2008 Woodie Awards
Bolivar's biggest day unknown to many
Brendan Block
Issue date: 9/21/07 Section: Forum
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Motives however for this statue dedication may be good but in historical context, the dedication could be construed as a way to mend ties between nations with economic gains for both countries. On the same page of the 1948 "New York Times," I found a story next to the announcement of the dedication of the Bolivar statue that says "Gallegos reports large oil deposits." The United States had investments in these oil holdings and was being denounced as trying to bring imperialism down to Venezuela by assisting them in the expansion of their oil production. Perhaps the dedication of the statue was a means to cast doubt on the imperialism and solidify that the relationship would also involve Venezuelan cultural contributions to America.
The schedule of the unforgettable days is as follows. The Air Force Band played on Sunday July 4 at Dunnegan Park. The parade for the dedication of the statue proceeded on Monday, leading from the Court House to Neuhart Park. Venezuelan President Rumulo Gallegos presented Truman with a seven foot bronze statue of Simon Bolivar. The cost of the statue was $100,000 paid by the country of Venezuela. After the dedication, Southwest Baptist College hosted a meal and a rodeo later entertained the crowd.
Woodrow and Ernestine Kinsey were a part of this memorable day. Woodrow remembers heat so scorching that an ambulance had to aid many people. Furthermore, FBI agents lined the streets and were seen on tops of buildings keeping watch armed with machine guns. Ernestine Kinsey was one of six candidates running for the Queen of Americas' title. "I was on a float with a huge globe with the other queen candidates for the parade, and we were on stage for the dedication of the statue," said Kinsey. "We wore huge skirts that were unpleasant in the heat."
After the dedication, Southwest Baptist College held a lunch for the President and dignitaries of both countries.
"Dr. S.H. Jones served as President of the college and was bombarded by thousands for lunch," said Kinsey. "Afterwards the campus looked like it had been hit by a snowstorm of litter."
In his address to Bolivar, Truman said, "This is a celebration that will go down as the one and only of its kind."
In retrospect, I cannot think of anything modern day in Missouri that involves an international team of this magnitude dedicating a historic statue. The uniqueness is stunning, but afterwards Bolivar went back to normalcy and did not experience massive attention again. The impact of Truman's visit is still alive in stories, factual articles and in the experiences of long time citizens of Bolivar.
The schedule of the unforgettable days is as follows. The Air Force Band played on Sunday July 4 at Dunnegan Park. The parade for the dedication of the statue proceeded on Monday, leading from the Court House to Neuhart Park. Venezuelan President Rumulo Gallegos presented Truman with a seven foot bronze statue of Simon Bolivar. The cost of the statue was $100,000 paid by the country of Venezuela. After the dedication, Southwest Baptist College hosted a meal and a rodeo later entertained the crowd.
Woodrow and Ernestine Kinsey were a part of this memorable day. Woodrow remembers heat so scorching that an ambulance had to aid many people. Furthermore, FBI agents lined the streets and were seen on tops of buildings keeping watch armed with machine guns. Ernestine Kinsey was one of six candidates running for the Queen of Americas' title. "I was on a float with a huge globe with the other queen candidates for the parade, and we were on stage for the dedication of the statue," said Kinsey. "We wore huge skirts that were unpleasant in the heat."
After the dedication, Southwest Baptist College held a lunch for the President and dignitaries of both countries.
"Dr. S.H. Jones served as President of the college and was bombarded by thousands for lunch," said Kinsey. "Afterwards the campus looked like it had been hit by a snowstorm of litter."
In his address to Bolivar, Truman said, "This is a celebration that will go down as the one and only of its kind."
In retrospect, I cannot think of anything modern day in Missouri that involves an international team of this magnitude dedicating a historic statue. The uniqueness is stunning, but afterwards Bolivar went back to normalcy and did not experience massive attention again. The impact of Truman's visit is still alive in stories, factual articles and in the experiences of long time citizens of Bolivar.
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