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APRIL 21, 2010
THE FIRST EARTH DAY THE MOTHER OF
MOTHER’S DAY DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN (ALMOST)
AMERICAN PATRIOT THE MOTHER OF
MOTHER’S DAY
4 6 8 GLACIER A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PARK
THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY ONE OVER ALL
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ALMOST PRESIDENT DEWEY’S SURPRISING DEFEAT EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT REMINDER
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CAMDEN YARDS THE RETRO STADIUM BOOM
14 QUOTE OF THE WEEK
15 THIS WEEK IN AMERICAN HISTORY
THE MOTHER OF
MOTHER’S DAY
4 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Mothers Day in America takes place the second Sunday in May. This year, the date is May 9. Now one of the most popular and observed of holidays, it did not easily take root in the New World. The idea of a day to honor mothers has a
Burkett proposed the idea of Mothers Day
rich history; spiritually the roots lie in early
as a national holiday on the Senate floor, but
Egyptian worship of goddesses. The Ancient
the proposal was initially dismissed. Despite
Greek and Roman also both had maternal
this federal defeat, the commemorative day
goddesses. The actual holiday originated in
spread to 46 states, with Jarvis’ own West
the 1600’s as Mothering Day in England. But,
Virginia leading the way.
oddly, the notion did not translate easily to colonial America. When the pilgrims settled
Bowing to the trend, in 1914 President
in America they ignored the practice of
Woodrow Wilson signed the holiday into a
Mothering day and, for centuries, the practice
national observance. Wilson originally intended
not adopted in the United States. Never-
the day to be one of solidarity with mothers
theless, several attempts were made over
who had lost children in war, but the holiday
the years to institute the holiday, if only as
expanded to a national celebration of mother-
a chance for mothers to gather to honor
hood. In 1934, Franklin Delano Roosevelt
sons who had died in the Civil War. A woman
approved a stamp commemorating the hol-
named Ann Jarvis was among those who
iday and, in 2008, every single member of
organized such events.
Congress voted on a resolution commemorating Mothers Day to show their support for
In 1908, Ann’s daughter,
American mothers. They dared not.
Anna Marie Jarvis, took the lead, petitioning her
So buy your chocolates and flowers and
church for a Mothers Day
decorate that macaroni card because the
celebration. Jarvis was
second Sunday of May is now officially a
from a small town in
nationwide celebration of mothers in the
Webster WV; after her
United States. And give a nod to Anna Marie
mother, the activist Ann, passed away, she
Jarvis by wearing a carnation, the flower
came up with the idea of a national holiday
which has come to represent Mothers Day
to celebrate mothers. The YMCA and many
because it was Anna’s mom’s favorite.
church groups adopted the cause and petitioned the Congress. Nebraska Senator Elmer
LEARN MORE ABOUT ANNA MARIE JARVIS AMERICAN PATRIOT 5
THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY ONE OVER ALL
6 AMERICAN PATRIOT
“One over all,” can be heard shouted over the drone of plane engines in the heart of Colorado. The Air Force was the last of the three major services to have an independent existence — it was a branch of the Army for many decades — and the Academy was the third major military training center. It now takes its rightful place along with West Point and Annapolis in the pantheon of American military history. The Air Force Academy was created in 1954 and approved by President Dwight Eisenhower in order to prepare officers for air service. Congress authorized Secretary of the Air Force Harold Talbott to find a worthy base for the Academy. After traveling 21,000 miles and considering 580 proposed sites in 45 states, the commission recommended three locations. From those, Secretary Talbott selected the site near Colorado Springs. The state of Colorado contributed a total of $1 million toward the purchase of the land. In July of 1955, as construction began on the Academy, the first class of 306 men was sworn into the school at the temporary base. General Hubert R. Harmon became the first superintendent of the school, and the first class chose the falcon as the mascot. Since the establishment of the Academy, the school has grown to a student body of 4,000 students per class and 560 professors. The campus is now 18,000 acres including the Cadet Chapel, the Aeronautics Research Center, the Prep School, Falcon Stadium, several gyms, air strips, and eateries. Retired bombers are scattered over the campus.
During the Vietnam War, the enrollment at the Academy dramatically increased, as greater numbers of pilots were needed in the war. Women were permitted to enter the Academy in 1976 when President Gerald Ford signed gender equalizing legislation. The school is first rate in every way: Forbes magazine recently ranked the Air Force Academy number 2 for best public colleges in the country and number 7 overall for best colleges. GO UP IN THE AIR WITH AN AIR FORCE CADET AMERICAN PATRIOT 7
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GLACIER A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PARK
8 AMERICAN PATRIOT
In the northern reaches of the United States there lies 1.4 million acres of mountains, forest, lakes, and glacier carved valleys. Glacier National Park preserves this pristine wilderness, having been established in 1910 by President Howard Taft as the tenth national park. The land that the park occupies has a rich history and tradition, having been important to the Blackfeet, Kootenai, and Salish Indian tribes for thousands of years. Lewis and Clark’s expedition came within 50 miles of the area. Glacier National Park offers diverse flora and fauna. As for plants, there are a wide variety of ferns, grasses, and trees. As for animals, there are all sorts including grizzly and black bears, elk, trout, lynx, and Yellowstone checkerspot butterflies. Most notable among the terrain are 26 small glaciers left scattered across the landscape today. But interestingly the park is named for the geologic effects of larger glaciers which appeared thousands of years ago. Glacier National Park hosts approximately two million visitors a year. The most popular time to visit is in the spring or summer. Then, the temperatures average between the high 60’s and high 70’s — perfect for a morning hike on the nearly 700 miles of trails! Visitors often like to drive the Going-to-Sun Road, which spans 50 miles of the park’s interior. Many also choose to participate in a ranger-led walking tour or taking a boat cruise to learn about the geology, park history, and fun facts. There are two lodges on the premises of the park for those who would like to enjoy longer stays. Kids will have fun exploring in Discovery Cabin or becoming a Glacier Explorer on specially designed ranger tours for families.
Just across the border, in Canada, is Waterton Lakes National Park. In 1931, members of the Rotary Clubs of Alberta and Montana suggested joining the two parks as a symbol of the peace and friendship between the two countries. In 1932, the United States and Canadian governments voted to designate the parks as WatertonGlacier International Peace Park, the world’s first. More recently the parks have received two other international honors. The parks are both Biosphere Reserves, and were named as a World Heritage Site in 1995. This international recognition highlights the uniqueness of this area. It is Glacier National Park’s centennial, so there are many special and exciting activities to participate in this year and even more reason to visit the park.
PLAN YOUR NEXT VISIT AMERICAN PATRIOT 9
ALMOST PRESIDENT DEWEY’S SURPRISING DEFEAT
10 AMERICAN PATRIOT
“Dewey Defeats Truman” read the post-election headline in the Chicago Daily Tribune in 1948. Considered one of the most famous newspaper errors, the Daily Tribune was just printing what everyone was thinking, Thomas Dewey would be the next president of the United States. They forgot to tell Truman. Most historians consider the 1948 elec-
Dewey ran again in 1948 again as the
tion to be one of the greatest presidential
Republican candidate, gaining the nom-
upsets in American history. Almost every-
ination amid high hopes of a victory for
one at the time predicted Truman’s defeat.
the GOP. It was not to be: he won 16
Truman was relatively unknown, having
states and earned 45% of the popular
succeeded Franklin Roosevelt near the
vote but the hard-charging Truman bur-
end of World War II, and he was not a
nished his reputation as a common man,
popular President up to the time of the
made fun of Dewey’s patrician manner,
election. On the other hand, Dewey, born
and successfully shifted blame for the
in 1902 and raised in Michigan, was a
country’s problems on Congress.
nationally known figure, a famous prosecutor, and considered very competent.
After Dewey’s shocking defeat, he won a third term as Governor and then retired
Dewey had made his name in New York
from politics. He was instrumental in
City, excelling first as a prosecutor, build-
helping get Dwight Eisenhower elected
ing a record of busting criminals in the
as a Republican and in naming Richard
city, and then being elected District At-
Nixon as Eisenhower’s running mate. He
torney of New York County in 1937. In
remained a power broker in the Repub-
1942, Dewey won Governorship of New
lican party until the 1960’s when it be-
York. While in office, he signed legisla-
came too conservative for his liking.
tion to create the University of New York
Dewey died in 1971.
(now the SUNY system). He was a candidate in the Republican presidential primaries but lost to Wendell Willkie
WATCH HISTORIC FOOTAGE OF THE ELECTION RESULTS
who, in turn, would lose to FDR. AMERICAN PATRIOT 11
CAMDEN YARDS THE RETRO STADIUM BOOM
12 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Stadium design in the middle of the 20th century was, to borrow a quote from Thomas Hobbes, “nasty, brutish, and short.” The civic need for multipurpose stadiums — facilities where football, baseball, and large entertainment events could co-habit — dovetailed with the rise of “brutalist” architecture to produce countless anonymous, symmetrical concrete structures. The designs, in attempting to accommodate everyone, pleased no one. Notoriously hated by fans, these “Cookie Cutter Stadiums” radiated an institutional feel and boasted poor sight lines. Construction was poor, and the multipurpose stadium boom of the 60s and 70s left many Major League Baseball teams with second-rate stadiums. Camden Yards was a revelation. When construction finished in 1992, there was almost unanimous praise for a stadium that bucked sterility and utility for retro ambiance, visitor amenities and a baseball-only focus. Built on land once occupied by the B&O Railroad, the stadium integrates several of the existing industrial structures, notably the huge train warehouse that towers over the right field fence. The playing field and surrounding structure were the first in decades to be constructed using straight lines, once an eccentric baseball standard, long since abandoned for curved dimensions to accommodate football field conversions. Brick and iron dominate the building materials, adding to the retro feel. Yet the facility feels authentic. In the 18 years since its construction, fifteen Major League stadiums have been built relying on the Camden Yards template, often using the project architects, HOK. None of the parks built during the “retro boom” have been able to quite match the pitch-perfect hybrid of vintage aesthetic and modern convenience seen in Camden Yards. The park is a synergy of a visual idea, one of
focused sentimentality, and the necessities of operating a 50,000 seat, 82 game-a-year colossus. Fans sit close to the field as they did in older parks. The park feels intimate, yet the aisles and concourses are designed to provide freedom of movement. A trip to Camden Yards includes many mustdos. Enter the stadium on Eutaw Street, which is closed to vehicular traffic and open to ticket holders. The street is home to the B&O warehouse, and fans shops and restaurants. By far, the most recommended eatery is Boog's BBQ, operated by former first basemen Boog Powell. The barbecue pit offers the full compliment of grilled favorites and overlooks the outfield. The stadium is located a few minutes from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, home to a world-class aquarium and numerous crab-centric restaurants. Died-in-the-wool fans will also want to visit the Babe Ruth birthplace, a museum located in a local tenement, a few short blocks from the stadium. GET GAMES SCHEDULES AND VISITOR INFORMATION
AMERICAN PATRIOT 13
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Sic Semper Tyrannis” (Thus be to tyrants) — JOHN WILKES BOOTH YELLED THIS AFTER HE SHOT ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND JUMPED FROM THE BALCONY TO THE STAGE. THE ASSASSINATION TOOK PLACE APRIL 14, 1864, AND BOOTH WAS CAPTURED AND KILLED ON APRIL 26.
14 AMERICAN PATRIOT
THIS WEEK IN
AMERICAN HISTORY
1970. The first Earth Day took place on April 22, the brainchild of thenSenator Gaylord of Wisconsin. His goal was to force environmental awareness as a political issue. The 40th anniversary event falls this year on the same date. AMERICAN PATRIOT 15
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