Atlanta's 2011 Civil Rights Celebration Marks Anniversaries, New Discoveries

/PRNewswire/ -- Unexpected actions make for extraordinary stories. Who would expect that a young Martin Luther King Jr. would perform at the segregated movie premiere of "Gone with the Wind" in 1939? Who would think that revenue from the novel would fund medical scholarships for graduates of Morehouse College in Atlanta, an all-male, historically black college?

As the home of the Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta is the perfect destination to explore the history, personalities and places where one of America's most important movements was centered. Visitors will find that Atlanta's Civil Rights story extends beyond commonly known icons and venues.

The 25th anniversary of the first observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday on January 17, 2011 and the 75th anniversary of the publishing of "Gone with the Wind" bring forward the little-known connection between the leader of the civil rights movement and the author of one of the most popular novels in history.

Newly discovered correspondence between Margaret Mitchell and the president of Morehouse College Dr. Benjamin E Mays paints the author in a new light. Mitchell, who wrote "Gone with the Wind" in a small apartment in Atlanta, donated thousands of dollars to Morehouse College to fund undergraduate educations and medical and dental scholarships for graduates. According to her letters, she saw a disparity in African-American healthcare. Instead of accepting the status quo, she bravely devoted herself to fixing the problem.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., born and raised in Atlanta, attended Morehouse College, where he was granted early admission at age 15. Just five years before, the 10-year-old Dr. King performed at the segregated festivities for the premiere of "Gone with the Wind" with the boys' choir of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. had been urged to boycott the celebration by other community leaders because African Americans were not allowed to attend, including the film's actors. A brave and forward thinker, King Sr. attended because he was invited.

Mitchell quietly fought against racial prejudice, but did not get a chance to see Martin Luther King Jr. become the strongest voice for equality. Decades after their deaths, we are still learning about their impressive efforts to make Atlanta a beautiful city void of the stereotypes associated with their time.

This month, celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta with the following events:

* 2.5 Mile Youth Stop the Violence Run in Honor of the 25th Anniversary of the National King Holiday


Saturday, Jan. 8 at 9 a.m.

The King Center

* 4th Annual King Peace Program: Celebrating the Peace Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.


Thursday, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m.

The King Center

* Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's King Celebration Concert


Thursday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m.

King International Chapel, Morehouse College, Atlanta

* Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Commemorative Service


Monday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m.

Ebenezer Baptist Church

* Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Summit Hosted by Hands on Atlanta


Monday, Jan. 17 at 7:30 a.m.

Begins with Freedom Rally at Ferst Center for the Performing Arts at Georgia Tech

For more information on Atlanta's civil rights history, visit www.atlanta.net/civilrights.

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UGA Alumni Association to Host Founders' Day January 27

In observance of the University of Georgia's 224th anniversary, Thomas G. Dyer, a former UGA faculty member and administrator, will present the Founders' Day Lecture at 3 p.m. on Jan. 27 in the UGA Chapel. Dyer will discuss "Finding the Founders and What They Founded: Reflections on the Origins of the University of Georgia." The lecture is open to the public.

The annual lecture recognizes the date UGA was established in 1785 when the Georgia General Assembly adopted a charter creating the university as the country's first state-chartered institution of higher education.

Undergraduate Noah Koon will deliver the student response to Dyer's presentation.

"Having Tom Dyer speak at the Founders' Day Lecture is a wonderful opportunity for the university," said Deborah Dietzler, executive director of the UGA Alumni Association. "With his broad knowledge of the university and the history of Georgia, the lecture will be a great way to celebrate UGA's anniversary."

The Founders' Day Lecture is sponsored by the Alumni Association and the Emeriti Scholars, a group of retired faculty members especially known for their teaching abilities and who continue to be involved in the university's academic life.

Dyer joined UGA in 1975 as a temporary instructor in the history department. During his 31 years at UGA he held a number of administrative positions including vice president for instruction, associate vice president for services, associate vice president for academic affairs, senior associate vice president for academic affairs and interim senior vice present for academic affairs and provost.

During Dyer's tenure as director of the Institute of Higher Education, the discipline's doctoral programs rose in national rankings from 20th to seventh in the country and garnered nearly $3 million in externally funded contracts and grants.

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Emory Crawford Long Hospital Celebrates 100th Anniversary

Crawford Long Hospital opened on October 21, 1908 with 26 beds near the present-day Turner Field.

Join Emory Crawford Long Hospital as it celebrates its 100th anniversary in Atlanta. Register for the tours at 404-778-2000.


Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Conservatory
• 7:30 a.m. Historic Tour
• 11:30 a.m. Historic Tour
• 2 – 4 p.m. Cake and Ice Cream
• 3:30 p.m. Time Capsule
Burial Ceremony
• 4 p.m. Historic Tour

Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Outside Seasonings Café
• 2 – 4 a.m. Cake and Ice Cream
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Outside Seasonings Café
• 2 – 4 p.m. Cake and Ice Cream
• 6 – 8 p.m. Cake and Ice Cream

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FBI 100 - The Top Ten Moments in FBI History

GFP Note: Happy Anniversary FBI! Thanks for protecting us all these years!

Over the course of a century—during which we’ve been involved in just about every major event in U.S. history and had countless innovations and famous cases—it’s hard to pick just ten. But here, in chronological order, are our choices for the top ten moments in FBI history…

1) July 26, 1908 – The Bureau is Born

No surprise on this one. But what you may not know is that our origins were somewhat tentative and filled with political intrigue. By early 1908, Teddy Roosevelt’s Attorney General—Charles Bonaparte—was growing weary of borrowing investigators from other agencies for federal cases under his jurisdiction. When Congress outlawed that practice in May, he had no choice but to pull together his own corps of agents. On July 26, Bonaparte sent a memo to his department announcing this new “force of special agents.” It started small, with just 34 agents and no name. And it was considered something of an experiment by both Bonaparte and Congress. But over time the force started making a difference…and the rest is history.

2) May 10, 1924 – Hoover Takes the Helm

Appointed to clean up a scandal-plagued Bureau, 29-year-old Acting Director J. Edgar Hoover immediately began instituting a series of reforms that transformed the FBI into the professional law enforcement organization that it is today. Over the next decade, Hoover strengthened the organizational and hiring practices of the Bureau, created a central repository for criminal identification and criminal history records, instituted a technical laboratory (the forerunner of today’s FBI Lab), began gathering and reporting national crime stats, and fostered a rigorous training program for American and international law enforcement alike. Though often remembered more for controversies in his later years, Hoover played a vital role in lifting the overall capabilities and professionalism of the FBI and U.S. law enforcement.

The scene outside the railroad station shortly after the "Kansas City" Massacre

3) June 17, 1933 – The Kansas City Massacre

It’s hard to imagine today, but for the Bureau’s first quarter-century agents weren’t allowed to make their own arrests, and they only carried weapons in limited cases. That began to change one shocking morning outside a train station in Kansas City, Missouri, when Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd and other gangsters suddenly opened fire on a group of lawmen transporting an escaped con back to prison. Killed in the hail of bullets were two police officers, a police chief, and a Bureau special agent. The public was stunned by what became known as the “Kansas City Massacre,” and Congress responded within a year by authorizing special agents to carry guns, to make arrests, and to tackle a wider array of gangster crime, which has helped us protect the nation ever since.

John Dillinger, who met his end on July 22, 1934

4) July 22, 1934 – The Death of Dillinger

In many ways, John Dillinger was the most notorious of the Depression-era gangsters, the leader of a ruthless band of gun-slinging bank robbers and crooks who was able to charm the press and American people into believing he was a harmless Robin Hood. Dillinger’s fame and ability to elude the law were reaching disastrous levels when we joined the hunt for him in the winter of 1933/1934. Despite a few stumbles along the way, Bureau agents tracked Dillinger down on July 22 and shot him dead in the streets of Chicago as he reached for his gun. The successful investigation catapulted the largely-unknown agency to worldwide fame and was the beginning of the end of the lawless gangster years.

5) June 26, 1939 – Getting Ready for War

More than two years before bombs fell on Pearl Harbor, the FBI was already preparing to protect the nation from its wartime enemies. It started when President Franklin Roosevelt signed a secret order in June 1939 putting the FBI (and the Army and Navy to a lesser extent) in charge of homeland security, including espionage, sabotage, and subversion. In June 1940, we were also asked to collect foreign intelligence in Central and South America. Our ensuing “Special Intelligence Service,” or SIS—a little-known initiative even now—ended up producing a trove of intelligence and outing some 887 Axis spies. Though later dissolved with the creation of the CIA, the SIS laid the groundwork for our network of international offices, which are vital to our ability to combat global crime and terror today. And overall, our work before and during the war ensured that not a single act of enemy-directed sabotage was carried out on U.S. soil.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg ride with Morton Sobell (far left), another convicted member of the Rosenberg's spy ring, as the jury deliberates

6) September 1, 1947 – To Catch a Spy

Intelligence was not new to the FBI; neither was cooperating with the Army. But in September 1947, these two things started to come together in a powerful way when Special Agent Wesley Reynolds was briefed on a top secret Army cryptanalytic program and brought decoded Soviet spy messages back to the Bureau. In the spring of 1948, Special Agent Robert Lamphere became interested in these messages and combined his expertise and the Bureau’s growing knowledge of Soviet espionage with the work of the Army’s brilliant cryptanalyst Meredith Gardner. Together, the two began to make sense of Soviet telegrams sent from the U.S. and other western countries during World War II. Soon they were on the trail of Soviet spies like Judith Coplon, Klaus Fuchs, Julius Rosenberg, and many others. Their work and that of their successors—a project now known as Venona—allowed the FBI and its partners to identify more than 100 Soviet agents, keep traitors from accessing crucial national secrets, and start moving more proactively against Soviet intelligence in the 1950s and beyond. When Venona was declassified in 1995, it led to a significant re-evaluation of Cold War history.

This burnt-out station wagon led to the case name "MIBURN," short for Mississippi Burning.

7) June 21, 1964 – Mississippi Burning

By the early 1960s the civil rights movement was starting to make headway in America, but the backlash from the KKK and others was growing. When three young men who had volunteered to help register African-American voters in Mississippi disappeared suddenly on June 21, 1964, President Johnson called on the FBI to investigate, and we did so rigorously. Within a short time, we found the young men’s burnt-out station wagon (thus the famous case name “MIBURN”), located their bodies, and gathered important evidence that led to indictments. Although it took a long time (decades, tragically) to secure a measure of justice in the courtroom, national outrage over the crime helped spur passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Together with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, these laws—for the first time—put real teeth into the FBI’s ability to defend the rights and freedoms of all Americans. We’ve used them to great effect ever since.

8) October 15, 1970 – New Law of the Land

In the fall of 1970, Congress passed the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly called “RICO,” as part of a larger bill. What a huge milestone it turned out to be. Finally, the FBI had the legal muscle to go after criminal enterprises like the Mafia the right way—investigating their entire organizations, leaders and all, instead of just individuals who had committed a crime. Thanks to this legislation and other new approaches (like using undercover agents and Title III wiretaps to gather evidence), we were soon working with our partners to dismantle entire mob families from the top down and putting a serious dent in the Mafia’s corrupting and violent ways. We’ve also used the law over the years to combat street gangs, drug rings, corruption activities, and even terrorist financing activities in this country.

The Watergate complex, site of the famous breakin

9) November 18, 1975 – Domestic Intelligence Redefined

During the early 1970s, especially after J. Edgar Hoover died in May 1972, revelations began to surface about potential abuses in the intelligence community. In 1975, on the heels of Watergate and the changing political climate it engendered, Senator Frank Church opened a series of hearings unlike any before into domestic intelligence issues. Front and center was the FBI, which was sharply criticized for its investigation of Dr. Martin Luther King, its surveillance practices, and other concerns. In response, the Bureau accelerated its re-evaluation of its domestic security programs and worked with the Attorney General to craft guidelines governing domestic security operations. These changes established clearer parameters for FBI cases and made agents more respectful than ever of the need to protect constitutional rights.

A pair of FBI employees inside the Pentagon shortly after the 9/11 attacks

10) September 11, 2001 – America is Attacked

In one horrific morning, everything changed for America—and for the FBI. The attacks quickly became the most massive investigation in our history, with a quarter of all agents and support personnel directly involved. And even before the dust settled, we had a new overriding mission: to stop terrorists before they strike. The FBI had prevented dozens of terrorist plots before 9/11—including nearly 60 during the 1990s alone. But these attacks showed that our strategic capabilities had to improve—that we needed to be more forward-leaning, more predictive, a step ahead of the next germinating threat. What followed was one of the most far-reaching transformations in FBI history, as we strengthened our counterterrorism and intelligence capabilities in profound new ways. The result has been innumerable successes over the past seven years, from heading off developing plots here in the U.S. to helping take out key terrorist operatives overseas by sharing key intelligence and information.

FBI 100 - Let the Celebrations Begin

In the summer of 1908, an Attorney General named Charles Bonaparte cobbled together a band of 34 investigators into an experimental force of federal crime-fighters.

Over the past century, that unnamed force has evolved into today’s FBI—a full-fledged intelligence and national security agency, a highly-trained corps of more than 30,000 special agents and specialized professionals who work across the globe to combat some of the most dangerous threats facing the planet.

In nine days—on Saturday, July 26—the FBI will officially celebrate its 100th birthday and a century of service to the American people.

To help commemorate that anniversary, today has been proclaimed "FBI Day" by the President of the United States, and we will be holding several special events in the nation's capital.

Among the day's activities:

• In the early morning, Director Mueller observed a moment of silence in honor of our fallen agents in front of a centennial memorial wreath at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
• Later this morning, the Director will join 2,000 guests from more than 100 countries—including a host of dignitaries, law enforcement officers, FBI employees, and others—at a special commemorative ceremony. Both the Director and Attorney General Michael Mukasey will offer anniversary remarks. Also attending will be former FBI Directors William S. Sessions, William H. Webster, and Louis Freeh, marking the first time that all four Directors will be together. At the event, Director Mueller will recognize our oldest living retired agent—Walter Walsh—and other heroes who serve our nation today.
• In the afternoon, Director Mueller will join our former Directors in dedicating the William H. Webster Conference Room at FBI Headquarters and Deputy Director John Pistole in hosting a reception for international dignitaries and our global partners.

The day's events are just part of a series of commemorative activities taking place worldwide. In the recent weeks, the men and women of the Bureau—often in conjunction with their partners and the people they serve—have begun marking the anniversary in their own unique ways in our 56 local field offices across the country and in our 62 legal attachés around the world.

Ty Cobb Death Anniversary Sparks Effort to Improve His Image

PRNewswire -- Forty-seven years after the death of Ty Cobb, a Michigan author has launched an effort to resurrect the image of the "Georgia Peach."

"Ty Cobb is the most maligned sports figure in American history," said Tom Stanton, author of Ty and The Babe (2008, St. Martin's Griffin). "A fan from his era would not recognize Cobb based on how he is portrayed today. He has been reduced to a cliche -- as the Satan of baseball -- and it is absolutely inaccurate."

In his time, Cobb was idolized by fans, respected by opponents, and viewed by sportswriters as the game's greatest player. Born and raised in Georgia, Cobb spent 22 of his 24 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, winning a record 12 batting titles and amassing an unparalleled .367 lifetime batting average.

"Ty Cobb died in 1961," said Stanton. "Obviously, he's not done anything to diminish his own reputation since then. But his image continues to spiral downward. Every time a scandal shakes baseball, someone offers up Cobb as evidence of baseball's dark side. It is unfair and unfortunate, because there was much more to the man than his fierce competitive nature."

Further, according to Stanton, many stories about Cobb are false or exaggerated. "He didn't sharpen his spikes, he never killed a man, and he had friends who cared about him," he said.

On Thursday, July 17 -- the anniversary of Cobb's 1961 death -- friends and family members will honor Cobb's philanthropy with a ceremony at the Royston, Georgia, cemetery where his tomb is located. (Cobb's wealth funded a hospital and more than a million dollars in scholarships.)

As part of his "Ty Cobb Reputation Reformation Campaign," Stanton is offering free "Ty Cobb -- Still a Peach" bumper stickers. If interested, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to P.O. Box 636, New Baltimore, MI 48047.

Stanton's book Ty and The Babe, a finalist for Publishers Weekly's Quill Award, explores the relationship between Cobb and Babe Ruth, baseball's two most famous legends. Though rivals on the ball field, they became friends late in life. In an ironic twist, the historic ballparks where they spent most of their careers -- Tiger Stadium and Yankee Stadium -- are being demolished this year.

Stanton is author of four baseball books, including the Tiger Stadium memoir The Final Season. He may be reached through his website, www.tomstanton.com.