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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1963)
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD, OREGON Adam Clayton Powell II Controversial Congresman Chooses Negro Role; Can't Prove Blood Strain TUESDAY, MAY 21. 1963 Editor not: On of ih questions asked molt fre quently by Tiiitori to Wash ington U "What mak 'Con griiiman X' the kind oi a man h U?" Tha aniwnr ii saldom simple. But navar is it mora complicated than in th case of Adam Clayton Powell. Th following dis patch, second in a series, tells how Powell became a Negro ladr and how it has affect ad his life. All By LOUIS CASSELS And ARNOLD SAWISLAK Washington - IIOT - When Adam Clayton Powell was 12 years old, his family moved to Harlem, where his father was to serve for many years as a Baptist minister. "The first night we were there," Powell recalled re cently, "my mother sent me to the drug store. A gang of white boys waylaid me on the street, and beat me up. "The next night, I was sent on another errand, and I took a different route. This time a gang of Negro boys beat me up. "The third night the white boys grabbed me. again,. and asked me 'Boy, what color are you?' "I was scared and didn't know what to say so I just told them the truth. 'I don't know what I am,' I said. 'I'm mixed.' So they beat me up again for being mixed." Powell laughed uproarious ly as he told this anecdote to UPI reporters in his con gressional office. But there .was a look in his eyes which suggested the 12 - year - old boy had not found the inci dent so amusing. Unsur of Ancestry Although Powell has be come the American Negro's best known and most con troversial spokesman in Con gress, he is not at all sure how much Negro blood is actually in his veins, and any uninstructed visitor would almost certainly take him for a white man. At S4 he is a tall, slim waisted. strikingly handsome man with long wavy hair, a neatly trimmed moustache, and a complexion which ranges from the shade of cof fee with double cream to that of weathered brass, depend ing upon how much time he has been spending in the sun outside his beach home in Puerto Rico. On his desk is a family photograph showing his fa ther, mother and sister. of them look white "I couldn't prove that 1 have any Negro blood." Pow ell said in reply to a direct question about his ancestry. Then he added: "I am a Negro by choice." Part of Answer In that sentence lies part of the explanation of Powell's strong hold on the affections of the Harlem constituents who have elected him to Con gress 10 times despite a suc cession of scandals and accu sations involving income tax returns, trips at government expense, relatives on the fed eral payroll and other mat ters. Powell is a man who could pass for white - who, in fact, was taken for white in college - but who has deliberately chosen to cast his lot with the Negro race. The decision may have cost him something in terms of private snubs or embarrass ments. But it has been pro fessionally and politically re warding. Father Founds Church Powell was born in New Haven, Conn., Nov. 29, 1908. But he has spent most of his life in New York City, where his father, the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Sr., built the Abyssinian Baptist church into one of the largest Prot estant congregations in Amer ica (about 10,000 members). First located in downtown Manhattan, the church was transplanted to Harlem when Adam Jr. was 12. Young Powell grew up in comfortable circumstances, at tended good schools, was grad uated from Colgate university with an A.B. degree and went on to get his master's from Columbia. At 22, he became assistant minister of his fa ther's church. Seven years lat er, he succeeded his father as pastor of the Abyssinian Bap tist church - a post which he still holds despite a series of marital troubles that have shocked some of the church elders. Marries Three Times Powell has had three wives. The first, whom he wed in 1933, was Negro actress Isa bel Washington. They were divorced in 1945, and Powell married pianist Hazel Scott. They had a son, Adam Clay- t o n Powell III, nicknamed "Skipper," who has gladdened his father's heart by compiling a brilliant record in prep school and winning admission to MIT this fall. The marriage to Miss Scott ended in divorce in 1960, and Powell married one of his con gressional secretaries, a pret ty Puerto Rican girl named Yvette Diago. Although both of Powell's jobs - as minister and con gressman - theoretically re quire him to maintain his resi dence in Harlem, h i s real home these days is a $70,000 beach house near San Juan, f TAURUS AP. 21 MAY 21 Kyo 1-64-3 AMES yy? MAR 22 APR. 20j 68-75-79-89 STAR GA2ERV By LLA 1 K. FULL-AM- OCMIM Mill-17-25-33 1751-76-81-88 CANCEI JUNE 23 JULY 23 VT 4-18-21 39 142-50-66 uo jMa. . AUQ. 23 24-34-39-l VIIOO AUG. 1A SEPT. 22 3-7-26-33 37-47-71 Your Daily Activity Guide H According to th Start. To develop message for Tuesday, read words corresponding to numbers or your z.oatac Dirth sign. UIIA OCT 23 fe 4- 5-13-16,0 hi -49-57 V 1You 3) Mus-cal 61 Your 2 New 32 Should 62 Pieces . 3 Heolth . 33 Is 63 Luckv 4 En,ov 31 News 64 Sociol 5K.noVed 35 O 65 Soon 6 Votes 36 Your 66 Ideas 7 Not 37 Be 67 Something SWonaerful 38 Use 68 Break 9 Be 39 Unexpected 69 And 1 0 Clothes 40 Worthwhile 70 To 1 1 Sound 4 Visitor 71 Concern 12 Forger . 42 Your 72 Poy 13 Spirits 43L.kelv 73C"de 14 Couhous 44 Inspiring; 74 Arrive 15 Good 45 Ambition 75 You 16 In 46 And 76 Best 1 7 Professional 47 Vour 77 Important 18 Your 48 Mov 78 Off ' 19 Day 49 Anstic 79 D'dn't 20 Movie 50 0n 80 TV 21 Opinion 51 Your 8' Bet 22 To 52 Uo 82 Move 23 Walking 53 Friends 33 L.Hs 24 Good 54 Enter 84 Spirits 25 AoWe 55 Drrvtng fi5 Dark 26 Wealth 56 In 86 Wrapped 27 Post 57 Groups 87 Onward 28 Get 58 Get 88 Yet 29 Pick 59Tolents fi9 Expect 30 New 60 Book 0Up Good () Adverse Ncutwl SCOepiO 'OCT 24 NOV. 22 12-27.29-521 ?-82-87 sJ SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 J. DEC 22 r-AI 2-10-15-20 m CAPRICORN DEC 23 JAN. 20 fl.lO.rj.OfljS": 17-77-86-901 AQUARIUS JAN. 21 jT,. V-W.23.35 liS-56-80-a5'-fcJ pisces FEB. 20jUf MAi.21 VH-ii-Ai-Slf. 6J-72-7B Puerto Rico, where he spends as much time as possible with Yvette and their infant son, born last year. Sparks Criticism His frequent trips to Puerto Rico, some at government ex pense, and his very high ab senteeism record (he missed nearly half of the roll call votes taken by the House dur ing the past two sessions) have been remarked upon unfavor ably by his numerous critics, in and out of Congress. But evidently they have not dis tressed either his constituents or his congregation in Harlem. Throughout his 19 years in Congress, Powell has contin ually sought - and often found -dramatic ways to battle for Negro rights. His favorite tac tic has been introduction of "The Powell Amendment" -prohibiting federal aid to states which draw the color line in dispensing federal dollars. Next: Powell replies to critici, County Crews Work On Road Projects Recent hot, dry weather is enabling county road crews to catch up with their york, ac cording to County Engineer Robert J. Carstensen. . "If weather remains good the roads department will starts its annual dust oiling and start prime oiling on those roads which it plans to pave this season," Carsten sen said. Crews are grading the south fork of Little Butte Creek rd. about three miles east of Lake Creek. A con tractor is widening -the bridge over Evans creek on the North River rd. near Rogue River, including construction of foot ings, and bridge abutments. Grading has been complet ed on one mile of the Elk Creek rd., north of Sugar Pine creek; crews are reballasting Lpart of Rogue River dr., a half mile west o: Snady cove; ana repair work is progressing on Kane's Creek bridge, VA miles south of Gold Hill. Tile bridge went out during the Dec. 2 flood. The Anderson creek bridge will be repaired as soon as a crew is free, Carstensen said. DROWNS IN BASIN Seaview, Wash. - (UPI) - Rob ert McAfee, 10, drowned Sun day in the Ilwaco boat basin. Quick! There's ah S-55 Merc. id Car-spotters don't have time for second looks. An S-55 Merc is . liable to have one of those big Marauder mills upfront (up to 425 horses). So look quick. . ; for the S-55 emblem on the rear fender panel. Of course, if you happen to catch one standing still (extremely rare), you can tell an S-55 by its lush, leathery sports-bred interior. Very elegant (in a masculine way). And ' very Suggestive of what happens when this car goes var-o-o-o-m i The Family Council Editor's not: The Family Council consist of a fudfe, phychtumt, thre clertynten three editors ne a women's editor. Karh article li a u miliary of ft family disagreement presented to the Council. Tbe Council deals with problems, major and minor, encountered by guidance counselors and social workers, tdlted by Mrs, Alma Denny. (Couyrlsbt by General features Corp.) Scholar Watching A 3 Diversion Suggested To Make Ordeal Of Graduation Exercises Bearable Mrs. T. Y. - He's flunking. The school wants him to go to a clinic. Mr. T, Y. - It's just adoles cence. All he needs is some tutoring. Mrs. T. Y. - After distin guishing himself in elemen tary school, winning two priz es at graduation, our 14-year-old son got very bad marks at the end of his first term in high school. Because his record shows a high I.Q., the school psychologist called me to his office to see if I could explain why Joe is failing. The only possible reason seems to be that he misses his cousin who moved to Can ada. But they want us all to report to a clinic. Mr. T. Y. - It's true that Joe is disappointed not to have his cousin in his class anymore. Herbie kept Joe on his toes; they were friendly rivals right through the lower grades, each trying to come out on top. But there's no need for treating Joe as though he's sick now. He just needs some jacking-up on his Latin and algebra. A few 100s on tests will give him back his old confidence. He's at a hard age. ... Tha Council: Our advice tp any family which is invited to avail itself of the facilities of a good guidance clinic is. "Grab it!" Such clinics are scarce, their waiting lists are long, their services and re sults are unobtainable e 1 s e where at present. What are their services? Above all, they enable a teen-ager to "get it out." Maybe Mr. Y. Is right, and all Joe needs is some ex perience with high marks in high school. But, maybe there is more than meets the eye, more than Joe would ever tell his parents, his cousin, his best friend. These Youth Counseling Centers have ther apists who can draw out the whole story, either through talk, or through leading a child to "act out" his true feelings. Since parents also are interviewed and guided toward helpful handling of a child's problems, Mr. and Mrs. Y. will "have it made" if they follow through. Joe may still flunk and have to go to sum mer school. But it's the sort of flop that opens the way to the top. GP MAN CRASHES Corvallis -(IPIU A helicop ter pilot sustained only a scratched finger when his 'copter crashed in heavy brush in western Benton coun ty Sunday, state police report ed. James Taylor, 38, Grants Pass, employed by Rcforesta t i o n Service, Inc., Salem, said the engine on his ma chine suddenly went dead as he was spraying brush north east of Summit. ! i" "i i -P.-, By DICK WEST Washington (UPU Invita tions to spring graduation ex ercises are falling around us now like the gentle rain from heaven. A person nev er realizes how many n e p h ews he has until the com mence m e n t season begins. There is, however, a silver lining in this shower of sheepskin importuning. In most cases, we are not really expected to attend. The great aching void cre ated by our absence can usu ally be assuaged by a small gift. At times, of course, the cer emony cannot be avoided. It is to those of you who are facing such an ordeal this spring that I address this mes sage. Talc heart, kind fritndi. I may ba abla to point out a way to mak it bearabl. I have found that I can better endure the gaseous ora tions and the seemingly end less processions by occupying my mind with a pleasant little diversion called "scholar watching." Scholar watching is closely similar to bird watching. The object is to see how many dif ferent types of scholars you can identify by their colors and plumage. I happen to have at hand a scholar watcher's pocket manual that I obtained from the publishers of the Encyclo pedia International. From it I have gleaned a few tips that you might find luseful. Almost anyone who has even been to a graduation exercise can instantly recog nize the familiar "black-tas-scled bachelor.'' But, not ev erybody can distinguish it from the "black-tasscled mas ter," which also is a fairly common species. Th trick i to study th, ' cut of their gowm. Th bachelor has long ilevi with cuffs that flair down Into points, whareas t h mailor has oblong sleavei that ar open at th wrist. The "gold-tasseled doctor" also is easily spotted, but it appears In a variety of sub species that provide a real challenge to the scholar watch- ,er. Among those most often found in the western hemis phere are the "purple-hooded lawyer," the "blue - hooded philosopher," the "yellow hooded scientist," the "pink hooded musician" and the "scarlet-hooded theologian." The plumage of the doctor ate genus is not always uni form, hovever. You may see a "scarlet-hooded theologian" with scarlet bars on the gown. On the other hand, the bars may be black. On rare occasions, the schol ar watcher may spot a Euro pean savant among the do mestic flock. Most likely its coloration will be richer and more varied. But that doesn't mean that it is any smarter. As a matter of fact, a neo phyte watcher should never pttcmpt to identify scholars by their I.Q. The one at the bottom may be your sister's oldest boy. FISHERMEN'S SUPPLIES af HUBBARD BROS. SALE ENDS MAY 25th Pa SVJali1' 5 natural! mildness is so good to your taste! So smooth, so satisfying, so downright smokeable! You can light either end I ..-t i-Xffyh) s Compare all three! Smoketraveled" through fine tobacco tastes best! See the difference! With Pall Mall, you get that famous length of the finest tobaccos money can buy. 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