation Hall (entry $2), playing tunes of late citizens like J ellyroll Morton,

• Satchmo and Sweet Emma Barrett.

• a1r

Here is a fair that boasts an international flavor - in a uniquely cosmopolitan city with palpable reminders of conne< . tions with Spain, France, lh~ Caribbean and the American South, among other places, through more than three centu· ries and a million citizens.

And here is the fair's ·fea · tured Wonderwall, a sculptured walkway of figures and folklore that a publicist explains as "a Mardi Gras parade standing still."

There are t he pre-Lenten carnivals of Fat Tuesday, With the ritual enthroning of Rex and the Mardi Gras queen, mythtc symhols of fertility and growth.

There are parades by and for ethnic groups on their special days; there a re the mvriad cos· tuine societ ies, masked" marchmg ''krewes,'' including descendants of blnek slaves who still dress as native Indian tribes. an inherited envious tribute to people who once seemed freer than Ameri­can blacks.

It may be that a clue in the question about the New Orleans fair lies in those mvsterious

• masque rituals. It fits the citv'~ masking traditions, in a way, that th(• fair mimics maskers mimicking life.

lAA Sunday, May 13, 1984 THE TUSCALOOSA NEWS

· N fo:W OIU,IO:I\NS I 1\P 1 - Heralded by rlv<'rhout whisllt•s und skyrockets, the dcht-plngm•d s:J50 million 1984 world's fail· OIH'tl<'d Saturday. after a nJght or rr:mti<.· c•onstructlon and c'eanup that still l<.•rt purls of It un· finished . ; "Let the good Limes roll," Mayor

Dutch Morini told the crowd at open· lng ccn•rnonles 111 tlw huge fair amphitheater ovt•rlooking the Mlssls· stppi Hlvcr.

[•'loyd L<'WIS, chairman or the cor· porat10n that st•t up the fair, urged ijlosc In the mulit•nce to become "a ch<'erleade~· rot· the fair. and as you leave the amphitheater. don't leave any trash ht•huu.l lwt•nusc we're trying to g<'l the plat·c cll'<med up.' '

Ltttl<' of the ll<•hris lumber stacks, sand pllt•s. mountains of cardboard box<•s and scarroldltJJ.( that marred the 112-m·rt• silt• Jt'ridn v w:~s visible Sal· • urday 'l'h1• ra lr'<: l~l'nl'rn l mnna~er.

wort I s

Petr Spurney, appeared to have kept his promise to have the site cleaned up by show time.

Perfect weather - sunny skies and temperatures In the 70s - enhanced the site.

But at least part of the fair was not ready. Only about 10 or the 40 cars had been attached to what Is billed as the world's largest Ferris wheel.

Reports that the fair might not be quite ready Called to dim the enthusiasm of the lines or people at the gates - many or them veteran New Orleans partygoers who gathered as early as 8 a.m . to begin what they saw as the beginning or a six-month Mardis Gras.

There was some early confusion over the opening ceremonies - which were by Invitation only to about o.ooo dignitaries. The crowd outside both gates, some of whom bought their S15 tickets at 8:30 a.m when the booths

opened, were not allowed ln until noon. However, at the stroke of noon,

blasts or riverboat whistles, Clreworks, bells and an Air Force Oyover signal· ed the ofCicial opening, and the South· ern University band led a dancing wave of first-paying customers through the sturnstlles.

Commerce Secretary Malcolm Baldrige pressed a button to unleash 84 skyrockets. which exploded high over the festivities.

Orflcials hoped that 88.000 people would pass through the gates by the time they closed at 2 a.m. Sunday.

State officials hope crowds will flock to the fair, which has been plagued by cash flow problems and slow advance ticket sales. The corporation putting on the fair, Louisiana World Expo­sition Inc., had to go to the state Legis­lature last month Cor a $10 miJilon loan to pay overdue construction bills.

SARASOTA HERALD -T~IBUNE/SUNDAY, MAY 13, 1984

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Release of balloons signals start of 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans •

• atr e1zs TltotL'-;81l(ls En joy Almost Cotnpleted Ex flO in New Orleatt."i

By CHARLIE HlliSKING Herald·Tr1bune Reporter

NEW ORLEANS - It was Mardi Gras in May in New Orleans Saturday as the 191:W World's Fair opened in spectacular fashion despite its troubles.

Skyrockets exploded over the Massissippl, a 100-piece Dixieland band belted out jazz !rom a paddlewheel steamer. and costumed representntives o! 24 nations paraded during the colorful opening ceremonies at a riverside amphitheater.

An estimated ~.000 customers were expc(•ted to pass through the turnstiles during the warm, cloud· less day. The visitors formed long lines in front of the Vatican art exhibit and t.he monorail, toured a working oil rig, gawked at a prototype o! the space shuttle Enterprise and applauded the high divers and precision swimmers at a 1~8\J·style aquacade.

Cajun bands, bluegrass and gospel groups, strolhng mimes, juulers and magicians added to the carni­val atmosphere.

The crowd arri\'ed only hours after construrtion cr~\~S sneake~ out the b~rk gate. ln_deed, though the !atr s thPme is "The World of RtvPrs," the most appropriate symbols !or this $350 million extrava­ganza might be a hard bat and some srnf!olding. As late as lt~riday's press preview, forklift trucks were still crisscrossing the ~2-acre site. and the painters, pipe!itters and electricians outnumbered the re­porters.

By Saturday morning, most of the lumber piles and the debris had been cleared, but several exhib· its, particula.rly in the international pavilion, were still incomplete. Even the giant ferris wheel was missing most or its gondolas.

If the !air wasn't quite ready for the world, man)' are wondering i! the world is ready !or the fair.

It was only two years ago, after all, that another southern city, Knoxville, hosted an exhibttion that played to decidedly mixed reviews. And ad\'ance tk ket sales !or this fair tadmission is $151 legged so !ar behind projections that of!irials had to borrow $10 milhon !rom the Louisiana Legislature to meet owrdue construt'tion baits. Coutuuu:d Oil luA

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But Petr Spurney. the fair's pres· irlent and chief executive of firer, was brimmln~ot with confidence Sat­urday a.s he watched visitors stream past the hu~ote statues of bare­breasted mermaids that flank the front entrance.

"This is a great day, and it's ~otning to be a great six months.'' said Spurney. "We still have a few finishing touches to take care of, but we're prepart>d to show people the time of tht>ir lives."

At this expnl'ition, the emphasis is verv dt>finitely on entPrtainmPnt rather than on introducing techno­logical or scientific advances. It has its educational aspects. ~·es, but as its barkers keep repeating, this is primarily a "fun fair."

The whimsical outlook is best svmbolizt>d bv the Wonderwall, a • • half -mile long festive breezeway containing a hodgepocl~e of arrhi­tt>ctural <'IPments. Gothic windows, Grt>ek tt>mple facades. Roman aqua· ducts, ornat(' domes and turrets are all t('presented in the Wonderwall, which houses a variety of kiosks, food outlets. p('rformance areas and shaded rest spots.

Running parallel to the Won· derwall is the Fulton Street mall area, a row of 19th century warehouses renovated to give the feel of a mini French Quarter.

The restaurants and bars in the market area were jammed all day, as visitors lined up for such New Orleans favor ites as Shrimp Creole, smok('d ribs, boiled crawfish and jambalaya. The ubiquitous frozen daiquiri booths were also domg a booming business as the heat grew more intense.

In the e\'ening, two legendary ?\t>w Orleans jazzmen, Pete Foun­tain and Al Hirt, performed at clubs in the mall area. Meanwhile, singer Andy Williams and the New Orleans Symphony were ~n stage ~t the amphitheater 1 there IS an addi­tional char~e to see all of the top­name entertainers). A massive !ire-

works di~play and a Mardi Gras­style parade cappt>d off t he night.

The World's Fair refl<>cts the fla­vor and tht> hPritage of its host city to a rE>markable dewee. As New Orleans Mayor Ernest Morial said during the opE>ning ceremonies, "Our world's fair is different. It is a living exhibit which showcasl's one of North America's greatest cultur­al inventions the city of New Orleans."

The fair site is only a 10-minute walk from thP business district and the historic FrE>nch Quartt>r. It lies on the bank of the Mtssissippi, and the river it~Pif is one of the fair's most appealing attractions.

From a broad promenade, visitors can watch th!> nation's busi('st port in action. Tugboats. freightt>rs and barges are constnnt ly passing by, and on opening day the Navy's USS Stump. two paddlewhrelst('amers and the Coast Guard's tall ship Ea· gle werE' dock('d at the fair site.

In order to break even, the fair neE>ds to draw 12 million visitors -about 70,000 a day - bPfore closing in November. By that time, its pro­ponents maintain, more than $2.6 billion will have been pumped into the New Orleans economy.

But thP city is already realizing som!' benefits. The fair has sparked a redevelopment of the waterfront area, for yt>ars one of New Orleans's most rundown sections. A new con­vention center has been constructed on th!> fairgrounds, and cleanup campaigns and road repair projects havP been carried out in the French Quarter.

"This fair is a statement of our r"awakening, our renaissance, our rlt>t('rmination to become a leader among cities," said Mayor Morial on Saturday.

Nt>w Orleans resid('nts se~med to be regarding the fair warily as opening day approached. They were eager for it to be a success, but concerned that its failure could em­barrass the city.

Which will it be? An exit poll of weary visitors brought mixed reac-

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-AP WIAEPHOTO

People line up Saturday at entrance to world's fair.

tions. "They should have let us in for a

discount today," said Edward Bu­chholz of New Orleans. "I almost stepp('d in a can of paint near the Wonderwall, and the air condition­ing wasn't working in a couple of exhibits."

The Vatican exhibit, showcasing religious art from the Vatican col­lection and museums around the world (including an El Greco on loan from the Ringling Museum) SPemed to be a unanimous favorite. But some complained at having to

pay an extra $5 to see it. The dramatic multi-screen film

in the Canadian exhibit was also a hit, as was the 350-foot high gondo­la ride across the Mississippi. But the Chrysler Pavilion, which ex­plains how the company uses com­puter technology to produce its car~ left several visitors cold.

"ror me, the best part of the fair was just wandering around and ex­p('riencing it all," said Maureen McGee of Mobile, Ala. "I can't sin­gle out one exhibit that really floored me. But I had a real good time."

THE lEDGER/SUnday, May 13, 1984

'magination flows at 1984 Lo_uisiana orld Exposition •

~Holy art ~

' VIsitors to the 1984 ;

• Louisiana World Expo-• , sltton In New Orleans

can view "The Trea­. sures of the Vatican.'' • nearly 40 works of art • from the Vatican Mu-• • seums, In a special pa-. vlllon on the fair site. • · Admission Is $5, In ad-

•

dition to tickets to the fair Itself (turn to 11 E for Information about ticket prices). VIsitors can learn about the Shroud of Turin at the pavilion, too. At right are two of the works of art In the ''Treasures" collection: (left) "Jesus on the Cross with Mary and John," by Raphael, and (right) "The Good Shep­herd," believed to be the earliest depletion of Christ as a shepherd providing pastoral care to his followers.

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By Jeanne Nathan f you're planning to visit New Orleans for the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition, better bone up on New Orleans-speak. New Orleans ls, after all, tbe result of a colorful international mingling of peoples. and the way

inhabitants speak reflects the city's rich heritage.

First of all, say New OR·llns. Never say New Or· LEENS. This pronunciation Is permissible only when sung.

Second, it's Loo-EE·zee-anna. Never LOO-zee-anna, which Isn't even acceptable when sung, Suzanna.

Third, and this is a tough one, Tchoupitoulas Street. It was named after a fish, and it's pronounced CHOP·ah·too­lls. (Actually it's much easier to say than spell.)

With those basic pronunciations in hand, you can move right along to a favorite New Orleans game called "show and tell." The game is played thusly: I'll show you an ordinary, everyday object, and you tell me what it is.

For example, if someone tells you to catch a streetcar (trolley) on a neutral ground, you don't have to wave a white flag and seek the DMZ. The neutral ground ls the median strip on major streets. The expression originated when the city's founding Creoles and the newcomer Amer­icans were at each other's throats. Canal Street was de­clared a neutral ground or zone, and Voila! civility reigned.

No, there isn't a canal on Canal Street. But you can catch a streetcar there that will take you to a supermarket to "make groceries." "Making groceries" stems from the French expression "faire marche,"literally to make mar· ket. which is something the Creoles did daily at the French Market in the Vieux Carre (Voo Cah-ray).

Now that you've arrived at the market, you should know that an avocado is an alligator pear, a mi.rllton is a musi· cal pear and green beans are string beans.

• Better to try a great Creole restaurant. Creole means

just about anything grown in or on Louisiana soil. This Includes people, cuisine, language and tomatoes.

The menu, please. There's Redfish CourtbouJUon (Coo­bee-yon), Gumbo File (Fee-lay), Boulli (Bwuh-lee), Craw· fish Etouffee (Crauh·flsh A-too-fay) and Beignets (Ben· yays).

Not to worry. If you can't say it, point to it. But whatev­er you do, don't miss any of it.

..

Ticket information It is approximately 668 miles from Lakeland to New

Orleans, which averages out to 14 hours driving time. There are numerous travel packages available for those who prefer to fly or take a tour bus. Contact your travel agent for specifics.

For advance ticket sales, mall check, money order or cashier's check to The 1984 World's Fair, Ticket Sales Department, P.O. Box 61238, New Orleans, La. 70158.

Prices: One-day adult (12·54), $15; one-day child (4·11), $14; senior citizens (55 plus), $14; cblldren through 3 years of age, admitted free.

Consecutive two-day ticket - adult, $28; cblld, $26; se­nior citizen, $26.

Handling fee ls $1. Make check or money order payable · to the 1984 World's Fair.

Each admission ticket entitles tbe visitor to free use of the monorail around the site as well as entry to all pavil· ions, exhibits (except for "Treasures of the Vatican," wblch has an additional charge of $5) and virtually all regularly scheduled entertainment.

To charge your admission tickets to VISA, MasterCard or American Express, calll-504·525·FAIR.

------------------~------By Jeanne Nathan

he 1984 Louisiana World Exposition in New Orleans bas created a world of art, artists and artisans. Milllons of visitors wlll bave tbe opportunity to not only view priceless

masterpieces, but also be able to watch as artists and artisans create traditional and unusual, one­of-a-kind pieces of art right on tbe fair site.

"So many of tbe everyday things we take for granted are actually the products of someone's skill and imagination," says Peter L. Spurney, president and cblef executive officer, Louisiana World Exposition Inc.

"It is these, and tbe making of them, we bave brought to the fair. By creating environments where artists can actually work, by opening the arcbltectural texture of the event to a wide var· iety of artistic media and by embraclng all forms of art, we bope we bave lncreased tbe interaction and relationship between art and its admirers, and so have created a new perspective for all our

. visitors to tbe World's Fair and the world of art." · Early on, the World's Fair sent out a call to sculptors to enter its International Water Sculp­ture Competition. In keeping with the theme, "Tbe World of Rivers: Fresh Water as a Source of Life," 472 artists from SZ countries submitted designs. Of these, three were chosen: "Wave of tbe World" by Louisianian Lynda Benglls, "The Source" by the French team of Claude and Francols·Xavier Lalanne and "Rain Tow era" by Belen Escobedo of Mextco.

These monumental works will be seen in var­Ious sites around the fair and afterwards will be permanently located, on publlc •view, 1!1 the greater New Orleans area. · In a more tradJUonal format, tbe ~aUcan bu

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.

n Artworks '84 fact sheet

created a pavilion especially designed to house its exhibition, "Treasures of tbe Vatican.'" Works of art collected from tbe Vatican, Italy, Spain, France, England, Ireland, Canada and Africa by masters such as El Greco, Caravagglo, Giotto, Roualt, Georges de Ia Tour and Dali comprise part of the. exhibit. Being displayed for the first time in this country are, among others: Raphael's "Tapestry of tbe Crucifixion," Matisse's "Chasu­ble" and Roualts's "Ecce Homo."

Admission to view tbe "Treasures of tbe Vati· can" ·is ,5, in addition to fair admission. A free gallery adjacent to the Vatican's main exhibit will feature a film showing a scientific exarnina­tlon of tbe Shroud of Turin, a photograpblc displet¥ of the travels of Pope John Paul ll and a showin& of religious works from Louisiana. . .,~

From the Vatican exhibit, which focuses ob past visions, visitors to tbe fair are also afforded perceptions of today in the Artworks '84 multi· component program. Located ln the Great Hall, Artworks '84 is a comprehensive and dyuami~ visual arts presentation with four components. These include an exhibition tltled "The Art of the State: A Celebration of Louisiana Art," 14 sol~ exhibitions, an artist·in·residence studio and a vldeo and film program tltled "So There, Orwen 1984." : · Like the World's Fair itself, Artworks '84 is a constantly changing and evolving event. •

In tbe World's Fair intemauonal pavlUons, llf· dividual countries wlll feature showings of art and al'tlfacts, arcbltectural and dress traditions and artisans actually creatlng local bandicraft4.

In addiUon to these tradJUonal and not-so-tradl· tional di.Bplays, vlsltors wlll be ~urrounded by

•

See OUtllde on page 11E

THE lEDGER/SUnday, May 6, 19M 11E

rtworks '84 is a comprehensive and dynamic visual arts program. Located in the Great Hall, Artworks '84 wlll occupy 16,200 square feet and will have four components:

• "The Art of tbe State: A Celebration of Louisiana Art" - A two-faceted exhibition showcasing the works of some of Louisiana's major artists.

ing the six months of the fair. The artists selected are Clyde Connell, Tina Girouard, Robert Warrens, Robert Gordy, George Dureau, Gerald Cannon, Arthur Kern, Ida Kohlmeyer, James Steg, Frank Hayden, Lin Em· ery, Elemore Morgan, John T. Scott and Pat Trivigno.

One lacet will feature artwork juried by Dr. Mitchell Kahn, curator of American and Contemporary Art at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

The other facet ts an invitational show featuring the works of artists invited to participate by a jury of prominent Louisiana artists. These jurors are Lin Em· ery, George Dureau, Elemore Morgan, John Scott and Pat Trlvigno.

• Solo exhibitions - Fourteen of tbe 80 artists partl· clpatlng in "The Art of the State" will be honored with solo exhibitions. These exhibitions will be rotated dur·

• Artists-in-Residence Studio - This program will feature nine artists from Louisiana and other parts of the United States. Each will be "in residence" for se­veral weeks in a special studio/loft space located wltb· in the exhibition area, where visitors wlll be able to talk informally with them. The artists wlll work in diverse media - from painting and papier mache to "perfor· mance art."

• "So There, Orwell '84"- This video program pro­duced by Beard's Fund Inc. will feature a screen room with a continuous program of outstanding works by New York City artists working in television. In addi· tion, a block of time will be devoted each week to exclusive showings of video work by Louisiana artists.

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Outside the World's Fair site, even more celebrations of at . Louis XVI and the New World" opened in the historic Just blocks away from the fair's downtown site is the ·

continued from 1E Cabildo in Jackson Square of tbe French Quarter. The Contemporary Arts Center. The CAC regularly schedules many forms of art - from fantasy architecture to tradi· exhibition wlll explore tbe life and times of the legendary showings and performances in many fields of art - from ~ tional realism. Tbe very gates to the fair are extravagan- king and wlll run through Nov. 12. realistic sculpture to avant-garde theater. During tbe ear-zas of a form that can only be called Mardi Gras art - The New Orleans Museum of Art, located In City Park, ly months of summer, several original plays wW be pro- ' giant mythological sea creatures and gods constructed of will mount several exhibitions during the months of the duced, including a puppet show and an original musical, papler mache tower over their illusory kingdoms of water. fair. Beginning in May, visitors can view fine examples of and various exhibitions will be mounted in tbe galleries. : In the "Wonderwall," 30-foot-long sandbag alligators and American Western Art and Spanish Colonial Art. In July, New Orleans has long been a mecca for artists and soaring pelicans roam beneath and above a balf·mlle-long NOMA will mount the exblbit, "Turning Point: the Harlem ideas. It Is an architectural paradise, a photographic dis· paean to the architecture of the ages. Neon barges drift Renaissance from Traditional to Ethnic Expression" and, play and a garden of delights in dance, music and llvlng . along a water course, and flags, pennants and banners in October, the Art of Cameroon. NOMA is also co-sponsor theater. Within this fascinating settlng 1s tbe 1984 World's designed especially for tbe fair fly overhead everywhere of the "Treasures of the Vatican" exhibit. Fair _ a wonderland of science,· industry, exblbltry and on the site. In keeping with tbe fair's theme, the New Orleans Muse- entertainment. It's the good life raised to a fine art.

All of this and more wlll be found on-site at the fair. Off- um of Art has also scheduled a far-reaching exhibition site, in more traditional settings, visitors will find tbe city titled "The Waters of America: 19th C~?tury Paintings of ---,..---------------­itself has joined tn the celebration of art. Rivers, Streams, Lakes and Waterfalls. This showing wlll Jeanne Nathan Is on the staff of tile Fair's public relatlou

On April 29, the extraordinary exhibit "The Sun King: continue throughout the World's Fair. department.

Wilmington Morning Star I Monday, May 14, 1984

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Maacot Seymour D. Fair greet• vlaltora Sunday.

Slow Sunday start at world fair •

NEW ORLEANS- The opening of the 1984 Louisiana World Ex~· sltion drew ~3,000 ~ople who ' let the good times roll.' But on Sunday it still seemed the party got off to a premature start.

Some of the international pavil· Ions remained unfinished at the $360 million exposition. Paul Creighton, director of operations, predicted that it would be a few days before everything was operat· ing fully.

Liberia's deserted exhibition hall still had unpainted sheetrock walls with hanging naked wiring. The Pe· ruvian pavilion was not open.

The promised tropical rain forest had not materialized at the com· btned exhibition of Honduras, Be· lize and the Dominican Republic.

The Ferris wheel, advertised as the biggest in the world, remained closed - half of its seats still miss· • mg.

As the gaas opened for the Sun· day show, lines were short com· pared to the throngs straining at tbe turnstiles at the riverfront fair· grounds on opening day Saturday.

Creighton said the official re· vised count for Saturday's opening was 83,000.

The figure would place New Or~ leans third on the charts for world's fair opening day crowds.

. Bang6t Dally News, Monday, May 14, 19M 27

World Expo attendance drops off following opening day success

NF.W ORLI'!ANS cAr>l - The OPf'ning o( the 19R4 Loui!;l::ma World Exposition drt>w 83.000 p<>ople who "ll't thP good limes roll." but on Sunday it seemed the party got off to a prNnature start.

Some of thl' intC>rnatlonal pavilions tcmalnt>d unfln· l5hrd at the $~50 million expo!!lllon and Paul Crt>ighton, director of op<>rations, prC>dlcted it would be a few days lx>fore evrrythlng was oprrallng fully.

Librrla 's desrrted t>Xhiblllon hall still hod unpalnt· rd sheetrock walls with hanging naked wiring. The Peruvian pavilion was not open.

The promised tropical rain forest had not matrrlal· izrd at the combined exhibition of Honduras. Drllze and the Dominican Rl'public. A spokesman sa1d It would be another threl' Wl'eks.

The ferris wheel. adverllsed as thl' biggest In the world, remained closed - half of Its scats still missing.

As thl' gates opcnl'd for the Sunday show.llnes were short comparl'd with the throngs straining al the turn· stiles at the riverfront fairgrounds on opening day Saturday.

Louisiana Gov. Edwin W. Edwards opened the fair Saturday with the Cajun expressiOn, "Latssez lcs bon temps roule," which is French for, "Let the good times roll."

Creighton said the official revised count for Satur· day's Op<'ning was 83,000-20.000 more than the figure made public at the end of the first day.

F~>l~ ~nokesman Jeanne Nathan said the smaller n•· l'lber C\ mted only those people who had clicked t' rough t11 turnstiles by 11 p.m.

It d1dn't 1clude the 5,000 VIPs who arrived before anyone eb ! for opening ceremonies, the people who

rndt> the Mi5!'issippl River gondola into the fair, ~r tho~e who rode In on a rivPrboat. shl' sold.

ThP R3.000 figure would place Ne\V Orleans third on the chatLr; for world's fair opening day crowds. Knol(! v!IIP had 87.000 on its Op<'nlng day and Spokane dre~ 8.5.000 Seattle remains fourth at 51.000.

On Sunday. traffic In the New Orleans central busi· nrss district was as light or ll~hter than it had bl.'en Saturday, dPsplle a United States Football League game In the Sup<>rdomc.

In contrast to th£> big opening on Saturday, with its Spl'Ctacular 1 '·~·hour ceremony that included pohli· clans. jazz. two blimps and 70.000 helium-filled bal· loons. there was a small protest downtown called the "Pl.'ople's Fair."

Attended by a few hundred p<>ople, the one-day event was highlighted b¥ the "OJ under Walt," a pohtl• cal satire of the worlds fair's $5 million "Wonder· wall" of art objects and concessions. ·

The "Blunder Walt" was a banner full of quotes by President Reagan.

ln addition to pt>rformers such as Doug Kershaw, Pete Fountain and AI Hlrt, the fair features big· name enlertainment for an extra prtce In the 5,5()(). seat amphitheater on the riverfront. Andy Williams and Lola Falana were the opening night attraction, with ticket prices ranging to $40.

It Is an expt>nsive fair. Parking is $5, an adult ticket $15, a guidebook S7, a one·sheet map $2.50 - all pushed up by the city's 14 percent tax on everything sold at the site.

Amusement rides cost extra. So does the $3.50 gon· doll! ride, one of the fair's biggest attractions whic)l resembles a ski·llft cor on a spectacular high trip across the Mississippi River. ..,..

... THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL Thursday, June 28, 1984

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$17.5 million loan to help world fair

Baton Rou&e, La. -UPI- Louisiana lawmakers have approved a $17.5 million loan to help pay the bills of the 1984 world fair in New Orleans and keep the exposition open through I~ six-month run.

The loan, approved by legislators on a 72-27 vote Wednesday, wut make partial payment on the fair's unpaid construction bills and overdue bank loans.

In excbange, fair managers have been forced to turn over the dally financial dealings of the expo­sition to a seven-member committee representing the state, the city and creditors.

Gov. Edwin Edwards presented the bailout pro­posal to the Legislature last week, saying the state had Uttle choice but to save the exposition.

Legislators were told Wednesday that the state would recoup an earller $10 million loan and would not have to cover the bailout loan If the fair could average a daily attendance of 50,000 for Its remaining 22 weeks. ·

The cash flow crisis has . been blamed on too­optlmlstlc: estimates of 70,000 payin& customers per day. Dally attendance so far bas averaged 42,500.

Lawmakers acknowledged that they had little choice. ,

"We can't stand the degenerate Image that we'd present nationally and Jntemauonally lf this state would lo.wer Itself enouab to allow this thin& to fall," satd Rep. John Hatnkel, a Democrat.

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accoum of itM:If, using audio/visual and Dis­neyesque devices to achieve this end. A waterway has been built within the Louisiana pavilion. VisilorS will climb into boots #nd drift aiO«~g:. make·believe b3)'0U, :dong the way viewing plantation home$, cajun log cab­ins, off-shore oil wells. sugar cane. rice and cotton lields.

Instant L®isi3na and New Orleans won' t satisfy all whoCQme. ' 'Stay a few days, .. say the folks :11 the fair. ' 'Regard what we offer as an introduction ...

Okay. But a " few d<iys" won' t do . New Otlean.s is Jike nowhere )'Otl"ve been. It's a 1'nuhitude of fasc-inating th ing~ : 1~ cry of " Noo-Aaa-1ecltS" from the. deck of Ddra Queen when she pulls into the le\·cc. The sound of music, from all directions. live, im­prO\Iised music, from opeo <.loots of c.'Lfes. New Orleans is the faint aroma of Creole cooking. l'hc curiotl$ mixture or English and

Cruisin' to a World's Fair Rollin' Down the Mississippi to a New Orleans Extravaganza

Drobtem; How to divide one's cjme be· C c~cn this fair city (no pun iniCndcd)and its spectacular World's Fair, opening May 12 fOr a six-month's run.

Many ~niving in New Orle<'nS by cruise ship and river boar (1he Della and Mississippi Queens) ask thcmsel\·cs that. Some even question the nud of a World's fair. ·'New Orleans.'' they say, ''is an event in itscl(!"

Ne\·ertheless. a persistenl group of buSi· nessmen and politicians: ha\·e spc:nl the last seven years selling nations. neighboring states and U.S. corporations on being part of the 1984 Louisiana World lh:position. a.:s the Fair is officially CltlJe<l. By November I I. irs dosing date, bctv.ttn II and 12 million peo-­ple will ba\·e seen it.

Its 32-acre site overlooks the Mississippi.

With Or Man l{i\'CT rollin ' along, and with ships of the \1/Qrld docking at its edge. it's just a00.1tthe fineS! site ever chosen for ao Expo· $ilion. IL<i splendid location dri\•cs home its theme: "The World o( Rjvers. Fresh Water as the Soull."t of Life.· ·

'The: con met between city and Fait for num· bcr·Ont! attraction ha.~ been resolved. accord­ing to the fair's planners. "Come-sec New O..lc-.ans-At the Fair:· is what tht)' are say­ing. Mardi Grns parddcs will be scheduled twice daily. Cmwfish etoofets. muffaJettas nnd po' boy sandwiches will be served at restaurant$ and food .St;ul(.ls. An acri;d tr.\m­wny will run back and forth over the mighty Mississippi and musicians from Bourbon Street an:: bOoked for tbe Jazz Tent. Tbe host state, Louisiana. also imcnds to give an

French spoken by the bi-lingual people on the street. Then of roune there's the Freocb Quarter. tbe old pru1 of New Orleans, as famous as Dixieland ja1,7, and Fat Tuesday. packed with t·wo-llnd·three·story. rose·red· brick houses. every other one with an iron balcony, overflowing with plants perpetually gree1:1.

' llli.s might be the Mediterranean but it's New Orleans. as it on<:e was: the old town from which the city. now 1.3 million. grew ~riginally rounded by Jean baptis-te lc Moync Sieur de Bienville i.n 1718 and named Nouveau Orttans for the Due d'Odtans. Re-­gent of France.

Tbe French Quarter eonsisiS of 96 square blocb. That it still exists is somewhat of a miracle. Not long ago there was a move tOWV() leveling S01Ue Of th¢SC CCtll\lriCS•Ofd buildings to make way for highriscrs. but a powerful citizen's conunittee pre\•ented it. aDd toda)'. though lh·Cd omd w()fked in, vis.-­itcd by thousands daily. it re-mains much as it was when originaJiy buill.

New Orleans ge4s about seven mill ton visi­tors~ year. In hono-r or the Fair. and the ract 1ha1 several mill iQn mOJc will be coming, the d1y $pent SSO million in repairing 1hc French Quarter's stn:cts and sidewalks. At a bmlk­faM press conference. at whkh a jan band played and coffee was servtd--boch strong and hot enough to induce a hyperbolic state· men!. the Mayor of Ne-w Orleans announced. that in view of the costly face lift just given 1he Qua_ner, it would be offici:tlly known as the New Orleans Pavilion at th<: WOJid' s f air.

Be that 8l) it may. Tile point i.o; that the Quanc:r is on.ly a five·mjnute walk (rom

the Fair. Its anUque shops. its rt$.1aur.an1S. its small intim111e hotels ate world ramous. Jack­son Square. wilh its sjdcwalk artis-ts. stnx:t musicians and entertaining clowns. is~ much sought-out place. It is prt$idedoverby h)we'"" ing Saini Louis C::uhcdral and by a hemic Statue of Andre-w Jackson. his horse fero­ciou$1)' pawing the air. pul chere after his

defeat uf the British at the Battle uf New Orleans in the W111 of l812.

A must for visitors co the French Quarter is Preservation Hall whett jau is played by the musicians wbo helped to create:. it. A dollar dropped in a basket at the door buys entry.

T'hert are cwo fascinating Sighcs jusc ovct the Quaner's Rampart Street boundary. One is<~ 3Q..foot statue of louis " Satthmo" Arm· WOt'lg in Annstron.g Patk (he wll$ OOm in Nc:w Orte:ms in 1900}; the other i$ a burial ground named St. Louis Cemetery Numbcr 1. To describe: it. it must first be explained that mostofNewCkleans lies bclowsc01level. Dig two feet down and you come to water. ConSC:· qucntly. the dclld are buriOO above: ground. in rows and rows of tombs. one: on top of the: ocher. Uke taJIIWng cabinets, and in Which. gencratiol'l ~fter gtner.uion. families are in· tcrred. How can so mnny bodies be placed in 5UCh a small place'? Simply put, when !'I new bOdy is put in, the re-mains of one already there is pushed co the back and f:.lls down a shoot into the g_round!

Look for the tomb o( Marie Laveau. the SI()-Callc:d Voodoo Queen o( New Orleans. Its covered with fresh chalk marts, in 1he shape of crosses. topre~·ent MarieLuveau. bclkm:d to have been a son:eR:$5. from casting spells from the groave.

Adding some subs.tsncc to the Mayor's rc· mark that the French Quaner would serve as the Fair's New Orleans' Pavilion. i5lhe rocc !hat Fr:~nce . one of the Fair's panicip31i.ng nations. will mount its so-called Sun King exhibition there. rather than at the Fair iLSelf. Approxin~ucly 200 priceless objects. pri· nuril)' from the Louvre and Vel'li.silles. will be shown at the Cabildo. the Quancr's most hiSioric building. It now scr.·cs as the l ooisi·

CruiM Ship• to the Fair 8ec:ause or fhe uniQue toce11on oS the

Fair-within the po.rt area ol New Or· lean&-disembal1ting cruise·ship passen· g$1$ will walk fight It'll In addition to numer· ous scheduled calls by the famous inland mer t»at&. lho Mrs$1$$ippl and tho [}(tlra Queens, the toi!O\Wig cruise ships will at· rive: Nordic Princ6 (Royal Caribbean CruiSe Line), May 12 and .a date not aa yEN set in early August: Sagafjorrj (Cunard line), May l2; Bermuda Star (Bahama CruiSe Uno), September and Oclot>er.

ana State Museum. Admission (S3.50) is not included in a ticket to the Fair (S IS). bot as v.<CII as viewing the Sun King E~hibition, you sec the room wl~ Th01nas Jeffmon 1)\U his name on 1hat fatoousdetd. the Louisl· ana Purchase, whereby Fr.tnoo sold us one­third or olll the land i.n these Unit1.'d S1.ares foe $15 million!

Second in intercsa only to the Freooh Quar· ter is the Garden Di5trict, built by the " Amer­kans' · who came to Louisiana after UlC ·'Pur· chase. •• preferring 10 live apart from the Creolc·dominated French Quaner.

At 11 34 F'irst Street is 1hc house in which Jefferson Da\'is. President of the Confetler.ne Stares during the Civil War, died. At Wash· ington and Prytania Streets is lhe ramou.s gym where Gentleman Jim Corbett 1t1ined foe his fight with John L.. Su1liv01n. The Ctlmpuscs or Thlane, l.Qyola afld S1. Mary's Dominican College are on this route. as is Audubon Park. which was the site or the last world'! fair. held in Nc:w Orleans in 1894, exactly 90 ye.srs ago.

Tl~lgh it some1imes seen's like a bit of Europe. New Orleans is an American

d ty. Make no mistake. Tour the Superdomc, the huge sports .stadium. which the rown built for its beloved ' 'Saints.·· It is the height of a

27•'Story building. It holds 13,000 for sport$ e\'altsand IOO.OOOplus forooocerts. as it did wben the Rolling StoDCS came to town. Its rouf is 9. 7 acres. The stripS or artifici;~~l turf that are tipped together co form a football or b3sebaJI field are called " Mardi Grass"!

Another reminder that quaint New Orleans is in the: U.S.A. is the sptawl of oil·refining plants and related industries, along the Mis· sissippi. as you drive into town; names like Du Pont. American Cyanirnid, Reynolds Metal. Dow ChemM::al. 'kxa.co and ochers. sprung up siDCt oi.l and gas were discovered in Loui.si.sn:a IC$$ than 40 years ago.

Bac·k at the:. f air. visitors wi.ll Jearn about this economic mi.racle-how an agriculturuJ State suddenly changed in1o an inChlStriaJ economy.

In fact. a tourist slogan for Louisiana might be · ·see our scenic WOt'lders whjle 1hey tast." for mdic.:ll change looms within the ncxtiWO decades.

Never mind lhat the Delta Country is dclin· c:ated at the Exposition. See it for )'OUr·

...elf-che low· lying spongy I :and. ~·eined with w:uerwa)•S, where (lnly 3ulls. terns and cru.ncs disturb chc pervasi\'e. quiet. Or drive oorth to high and less soggy ground to see the world of Scarlet O'Hil.ra ~uld Rheu Sue~ lc:r-thc beautifully restored plantation homes. some of which take guests o••emight.

Don't miss Baton Roub>e. with its incred· ibly 1all scone capitol bt1ildi1lg. Of the country· side made famous by Longfellow's poem. "Evangeline.'' This is where the Arcadjans (now called "Cajuns") sc1tled ;~~fter behlg driYc.n QUI or Carwdn by the British rOf their religious beliefs. coming by ship ond by an incredible journey overland.

Continued on ~qe 65

Black Enterprise, jun 1984

Fair hslaess IJJerlulllu

Tho 1914 ~ Warid Blp<llition IIIOJ be.., OCOIIOIIIlc bcweng for black eDtftpl'o­DIUft wllo bawe irn:ald thcJu. -olclollonio--fOt lllofair.

- Spunoy, pnoiclenl ol Lolioio•o World l!apooilioa, IDe., ..,.. "l11e muhilllillioo dollor...,._wm_ _,than 'lO,IIOO .,.._ adoy ~ lllroaaboat the Uolted !ate~ ud abrold. ..

Por 194 ciQI. - May 1210 N- II, bloclt Louioiooo ..._, wiD abibit their lllemslllll product~, oompet!q with ... ..,..,......, ......

- .t ............. firlt - orcblleclunl llnD jq the Lo.,iti•u, M'r · 'ppi ud Ar· ---boo led llli· DOI'Iry tMWnrr ill.volftlllel1t ia

lllofair. v ...... -­ert -stip"" PettiDI. llle ftnll"s praident IDd 01101 ..... ud Jail rice prooidoot ol markeliq. Sbeaw Copelio, bow -tund 1 number ol lucrative joial•¥elltare poe....... One ----............

--firm.IOdo­oip ........... fair-

- For OliiiDp)e. - .t l'lrlllen helped develop the 535-IDIIIIon New 0rtaas eo.. -lioa .t Edlibilioa Center, the S4 mmioc lntemolionol !'a· rilion IIIII a priYOie povilicn for

the 1Jnloa - Corporation. PcrtiDI, a cleejper OR a DIJID-o

..., or ICMithern-bued p<Ojectl. IIJO, "l11e fair io Ill ecoaomic coralyR for New Orleoas ond oum>lllldlD8 ...... jllll llke the Sopenlome - jq ... 1970o, ond rm - 10 blow .. .,..,... • sipificlml pon iD its overall clneJ.opmenL"" A$.,_, or 111o New Or· leaDI BMn• Leape. Copelin leod • moceuiW drl.., 10 ... block aod bUiinao

leoden 10 - S2 - jq I--the- &oak .t TrUll Co. to OMiol .....,.._. ..... iD ftnondq fair .,..,;.cu.

But oat oil ol New Ortaal'

- bo•oin - opiOd 10

porlidpoleclindly jq ... -·· llloo. Wllliom a...r. I""1P'ietor IIIII ciUcf COIIIUI...,. olthe Afrn Howe CGrpon&ioll, whicb Is lo-colod ....... nilleo - the fair,

- ... willllill pra6t -folr ocliriliel. Sayo Om!: "' ... cidod that it - ,_.­for me to coatinoe to iDvett 1DJ 1\mdo jq Olllbclllobiaa .. , buoi· - rather than bocrnw copilol 10 ·- ill • pn)ject 10 ... dl­roctly iDWIIwd ill the fair."

He ldda tt.t bit CODCCnl il to dilaCD~t ..... p bait can: IDd

aids 10-

moclotelllor-.. ~. a..t..s ... Den wiD iDwll lppro' iPIUJIJ

$1011,1100 10 - IIIII • rJI tbe Afro liGule .....,...,,

iocladlac • ·--~ ..... c:cater aad beaatJ aapplJ oliop wiD ... ia,.. .......... J-Ooldoo oiOoldoe ..

tap' •• • ......-..... iocladoo the New Odooa l'bod Sorrioco tnc.. wm..-_... New Ort.m atyle 8l .. t.. ·-·--"We ...... - ,.,_ oD IJpeo oiNew Orleoas ....... - ..... -' food,- food, ....... ....

-~~~- and llke-cNt ...... . IJoldog--. .. ......,_ ......... - Jllljolll) .... 1111

ill - olllor ...... ·-­.. ,. be apeca ldl t · w tD

....... the-·­

... to develop a • :UI lid toad CCIIDi*IY·" A-, 10 folr ...... It,

- 21-. oiiM fair'II7S­caaioa CCJDtractl haft bleD awau:led to aaiaoritJ ..... . neon.Sayo~.._

the_..- olmw• lll - .. ·-· ............. rar bctt•t tlaa &aJ otlac WOJid'o Fair."

• JOHNSON PUBLICATION (!)

I I

JESSE JACKSON: 'I'd Make A

. Great First Lady'

~ AACP: 1--l!!l Years

Of Fighting For Civil Rights

EXCLUSIVE-. I WIAN

THE RUN: his prison

Chicago's • John Branlon tens

nw he ned u.s., lived abroad 12 years, 11nd worked as a personal physician to ldl Amln In Uganda

JULY 1984 ' 175

New Orleans' Biggest Show The 1984 World's Fair is showcasing a variety of attractions but none more popular than the Afro-American Pavilion

THE dtyofNew Orlean• has bcoomc known r...-its de-·otlon to PQgeantry

and spectacle. but nothlng- nnt even Mardi Cra.s-com~n::li "ith the glitter and excitc•ncnt generated b)' the Ne"\v Otlcaru \\'orld's Fnir,

11tere is food. ·n,ere is music. ·n,ere arc d isplays. '111c•·c are IHnuscmcnt rides. And tl1crc ore visitors from around the world who have come to the Cl'esccnt City to pnrtfclpate in whafs oficn referred tons ''tan intcriUl.· tional festival.'' The Fnir showcases a variety of exhibits (23 from othercmm· tries), but one o( the most popuhu and rnost talked-about attrnctlon.s ls the Afro-Amerlca.1 PQvilion.

The pa\ilion, a S3.2,.million show­case of Black history. was a seed planted by designer john Srott and Mu. Sybil Morlol , wife of !Sew Orleans Maror Ernest Morial. And thank<& to wh.r..l Mrs. Morial calls "'an outstanding sta.tr' and donations from thousands of contributors. the powilion has been nurtured into one of the Fair's most in1crcsclng exhibitions. ''For centuries. our history has beeo 11eglectcd and misinterpreted, and thi.s t>avilfuu ofJ'crs the (:hnm."C to share our histuT)' with uu clithntHcd 12 mil· lion people who ore expcct.;.-d to ttttcnd the Fair," say; Ml'~. Moritll, president and chairpcrron of I've Known Rivers. Inc., the no••·vront or~Qnization that created the p.avilion. '"11lere h;u OC\'er been a prc.sentQtton of Afro-American history C;thlbitt:d in such a holistic fonn. I think that an)'OOC who \'isits the pa\;lion will leave with a deeper re­EBONY • .holy, 196•

ll!l lilt' 1\"C'W OrkAns Wnrlcl.ll f.'1li r, opc·nl."41 in M~>' li• 11 «:n)Y;d (below) (I( nr;ul)' so.ooo l!oe:OI•Ic whn Nll\'a:.l~ tlae f:l!!·acre :dlt" .. ~MIJ( lbe IJanb ur lh() Mislii,:liJ)l1' River. It'll ~H.nJted 1ha1 hy tl~ tim~ d)t> F'air end~ on X1Mlllllwr II n11urt' lh"" l2 miJIWn ~teo wiJl h;i\t' t'llll"r..d ih jC.II .. ~, ~llollrol.tiU_it al!e'..JtJ~)' ~~UIW' lOr tbt- d l)',

.•

• • • • • • • • •

NEW ORLEANS' BIGGEST SHOW <••"""•• spect for and a deeper appreciation of us as a people:·

The pilvilion, described hy Mrs. Moria! as ••a ful1 4 0cdgcd pavilion and not merely an exhibit,' ' is locat<,-d in­side the New Orlea1U C.o•lventio•l Cente r on the 82-ac-rc Fair site whieh runs along the banks oft he Mississippi Rive r. Inside the 8,000-square-foot 128

struct-ure. mutals. artifaels . S('ulptures: and nudio.visuals combine to highlight Ulnck p rogress, contributions and achievements in Ami:ri~'3. The tour of the two-lloor facility begins with an impressive rC•·C'reation of the Middle Pussage, the lc:mg, fim."L'tljourney from Africa into slavery in the Americas. Visitors enter a replica of a slave shit>'s

The Afro·Amt:rican Pavil ion l:t1MIH'), u $3.2·1flillioJu :.!.(w..t"il""' elf Black lmo· lm)'. b (l•w uft lw l>'a ir':. n•O:.t p•Jt.m · lll.r u t lr.tct lous. I t1sldc \llh"' c:.·. lt·l't. and 111 lt<fl\ \'i•dtor-. !l)nr tlw twn. lluor f:1dlit)'• whid:1 hodudt":' :ot"'llp· hm ".\., p!.Hh'~'~'l'"" a m i .trlif;.te·h .

holding area. and :' l lll'ec-m itt utc ~ll& · diu-vi.suul prcscutntim·l dcscriLc.s the lulrril,lt• <!tmtliticm.s that Afr ic:ans t·n· '-'nnnh•rt.-d during the time wlwn tlu:y Wf'rl,! hcin~ C:tpfun•d , clmirwd :md shipped ac-ross the Atlantic to become sl~w<-·~ .

As visitoi'S move throu)!h the J"XWil· iou. ycolr:. or Black history uufuld, with cmp1m.sis o n the cuntrihut-iuns thnt Blacks hnvt: m:uh; in dght :m.·ns- m1s :md culh1re. husine!>s :md commerce, science and tedmo1oro•. history. po li· ti('S and law, religiorl, cducatiuf• <\nd S<K·ial iustitutions. 'l'hc cxhihil, Scutt .s:t}'S, is .. a prcscntutiun ufthc p:L~t w ith '' vision tOr thf.'• fuhtre.''

Two yeats ;;t~o • .M t'S, Morial <lnd St:utt t~unc up with the idea to t"'U·

struet the paviliorl. but at the time a. number of people didn't believe it t.'<ml<l he done. Mrs. Murial, who dv­nutcd the flrst $100 tow:.rd the project, was determined to prove them wrong. And she d id. She formed a group of 100 lKmrd membe rs ami tlwn c.'orwinced New Orlea.ns' top hvo DJack f'inancial iostitutiorlS, Liberty Bank & Trust Co.

Confin~.~ed on Poge 130

NEW ORLEANS , ........ and United Savings & Loan Asrocia­tion, to provide the initial funding for the proj1..:.ct. Within weeks, thousands of dollars in donations from <.'Orpora· ticms and iodividmtls began pouring in, and Hewitt-\Vashington & Associates, a Black ttrchite<:hlral fi rm in New Orleans, began their work.

"This pavilion is symholic ofu c-oln-du attitude," S.'lYS Petr Spurney, president and chief executive of the F:air. ''There were so maJ)Y who said it wouldn't be done. Oth(::rs said it cor~ldn 't he done. Bot Mrs. Morhal and her staff didn't listen. It's a dynamic part of this ex· po.sition. and anyone who ' 'lsits this pavilion will go away enriche<J."

\t\'hile the objective of the pavilion is to educate people about tim hi.story and heritage of Black people , it's also des-Igned to inspire Black youngsters to e mulate some of the great Blacks of the past. "TI1is pavilion is fi)r the kids;· says Scott, a n nrt professor and former chairman of the Art Department at Xavier Universit-y. '"We have COm· pressed hundreds of years of hi!itOT)' into the pavilion. and we hope it makes suc-h a dynamic impressiorl orl the chiJ .. d rcn that they will seck to find uut more about their :m<.-estors."

Whe1\ the Fair e nds on November 11, the pavilion will be d ismantled but not destroyed. Constructed in a modu· lar d esign, it can be take I\ apart easily and moved t'o another site in tlte city, be<:orning the only permanent cultural fac ilit)' of Its kind. coordfoa tors say. lt will C(nl tinue to sen•eas an ins1>iration· al and educational monume nt, and also ~s a showcase for artists, dancers. actors and musicians who want to per .. form arld exhibit the ir talents ... The pavllioo won't die when the Fair doos," Mrs. Murial says. "It won't be a place where yota can just pt1t stoff inn comer and forget it. \Ve intend to make it a live story of all the things we have to offer as a people."

AMCmt l:he exhibits Ol display :1t tlu! Pa\ ilion is (a t h)j l) llJliC'Inri:~ll l i~tn'1ufC,ocl~<' \\'a~hinl{hm \..ll'\'er. At the 1-'Mr {::tll\1\'t\ Jell) New Ork-;ans MO!)'ilr Erne~ I :O. Iurial tiLlh will. mc-mheD <.Cd~ u1edia. Hb \\ ift-, M r~. Srbil M01lal (abo"e, righ t}. ptesldetH and d•alrperson (I( lhe o~ulzallou that cre-Jted tbe P:wilinn , is 11hown with Edw.ard C . G~rdnn-, foundErr o( Soft S~n PYoduot:ts Co. h\C'. , uOO alsc:tthe P:wil i~>n's hit(Jt4.l:st c<~r• trilmtor. 6d<YW, left, J)Ctr Spurney. president u.nd cbk:f exoculi\'t.: (I( the F;~ir, .:•bats wiU1 musk'ill<~d Bill)' 1':&ylor. And. below, IlK! J>..wii Mm't~ t:Xc:t:'l livt.: bi)Jird include,; (1. to r.) Edgar Chare, Mrs.Shelia Jll(!lu:(m, Cliffl)rd V. Jolm~On, :O.lr$. Ml)ri;,), johu S. Keller, Mr$. Dol.:tret 1\ob..>rUoo, Judge Re\•lus Ortlque. Mrs. Quinta Martin and Akleu J. McDonald Jr.

•

..

AN INI'ERNATIONAL MAGIZINE

...... oomMidlon • WOi'ld Commurifty llrvloe:

a IIIICiaiNpad

Rotary's Day at the Fair •

N ew Orleans, the .. -Mardi Gras City.'' is again showing the

world that it knows how to throw a party by hosting the 1984 Louisiana World Expedition.

"The World of Rivers: fresh Water as a Source of Life:· is the theme, intended to improve international understanding of the problems fac­ing our fresh water resources.

Once a visitor passes through the fair's towering entrance gates where huge images of aquatic mythology pose in welcome, he will immediate­ly feel th e theme's full impact. It is nearly impossible to walk more than a few steps without somehow com­ing in contact with water: a fantasy waterworld with an intricate net· work of giant lagoons, streams, bayous, and aqueducts courses through the site.

The 1984 World's Fair, which runs through II November, offers a pan­orama of glitter and allure. There's the shushing of the monorail, the splashing of water performers, and aromas of foods from every comer of the world.

Rotary, too, plays an important part in the fair. R.I. President Carlos Canseco will visit on " Rotary Inter· national Day," Saturday 25 August. All Rotarians are invited to join him, Past R.I. Vice-·President George Ax­ceneaux, Jr., District 684 Governor john Altaz.an, and immediate Past Governor Tom Oower, jr.1 at the fair. Come and And out the true meaning of joie de vlvrt.

The New Orleans Hilton River· side, the only hotel directly on the fair site, wiU serve as the head· quarters for r ·resident Carlos.

The Rotary festivities will begin on Saturday morning as city, state,

and fair of:ficiaJs welcome President Carlos, his wife, Maria Aurora, and all Rotarians. From that point on, virtually every minute will be fi11ed with enterta.inment. There will be international foods and crafts to ex­perience along a street in the old warehouse district at the western edge of the filir site. Ente rtainment will be the focus in an open square surrounded by 19th~century indus· trial buildings, renovated for the fair. There will also be a spectacular aquacade.

The Vatican PavilHon offers an art exhibit of world significance, "Trea­sures of the Vatican,'' with works by Giotto, Raphael, Caravaggio1 and others. Next door is Festival Park. This historic Federal Fibre Mills Building houses a German beer hall, serving the best of German food and oom-pah-pah ba.nds.

On Saturday evening, there will be a reception and dinner, dubbed "A Cajun Fiesta-New Orleans Style," in the New Orleans Hilton.

The Rotary clubs in the New Or­leans area also offer a special service (or all Rotarians visiting the fair. Everyday, except Wednesday, the local clubs will provide a mini-bus to pick up any visiting Rotarian at the City Gate Entrance and trans­port him to an area Rotary dub meeting. (The Wednesday moeting o( the New Orleans club, at the Fa.ir· mont Hotel, is within walking dis-­tance of the fair.) More information can be obtained at any information booth a t the fair.

So mark yow calendar (or ''Ro· tary International Day" at the 1984 World Exposition in New Orleans on 25 August. Don' t miss out on aU the fun. 8

NEVER BEFORE- has ll'Jre gOld Deen aclaed to perhaps the moo~ ~>er<~UIIh.l ot aJ Unlltl'd SlaW$ silver eot~s - The WN.tring Uberty hall doll81. 0~ bl·lone PtOOO$$ DY 'A'hich 24 KarM oo'<f i$ ;appll8d to

coins .vilh oxfr()'l'llt pr(l~. Cff:ti'US a tnag1-.beeN '"''0 meot preclou6 melaiS. The$.e m rac:I.Jioo& 6>1vt~r ;and gold eoiM &e available Ol\ly tl'lfOUQI\ Cat1wheets, Inc. ot Wlrnlng'lon. Oesa· .... are

ll'lt ooitl$ ~~• al1hOI'CiC aoonor newly muY.eo medals ~ excluswe eor~ cover, Lenscote II. petmane~tv &Nls. tlr<' PIQ(oct$1ho 1wo tone bOauty "Thl! nt:teklace, eOII'll)iete ""'~~"a 1<1 Katal QOid hlled 2<1" ChaltUind \VldeOarld trarne Is $129 The money c;lip &01 1n 24 Kllrat 9Qid pi~ is $00

II ~weWOUldhketoseoda date meanngluiiOyou bei"'"Wn lh$)1i!ill$ 1934 and 19-1-7 /om~mbofed Ce11ir1C8tc: ol Autheni!CC)' comes .... 11n each piece and all are om ...,Tl!lpped'" 'o'C1111et bol'£1!1. we ouarooree a lui 'elund. won rcc:;oint. )'O!J nro not compll~tctly cMiig!Ud. PriCe iS stbj&el k>CI\af'IQ!!

SHIPM.EHT WITHIN 2A HOURS. ----------------------

CARTYI'HEaS, WC (lrfdett TOLL FAEE 2500 Grubb Road ~1·7666 W4minglon. CE 19E110

5oncl N!lciOkOI, Jk.JMy ~ 0. O'>Kk £nclosecl S tnorve 0C. A£, !.IC. VIS/.$ __

c.,,.

bo Ool Tete~• --------

~-------------....... __ _ Cii)I'Stii*'ZIP'------------

Sunday, November 11, 1984 the Mohave Dally Miner

.

B~r:"Jkrupt World's t=air closes •

6-month 'disaster' exposition NEW ~ANS (UPI)' - The 1984 World's FAir, bills, employee firings and disappointing crowds.

spectacular in design and scope but far too extravagant Promoters bad hoped for attendance of 12 mtllion, but · for its budget, closes a six-month run Sunday tbat was only about 7 million passed through the mermaid· sparsely attended and left It drowning In red ink. . bedecked gates.

"Like many private enterpri~ things, it turned out to The fair could not even afford a lavish farewell and be a disaster," said Gov. Edwin Edwards. "U this had had to rely on private funds for its quiet closing, an been a public venture, there would have beeJ.l people evening of entertainment that contrasted.sharply from sent to the state penitentiary, there would have been the gala opening. lynchings, hangings Jlnd certainly a Jot of investiga- In late June, an independent committee was created lions." . .. to overs~ fair finances and deal with unhappy · The fair closes with $140 million fit debts that forced creditors. The state loaned it another $15 million. theexpositionintobankruptcy. Despite the money woes, the show went on. The expo

The 1982 Worldlt Fair In Knoxville, Tenn., criticized mixed carnival rides and the vigor of a county fair with as boring and too expensive, might have fatally the solemnity of Vatican artwork. Jazz, ~lassical and wounded the New Orleans expo. The proximity of the folk music created a gumbo of sounds that rocked until two fairs in time and distance diluted the potential dawn. •. audience and excitement ofthis year's expoellton. ·on July 4, 90,11S. visitors jammed the banks of the

"A world's fair has lost a little bit of Ita unlqueneu," Mississippi River to see a 23·minute fireworks display said 1984 fair Prestdent Petr Spurney. "As a result of that featured lasers bouncing off tne U.S. Pavilton and KnoxvUle, the peoRle weren't real sure what they were the gondola spanning the river. getting." . Although New Orleans enjoyed an unusually mild

Faar officials had to ask the state for $10 million in summer and was spared during the June-to-December Aprll,leadangtoearlydoubtsaboutatlvlabWty. hurricane season, mtd-year doldrums plagued the fair,

Advance ticket sales fell 28 percent below projections Americans spent evenings watchmg nauonal political despite stunning exhibits from the Vatican, China, conventions and the.Olymplcs, and took advantage of Australia and 24 other countries, the space shuttle, and . the strong dollar to travel abroad. entertatnrnent by Bob Hope, WUhe Nelson, the London Attendance bottomed out In late August, falling below Pbdharrnon1c O,rchestra and a dtvang pta. 20,000 on four consecutive days, but received a tShght

' 'The thing was woefully underfinanced from the boost with a Labor Day visit from Vice Presadent ~ beginning," Edwards said. "I don't know how 1t could Georae Bush. · \A

have started with such limited capt tal." . Fair ofllclals promised attendance ·would skyrocket One day before Its May 12 opening, hundreds of with the onset of cool fall weather and the start of the

national and International reporters were welcomed to convention season. But those projections again were a sull-unfmlshed fair. Ttiough m01t pavU,ons were wrong and the fair continued to lose money, forcing nearing completion, the ftrst view of the fair for 1 ff d 11 nulltons of potential visitors was of tncomplete klotks more ayo s an e mtnatlon of d@tly Mardi Gras·li.ke and ptles of garbage.

The followmg day was a celebration ol mustc, boat parades and 83,111 eager visitors tiho jammed ticket booths for hours. But the ceremomel w~re marred by the absence of President Reagun, who ~urned down scverulmvatataons durmg the rtur ,

It wuK ull cluwnlull rrurn llwn•, ·with most of the Jlllhllc•lly nhmll llw $:SttCI tntlhuu rulr c•c•utc·rlnK un unpnul

parades. '-.....)

''The trauma is how we could have been so far off in , our attendance projections," Spurney sa1d. "It's still

someUung that causes me to lose sleep at mght.'' • Fair officials clalmed the residual benefits to New

Orleans- a new convention center, repaved sidewalks und riverfront development 7 more than compeflliated rur llw ruuuwmllu,o;:;\'ll. •

THE LEDGER/Monday, November 12, 1984

AP photos

The giant gates to the Louisiana World Exposition In New Orleans open for the last time Sunday.

Closing jazz parade can't drown New Orleans world's fair blues

NEW ORLEANS - A rip-roaring jazz parade Sunday didn't drown out the financial blues as the 1984 world's fair ended a six-month run, its critical acclaim overshad­owed by losses of more than $100 mUUon.

"I'm crying inside," said Laura Halpenny, a fair em­ployee, as crowds jammed the entry gates on the final day. "But I want to remember the fair as it is now, alive and happy, full of people. I wish the whole six months had been like thls."

Instead of drawing the daily crowds of 90.000 or more that would have led to success, the Louslana World Expo­sition averaged 39,000 a day for its 184 days- about half of what it would have taken just to break even.

Jet, 26 nov 1984

New Orleans World's Fair Owes $100 Million, Has Filed For Bankruptcy

The 1984 World's Fair which is reportedly at least $100 million in debt has filed for bankruptcy.

Poor attendance has turned the fair into a financial disaster since its opening in May. Instead of packin~ in 12 million visitors, the exrosttion struggled to reach a tota attendance of 7 million.

The World of Rivers Fresh water as a source of life S eine. Po. Thames, Nile. Amozoo, Ml.s·

sissippi. The Mmes roll oU the tonque 4S e4Sily os these majesuc: rivers flow

to the sel).

Throughout the 4QOS, rivers Mve been the subjects cmd objects of odven1ure. sci· ence. legend. pleM:ure, dOd lltt. Some Mve been mysteriously elusive: other. moqniflcently present. Above all, rivers Mve been a source o( Ufe for untold qen· erc1tions of mankind.

Within thls for reechlnQ concept is the shape and soope ot rhe rheme of the t 9B4 Lou~t•na World Exposition, "The World o( Rivers: fresh W<1ter os 4 Source of Ule."

The setlinQ for this most unique fcjr, whk:h will e)l:p!ore the lnlin.Ue aspects of rivers. is New 0r1Mns. ond there couldn't be 4 more opprop rill!e p lace. New O r· le4ns is 4 city wilh its J)4:SI. present, ond future Inextricably bound to Us river.

One:e c!IQdi.n, the Qood times 4re obout to Sl4rl roUinQ on the river. Tedcy, New OriMns i$ oetunQ teddy for o ce!ebrotlon

that promiSeS to be 4 lec:,enda.ry &vent. The 1984 l.oulslon< World Exposition. II rMrks a tumlnQ point in the city's h.lS1ory: o return Md 4 renewed comm.ument to New Orle4ns' source of life - the MISSiS­s\ppt River.

Everywhere in New Oriedn:s, sLreet.s 4re beinq repotred end beouti!ted. hotet. ore QolnQ up. ond historic bulldtnqsore beinQ restored <1.nd rennov4ted.

New Orlecn$ isn't Jus1 SPNcinQ up. ll's steppinq out Into o fu!Ur-e with 4 focus on the river. For I he first time in over o cen· tury. the riverfront will be open to lhe world. Not just during the F4lr, but for rMny ye.:2rs to come.

A World 's Foir must ond should edu· col& as well dS entertain. Never Ms le4m· inQ been more entertoininQ th4fl In this. Folr's P~.wUiions. The United Stoles. )apo.n, Al.t!ltrol14. Libeeio, Soulh Korea. ltoJy, Fr4nce. Con4do, El S.atvcdor. China. MexJco, Md lhe V cticcsn - os welJ as severo! mc;or oorpor4Uons dtld Industries - h4ve 411 cnnounced their intention o!

J)(lrUcipotjng. In the Gr .. t HoU, 14 individual S1ol

wil) offer their speci41 exhlbils. so thc21 visi tors. foreign 4nd dCf'ni!Slic oJike. C4n com lo 4 oreater understcndinQ ol lhi.s v country.

Like cny motor undertAkinQ. thls even WdS yMrs in the makinQ. A qroup of for siQhted Citllens (olned IOQelher ln 197 with rhe shored QOdl of moltnQ o dreo reblity. Very soon. II wiU be. At o oost o $350 mUliOn, It wos quite • dream. But th l 964 LouiSidoo. World ExposiUon Is ex peeled to h•ve o $26 btU!on economl 1mpac1 on the state o.nd the c1ty.

t\s openlnQ day dr4ws neor. the e"d te mont qrows. And the world waits for th Qood limes to start rolling on the Mississi p4 River. in New Ort .. ns. at the 1984 Lou lsldna World ExPQ6ltlon.

·by .lu.n.n. N •th.an PubliC' R•J..tion. Ollie9 Z..OuW4rt .. W""Jd ~u""'.

Cou.rt•-v Photo 1

72 Student Life A•rtcu srech ct iK b s

LOUISI,\Nt\ WORLLI

EXPOSITICli':

The pelican. official Louitiana World Capoettion mucot, wUI weJ· e<~:m• mJlll.oon.e to N- <hl•ana for tha fair.

'l"h• •ntranc. to the World'• Falr, now j~t an artitt'• •ke-tch. -rill be o- flo•lnQ with peoopl.. when d \4' Fair open• h'l Ma 1.

Courterv Photo