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CITY OF LAWRENCE, KANSAS
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LAWRENCE FAIR HOUSING ORDINANCE
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50th ANNIVERSARY ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
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Interview of Richard Raney
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October 19, 2016
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(16:30:45)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Today is October 19th, 2016.
I
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am local historian Tom Arnold interviewing Dick
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Raney at the Lawrence Public Library for the City
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of Lawrence Fair Housing Ordinance 50th
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Anniversary Oral History Project.
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At the time the ordinance passed in July,
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1967, Mayor Raney was serving as a city
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commissioner and as the mayor of Lawrence and as
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mayor he signed the ordinance.
Mayor Raney, I would like to start off by
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having you tell me a little bit about your early
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background, including what brought you to Lawrence
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and what you were doing here in the mid 1960s.
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MR. RANEY:
I was a middle 30s pharmacist,
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owner of three drug stores in Lawrence.
Beyond
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that, decided to run for the City Commission and
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served four years, did not choose to run for
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reelection.
I got sort of busy.
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(10:23:33)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Okay.
And you had told me
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before that you came to Lawrence to attend K.U.
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and then stayed, or had you moved here before
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that?
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MR. RANEY:
I really stayed, came here from
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Osborne, Kansas, my hometown, and skipped my
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senior year in high school, thinking that World
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War II might be demanding of my presence and that
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maybe a year at K.U. before getting drafted would
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be helpful.
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before I matriculated.
As it is the war was over a month
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(10:24:06)
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MR. ARNOLD:
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MR. RANEY:
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(10:24:09)
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MR. ARNOLD:
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And was your degree in
pharmacy?
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Okay.
In business.
In business, okay.
And so you
opened the pharmacy after you graduated?
MR. RANEY:
Yes, three, actually in the first
decade of my being here.
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(10:24:19)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Okay, great.
Where did you live
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at the time or -- I know you had mentioned that
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you, after you were married you and your wife
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moved into a neighborhood up near Iowa.
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MR. RANEY:
We lived across from the 4-H
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grounds for the first year and a half of our
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marriage.
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'54, Rich in '55, and moved to our current
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address, my current address, 5 Westwood Road in
Then we had two children, Michelle in
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Lawrence.
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(10:24:53)
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MR. ARNOLD:
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Okay.
And was that in an
all-white neighborhood at that time?
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MR. RANEY:
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(10:24:58)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Oh, certainly.
Okay.
And would you, how would
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you kind of characterize Lawrence at that time in
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terms of the degrees of segregation and some of
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the observable discrimination?
MR. RANEY:
Well, certainly economically and
residentially very segregated.
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(10:25:15)
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MR. ARNOLD:
You had mentioned that as a
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pharmacist many African-Americans were customers
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of yours because of your willingness to work with
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them and provide them credit as needed and that
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that gave you some insights into the
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African-American community and their struggles.
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Can you describe that a little bit?
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MR. RANEY:
Provided me with quite an
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education.
There were four other drug stores in
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downtown Lawrence at that point in time, and,
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having a very tiny little drug store to begin
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with, I was finding it very difficult to establish
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clientele, and some blacks came in and needed some
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credit, I offered them, and they were uniformly
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punctual and reliable and friendships formed as a
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result of that relationship.
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(10:26:11)
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MR. ARNOLD:
So how would you describe some
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of the struggles that they faced in the 1950s and
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the levels and types of discrimination?
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MR. RANEY:
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lack of opportunity.
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a black serving the public in downtown retail
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Lawrence at that point in time and for a number of
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years following that even.
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country.
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(10:26:43).
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MR. ARNOLD:
Just what we think as a classic
The top jobs, there was not
It was a low wage
And so for many
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African-Americans were they in that era, in the
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'50s, denied even access to certain businesses and
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--
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MR. RANEY:
There were no haircuts, no food
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service.
There were no downtown restaurants,
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maybe out of city limits restaurants, that would
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serve a black.
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(10:27:04)
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MR. ARNOLD:
And I assume it was observable
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by the housing segregation that that kind of
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discrimination carried over into housing as well
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at the time?
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MR. RANEY:
Well, and just a principle that
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blacks will not be served food in a restaurant in
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Lawrence.
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think in 1957, that was still true.
When Wilt Chamberlain came here, I
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(10:27:27)
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MR. ARNOLD:
You mentioned that you served
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from '65 to '69 on the City Commission.
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inspired you to run in 1965?
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MR. RANEY:
What
I thought there were certain
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delinquencies Lawrence as a community was not
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offering the broader community base, certainly a
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swimming pool among them.
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fair housing aspect and yet that became a very
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important item on my agenda before long at all, so
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if I had a single incentive to run for the City
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Commission it was to tend to level the playing
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field.
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(10:28:10)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Great.
I thought less of the
You had, we had talked
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also earlier about at your pharmacy kind of a
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cross section of community leaders and others in
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the town would gather there for breakfast and
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you'd talk about the issues of the day.
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kind of issues come up in your discussions then?
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MR. RANEY:
Did these
You know, not so very much.
When
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these things were formalized in terms of votable
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issues, whether it be just the commission or the
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larger community in the case of the swimming pool,
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then those were issues almost exclusively talked
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of, but prior to that time, memory fails me, I
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don't -- we had a lot of fun but I don't know what
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we talked about.
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(10:28:54)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Okay, fair enough.
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served from '65 to '69.
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run again?
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You only
Why did you decide not to
You had mentioned just --
MR. RANEY:
I was busy.
I had the drug
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stores here and interests in Emporia, Coffeyville,
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Fort Scott, Ottawa.
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(10:29:10)
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MR. ARNOLD:
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Right.
Were you pleased with
what you accomplished during your four years?
MR. RANEY:
Oh, I would love to have been
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able to serve longer, but I think my primary
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mission had been at least partially served.
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(10:29:28)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Okay.
I'm going to get, before
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we get into a more detailed discussion of the fair
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housing and your time on the City Commission I
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just want to ask you again some general questions
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about what Lawrence was like in that era.
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would you describe, you know -- you've talked a
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little bit about the kind of discrimination that
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was apparent but how would you describe kind of
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the tenor of race relations between the white and
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the black community at that time?
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MR. RANEY:
How
Well, I think it was best
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described by a industrialist that occurred, a
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meeting occurred even after I was off the
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commission and the industrialist said that when a
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patrol car cruised East Lawrence all the black
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children waved at the policeman and some black in
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the back of the room said, well, if you didn't
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wave you got hit over the head.
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MR. ARNOLD:
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MR. RANEY:
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Huh.
And that probably well described
a fundamental problem.
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(10:30:33)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
Now obviously by the
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late '60s, early '70s, racial tension kind of
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broke out into some unfortunate violence in
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Lawrence but --
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MR. RANEY:
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MR. ARNOLD:
Well, --- earlier in the decade, in the
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'60s, did you sense that kind of building
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frustration and tension within the black
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community?
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MR. RANEY:
Not prior to '65.
By '67
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anti-Vietnam sentiments were running very, very
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high, particularly at the university level,
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because those were the students most affected.
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They were going to Vietnam and too many of them
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were getting killed.
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(10:31:10)
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MR. ARNOLD:
And did you see, did you have a
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sense that there was kind of an intersection
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between the two issues, that of the race issues
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and the Vietnam protest issues?
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MR. RANEY:
As a tertiary thing but not a
primary.
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(10:31:24)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Okay.
And how about the
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protests at the university?
Obviously, you know,
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reflected issues related to Vietnam and probably
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kind of a reflection of national racial issues,
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but as a local issue and the concerns of local
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African-American residents what would you say were
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some of their key frustrations in that time frame?
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You've mentioned the swimming pool as one.
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MR. RANEY:
Basic services.
They were
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remiss.
I think the large, larger, older black
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population were not particularly expecting that
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kind of thing.
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to understand better segregation, what was
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happening to them that their parents might have
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accepted but they wondered whether they should
The younger people were beginning
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accept those things.
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(10:32:20)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
And it's interesting you
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bring that up but one of the previous
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interviewers, or interviews that I conducted the
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interviewee mentioned that the high school was
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kind of a hot bed of racial frustration among some
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of the African-American students.
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sense of that or observe any of that?
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MR. RANEY:
Did you have a
It permeated the entire community
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and it focused around the high school.
There were
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some very articulate black voices being heard and
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stimulating, well, the need for one black
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cheerleader seemed to be outrageous in certain
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areas of the white community.
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reasonable when most of the starting football
It seemed very
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players, or at least half of them, were black and
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they couldn't have one black cheerleader.
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MR. ARNOLD:
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MR. RANEY:
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(10:33:11)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
It was purely offensive.
Yes.
We mentioned a little,
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talked a little bit about the pool, but in 1960
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there was an initial protest by a number of
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African-Americans over denial of access to the
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Jayhawk Plunge, which was a private pool, but
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frustration that there was no public pool
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available to them and that they couldn't have
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access to the private pool.
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what was the reaction of kind of people generally
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in Lawrence over those protests and was there
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concern that this was the beginning of a larger
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movement that would continue?
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MR. RANEY:
Did those protests --
I don't know that the thought was
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it was going to be a larger issue in the future.
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It was a very painful issue focused on that very
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thing.
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whatever it was called, and denied blacks the
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option of paying their 25 cents and swimming and
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the community had some articulate voices
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supporting the lady's being able to discriminate
A lady owned the Jayhawk, or the Plunge,
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on that basis.
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thesis.
Others rose up against that
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(10:34:28)
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MR. ARNOLD:
What would you say in general
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terms was the, were the primary impediments to
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bringing about change or any, or groups within the
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community that were most resistant to change and
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what their motives were?
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MR. RANEY:
I don't know that they were
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groups as such.
I think the Klan existed in
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Lawrence at that point in time.
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minimize the Klan's influence on community affairs
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and yet maybe the Klan had some influence, but
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there were articulate voices that were as
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segregationist as Alabama ever dreamed of being.
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MR. ARNOLD:
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MR. RANEY:
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(10:35:09)
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MR. ARNOLD:
I would like to
Huh.
Georgia or Mississippi.
Right.
And would you say that
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was just kind of a cross section of the community
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among some people who had particularly --
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MR. RANEY:
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MR. ARNOLD:
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MR. RANEY:
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Well, I would think --- racist points of view?
-- numerically those
segregationist voices were few, but they happened
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to be loud.
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MR. ARNOLD:
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MR. RANEY:
Okay.
And in some cases quite
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influential in the affairs, in the affairs of the
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community.
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(10:35:29)
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MR. ARNOLD:
And others may have been
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reluctant to stand up to them or speak out against
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them because of fearing of being singled out or
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ostracized or targeted?
MR. RANEY:
Well, it didn't seem like there
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were enough integrationists being heard at that
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point in time.
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(10:35:45)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
One group that that
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seems to have gotten involved, as we look at some
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of the community organizations that were fighting
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discriminatory practices, were often associated
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with the university faculty members, students.
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what extent would you say that the presence of the
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university in Lawrence helped to spur change by
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making people more aware of some of these issues
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and why they needed to be reversed or changed?
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MR. RANEY:
To
I think the best example of that
would be Franklin Murphy, then the chancellor of
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Kansas University, later the president of UCLA and
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then president of the Los Angeles Times, but at
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the time he was here he had gathered the
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restaurant owners of Lawrence together and made a
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pronouncement that if they didn't start serving
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blacks as they served whites, that the K.U. Union
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was going to start serving T-bone steaks at a
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price that they couldn't compete with and suddenly
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almost all the restaurants in Lawrence opened up
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their doors to the black community.
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(10:36:56)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
And the impetus for that
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meeting between him and the restaurant owners has
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actually been related to us.
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Chamberlain, Homer Floyd, Charlie Tidwell, and,
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oh, the other name is escaping me, a fourth
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athlete.
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chancellor and threatened to leave school --
They actually went and met with the
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MR. RANEY:
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MR. ARNOLD:
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It was Wilt
Yeah.
-- if he didn't address that
issue, but it sounds like -MR. RANEY:
Gale Sayers was a member of that
group.
MR. ARNOLD:
But it sounds as if that had a
real meaningful impact.
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MR. RANEY:
Economics became an issue with
regard to the restaurant owners.
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(10:37:34)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
Do you remember any
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specific incidents or problems that might have
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motivated some people to start taking action and
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addressing issues, such as, I mean, obviously that
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meeting of the athletes with Chancellor Murphy was
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one example, but does anything else come to mind
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in those early years of things that really stirred
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some people to action, particular events?
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MR. RANEY:
I think just getting the
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attention of the white community, the vast
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majority of whom were not objecting to the
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integrated nature of this community, that the
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community should be more integrated just came to
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mind.
It was not a preconceived thing.
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MR. ARNOLD:
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MR. RANEY:
Right.
But it seemed so reasonable to
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the vast majority, not to everyone, and to those
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that didn't seem to accept that, they seemed to
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have the loudest voices.
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(10:38:40)
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MR. ARNOLD:
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That's interesting you mention
that because I don't know whether you recall but
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at the time the Human Relations Commission was
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working on the Fair Housing Ordinance, before they
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actually presented it to the City Commission a
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signature drive was conducted to try and get
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people to sign a statement that they supported
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integrated housing in Lawrence and over a thousand
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people signed it, so a pretty substantial portion
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of the population of a relatively small town.
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Would that then not have surprised you that that
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number of people were willing to speak out?
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MR. RANEY:
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since forgotten it.
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at that.
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MR. ARNOLD:
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MR. RANEY:
You remind me of that.
I'd long
I don't think I was surprised
Yes.
That someone had the energy and
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the integrity to make that petition a petition was
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maybe the surprising thing.
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(10:39:30)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
And it's interesting, if
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you look at, and the city has actually plotted
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out, because the signatures or the names of
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supporters that was published in the Journal-World
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included their addresses and the city plotted out
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where all those addresses were and it was actually
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quite widely dispersed throughout Lawrence.
It
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makes it appear that there was pretty widespread
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support for those kinds of changes, which must
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have been encouraging to those of you who thought
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such changes were needed.
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MR. RANEY:
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(10:40:00)
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MR. ARNOLD:
I'd almost forgotten about that.
Yes.
Did you ever feel any
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pressure as a member of the City Commission from
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some people, or even as a business owner who
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worked with the, you know, who welcomed the black
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community as customers, did you feel pressure from
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certain segments to not be as willing to make
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changes that would be beneficial to
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African-Americans or to do business with
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African-Americans?
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MR. RANEY:
Not so much doing business but
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incorporating African-Americans into your service
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core, whether it be a waiter, a waitress, someone
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behind a cosmetic counter or somebody mixing a
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chocolate ice cream soda.
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community was noticeably missing and they wanted
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jobs but they knew better than to apply.
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(10:40:54)
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MR. ARNOLD:
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That's where the black
Interesting.
You had mentioned,
and I found it fascinating because it's maybe not
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a recognized element of the story of Tiger
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Dowdell, who obviously was tragically shot in some
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of the violence, but that he had worked for you at
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one point?
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MR. RANEY:
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MR. ARNOLD:
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MR. RANEY:
He was our evening deliveryman.
Okay.
Very popular with the girls that
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he hauled across the campus with our delivery
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vehicle.
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(10:41:17)
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MR. ARNOLD:
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said?
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MR. RANEY:
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(10:41:21)
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MR. ARNOLD:
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Because he gave them rides, you
Yes, free rides.
Great.
Did you have other
African-American employees?
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MR. RANEY:
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(10:41:25)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Yes.
And did you feel any pressure or
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take any criticism over hiring, having, you know,
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racially mutual hiring practices?
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MR. RANEY:
Certainly no criticism directed
23
at me.
24
frightening to be affected that way.
25
I probably was a little too big and too
(10:41:46)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Okay.
In addition to your
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position on the City Commission, as well as your
3
role as obviously a fairly prominent businessman,
4
were you involved in any other community
5
organizations that tried to promote ends to
6
discrimination or address discriminatory
7
practices?
8
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MR. RANEY:
commission.
Not prior to my service on the
Post-commission I was on the Ballard
10
board, Headquarters [Counseling Center],
11
Cottonwood, KANU, the university radio station, a
12
number of university committees.
13
(10:42:24)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
Now, when we talked
15
earlier, and again, you don't need to mention any
16
names whatsoever, but you had mentioned one
17
incident when you were having lunch at the
18
Eldridge Hotel of hearing something that kind of
19
helped to motivate you to want to serve --
20
MR. RANEY:
21
MR. ARNOLD:
Tremendously.
-- on the City Commission and
22
make a change in the community.
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that story to us?
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MR. RANEY:
Can you relate
This is fully a year before I
declared my candidacy, and I ran away from the
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drug store once or twice a month and was able to
2
have lunch at the Red Slipper Room in the Eldridge
3
Hotel.
4
The place was very busy and the maitre d'
5
said there was one table of four with two guys
6
sitting there and he would check with them and if
7
it was okay with them if I sat with them, and I
8
sort of knew them and I sort of didn't but they
9
were two leading Lawrence industrialists, and
10
speaking of the swimming pool in this regard, not
11
the Fair Housing Ordinance, "the darkies could
12
swim in the river; they didn't drown very often
13
anyway, did they?"
14
lady who wanted to eliminate or deny blacks access
15
to her swimming pool.
16
despair.
17
I didn't want them to grow up that way.
And that was defensive of the
It gave me a sense of
I had two young children at that time.
18
(10:43:46)
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MR. ARNOLD:
So definitely that was, when you
20
decided to run for the commission incidents like
21
that were in your mind and were symptomatic of the
22
sort of changes you wanted to bring about?
23
MR. RANEY:
Some two years later perhaps, and
24
I was then newly elected to the commission,
25
Chancellor Wescoe brought me a letter that one of
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those two men had addressed to the chancellor and
2
saying exactly the same thing:
3
just have them buy their own swimming pool if they
4
want to go swimming?
5
do anything about that?"
6
that's about 80 to 90 percent of the reason I ran
7
for the commission."
8
(10:44:30)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Well, why don't we
And he said, "Dick, can you
And I said, "Well,
Interesting.
You had also
10
related to me an incident where someone came to
11
your pharmacy one day and made kind of a veiled
12
threat about the Klan possibly not being happy
13
with some of the things you were doing.
14
just relate that again?
15
be mentioned.
16
MR. RANEY:
Can you
Again, no names need to
Well, that was about it.
He was
17
a dedicated customer and patient and I was
18
surprised that he addressed me on that score
19
because he knew me well enough to know where I
20
stood but he told me candidly that some of the
21
Klan members were terribly disappointed in me,
22
they were my patients and customers in many cases,
23
and he said, "Dick, would you like to see a list
24
of them?"
25
I said, "No, I think I'll be very happy to sleep
He pulled a list out of his pocket and
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very tight tonight and not know their names."
2
I'm sorry I didn't.
3
(10:45:32)
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MR. ARNOLD:
5
MR. RANEY:
6
MR. ARNOLD:
7
And was that -I didn't look at that list.
Was that while you were a member
of the City Commission or --
8
MR. RANEY:
9
MR. ARNOLD:
10
MR. RANEY:
11
Now
Yes.
-- was that before?
Yes, that was, yes.
That was
when we were dealing with those issues, --
12
MR. ARNOLD:
13
MR. RANEY:
14
(10:45:44)
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MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
-- fair housing, swimming pool.
So clearly there were some
16
people in town who weren't necessarily happy with
17
the direction things were --
18
MR. RANEY:
19
(10:45:49)
20
MR. ARNOLD:
21
22
Terribly unhappy.
That's disappointing to hear but
not surprising, I guess.
When you became a member of the commission,
23
you've already mentioned the swimming pool, but
24
what particular issues were you most concerned
25
about and most hopeful that you could bring about
�23
1
2
positive change?
MR. RANEY:
You know, I don't think I had a
3
long-range view beyond those issues we've already
4
visited concerning.
5
streets, but these were mechanical things.
6
a gifted city manager, Ray Wells.
We were interested in better
We had
7
Ray, incidentally, was a spiritual guide in
8
our efforts to create the Fair Housing Ordinance
9
and the swimming pool.
He offered us lovely
10
guidance.
11
manager, knowing what he thought we should be
12
thinking about in terms of improving this
13
community.
14
Ray was a far-seeking, far-looking
Ray was a mechanical guy, too.
He knew the
15
pressure behind all the fire hydrants in town, so
16
he wasn't just a dreamer, he was a technician, and
17
excellent in both regards.
18
(10:47:15)
19
MR. ARNOLD:
Great.
How would you
20
characterize the receptivity of the commission at
21
the time in April, 1967, when the Fair Housing
22
Ordinance was brought up to you?
23
with a fairly open mind or were there set
24
positions already do you think?
25
MR. RANEY:
Was it greeted
You know, with the passage of
�24
1
that ordinance I was amazed, I think all of our
2
commissioners, amazed at how little organized or
3
even how little outspokenness there was denying
4
the validity of that as a thing the community
5
should be about.
6
probably quietly didn't like for it to happen but
7
they didn't articulate a case, nor did they try.
8
(10:48:15)
9
MR. ARNOLD:
I think there were those that
Was fair housing would you say
10
an issue that was at all on your radar or
11
something that you felt like was a concern of the
12
public or were you, did you anticipate that that
13
was an issue that was going to come up to the
14
commission?
15
MR. RANEY:
I don't know what my anticipation
16
might have been or any of our commissioners.
With
17
near unanimity, when addressed to this as a
18
problem, with near unanimous consent the
19
commission agreed that that was a problem that we
20
had.
21
anticipating that.
22
our capacities, but once it was presented to us
23
people that objected were, almost all the people
24
that objected were just a few realtors, and only a
25
few of them.
I don't know how far-sighted we were in
I wouldn't want to exaggerate
�25
1
(10:49:17)
2
MR. ARNOLD:
There was actually a group
3
called the Lawrence Fair Housing Coordinating
4
Commission, I don't know whether you remember them
5
at all, but they were kind of --
6
MR. RANEY:
7
MR. ARNOLD:
Very little.
-- an umbrella organization of
8
the NAACP, the League of Women Voters, the United
9
Church Women of Lawrence.
I know probably as a
10
city commissioner you may have met periodically
11
with some of those kinds of community groups.
12
you remember any of the particular issues or
13
concerns that they would bring up to you or was
14
fair housing one of them or it so long ago that
15
it's difficult to remember?
16
MR. RANEY:
Fair housing was one and there
17
were other issues but I would be remiss in
18
thinking that I remembered much.
19
(10:49:54)
20
MR. ARNOLD:
Do
Okay.
Obviously the Human
21
Relations Commission played a pretty important
22
role in both constructing the ordinance and then
23
in making the case for it to the commission and
24
they had just had it presented to them as a
25
proposal by this Fair Housing Coordinating
�26
1
Commission in January and then presented it to the
2
commission in April.
3
the relationship between the City Commission and
4
the Human Relations Commission in that time frame?
5
Was it a group you all trusted their judgment?
6
know it was a number of fairly prominent citizens
7
in town who were --
8
MR. RANEY:
9
How would you characterize
I
Well, Fred Six articulated the
Human Relations Commission's goals eloquently.
10
Fred was a bright young attorney then, later
11
became, as we know, a Kansas Supreme Court
12
justice.
13
such an articulate, understandable, reasoned way
14
that you would have to be pretty stubborn not to
15
listen carefully.
Fred presented his commission's views in
16
(10:51:02)
17
MR. ARNOLD:
Very good.
And he was really
18
the primary author, and I asked him how that fell
19
into his lap.
20
secretary of the Human Relations Commission or the
21
fact that he was an attorney, but he ended up
22
being really the primary author of the ordinance.
23
24
25
It was either because he was the
MR. RANEY:
I don't think we changed one word
in the ordinance as he presented it to us.
(10:51:24)
�27
1
MR. ARNOLD:
Okay.
And it was interesting
2
that he modeled it after, and I don't know whether
3
you recall this, but a great deal of it was
4
modeled after Iowa City, --
5
MR. RANEY:
6
MR. ARNOLD:
7
MR. RANEY:
We thought we were the No. 2 city
8
in the country.
I don't know that we were, but we
9
felt that we were.
10
(10:51:38)
11
MR. ARNOLD:
Iowa City.
-- Iowa, because --
Yes.
Well, so you don't recall
12
that there was any effort to wordsmith or fight
13
over any of the wording, it was pretty well
14
accepted as it was written?
15
16
MR. RANEY:
I think exactly as it was
written.
17
MR. ARNOLD:
18
MR. RANEY:
19
(10:51:53)
20
MR. ARNOLD:
Okay.
That's my memory.
There were a couple of things in
21
the ordinance that I just wanted to ask you a
22
question about.
23
was unusual compared to other similar ordinances,
24
but one of the penalties for a violation was 30
25
days in jail.
One was, and I don't think this
�28
1
MR. RANEY:
2
MR. ARNOLD:
I don't remember that.
I was just going to ask you,
3
that sounded like something that maybe the real
4
estate agents would have found a little
5
controversial.
6
7
MR. RANEY:
Some of my protagonists might
have enjoyed my being in jail at least 30 days.
8
(10:52:20)
9
MR. ARNOLD:
Another thing that was in the
10
ordinance, and this was kind of interesting, it
11
was sort of a, kind of a positive appeal to the
12
good will of the people of Lawrence but it said,
13
"The City of Lawrence is a center of culture whose
14
democratic principles are being constantly
15
observed by foreign students and visitors from all
16
over the world," and then it went on to kind of
17
justify, use that as a justification for why we
18
should have fair housing in the city.
19
kind of larger consideration something that the
20
commission viewed persuasively?
21
MR. RANEY:
22
(10:52:57)
23
MR. ARNOLD:
Was that
I think so.
So really the city's reputation
24
was, besides just doing the right thing the city's
25
reputation was certainly something of concern?
�29
1
MR. RANEY:
We represented the flagship
2
university in the state of Kansas and for honestly
3
several states around and that we should as a
4
community be so far behind an enlightened
5
university attitude was offensive to many of us
6
wanting to call Lawrence our home.
7
(10:53:25)
8
MR. ARNOLD:
9
10
And I don't know whether you
recall but both, I think it was Vice Chancellor
Surface wrote a letter --
11
MR. RANEY:
12
MR. ARNOLD:
Jim Surface.
Jim Surface wrote a letter to
13
the commission at the time supporting the
14
ordinance and saying it conformed with the
15
university's housing policies at that time, which
16
had gone through their own process of evolution
17
till they had finally embraced nondiscrimination
18
in university housing, but also Ted Owens, who was
19
then the basketball coach, wrote you all a letter
20
and said how important this was to him because
21
when he went out to recruit athletes he would
22
promote Lawrence as a city which would be
23
desirable for them, and particularly selling it to
24
their parents, desirable to having their student
25
athlete attend the university there, so was the
�30
1
university's support important to you all in the
2
process?
3
MR. RANEY:
Oh, very much so.
As a sidebar
4
to that, I later appointed Ted, with support of
5
the commission, to the Human Relations Commission,
6
and I imagine 35 to 50 faculty members, many of
7
whom I didn't know, came to me with their support,
8
and maybe of those 50 only two of the 50 would not
9
support the ordinance.
10
(10:54:43)
11
MR. ARNOLD:
Interesting.
You made a comment
12
that was quoted in the Journal-World, I think at
13
the time that the ordinance was presented to you,
14
in which you praised it as, quote, a magnificent
15
piece of work, so obviously you personally were
16
quite pleased with the product that the Human
17
Relations Commission had brought up to you.
18
you think that was a reflection, again, kind of
19
the open-mindedness of the commission or a
20
recognition of the quality of work that the Human
21
Relations Commission had done in putting it
22
together?
23
MR. RANEY:
The commission was a gifted
24
commission, in my judgment, and I think with
25
perhaps only one minor exception on the City
Do
�31
1
Commission that that was felt.
2
(10:55:32)
3
MR. ARNOLD:
Okay.
When the commission held
4
hearings or -- and I know none of your meetings
5
were devoted strictly to this issue, but in going
6
back and reading the newspaper accounts, at one
7
meeting you all heard the proponents and then at a
8
separate meeting the mostly real estate business
9
representatives came in to speak in opposition.
10
Were you simply persuaded by one case over the
11
other or --
12
MR. RANEY:
I think even in the case of the
13
real estate community, and I don't think the
14
majority of that community was represented by
15
those opposed to the ordinance, I think the basis
16
for their objections were so shallow, in our
17
judgment, simplistic and out of date that they
18
were easily overlooked.
19
unanimous, always supportive of the ordinance, and
20
in a way trying to assure realtor X that this
21
wouldn't ruin him.
22
(10:56:49)
23
MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
I think our votes were
I'm going to mention
24
some names to you of people who may have played an
25
important role, just to help stimulate your
�32
1
memory, and tell me, you know, what your
2
impressions of them were and the role they played.
3
We've already talked about Fred Six, but another
4
person who's been mentioned as helping to sell the
5
case was Glenn Kappelman, who was a realtor
6
himself and a member of the Human Relations
7
Commission and was very supportive of fair
8
housing.
9
you?
10
11
Do you recall how he may have influenced
MR. RANEY:
An elegant, lovely human with all
of the right instincts.
12
(10:57:26)
13
MR. ARNOLD:
Another person that was brought
14
up by Fred Six who he thought played an important
15
role just because he was such a prominent local
16
businessman was Mike Getto, who I guess owned the
17
Eldridge at the time?
18
MR. RANEY:
19
His, Mike Getto, Sr.'s,
father-in-law owned the Eldridge.
20
MR. ARNOLD:
21
MR. RANEY:
22
MR. ARNOLD:
23
MR. RANEY:
Okay.
Billy Hutson.
Okay.
And then his, Mike Getto's son
24
served two years on the City Commission with me,
25
and I still maintain a friendship with him.
He
�33
1
lives in California.
2
fellow commissioners are all now gone.
3
(10:58:05)
4
MR. ARNOLD:
I think the balance of my
That's too bad.
Another name
5
that comes up frequently is a leader in the
6
African-American community who also I think helped
7
to make the case for the need of the ordinance,
8
because he was a victim himself of housing issues,
9
was Jesse Milan.
10
MR. RANEY:
Jesse was a well qualified
11
educator, articulate, deserving of a place on the
12
commission.
13
think Lawrence suffered as a result of that.
He ran and did not get elected.
14
(10:58:36)
15
MR. ARNOLD:
Okay.
I
Another individual who
16
came forward was Homer Floyd, former K.U. athlete
17
who at that time was serving as the director of
18
the Civil Rights Commission for the State of
19
Kansas.
20
21
MR. RANEY:
A gifted young man, not only on
the football field but intellectually.
22
(10:58:53)
23
MR. ARNOLD:
Very good.
So it sounds as if
24
there was very much of a cross-section of support,
25
which must have given you confidence as you moved
�34
1
forward, and fairly narrow opposition that clearly
2
was not convincing to the commission at the time.
3
MR. RANEY:
Well, we made a lot of friends
4
from that effort that we probably would never have
5
made otherwise.
6
(10:59:16)
7
MR. ARNOLD:
Okay.
I'm going to ask you one
8
fairly specific question and if you simply don't
9
recall this that's fair, but there was actually a
10
newspaper article that mentioned a meeting at John
11
Emick's' home with the city attorney and some
12
other city commissioners in late June in which
13
there was some discussion of possible changes to
14
the ordinance, and do you recall that at all?
15
MR. RANEY:
16
MR. ARNOLD:
17
MR. RANEY:
18
part of that meeting.
19
MR. ARNOLD:
20
MR. RANEY:
21
MR. ARNOLD:
23
MR. RANEY:
25
Okay.
I don't think I must have been a
Yes, I'm just -Now, Commissioner Emick served
the commission beyond my term.
22
24
I don't recall that.
Okay.
So it might be that that was
after my tenure, I'm not sure.
(10:59:59)
�35
1
MR. ARNOLD:
Okay.
Would that have been
2
unusual, that business meetings were being held
3
informally like that?
4
MR. RANEY:
Yes.
I'm surprised that it
5
happened, because that would be unheard of in my
6
--
7
(11:00:07)
8
MR. ARNOLD:
9
Okay.
There was also some
mention that a couple of people suggested that the
10
ordinance should have been put to a public
11
referendum.
12
that or did you ever feel any pressure to do that?
Was there ever any consideration of
13
MR. RANEY:
14
MR. ARNOLD:
15
MR. RANEY:
16
Not, not by this commission.
Okay.
There might have been voices
outside, but not in this commission.
17
(11:00:31)
18
MR. ARNOLD:
So no discussion among
19
yourselves that you would ever have considered
20
doing that?
21
MR. RANEY:
We were so unanimous in our
22
thinking, both appointed commissions and elected
23
commissions.
24
(11:00:42)
25
MR. ARNOLD:
Very good.
Did you have any
�36
1
concerns about what the public reaction would be,
2
whether there would be any negative reaction
3
towards that, or did you feel --
4
MR. RANEY:
From the drug store/soda fountain
5
point of view there was very little mention made,
6
very little.
7
(11:01:00)
8
MR. ARNOLD:
9
Good.
So given the passage of
the Fair Housing Ordinance and the fact that there
10
didn't seem to be much overt opposition to it
11
would you say, and I think we've already kind of
12
touched on this, but if you could just elaborate
13
on your thoughts, that the community in general,
14
other than some small group of voices, was fairly
15
receptive to change?
16
MR. RANEY:
I think they were almost
17
inattentive, nonplussed.
18
only affected those people in the commercial area,
19
residential, commercial area.
20
private homeowners, it didn't affect a person that
21
had a spare bedroom that they would rent to a
22
student.
23
MR. ARNOLD:
24
MR. RANEY:
25
You see, this ordinance
It didn't affect
Right.
So unlike the swimming pool,
which affected taxpayers, affected your sense of
�37
1
race being in the swimming pool with a black body,
2
that affected a much larger segment of the
3
community.
4
(11:02:10)
5
MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
And since you bring up
6
the swimming pool, it was later in 1967 that the
7
bond finally passed to build the public swimming
8
pool but that was, I think, on the third attempt.
9
MR. RANEY:
10
MR. ARNOLD:
Yes.
What would you say was the
11
nature of the opposition that caused it to fail
12
the first two times?
13
it simply the public not wanting to put forward
14
the money, or a little of both?
15
16
MR. RANEY:
Was it race concerns or was
I think it was 80 percent race
and maybe 20 percent economics.
17
MR. ARNOLD:
18
MR. RANEY:
Okay.
I enjoyed my interaction with
19
merchants.
20
microphone.
21
addressing individual merchants and putting the
22
mic. in their face and saying, "Aren't you
23
supportive of the swimming pool?"
24
dare say no.
25
The radio station gave me a
I went up and down the street
(11:03:03)
And they didn't
�38
1
MR. ARNOLD:
And I was going to ask you, the
2
next question is what do you think finally turned
3
the corner in late '67 when that bond initiative
4
passed?
5
but, what finally got it over the top?
And you said it passed fairly narrowly,
6
MR. RANEY:
Well, I think the community
7
conscience prevailed.
8
coming thing, evidenced by the previous
9
rejections.
I think it was a slow
This, as I recall, got a tremendous
10
turnout from the Lawrence public.
11
they had a little stake in this election.
12
(11:03:42)
13
MR. ARNOLD:
Good.
Everyone felt
And you mentioned you
14
going around with a microphone to put some
15
business owners on the spot.
16
other efforts of proponents to try and get out the
17
vote and to convince people to vote in favor?
18
19
MR. RANEY:
Do you remember any
Well, I don't remember anything
specifically.
20
(11:04:01)
21
MR. ARNOLD:
Okay.
A few months before the
22
bond passed, I think in the late summer of '67,
23
the city rented a swimming pool in West Lawrence
24
and made it available to the public as an
25
integrated pool.
Do you remember any of the
�39
1
2
specifics behind what motivated that?
MR. RANEY:
Well, no.
I think it was a
3
suggestion that was easily accepted as a good
4
idea.
5
and it was such a partial solution as to not be
6
thought of as any kind of a solution really.
It was a very hot summer, I recall that,
7
(11:04:43)
8
MR. ARNOLD:
9
Okay.
There's actually a story
that's related, and I think it's in Rusty
10
Monhollon's book, about the '60s in Lawrence in
11
which sometime late in that summer there were
12
threats by some African-American youth towards
13
violence based on a number of their complaints but
14
one of which was not having access to a swimming
15
pool and so there was some suggestion in his book
16
that the commission might have acted because of
17
concerns that they wanted to head off violence.
18
Is that your recollection at all?
19
MR. RANEY:
20
(11:05:11)
21
MR. ARNOLD:
No.
Okay.
Do you have a sense that
22
after both the passage of the Fair Housing
23
Ordinance, the passage of the swimming pool bond,
24
that that had kind of created momentum towards
25
addressing other aspects of discrimination and
�40
1
segregation in Lawrence?
2
was a growing amount of community support?
3
MR. RANEY:
I don't think I had much of a
4
sense of anything.
5
what had happened.
6
MR. ARNOLD:
7
MR. RANEY:
Did you sense that there
I was just willing to accept
Right.
And that was to me the
8
representation of progress.
9
to go from there.
10
(11:05:53)
11
MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
I didn't know where
We already talked a
12
little bit about some individuals who kind of
13
played an important role in both promoting the
14
Fair Housing Ordinance.
15
individuals that come to mind, either in that
16
respect or in the civil rights movement in general
17
who were promoting change, or in the swimming pool
18
issue?
19
sure you have an opportunity to recognize any
20
other individuals who you thought played a
21
positive role.
Do you recall any other
Anybody else who -- I just want to make
22
MR. RANEY:
You've certainly touched on some
23
important ones.
24
lovely human, a colleague of Glenn Kappelman's.
25
Cliff was very supportive and in the insurance and
Oh, I remember Cliff Calvin, a
�41
1
real estate business and there were a number of --
2
Bob -- oh my.
3
memory.
Bob Charlton was another supportive
4
person.
Up and down the street.
5
Marks, owned Mark's jewelry store.
6
Weaver quietly supported.
7
number.
8
were many.
You're stretching my ancient
I think Julius
I think Art
Yes, there were a
I'm sorry to only name a few, and there
9
(11:07:10)
10
MR. ARNOLD:
Great.
Let me just see if --
11
we've kind of covered a number of things.
12
wanted to talk to you a little bit about national
13
events, such as, you know, things like in 1968 the
14
assassination of Martin Luther King.
15
that, particularly as we got into the late '60s
16
and there was turmoil in the country, and some of
17
that may have spilled over into some of the unrest
18
in Lawrence?
19
perceptions of larger national issues and how they
20
influenced what happened in the community?
21
I just
Did you see
How did you see the community's
MR. RANEY:
Interesting as a sidebar, our
22
commission was meeting with some aggrieved black
23
citizens in the building on Massachusetts, the
24
senior center, and someone came in the room and
25
whispered in this lovely black lady's ear that
�42
1
Martin Luther King had just been killed.
2
there to protest her father, who had been on the
3
garbage truck for 20 some years, never allowed to
4
drive the truck.
5
accident he was always on the back end of the
6
truck, now he was too old to be jumping up and
7
down off that truck and back on, and wondering why
8
her father was where he was.
9
(11:08:34)
10
MR. ARNOLD:
11
MR. RANEY:
12
MR. ARNOLD:
She was
Even though he'd never had an
Huh.
Yes.
And you had mentioned I think
13
when you were interviewed by Rusty Monhollon, that
14
-- and you actually brought up that meeting in
15
which the word came to the community that Martin
16
Luther King had been assassinated and you said in
17
the book, or he quoted you as saying that when you
18
saw the reaction of the members of the
19
African-American community that was there that
20
night, that you came to the realization that
21
things were about to change in Lawrence.
22
just elaborate on that a little bit and kind of
23
characterize their reaction and what you saw in
24
their eyes that led you to know that this was a
25
groundbreaking event that was going to lead to
Can you
�43
1
2
changes?
MR. RANEY:
Well, it was to me visceral.
I
3
couldn't point to a single thing except what kind
4
of a commission would not address that girl's
5
father?
And we did.
6
(11:09:32)
7
MR. ARNOLD:
Good.
And I think often it's
8
the little things like that that end up adding up
9
and making a difference over time.
10
Were you surprised, and this would have been
11
mostly after your tenure on the City Commission,
12
but were you surprised at the kind of unrest and
13
violence that broke out in the late '60s and early
14
'70s in the city and on campus?
15
MR. RANEY:
Well, really not surprised
16
because the nation was rising up against the
17
Vietnam War and we had a concentration of people
18
that age group who were going to be vitally and
19
perhaps terminally fatally affected and so
20
emotions ran very high, not at all surprising.
21
MR. ARNOLD:
22
MR. RANEY:
23
Yes.
Keeping a lid on somehow was the
challenge.
24
(11:10:25)
25
MR. ARNOLD:
Right.
And I've talked to a
�44
1
couple of members of the, I don't know whether you
2
remember Ron and Don Dalquest, --
3
MR. RANEY:
4
MR. ARNOLD:
5
I do.
-- members of the Police
Department, and they --
6
MR. RANEY:
7
MR. ARNOLD:
Twins.
Yes, they are.
And they
8
described the challenges they faced in a very
9
small Police Department --
10
MR. RANEY:
11
MR. ARNOLD:
Very small.
-- that was trying to handle
12
this unrest and some of the descriptions that I've
13
read of the violence, you know, gunfire in
14
Lawrence.
15
place and did order seem to be highly tenuous for
16
the average citizen, that you kind of lived in a
17
bit of fear?
18
Did the city seem like a very dangerous
MR. RANEY:
It didn't affect me that way.
I
19
bet it did some.
20
bulletproof, and maybe if I had been my age now I
21
would have been more concerned.
22
I was young enough to be
In terms of affecting the larger community, I
23
can't hardly believe that we felt that way.
We
24
knew the affected population and almost had to
25
stand aside, didn't know how to remedy --
�45
1
MR. ARNOLD:
2
MR. RANEY:
3
(11:11:41)
4
MR. ARNOLD:
5
Right.
Just kind of had --
-- that war.
Yes.
Kind of had to let it burn
itself out and let the, --
6
MR. RANEY:
7
MR. ARNOLD:
Yes.
-- let the frustrations be
8
unleashed and then hopefully order would
9
eventually be restored.
10
Do you feel like as a long-time member of the
11
community that after that very difficult period
12
was over did it play in an unfortunate way any
13
positive role in continuing to promote change in
14
Lawrence?
15
16
MR. RANEY:
I'd have to study that as a
question.
17
MR. ARNOLD:
18
MR. RANEY:
19
(11:12:12)
20
MR. ARNOLD:
Okay.
I don't have a ready answer.
Yes.
I think often change is
21
incremental and sometimes difficult to measure
22
other than, you know, things like the swimming
23
pool obviously was one that was very visible and
24
affected people immediately, but many other
25
changes, like probably to the Fair Housing
�46
1
Ordinance, --
2
3
MR. RANEY:
There might have been a few dozen
other incremental changes so slight as to --
4
MR. ARNOLD:
5
MR. RANEY:
6
(11:12:34)
7
MR. ARNOLD:
Right, yes.
-- be hard to remember.
Right, right.
In reflecting
8
back on the role you played as a member of the
9
Lawrence City Commission for four years what
10
accomplishments are you most proud of?
11
MR. RANEY:
Oh, I think those two.
I think
12
my public service career is wrapped up with those
13
two.
14
(11:12:59)
15
MR. ARNOLD:
Very good.
Thinking back on
16
that fairly tumultuous period and the struggles of
17
people to bring about change, what do you think
18
young people today can learn from that and take
19
away as lessons in terms of promoting social
20
change and community activism today to try and
21
make Lawrence, or any community, a better place?
22
MR. RANEY:
Well, I'm pleased that we're so
23
far advanced from where we were in the era that
24
we're talking about here today.
25
are mountains yet to be climbed, but, oh, we're in
Certainly there
�47
1
better shape now and progress is yet to be made.
2
(11:13:49)
3
MR. ARNOLD:
Right, yes.
One thing that's
4
fairly evident in going back and looking at how
5
the fair housing issue worked its way up to
6
finally getting to the Human Relations Commission
7
and then to the City Commission is that it was
8
very much or in very many respects kind of a
9
bottom-up community-based movement that involved
10
organizations, as I mentioned before, the NAACP,
11
the League of Women Voters, there was a group
12
called the League for the Promotion of Democracy,
13
other groups like that.
14
kind of community-based social activism is a way
15
to bring about positive change even though it can
16
sometimes take a long time?
17
MR. RANEY:
Do you believe that that
Well, I certainly thought that in
18
that era past.
I was an enthusiastic member of
19
the Elizabeth Ballard Center, North Lawrence, Penn
20
House, Cottonwood, Headquarters.
21
properly motivated and represented advances in our
22
community as an attitude, so yes, I'm enthusiastic
23
in that sort of effort.
24
(11:15)
25
MR. ARNOLD:
Those were
Are you still involved in any of
�48
1
those --
2
MR. RANEY:
3
MR. ARNOLD:
4
MR. RANEY:
5
(11:15:07)
6
MR. ARNOLD:
No.
-- types of efforts?
I became too long of tooth.
But I'm sure you probably are
7
still associated with people who are, and I know
8
you represent a member of the community who's had
9
a long history of trying to bring about positive
10
11
change.
MR. RANEY:
Well, with the help of my
12
grandsons we still enjoy contributing to all those
13
things we can manage.
14
MR. ARNOLD:
15
end of my questions.
16
the opportunity if there's anything we didn't
17
cover or any other stories you remember that you
18
want to have the opportunity to relate while
19
you're here I open the floor up to you for
20
anything you'd like to add.
21
MR. RANEY:
22
have enjoyed it.
23
MR. ARNOLD:
Great.
Well, I have come to the
I just wanted to give you
Tom, it's been a good visit.
I
Thank you.
Well, great.
Well, thank you
24
very much, and again, thank you for participating
25
in our project and thank you for the important
�49
1
role you played in bringing about the Fair Housing
2
Ordinance in Lawrence.
3
MR. RANEY:
4
MR. ARNOLD:
5
MR. RANEY:
6
MR. ARNOLD:
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Minimal.
Minimal.
All right, sir.
Good luck.
Thank you very much.
*****
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
City of Lawrence Fair Housing Ordinance 50th Anniversary Oral History Project
Subject
The topic of the resource
Discrimination in housing -- Kansas -- Lawrence -- History
African Americans -- Segregation -- Kansas -- Lawrence -- History
Lawrence (Kan.) -- Race relations -- History
Description
An account of the resource
<p>On July 18, 1967, Lawrence mayor Richard Raney signed into law Ordinance 3749, which provided fair housing protections to the citizens of Lawrence and predated the passage of the federal fair housing ordinance by almost a year. The purpose of this oral history project, sponsored by the City of Lawrence to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ordinance, is to document and capture the memories, roles and issues surrounding the passage of Ordinance 3749.</p>
<p>In May 1961 the Lawrence City Commission established an interracial Lawrence Human Relations Commission (LHRC) to “further amicable [race] relations” and “investigate…practices of discrimination” within the city. Separately, in 1964 various community organizations, including the NAACP and church groups, formed the Lawrence Fair Housing Coordinating Committee (LFHCC). Working together, the LHRC and the LFHCC submitted a proposed fair housing ordinance to the Lawrence City Commission in April 1967 seeking to address discriminatory practices in the sale and rental of homes in the city that effectively perpetuated patterns of racial segregation. Although strongly opposed by the Lawrence Real Estate Board representing local agents, the Fair Housing Ordinance passed the city commission on July 18, 1967. As its stated purpose the ordinance aimed “to provide for the general welfare of the citizens of Lawrence by declaring discriminatory practices in the rental, leasing, sale, financing or showing and advertising of dwelling units, commercial units or real property to be against public policy, and to provide for enforcement thereof.”</p>
<p>Approval of Lawrence’s Fair Housing Ordinance predated the signing of the Federal Fair Housing Act by nine months and preceded passage of the Kansas Fair Housing Act by nearly three years. This landmark piece of civic legislation, promoted by a diverse group of concerned residents of a university town that viewed itself as an example of American values to outsiders, including foreign students, and aspired to embody the ideals of its Free-State legacy, addressed discriminatory practices in housing, providing means for victims to seek redress and imposing penalties on violators. The origins, development and importance of this citizen-inspired movement warrants examination and interpretation as the city approaches the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Ordinance of 1967. <br /><br />Interviews for this project were conducted by Thomas Arnold in the summer and fall of 2016.</p>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
City of Lawrence (Lawrence, Kan.)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016
Relation
A related resource
<p>Click <a href="https://soundcloud.com/lawrenceksaudio/sets/50-years-of-fair-housing-in">here</a> to access the audio recordings of the interviews in this collection.</p>
<p>A selection of the interviews were also recorded on video. Click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzt8e_efB6wWS-BHMpGWKW46fyHPtfKPZ">here</a> to access the video recordings of the interviews in this collection.</p>
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview
Arnold, Tom
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed
Raney, Richard
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Interview of Richard Raney
Subject
The topic of the resource
Discrimination in housing -- Kansas -- Lawrence -- History
Segregation -- Kansas -- Lawrence -- History
Lawrence (Kan.) -- Race relations -- History
Ordinance 3749 (Lawrence, Kan.)
Jayhawk Plunge (Lawrence, Kan.)
Description
An account of the resource
Oral history interview with Richard Raney, who was the mayor of Lawrence at the time the city's fair housing ordinance was passed in July 1967. This interview was conducted by Tom Arnold on October 19, 2016, as part of the Lawrence Fair Housing Ordinance 50th Anniversary Oral History Project.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Raney, Richard
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Lawrence Fair Housing Ordinance 50th Anniversary Oral History Project
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
City of Lawrence, Human Relations Division (Lawrence, Kan.)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
10/19/2016
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Arnold, Tom
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. The public may freely copy, modify, and share this Item for noncommercial purposes if they include the original source information. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Relation
A related resource
<p>Click <a href="https://soundcloud.com/lawrenceksaudio/richard-raney-audio-only-hi?in=lawrenceksaudio/sets/50-years-of-fair-housing-in">here</a> to listen to the audio recording of this interview.</p>
<p>Click <a href="https://youtu.be/6k_dInoIWPg">here</a> to view the video recording of this interview.</p>
<p>The Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas is the official repository for this collection of oral histories.</p>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RaneyInterview101916.pdf (transcript)
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Lawrence (Kan.)
1940s - 1967