Remembering Ralph Merritt, the Manzanar director who aided JACL

Vol. 56, No. 15, April 12, 1963. 4 pages. View this issue

Ralph P. Merritt, the former project director at Manzanar, died at 80, and the issue opened with an editorial and a news story in his memory. Both recalled his friendship with Japanese people and his part in starting the JACL history project. A UCLA regent, he was praised by Frank Chuman as a man of courage, wisdom and patience. Spark Matsunaga spoke at the Philadelphia JACL installation dinner, and the issue printed his address in full, along with a story on his remarks about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Battalion. Larry Tajiri covered the evening.

Elsewhere, the four pages followed state action on civil rights: Nebraska ended its ban on interracial marriage, Missouri saw a repeal bill introduced, and Maryland signed an equal accommodations law. Also inside are a 442nd Hall of Fame dedication in Honolulu, new Tsukamoto scholarships in the JACL scholarship program, and Waseda hikers welcomed by the Reno JACL.

What’s in this issue

Obituaries

• He Helped to Write History, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The editorial honors Ralph P. Merritt, former Manzanar project director, for his lifelong friendship with the Japanese and his efforts against racial prejudice. It recounts his humane administration of the camp and his role in the Japanese American history project.
• Ralph Merritt, 80, Manzanar Director, Succumbs, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Merritt, a UCLA regent who initiated the JACL history project, died April 3 in Los Angeles. Frank Chuman and others praised him as a man of courage, wisdom, and patience.

Community

• Reno JACL Coordinates Welcome Activities for Five Waseda Cross-Country Hikers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Reno JACL hosted five Waseda University students on a cross-country goodwill hike to New York, with a potluck dinner at the Debold home. The hikers planned to reach Salt Lake City by April 26.
• Three Midshipmen Visit Rep. Holifield, Who Appointed Them, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three Los Angeles midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy thanked Congressman Chet Holifield for their appointments. The article notes the history of Nisei appointments to the service academies.
• USC Receives Carnegie Grant of $180,000 to Encourage Japanese and Chinese Studies, by P.C. Staff, page 1. USC received a $180,000 Carnegie Corp. grant to fund high school teacher training in Chinese and Japanese. The program aims to increase youth interest in Far Eastern studies.
• Philadelphia JACL Installation Hailed as Most Successful, by Larry Tajiri, page 2. Rep. Spark Matsunaga, William Marutani, Mike Masaoka, and John Yoshino spoke at the Philadelphia JACL installation dinner. Matsunaga urged Nisei to abandon prewar attitudes and to remain vigilant.
• JACLer Named Manager of Space Science Laboratory, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. Hideo Yoshihara, a theoretical aerodynamics expert and former Dayton JACL president, was appointed manager of the Space Science Laboratory at General Dynamics-Astronautics. He leads research in molecular physics and solid-state physics.
• Why a JACL: Text of Congressman Matsunaga’s Philadelphia Address, by Spark Matsunaga, page 3. Rep. Matsunaga’s speech at the Philadelphia JACL installation praised JACL’s achievements and asked whether the organization still has purpose. He urged Nisei to reject hyphenated identity and remember the wartime 442nd and 100th.
• Duets Report, by Masao Satow, page 4. Satow reports on his Northern California regional meetings, including the NC-WNDC board and Sonoma County Chapter events. He describes planned workshops on public relations and chapter assistance.
• Welcome Activities and Family Bowling Night Coverage, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Contra Costa JACL held a family bowling night with 92 participants and announced trophy winners. Volunteers and committee members who organized the event were recognized.
• Urashima Taro Performance Delights Audience, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A Contra Costa JACL program featured a dance performance of Urashima Taro by Madame Fujima’s students. The event was part of a community gathering with panel discussion announced for April 19.
• Salt Lake JACL Scholarship Award of $200 Now Available, by Tomoko Yano, page 4. The Salt Lake JACL announced a $200 scholarship for high school applicants with a family member in the chapter. Applicants must submit a personal letter and school recommendation.
• Maryland Governor Signs First Civil Rights Law, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Maryland Governor J. Millard Tawes signed a law requiring equal accommodations in hotels and restaurants. The statute will be enforced in most counties after June 1.

JACL

• Tsukamoto Awards Added to JACL Scholarship Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL opened its scholarship program, adding the Col. Walter T. Tsukamoto Memorial Scholarships funded by his widow. Seven scholarships are available to high school graduates of Japanese ancestry nominated by chapters.

National

• Bill Against Block-Busting Tactics May Salvage Rumford Fair Housing Measure, by P.C. Staff, page 1. After Berkeley voters rejected its anti-discrimination housing ordinance, California legislators weighed the statewide Rumford fair housing bill. A separate anti-block-busting bill was introduced as a possible salvage.
• Anti-Miscegenation Repeal Introduced in Missouri, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Missouri Rep. Hugh J. White introduced a bill to repeal the state’s long-standing ban on interracial marriages. Under current law, couples married elsewhere are barred from residing in Missouri.
• Nebraska Governor Signs LB 179, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nebraska Governor Frank Morrison signed a bill eliminating prohibitions on interracial marriages. National JACL President K. Patrick Okura praised the action, noting JACL and the Omaha chapter had supported it.
• Rep. Walter Prefers N.Y.’s Banned Prayer, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Francis E. Walter of Pennsylvania opposed the Supreme Court’s ruling banning state-sponsored school prayer. His letters carried the banned prayer text at their top.
• Supreme Court Hears Arguments on School Prayer and Bible Reading, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Maryland and Pennsylvania school prayer and Bible reading cases. Justices questioned whether such practices coerce students and how the free exercise clause applies.

Commentary

• Our Neighbors to the North, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial examines Canada’s national election and the anti-American stories in the U.S. press. It also traces the history of U.S.-Canadian relations and their defense ties.
• Michigan Constitution Ratified, by Dr. Joseph D. Sasaki, page 2. Sasaki, writing from Ann Arbor, celebrates Michigan voters’ adoption of a new state constitution that establishes a civil rights commission. He notes the upcoming 1964 JACL convention in Detroit.
• In Support of Carol, by Pat Nagano, page 2. Nagano, of San Luis Obispo JACL, supports a member’s call for self-scrutiny within JACL. He argues the organization must act on its convictions to remain purposeful and strong.
• Vagaries, by Larry Tajiri, page 3. Tajiri reflects on Japanese American film and literary projects of the 1930s and on Nisei Parade. He notes the Japanese American community’s creative history.
• Ex-Missionary to Japan Well-Known to Evacuees to Attend PSWDC Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Rev. Herbert V. Nicholson, a former missionary to Japan, will give the invocation at the PSWDC convention banquet May 18. Congressman Cecil King will be the principal speaker.

Military & Veterans

• Thirty Years Ago, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The column looks back at early Nisei theatrical and film efforts in Los Angeles, including Little Tokyo Players and Nisei Parade. It describes the productions and the people who made them.
• Hawaii Civic Leader Dr. Kurisaki Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Harry H. Kurisaki, a Honolulu dentist and civic leader, died April 2. He helped found the Society of American Citizens and was an early Nisei candidate for public office.
• Matsunaga: Nisei Should Rid Prewar Attitudes, by Spark Matsunaga, page 3. Matsunaga recounts the formation of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, including the mass volunteering from Hawaii and the mainland camps. He honors the unit’s heroism and urges Nisei to abandon prewar attitudes.
• 442nd Hall of Fame Dedicated in Honolulu, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Gov. Burns dedicated a 442nd Hall of Fame in Honolulu during a 20th anniversary reunion. The display includes unit colors, a roll of Distinguished Service Cross winners, and memorabilia.

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