"Texas girl, 17, collects majority of male votes," December 12, 1955

I *Miss State University of Iowa* X>IOI £iXl 1 Iowa City, Iowa. — Dl_—_ ___ MARTIN, 17-year-old Houston, Tex., freshman at the State University of Iowa, was crowned "Miss SUI" at the annual University winter formal De¬ cember 10. Miss Martin, who was one of 29 candidates for the title, will reign as ''Queen of Queens'* on the Iowa campus the rest of the year and represent the University in the "Miss SUI," a dramatic arts major, is attending the university on a $4,000 general scholarship which she re¬ ceived^ as an outstanding graduate fibm iier all-Negfo tii^ii scMool m Houston. Her father died when she was very young and her mother is an invalid. She lives with her grand¬ mother, Mrs. Ela Freeman, 2212 E. Alabama St., Houston. Texas Girl, 17, Collects Majority of Male Votes Iowa City, la.—^A 17-year-old Ne¬ gro beauty from Houston, Tex., was elected by the male students at the I State University of Iowa as Miss S. U. I. of 1955. Dora Lee Martin, a freshman, was crowned at the winter formal dance in the Iowa Memorial Union Satur¬ day night. Sha was selected from arpong 29 candidates. Her attendants were: Barbara Potts, 22, senior from Des Moines; Marcia Koch, 18, freshman from Wheaton, HI.; Janice Barnes, 19, junior of Iowa City, and Dixie Dav¬ enport, 19, freshman from Anamosa. 2,000 Voted Nearly 2,000 male students voted Friday in the contest. Miss Martin was 50 votes ahead of the second- place candidate. A university spokesman said it is the first time a Negro girl has been elected Miss S. U. I. When notified of her selection, Miss Martin was "quite surprised and very, very happy." "In Houston it will be the biggest shock of the century," she added. Miss Martin, who sings with some of the Ipcal bands at parties in Iowa City, said she has never had any real problems with discrimination. "Just the Person'' "It's not the color of skin that should matter, it's just the person," Infant Son of the Ralph Stewarts Dies Craig Stewart, 3-month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Stewart, 611 S. E. Fifth street, died Tuesday at Iowa Methodist Hospital after a brief illness. Services wiU be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Estes & Son Chapel. Burial will be at Glendale Cemetery. Survivors, in addition to parents, include two brothers, Anthony and she said. The voting was preceded by five days of campaigning by the candi¬ dates and their backers. The cam¬ paigning ended Thursday night with a torchlight parade through the city. Loretta Hightower of Clinton was Miss Martin's campaign manager. Miss Martin, who is majoring in dramatic arts, is attending the uni¬ versity on a $4,000 general scholar- SE£! PAGE EIGHT Rites Friday at St. F AME for Mrs. L. E Willkie House Dire Services for Mrs. A. Lillian Ed¬ munds, 63, executive director of Will¬ kie house, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday at St. Paul AME church. Burial will be at Glendale Ceme¬ tery. Mrs. Edmunds died Tuesday afternoon at Mercy Hospital. She suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while at work Wednesday, Dec. 7, and had been hospitalized since then. Mrs. Edmunds had been executive director of Willkie House, 900 Seven¬ teenth street, since its dedication in 1951. Before that she served in the same capacity for more than 25 years with the Negro Community Center, Miller Baby Dies In Kansas City; Rites Held Here Services for Michael Dean Miller, 11-month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Miller, formerly of Des Moines, were held Tuesday afternoon at L. Fowler and Son Funeral Home, with burial at Glendale Cemetery. Thf^ infant died Fridriy. Dec. 9. at Kansas City, Mo. Surviving are the parents; the ma¬ ternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence L. Jones, Des Moines, and the paternal grandmother, Mrs. Ossie Miller, Des Moines. Hopes for Justice In Latest Murder Of Mississippian New York—^The murder of Clinton | Melton in Glendora, Miss., "confirms the NAACP contention that the cur¬ rent atmosphere in Mississippi is such that some white persons feel free to shoot down and kill any Ne¬ gro without fear of punishment," Roy Wilkins, executive secretary of the National Association for the Ad¬ vancement of Colored People, said here this week. However, Mr. Wilkins commended "The authorities for the prompt ar¬ rest of suspect" and expressed the "hope for full justice." Mr. Melton, father of four young children, was fatally shot after an argument over a purchase at the gasoline station where he was em¬ ployed. Elmer Kimbell, a cotton gin manager, was arrested and charged with the slaying. He claimed self-de¬ fense. However, Lee McGarrh, owner of the station, who witnessed the shooting said the slain man was un¬ armed. Glendora is located in Tallahatchie County near Money where 14-year- old Emmett Louis Till was kidnaped and murdered last August. Till's ac¬ cused slayers, Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam, were acquitted by an all- white jury. Bites Held for Mrs. Evelyn Redd Bettis Services for Mrs. Evelyn Redd Bettis, 49, of 775 Eleventh street were held Thursday afternoon at Maple Street Baptist church, with burial at Glendale Cemetery. Mrs. Bettis diea ^Saturday, Dec. 10, at Broadlawns General Hospital. She was a member of Maple Street Bap¬ tist church. Mrs. Bettis was also a member of Household Ruth, Hawkeye Lodge, Rose Temple No. 33, Purple Cross Nurses Unit, Antlers Guard Drill Team, Charity Club and Rose Coun¬ cil No. 24. Mr. Wilson Better Paul Wilson, 1164 Fourteenth street, is convalscing at his home, following hospitalization at Mercy hospital. Fifteenth and Mrs. Edmi] Edmunds, a j CIO, died in : Born in Gr eceived a de normal colk Before comi 36 years ago, graduate nun New York, N. Survivors in Lola Hardwic at 1105 Foui Arthur J. Edn daughter, Mrs Paul, Minn., a Friends ma; 11 a.m. to 1 church. Estes is in charge. The family lieu of flowers to Willkie Ho Mrs. Edmunds Desegrc Opinioi Orl ean! New Orlear and medical court stateme 11 Ihr.t de^^e^ leans schools health mena( standards and at a "tremei psychological ^ The sworn New Orleans the National vancement of The suit, t£ by a 3-judge the first ma, adopted by t] sidestep the I Couprt segregi Hold Ser Mrs. Reb Services we Estes & Son C Cross, 67, of ' burial at Glen Mrs. Cross ^ at Broadlawns Born in Lo here 43 years of the St. Pau Survivors Wilson Fetch, NoBett Than Tl Bryon. Tells Kansas Citians Terror in Mississipp Kansas City, Mo.—A group known as the Mississippi White Citizens council is trying to circumvent the U. S. Supreme Court decsion against segregation by forcing Negroes to leave the state, a Mississippi leader said here Sunday, Dec. 11. Dr. T. R. M. Howard, medical director of Friendship hospital in the all-Negro town of Mound Bayou, Miss., spoke before about 500 persons at the St. Stephen Baptist church. "The economic pressures being put on us by this and other groups are having an effect upon the lives of the 986,000 Negroes in the state," he said. "They have decided that in the next ten years at least 500,000 of us will have to leave. "They are trying to make us a group of hopeless, helpless wanderers because they want to hang on to the outdated tradition of the South." Negroes who openly favor desegre¬ gation in the schools and try to claim the rigl fired from job homes, denied use of gins for ] Because of s ficult literacy the 986,000 Ne he said. "The politic] Negro ever g ballot in Miss the sheriff wil elect two N( every election of white peopl Dr. Howard pices of the N the Advancemi He pointed oi groes in Kansi members. In a the talk, $1,5( the N. A. A. C University of Iowa Libraries. University Archives