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f Augusta, Ga 30901
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THE PEOPLE’S PAPER <
Vol. 5
Exclusive Interview
Elder’s Date With Destiny -
The Count Down Begins
NEWS-REVIEW: You
mentioned prior to qualifying
for the Masters that you felt
that if you were the first Black
to qualify it would mean a
million dollars to you. To what
extent have you been able to
achieve that goal, and if you
have not been able to achieve it
at this point, do you still
believe that’s an accurate goal?
ELDER: Well, I think that
the statement that I made was
that the first Black to qulify
for the Masters could make
perhaps a quarter of a million
Blacks Tell Library Board ’Don’t Close Our Library!’
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Marquee outside Lucy Laney High School expresses sentiments of Black community regarding the proposed closing of the Wallace Branch Library.
Photos by Michael Carr
Close to 80 persons turned
out Monday at the Wallace
Branch Library to protest the
closing of the facility. The
statements were many and
varied but the message was
clear: “Don’t close our
library!”
The meeting was called by
City Councilwoman Carrie J.
Mays to give citizens the
opportunity to “express their
concerns” over the proposed
closing of the Wallace Branch,
the only library in the Black
community. Eight of the nine
Boycott Scheduled To Start Next Week
A boycott of local
merchants is scheduled to
begin next week, according to
a spokesman for a citizens
group which calls itself “We
Want Our Share”. The boycott
is supported by the SCLC, the
Ad Industry Asked To Double
Money Spent In Black Media
Asserting that “the survival
of Black media, the continued
life of an essential Black
institution, and the very ability
of 25 million people to
communicate with each” is at
stake, Vernon E. JordanJ Jr.
called on the advertising
industry to double its
expenditures in the Black
media.
Jordan, executive director of
the National Urban League,
also urged doubled hiring of
Blacks at all levels of jobs in
P. O. Box 953
dollars, not a million. Now as
far as achieving the estimated
goal that I first said, I am far
below the figures that I had
said.
I could perhaps reach that
goal if I wanted to sign
one-year contracts and sign
maybe a thousand of them, but
it seems that everyone that has
been affiliated with Lee Elder
only wants to be affiliated with
Lee Elder because of the fact
that Lee Elder is about to play
in the Masters.
In an article that just
members of the Augusta
-Richmond County Public
Library board of directors were
present.
The library board said the
proposed closing was an
economy move. To which
insuranceman Ronald Loftlin
angrily retorted, “You don’t
start to economize by
trimming minds. There are
things that go on here (Wallace
Branch) that you don’t even
dream of. It is unbelievable
that you would convene for
NAACP and Straight Ahead.
The spokesman declined to
elaborate on the demands but
did say that a greater percentage
of jobs in city and county
government as well as the
private sector, heads the list of
the industry. He was speaking
at the annual meeting of the
American Association of
Advertising Agencies in San
Juan, Puerto Rico.
STATISTICS
He based his call for
expanded industry
commitment on statistics
which show that Black media
receives only about SIOO
million out of the $13.3 billion
in advertising billings in 1974.
“Black consumers,” he said,
“generated about a billion
appeared in Sports Illustrated,
I was playing at a small Pro-Am
out in Los Angeles and a fellow
brought a new club over to me
and wanted me to right away
sign a contract with him for
endorsements simply because
of the fact that 1 was playing in
Augusta. Well, these are the
type of things that we have run
into, and why that is, is
because of the Masters.
Thev know that with Lee
Elder at the Masters and using
their equipment or endorsing,
some aspects of his product
such a purpose.... Don’t
continue to tell us about
“what”, “why” and “because”.
We know what, why and the
reasons.”
William Brown recalled that
when the library was first
established neither the city nor
the county gave any money for
books. Blacks and some whites
collected books and donated
them to the library.
Charles Walker, representing
the International Frontiersmen
urged, “Let’s not talk about
closing. Let’s develop an
demands.
He said that the group has
met with the mayor, and
officials of the Chamber of
Commerce, the Human
Relations Commission, the city
personnel director and
affirmative action officer.
dollars for your industry. But
the media that serves them,
that constitute the avenue of
communications among Black
people, got less than one per
cent of total industry billings.”
Mr. Jordan praised the
industry for having largely
integrated television
commercials. But he charged
that occasional use of Blacks
on screen was a “deceptive
See “INDUSTRY”
page 2
A
Augusta, Georgia
that he will get a lot of mileage
out of it, which is real, not
doubt about it, but the things
that I was speaking of when I
said that the first Black to play
in the Masters would make a
quarter of a million dollars is
because of the fact of this: I
know for a fact, that my
personal contracts that I have
already have gone up anyway.
These terms are stipulated in
the contract. I felt that I would
pick up more contracts
especially a contract with say,
Monsanto, who has signed
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innovative library.”
A.R. Johnson High School
Principal W.B. Bryant said that
there is “no greater need for a
library than here because our
kids don’t have books in their
homes.”
Paine College President Dr.
Julius S. Scott told the board
of directors “We are poles
apart in what we are saying.
Most arguments don’t have
anything to do with circulation
figures. v What they are saying
is that there are certain things
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Woman Tapped As National
NAACP Chairperson |
FRONTIERS GREET NEW NATIONAL NAACP CHAIRPERSON - Three St.
Louis civic leaders and officers of Frontiers International are shown greeting
Attorney Margaret Bush Wilson of that town who was recently elected national
chairperson of the NAACP. (R to L) Philip Waring, Urban League official, Mrs.
Wilson, Howard Woods, vice president of the National Newspaper Publishers
Association and publisher, St Louis Sentinel, and Joseph W.B. Clark, St Louis
director of public safety.
>* x
perhaps almost every player
that has won their tournament
before I had. I felt that I would
pick up other contracts that I
felt where I could make a lot
more money.
We are negotiating a lot of
contracts right now, my
attorney is and so is my wife
who is my business manager.
We are currently negotiating a
book with American Library
which we are about to sign a
contract with. A book about
the Autobiography of Lee
that are important what this
library has meant to this
community since its beginning.
But you are not taking into
account the symbol it
represents,” he said.
“We are looking for ways to
save money. But there are
alternatives to the deficit, and
the closing of the Wallace
Branch is not the only way of
saving money.” Adding that he
is glad the meeting took place
Scott continued, “We are
trying to say that the Wallace
April 3, 1975 No. 2
Elder.
My contract with my golf
manufacturing company has
doubled. The other people that
I represent have not doubled
but the contracts that I signed
with them have been favorable.
I felt that I would have a lot
more offers by now with the
Masters rapidly approaching
than what I have been offered.
I think that the reason why
that is because of the fact that
I am Black I think that if it
were a white boy in this
Branch means a great deal to
us. It means a great deal more
than perhaps we are able to
express.”
Dr. Gray Dinwiddie said the
board has made no formal
recommendation that the
library branch be closed “so
there is no action to call back
yet.”
He said no special meeting
of the board is anticipated but
that the nine-member board
will discuss the matter at its
next scheduled meeting.
position that I am in right now,
then it’s no doubt about it that
he would have achieved almost,
perhaps more than a quarter of
a million dollars in
endorsements.
But the endorsement aspect
is a lot like whom you know
and what door to knock on.
And we’re beginning to find
that out. I think I was a little
realistic in making the
statement, quarter of a million
dollars and realy I had hopes of
that. Really I’m hoping that it
will come about. Simply
because of the fact I could use
the money for the Lee Elder
Scholarship Fund, since the
donations that I felt would be
coming in by now to help
underpriviledged kids to
further their education, really,
the response has not been that
great.
If I can win the Masters, and
I’m hoping and praying that 1
can, then there’s no doubt
about that, I think that figure
will go well above a million
dollars. But it really depends
on how I play at the Masters
and the position I finish in.
NEWS-REVIEW. What goals
do you have beyond the
Masters? It is the top of the
mountain?
ELDER: Oh no, of course
not. I reallv can’t just let it
stop there. Like said when I
first started at the first of the
year, my goal is the top sixty
money winners. If not winning
the tournament, then top sixty
money is definitely winning
my goal. That is because it
eliminates me from Qualifying
every Monday, it also gives me
some extra time that I can
spend at home with my family.
And also it sets you in a better
bargaining position, and what I
mean by that is as far
contractual negotiation, is
concerned. If a man is not in
the top sixty, then no one
wants to be involved with him.
Simply because of the fact
they know that he could do
eight, ten or twelve weeks
without qualifying or getting
into a tournament. So you see
what good would it do the
manufacturer to have a man on
his staff that can’t even get
into the tournament, so that
the general public can see how
he performs or perhaps how
well he plays their products.
NEWS-REVIEW: What has
Tappan
Arrested
For Bad
Checks
Two warrants have been
issued for former Augusta City
Councilman Aaron Tappan for
checks returned.
Augusta businessman
Charles Albert Reid Sr. paid
$lO in Richmond County Civil
Court March 24 to take out
two warrants for Tappan for
$2,000 in four returned
checks.
Each is dated Sept 17,1974
and each is made out for SSOO
to “C.A. Reid.”
All checks were cashed Sept.
23, 1974 and “insufficient
funds” is stamped on the front
of each check.
All had been endorsed by
C.A. Reid.
Tappan resigned recently
from city council following a
superior court conviction on
theft by deception charges.
i
been your most difficult
experience as a Black golfer?
ELDER: Really the most
difficult experience that I’ve
had or we’ve had is the fact
that we’ve been discriminated
against so badly, publicly, to
the extent that it’s just hard to
take. Not necessarily say by
fellow players on the tour, but
I mean like people in motels
where you have reservations,
guaranteed reservations, and
you arrive there with your
reservations, they say, I’m
sorry we don’t have a room.
NEWS-REVIEW: This isstfll
happening?
ELDER: Oh yes, it’s still
happening. There is know
doubt about that. It’s still
happening in certain areas.
There are a lot of areas that we
go into where the same thing
happens. Also on the golf
course, you know, whenever a
Black gets into position to win,
then right away the gallery
seems to get a little hostile
towards him. I think why that
is, is because of the fact that
this is prior to my winning. I
cannot say really after I won
that this has happened, because
the people have really began to
sway more towards the Blacks
and really pull for them. But
the hostility is still there,
there’s no doubt about it,
because certain areas that we
do into, they show it. But this
is something that the PGA does
not have any control over. So
when a man pays his money to
come through that gate, he has
a right to do or say what he
p lenses.
NEWS-REVIEW: Have you
been the victim of name calling
and that kind of thing while
you were playing?
ELDER: Yes, as a matter of
fact this occurred just two
years ago. Not to me, but to
Charlie Sifford in Greensboro,
N.C. The incident occurred
with him. As a matter of fact, I
was a couple of groups behind
Charlie. As a matter of fact, he
had to have a police escort to
carry him in so he could
continue his round.
It happened to me in
Memphis, Tenn., in the Danny
Thomas Memphis Classic in
1971. I was leading the
tournament and some people
ran though and picked up my
ball and threw it out in the
road. Because I said something
to the official.
Really, I was not the one to
say anything about it. The
official came over about a rule
and the fellow that I was
playing with Terry DiH of
Texas spoke up, and said Lee
Elder’s ball was right here. Well
at the same time I was in the
threesome, also was Tommy
Aaron. And the official asked
Tommy Aaron what had
happened, and Tommy Aaron
said, “I didn’t see it.” It was
broad daylight. Really, I don’t
see how any one could keep
from seeing anything, unless he
had to be blini
He said he didn’t see the
people pick up my ball and run
off with it, but yet and still, I
was the first one to shoot and I
drove it into the left center of
the fairway. He was the last
one to shoot and he had two
people to shoot before him,
and I don’t see how he could
not see it, I’m sure he saw his
ball because he went over to
execute his next shot But Pm
not, you know, If-... The
oritksffi for anyone is always
there and if he felt that he
didn’t see it, then maybe he
did not see it-so he must ba
blind, this is all I have to say.
But pretty much the same
thing happened in Pensacola,
Fla. The incident that occurred
there some three years before I
See “ELDER”
Page 7
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