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D104198-1
Date(s)
- 1957-01-15 (Creation)
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Tacoma Mayor "Big John" Anderson at the microphone after receiving the official plaque declaring Tacoma an "All-America City" at the event banquet at the Top of the Ocean on Ruston Way in Old Town. Four hundred and thirty eight attendees watched on January 15, 1957, as Tacoma was presented the parchment "in recognition of progress achieved through intelligent city action." Only a few years earlier, Tacoma had received a "bad" rating from the American Social Hygiene Association. It was a "wide open" town where vice reigned. Ft. Lewis was threatening to put the city "off limits" and a legislative committee had aired the city's "dirty laundry" on television to the amusement of the rest of the state. The reaction was to change the city's form of government and to bring in a reformer as Police Chief. Tacoma had operated under the commission form of government for over 50 years, where the 5 commissioners as councilmen made the laws and enforced them. The form was changed to council-manager on June 1, 1953 after a hotly contested election. The new city council hired Frank Backstrom as Tacoma's first City Manager. He, in turn, imported Police Chief Roy Kerr who proceeded to stamp out prostitution and vice. Both individuals noted the contribution of John Anderson to the improvement of Tacoma. Anderson had served as Tacoma's mayor under both forms of government. (TNT 1/16/1957, pg. 1+) G 10.1-044 ALBUM 14
Awards; Mayors--Tacoma--1950-1960; Anderson, John H.;