John O Beaty: SMU President during 1963

[Greg Parker]

edit

Edited November 17, 2012 by Greg Parker

[William O'Neil]

Greg; FWIW.... Iv'e always been a bit wary of Huffacker, since I tried to ask him some questions regarding Ruby's motivation etc. He was curt and defensive with his replies, and rudely scoffed at any suggestion that Ruby had alternative motivations in the Oswald shooting. In the last few years he's been part of a group of newsmen or "first day witnesses", who have gone around giving talks where they essentially make a point of debunking any notion of conspiracy. Although he certainly has a right to his opinion, I found his reactions a little too reactionary and un-objective.

[James Richards]

During WW2, John O. Beaty was with the Office of War Information located in Washington.

Pat Gannaway served with the army during WW2. He fought in Germany going in as a buck private and coming out as a Company Commander. He retired in 1969 as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Reserves.

Gannaway was also the one who put Candy Barr in prison.

FWIW.

Pat Gannaway below.

James

[Greg Parker]

Greg; FWIW.... Iv'e always been a bit wary of Huffacker, since I tried to ask him some questions regarding Ruby's motivation etc. He was curt and defensive with his replies, and rudely scoffed at any suggestion that Ruby had alternative motivations in the Oswald shooting. In the last few years he's been part of a group of newsmen or "first day witnesses", who have gone around giving talks where they essentially make a point of debunking any notion of conspiracy. Although he certainly has a right to his opinion, I found his reactions a little too reactionary and un-objective.

Thanks Bill. I have always wondered, since he was stationed at Fort Hood, whether any knowledge he had of Ruby and Oswald was connected to the weapons thefts.

During WW2, John O. Beaty was with the Office of War Information located in Washington.

James, that would (potentially) put in with an interesting crowd, including Marie de la Grand Hyde.

Pat Gannaway served with the army during WW2. He fought in Germany going in as a buck private and coming out as a Company Commander. He retired in 1969 as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Reserves.

Gannaway was also the one who put Candy Barr in prison.

If I recall correctly, Candy claimed the grass was planted.

FWIW.

Pat Gannaway below.

James

[James Richards]

Greg,

John Owen Beaty was listed as having served with the United States Army on active reserve duty from 1917 to 1950. He died on September 9, 1961.

FWIW.

James

[Greg Parker]

Greg,

John Owen Beaty was listed as having served with the United States Army on active reserve duty from 1917 to 1950. He died on September 9, 1961.

FWIW.

James

James, this of course means he wasn't president of SMU during '63. I came across the reference that he was president during that year in a book called The JFK Conspiracy by David Miller (By 1963 Beaty was President of SMU.... p46). I checked out everything else he said about Beaty, and was able to corroborate all of it - that is that he'd written the anti-Semitic book, that it was distributed by the likes of McGuire etc. He even had the reference to his army intelligence career. It didn't occur to me therefore that he may be wrong about when Beaty was president. Had I known Beaty's middle name, I would have found the date of death in Texas Online, and wouldn't have started this thread - unless I could find a reference to the ACLUs use of SMU commencing during Beaty's tenure, or alternatively if it commenced having meetings at SMU after Beaty's death, that the new President was of the same ilk as Beaty. Either of those is possible, but as yet, not verified.

It was noted a while back that the actual title of the Dallas ACLU was DCLU. Its records are actually archived at the University of Texas, Arlington.

Dallas Civil Liberties Union Records, 1953-1996, bulk 1969-1996

But then when you look at the records for Carl Brannin, it states that he founded the DCLU in 1962?

Brannin, Carl, 1888-1985

Papers, 1954-1974, bulk 1962-1974; 3 boxes (1.04 linear ft.)

Carl Brannin, born in Cisco, Texas, was a longtime resident of Dallas. He was a journalist and social activist who traveled the world in pursuit of humanitarian causes. Brannin, along with his wife, Laura, was especially active in politics, labor union organizing, and the civil rights movement. He was a charter member of the American Civil Liberties Union, founded in 1920, and an organizer of the Dallas Civil Liberties Union founded in 1962.

Correspondence, minutes, financial records, speeches, newspaper clippings, newsletters, constitutions, reports, rosters, press releases, notes, and miscellaneous printed material.

Brannin’s papers focus on the Dallas Civil Liberties Union during the period that he served as member of the Board of Directors, membership chairman, and secretary, 1962-1974, but also include personal materials, records of the Texas Civil Liberties Union, 1964-1974, and records of the American Civil Liberties Union, 1954-1974, including their periodical, Civil Liberties. Records of the Dallas Civil Liberties Union include clippings, letters, and notes on the Lee Harvey Oswald case which describe events after the Kennedy assassination and after Oswald’s death.

The UTA Libraries Oral History Collection contains four transcribed interviews with Brannin.

This collection is also known as: Texas Civil Liberties Union, Dallas Chapter, Records.

Does anyone know then, who the President of SMU was in 1963?

Was there a predecessor organisation in Dallas to the DCLU existing prior to 1962?

[James Richards]

Greg,

I do have details here but I will have to hunt through my notes to find it. I think the president of SMU in 1963 was Willis Tate.

I also believe that during the mid 1950's, John Owen Beaty published a pamphlet attacking the B'nai B'rith. I have that somewhere but I have no idea where to even start looking.

James

[James Richards]

Greg,

I have that the DCLU was an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. When the DCLU came into being the President was George Schatzki. Vice President was SMU History Professor Paul Boller. Carl Brannin was the Secretary and Sam Ziegler was the Treasurer.

James

[Robert Howard]

Greg,

I have that the DCLU was an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. When the DCLU came into being the President was George Schatzki. Vice President was SMU History Professor Paul Boller. Carl Brannin was the Secretary and Sam Ziegler was the Treasurer.

James

Who was the SMU Professor who lived two doors down from Jack Ruby? Is that actually true?

[Greg Parker]

Greg,

I have that the DCLU was an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. When the DCLU came into being the President was George Schatzki. Vice President was SMU History Professor Paul Boller. Carl Brannin was the Secretary and Sam Ziegler was the Treasurer.

James

Who was the SMU Professor who lived two doors down from Jack Ruby? Is that actually true?

Who knows, Robert? It's an uncited claim by Armstrong. THis whole thread started because I took an uncited claim in a book as factual (it wasn't).

The person Armstrong named was Helen McIntosh. There are no interviews with her in the Commission Exhibits, and the only "Helen McIntosh" that came up in a NARA JFK search seems to have been interviewed interstate on matters that don't seem to relate to Ruby. Those docs have not been released.

[William O'Neil]

Greg,

John Owen Beaty was listed as having served with the United States Army on active reserve duty from 1917 to 1950. He died on September 9, 1961.

FWIW.

James

James, this of course means he wasn't president of SMU during '63. I came across the reference that he was president during that year in a book called The JFK Conspiracy by David Miller (By 1963 Beaty was President of SMU.... p46). I checked out everything else he said about Beaty, and was able to corroborate all of it - that is that he'd written the anti-Semitic book, that it was distributed by the likes of McGuire etc. He even had the reference to his army intelligence career. It didn't occur to me therefore that he may be wrong about when Beaty was president. Had I known Beaty's middle name, I would have found the date of death in Texas Online, and wouldn't have started this thread - unless I could find a reference to the ACLUs use of SMU commencing during Beaty's tenure, or alternatively if it commenced having meetings at SMU after Beaty's death, that the new President was of the same ilk as Beaty. Either of those is possible, but as yet, not verified.

It was noted a while back that the actual title of the Dallas ACLU was DCLU. Its records are actually archived at the University of Texas, Arlington.

Dallas Civil Liberties Union Records, 1953-1996, bulk 1969-1996

But then when you look at the records for Carl Brannin, it states that he founded the DCLU in 1962?

Brannin, Carl, 1888-1985

Papers, 1954-1974, bulk 1962-1974; 3 boxes (1.04 linear ft.)

Carl Brannin, born in Cisco, Texas, was a longtime resident of Dallas. He was a journalist and social activist who traveled the world in pursuit of humanitarian causes. Brannin, along with his wife, Laura, was especially active in politics, labor union organizing, and the civil rights movement. He was a charter member of the American Civil Liberties Union, founded in 1920, and an organizer of the Dallas Civil Liberties Union founded in 1962.

Correspondence, minutes, financial records, speeches, newspaper clippings, newsletters, constitutions, reports, rosters, press releases, notes, and miscellaneous printed material.

Brannin’s papers focus on the Dallas Civil Liberties Union during the period that he served as member of the Board of Directors, membership chairman, and secretary, 1962-1974, but also include personal materials, records of the Texas Civil Liberties Union, 1964-1974, and records of the American Civil Liberties Union, 1954-1974, including their periodical, Civil Liberties. Records of the Dallas Civil Liberties Union include clippings, letters, and notes on the Lee Harvey Oswald case which describe events after the Kennedy assassination and after Oswald’s death.

The UTA Libraries Oral History Collection contains four transcribed interviews with Brannin.

This collection is also known as: Texas Civil Liberties Union, Dallas Chapter, Records.

Does anyone know then, who the President of SMU was in 1963?

Was there a predecessor organisation in Dallas to the DCLU existing prior to 1962?

Greg ; FWIW, Walker spoke at SMU on Feb. 13th, the afternoon of the "party", where Os met Volkmar Schmidt.

[Robert Howard]

Does anyone know then, who the President of SMU was in 1963?

As James mentioned earlier, I do not think there is any doubt that it was Willis Tate.

See

http://smu.edu/tateseries/willismtate.asp.

SMU President 1954-1972, 1974-1976

The Tate Lecture Series, legacy has quite a distinguished list of personages who have been the speakers in the past. The Upcoming Series features

September 26, 2006

Tom Brokaw and Ted Koppel with David Gergen

October 19, 2006

Lee Kuan Yew

November 14, 2006

Anderson Cooper

December 5, 2006

Malcolm Gladwell

January 16, 2007

Doris Kearns Goodwin

February 27, 2007

Vicente Fox

I would say the above gives you a pretty good idea of the importance of this University, and if I am not mistaken is a viable, if not likely candidate for somone's future Presidential Library.

Didn't mean to get sidetracked on that, obviously the Dallas ACLU/DCLU aspect is pretty important, I will try to locate some pertinent material to add.

[James Richards]

Sidebar on DCLU President George Schatzki. He was an attorney and co-chairman of a defense fund organized for three protestors who were arrested at Fort Hood. Another co-chairman of the fund was Greg Olds, the same man who was showing a bootleg copy of the Zapruder film during the late 1960's.

The protestors were demonstrating against Lyndon Johnson. One of the men arrested was John Morby who was a history instructor at the University of Texas.

FWIW.

James

[Jack White]

During 1963, the Dallas ACLU held its meetings at SMU. At the Oct 25, 1963 meeting attended by Oswald, an attempt was made to convince members that the John Birch Society was not anti-Semitic. This has always bothered me considering ( a ) it is untrue ( b ) the ACLU is not the thought-police, and in fact, opposes such things which interfere with free speech (let alone free thought) and ( c ) the timing insofar as this was not long after plans were being made by JBS and CUSA to use a Jewish name on the infamous black-border ad to show Jews could be good little ultra-rightists just like them. Inclusiveness! That's what I like to see!

Just as curious is that the President of SMU, John O Beaty ever allowed this alleged subversive group (the ACLU) to hold its meetings there.

In 1951, Beaty - then an English Professor at SMU, published Iron Curtain Over America, described variously as "pro-Nazi" and an "anti-Semitic diatribe". This fine offering was distributed by Gerald LK Smith and J Russell McGuire, publisher of The American Mercury from 1952 to 1961. William F Buckley had been a contributing writer under previous owners, and served on the board under McGuire.

In 1955, Lt.-Gen George E. Stratemeyer gave a rousing endorsement to the book. Unsurprisingly, Stratemeyer was a member of McCarthy support groups organised by the JBS, and was on the policy board of Liberty Lobby.

With Beaty as the President of SMU, the Dallas ACLU chapter's odd behaviour at last makes some sense as the message being given out was right in line with attempts by JBS commencing around that time to appear more mainstream - the clean-cut front for its less cuddly cousins such as the Munitemen to which it acted as a feeder organisation. Moreover, the whole charade would act as a "valid" reason to give Weissman and Schmidt for using Weissman's name on THAT ad.*

All this raises the question as to whether the Dallas ACLU had been infiltrated by ultras and/or intellegence services.

The Criminal Intelligence Section of the DPD indicated in a report dated Feb 5, 1964 that they had increased surveillance on various groups which were possibly planning protests for the Motorcade. Among the list of "the more active groups" was the ACLU. The report then also states that the CIS "had previously been successful infiltrating** a number of these organizations."

The CIS which, (as shown above) may have infiltrated the ACLU, did have Army intelligence agents (or informants) among its ranks according to Colonel Jones' HSCA testimony:

Mr Genzman: Colonel Jones, could you identify your source within the Dallas Police Department?

Mr Jones: Without my records, I cannot. But I would state that he was a member of the 112 Military Intelligence, he was an agent.

Later, he appears to contradict this:

Mr Genzman: Colonel Jones, I would like to clarify one point which you made concerning sources with the local law enforcement agencies. Are you saying that these sources, which were military intelligence personnel, actually worked as law enforcement officers for these local agencies, or that they worked

alongside these law enforcement agencies?

Mr Jones: Our special agents assigned to a military intelligence group were military personnel in most cases, and they would have sources within the police department that would be on the payroll of the police department and report to them. And the source that I received this information from came through a source in the police department through my agent that I considered a source to me.

However, going back again in his testimony was this exchange:

Mr Genzman: I would like to ask the same question about Captain WP Gannaway who is with the Dallas Police

Special Services Bureau.

Mr Jones: Was he a captain in the police department or a captain in the military service?

Mr Genzman: I believe he was a captain in the police department, subject to correction.

Mr Jones: He was not assigned to the 112, not on an active duty status. He could have been a reserve.

Therein is the key: reservists. By 1962, Army intelligence was confronted by a critical personnel situation. The Army was still relying on reserve officers left over from World War II and the Korean War to fill its intelligence positions, according to army historians.

Another reservist who seems to fit the bill as an intelligence agent was Robert Huffacker, Jr. His name appears on a DPD list of those who may have had information on a Ruby-Oswald connection. Others on the list included Helen K Smith AKA Pixie Lynn (Ruby dancer), Gaston Powell, Willburn Lichfield, Cloe Stansell, Linda Jackson and Lt George Butler. Huffaker was interviewed at Ft Hood by the CIS and twice by theFBI in relation to this and the Oswald slaying (which he witnessed as a newsman). Although the full statements of all others named in the above-mentioned list are easliy located in DPD evidence boxes, the only document I could find regarding RH, Jr merely confirms he had previously been interviewed. The WC, naturally, avoided any questions about what he may have known concerning Ruby-Oswald links.

His reserve duties were at Fort Hood - origin of stolen weapons - and he worked for the Murchison owned KRLD.

*It is my contention that Larry Jones double-crossed Weissman and Schmidt, joining forces with the Walker/YAF/JBS crowd and that the real reason for wanting Weissman's name on the ad was revenge against him and Schmidt for having the audacity to try and take over all the established groups. This revenge would be in Weissman and Schmidt taking sole rap for the ad in the wake of the assassination. Those who paid for the ad never believed their names would be dragged into it - and indeed, for a time it seemed like they wouldn't.

**There are examples of and references to the ACLU being infiltrated. For instance, according to Polical Repression in Modern America: From 1870 to 1976 by Robert Justin Goldstein, in order to gather information, Army agents illegally monitored private radio communications, travelled and marched with anti-war demonstators, posed as press representatives and infiltrated organizations of suspect groups.. One such group mentioned being the ACLU. On July 8, 2005, Radio FSRN reported that an ACLU chapter in southern New Mexico has been suspended after one of their board members was found to be the leader of a group similar to the Minuteman Project in Arizona.

The president of SMU in 1963 was not Beaty but Willis Tate.

QUOTE:

TATE, WILLIS MCDONALD (1911-1989). Willis McDonald Tate, president of Southern Methodist University, was born in Denver, Colorado, on May 18, 1911. He grew up in Texas and graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.A. in 1932 and an M.A. in 1935 and did further work at the University of Texas and the University of Chicago. He received eight honorary degrees at five universities. As a student he played football on SMU's championship team in 1931. Tate became a teacher, coach, principal, and lay minister in the years following his graduation. He taught school for several years in San Antonio and then became assistant to the pastor of First Methodist Church in Houston. He married Joel Estes of Cleburne in 1932; they had two children. In 1945 he became assistant dean of students at SMU. In 1948 he was chosen as dean of students and later became vice president in charge of development and public relations. He was elected president of SMU in 1954, succeeding Dr. Umphrey Lee.qv Tate served as president until 1971, when he was made chancellor. For a sixteen-month period beginning in June 1974 he acted as both president and chancellor; after his retirement from the later position in 1976 he was made president emeritus. Tate was active in church and public affairs, as president of the Council of Protestant Colleges and Universities; a lay delegate to the Methodist General Conference in 1952, 1956, 1964, and 1966; a member of the National Methodist General Board of Education; board chairman of the Association of American Colleges; and a member of the Southern University Conference. In 1965 he received the Alexander Meiklejohn Award of the American Association of University Professors for academic freedom. He was a member of the Dallas Council of World Affairs and president of the Council of Colleges and Universities. With two other professors he was author of the textbook, Human Behavior in Industry (1954). Tate was president of Southern Methodist University longer than any other president. He was perhaps best known for his defense of academic freedom, as illustrated by his refusals to ban books on communism in the school's library in the 1950s or to cancel a speech given on campus by Dr. Martin Luther King in the 1960s. After his first wife died in 1987, he married his former assistant, Marian Cleary. She and his children survived him after his death on October 1, 1989, while vacationing in Colorado. He was buried in Dallas.

[Greg Parker]

The president of SMU in 1963 was not Beaty but Willis Tate.

JW

Thanks Jack, but if you go back and read posts 5, 6 and 7 you'll see that James Richards advised that Beaty died in '61. Doing the math, I was quickly able to determine that he could not have been President of anything except Worm City in '63. It was a salutary lesson in being too quick to assess uncited information from a book as being correct (here based on other uncited references on the web to his being SMU president, though year/s not specified in those cases).

Anyhow, after asking just who was President in '63, James again came to the rescue.

The error aside, information provided in this thread, hopefully has provoked some thinking.