HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/08/1987December 6, 1987
Dear Jim:
In answer to your request for more information (dates, inci-
dents, etc) about any assistance that I may have given to
minorities since I have been in Maplewood, I find it difficult
but since Sister Claire has nominated me for an award, I
will try to do the best I can. Before I start you should
know something of my background. I was born to a relatively
poor family in a wealthy suburb of New York City when people
lived in large houses that required a staff of servants to
operate. Our town as a result had a black population of over
20% in a total of about 45, 000. Most of these blacks were
servants and many of them lived, together with their families,
on the same premises as their employers. The less affluent
whites worked as service employees in the community and also
as servants. The wealthy,chiefly, commuted to New York City
where they were enployed in big business. As a result of
this unique situation, the children of all these different
classes went to the same schools. The town had only one high
school so everyone (white, black, rich, poor) went to the
same school. As a result of being so closely associated,
everyone got to know and appreciate each other and we all
graduated "colored-blind" feeling at ease with each other
regardless of our race, creed or wealth. The majority of
the graduates, including the blacks, went on to college.
All of us had a good role model to follow andlearned what
education could do for us.
With that background and six years in the service, I came
to St Paul in 1947 to work for the 3M Company. The minority
population in the area at that time was much smaller then
at present. They were chiefly employed by the railroads and
the government. The white populations did not really know
them and as a result did not bother much about them. It was
just that the whites had never got to know peoples of other
races. Since the war, however, the Twin City Area has received
an influx of minorities from several races. This was due
chiefly from economics conditions in the South, which caused
the Blacks to migrate to seek better opportunities, the His-
panics following the harvest, the Hmong and other Southeastern
Asian peoples running from the war in their country. At the
present time there really has been little change in the atti-
tude of the white population although many try to understand
the problems of these minorities although they do not really
know the people.
In 1949, our family moved to New Canada Township (now Maple-
wood) . After a short time I was elected the president of
the Gladstone Community Club. Shortly there after I asked
Florence Hughes to be the editor of the club's monthly news-paper. Florence was black and a librarian for the state.Her husband, Jim, was employed by the post office and theylivedonatractoflandatthecornerofHazlewoodAvenueandCountyRoadB. She did an excellent job as editor andbecamewellknownandlikedinthecommunity.
In 1954 or 55, Jim and Florence were encouraged by the TownBoard, of which I was a member, to plat their land into in-dividual lot and sell them for custom housing rather thensellthetracttoadeveloper. As an inducement, the costofnecessaryimprovementwereassessedtoeachlotovera20yearperiodratherthanrequiringacashpaymentuponcompletion. The Hughes Development is one of the nicest neigh-borhoods in Maplewood.
In 1963 I recommended that 3M hire Lois B. Johnson, the firstblackfemalelaboratorytachnicianinthecompany.Loisisgettingreadytocelebrateher25thanniversitywith3Mandalsolookingforwardtoretiring. About 1972, Lois waslookingforahousetobuy, and I took her out to see theHugheswhointroducedhertotheirneighborandfoundherahouse. She still lives in Maplewood and I was able to recom-mend her daughter for a job with the Maplewwood Police Depart-ment.
In 1964 I recommended that 3M hire Bill Bowman, one of thefirstblackengineersattheCompany. When ask what salaryweshouldstarthimatbecausetheStateofMinnesotawaspayinghimsopoorily, I replied that we should pay him the3Mrateforhiseducationandexperience. Bill has done anexcellentjobfor3Mandhasrecentlybeengivenanawardforexcellence.
In 1976, after returning to work after a heart attack, IrequestedthatIberelievedfrommanagementresponsibitiesandbegivenalaboratorysoIcouldreturntodevelopmentwork. I was assigned a black technician, Alvan Roe. Al wasagoodtechnicianandwasgoingtotheUniversitytogetadegreeinbusiness. We in the lab encouraged Al and hegothisdegreeandisnowworkinginmarketingat3M.
In 1968 my wife and I encouraged our daughter, Elizabeth,to attend Spellman College in Atlanta, Georgia as an exchangestudent. Spellman is an all black, girls school. Biz wasstudyingsocialworkandtheopportunitytolivewithanotherraceanddoherfieldworkinablackenvironmentwouldgiveherabetterunderstandingofherwork( and make her a betterperson.
In approximatety 1972, the Maplewood Police Civil Service
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Commission changed the wording of it's regulations to elimin-
ate the position of "policeman" and "policewoman" and created
a single classification of "police officer". The woman who
was doing the combined work of police woman and police secre-
tary was refused the position of police officer by the city
manager. After a hearing by the State Human Rights Commission,
the case was tried in District Court and the ruling was in
favor of giving her the position of police officer, as speci-
fied by the regulations.
Since retiring from 3M in 1979, among other volunteer- work,
I have spent 10 years working with the United Way of the
Saint Paul Area as a volunteer Loaned Executive. I spend
three months each year working at setting up campaigns in
various companies in the area. The problem is to educate
the employees of the companies about the needy and the agen-
cies that provide them services. This involves tours of agen-
cies, providing speakers from the agencies or explaining
the needs ourselves. This requires a knowledge of the agen-
cies. As most agencies are heavily involved with the minorit-
ies, I have a knowledge oftheir problems and the work of
the agencies to solve them. As a result of my work with the
United Way, I was awarded the "Unsung Hero Award" for 1985.
A copy of the citation that was read at the award ceremony
is attached for further information.
I hope that this will provide you with the information that
you need.
Ed. O'Mara
Gc eyce'C wA
UNITED WAY AWARDS 5 "unsung hero"
ir
United Way"s "unsung hero" award is presented to one individual and,
symboliically through that person, it honors all volunteers.
It is presented for "persevering commitment to others. " The ideal cand-
idate has a HISTORY of volunteer service to the community, including
United Way, in roles that are often performed quietly and without re-
cognition beyound an occasional "thanks. "
This year's "unsung hero, " Ed O'Mara, has a most impressive volunteer
history. For the basics of his United Way Involvement, I refer you
to the printed program. . . I will till in some details and some informat-
ion on his other community activities:
Ed O'Mara has given more than thirty years of volunteer service on
the village council and the Police Civil Service Commission of the
community formerly called "New Canada Township. " Today, we call it
Maplewood. . . and it was Ed O'Mara who gave it that name.
Ed O'Mara led the committees for the building of the church and the
school at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish in Maplewood.
He organized a fund-raising committee to keep Hill High School open
during difficult times, arid was instrumental in the merger that created
Hill-Murray High School .
He has been an active Boy Scout volunteer since 1934 an is currently
an Honorary Life Member of the Indianhead Council and has been awarded
the Silver Beaver and the St. George Emblem.
Ed is a board member and vice-president of the Ramsey Unit of the
American Cancer Society, has been a CPR trainer and is a Speakers Bureau
member for the American Heart Association, and a board member for KOPE
KEEP OLDER PEOPLE EMPLOYED.
As a Loaned Eecutive for United Way, Ed brought together the manage-
ment of North Star Steel and United Steel Workers of America local
7263 for the first truly joint labor/management United Way campaign
in this area. It 's worth noting, in view of an earlier award, that
one of the union workers whose interest in United Way was cultivated
by Ed during that campaign was Nyals Kittle.
Here's how one of Ed 's eaarly United Way co-workers sums it up. . . Ed
is thorough in planning and preparing for any task, and resourceful
and perserving to see it through. His own self-respect for the needs
of any organization he serves demand that he always give his best.
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MHRC - Criteria for Human Rights Award
The Maplewood Human Relations Commission will award
the Human Rights Award to a citizen or group in Maplewood
based on the following accomplishments:
performed a specific service as a volunteer or paid
employee to eliminate discrimination based on sex,
race, religion, or
shown commitment to protecting and preserving the
dignity and worth of all persons.
Specific information/Instructions on other side.
example of providing for another the basic human right of health
care could be shown. These children will be able to return to
their homeland and lead productive lives with dignity and worth
in themselves thanks to the Sisters of St . Paul ' s Priory.
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