Who was Peter Gifford?

Steve Thomas · February 9, 2020

On December 21, 1963, Anna Silveira of the DRE told FBI Agent James O'connor in Miami, FL. that two meetings of the DRE had been held in Dallas, TX on October 13, 1963.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=57746&search=%22bank_in+a+shopping+center+in+dallas%22#relPageId=24&tab=page

One meeting for Spanish speaking people was held at 1:00 PM and was attended by about 70 people.

A second meeting for English speaking people was held at 8:00 PM and was attended by about 30 people.

General Walker was one of those.

On the 23rd, Miss Silveira made available a list of the attendees, and how much they had contributed. Most of the contributors gave $1.00 or $5.00 (Walker gave $5), but one contributor kind of jumped out at me.

A Peter Gifford of Gifford-Hill & Co., gave $100.00

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The Fidelity Union Tower was a 31 story building located at the corner of Akard and Pacific in downtown Dallas.

https://dallascityhall.com/departments/sustainabledevelopment/historicpreservation/Pages/Fidelity-Union-Life-Complex.aspx

"The Fidelity Union Life Complex is comprised of two towers - a 21-story tower built in 1952, a garage, and a 31-story addition built in 1959-60. It was the former headquarters for the Fidelity Union Life Insurance Company, but had multiple tenants."

(A lot of those tenants were oil companies).

He was topped only by a Les Baker of Fort Worth, who gave $250.00.

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While Gifford-Hill & Co. was into concrete and gravel works, Gifford was also the Chairman of the Board for Gifford-Hill Pipe Co., a major producer of concrete pipe.

(Can you say railroad beds and roadways?)

I wondered what kind of concrete company occupies the 24th floor of a 31 story skyscraper.

From the 1961 Dallas City Directory: (I wonder who H.M. Lacy was. He or she was an officer in both companies).

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth806907/m1/925/zoom/?q=Gifford-Hill&resolution=2&lat=3349.5&lon=786

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