Archive photograph

[Photograph 2012.201.OVZ001.9170]

Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "Tempers boiled when citizens expecting "first come, first served" seating for the President Eisenhower speech at Municipal Auditorium Wednesday night arrived to find a large percentage of the seats had been reserved. Unannounced to the public, newspapers, radio or television stations, blocks of reserved seats had been doled out to certain organizations. The Pate organization, a city public relations firm, engaged to handle press information for the occasion, could not explain the situation. Reported Stan Pate, head of the organization, Wednesday night, "I don't know anything about all this, except for a few hundred tickets I was directed to distribute."......Quired about the situation, Stanley Draper, chamber of commerce managing director, said he was ordered to distribute 700 tickets to the Republican party, 200 to Gov. Gary, 200 to the Secret Service and 250 to performers, namely the OU band, OCU Surrey Singers and OSU male chorus......Typical of the comment came from George L. Towsey 1524 Cartisle Court who asked, "I can't uinderstand why tickets are given to some and not to others."..........They ought to take all the Democrats out and let some good republicans in," described Mrs. Kathleen McMillian, 523 NW 19, a registered Republican who came early enough but failed to get in. Wallace Bragg and three relatives drove all the way from Chillicothe, texas, for the event, Fortunately, his three passengers finally obtained tickets, but Bragg resigned himself ro watching the talk on television. (photo tag: Stopped at the doors of Municipal Auditorium Wednesday night was this group of citizens who were away because they didn't have tickets. All reports said seats would be available on first-come, first-served basis, but it turned out a large percentage had been reserved. Public announcement had said the doors would be opened at 7 p.m. and the first to arrive would get the seats.)"