The Miami Herald: Making History / Dec. 2012 Preservation Today by Dade Heritage Trust

PRESERVATION TODAY

7KH 0LDPL +HUDOG 0DNLQJ +LVWRU\

OUR EXPERIENCE IS YOUR ADVANTAGE One firm stands at the center of Brickell Key’s real estate success story - Swire Realty. Our ties to the island’s history run deep, and our track record and product knowledge are second to none. This expertise can significantly enhance your sale, purchase or rental outcome. Why settle for anything less? Visit us today. We’re here. And we’re ready.

625 Brickell Key Drive, Miami FL 33131 305.372.1288

www.swirerealty.com

M-F 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Multilingual Staff

So someone tried to describe to you how Miami’s so different, so exciting and so al fresco. Know this. No tweet, snapshot or posting will ever be enough. You so have to visit to get it. MiamiandBeaches.com © Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau – The Official Destination Marketing Organization for Greater Miami and the Beaches.

CEO and Editor Becky Roper Matkov

Preservation Today

2012 Issue

Graphic Designer Luis Gonzalez

Message from the President

Contributing Writers

DHT’s Holiday Celebration

From the CEO/Editor

DHT’s Student Tours of Historic Miami Sites

Dade Heritage Days 2012

DHT’s Annual Preservation Awards

The Miami Herald: Writing and Making History

The Knight Brothers: Building a Legacy

Laura Camayd Alexandria D’Agostino Linda Gassenheimer Linda Collins Hertz Bea L. Hines Morris Hylton III Howard Kleinberg Becky Roper Matkov Arva Moore Parks Randall Robinson

Alvah H. Chapman, Jr.: The Herald’s Leader Extraordinaire 30 The Evolution of el Nuevo Herald

The Miami News and the Miami Herald

Memories of a Herald Trail Blazer

Working in the Herald Building: Close to Heaven

The Miami Herald: Winning the Pulitzer

Steven Avdakov

A Taste of Health at the Herald

Kenneth Curtis

Advertising Lori Adams Alexandria D’Agostino

Photography Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Archives

A Miami Modern Landmark

Alexandria D’Agostino Robin Hill

Sigurd Naess: The Herald is my swan song

The Knight Foundation

Preservation News

Re-Use of the Historic Bacardi Building Celebrated

Taste of History: Restaurant Spotlight

Dancing through the Decades Celebration

Thank You! Thank You!

Becky Roper Matkov Arva Moore Parks Meg Pukel State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory Wikipedia Commons Florida Collection, Miami-Dade County Public Library

Dade Heritage Trust thanks Knight Foundation for its generous support of this publication through a grant from The Miami Foundation Knight Foundation Donor-Advised Fund.

Preservation Today is published by Dade Heritage Trust , a non-profit 501 (c) 3 historic preservation membership organization. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Copyright © 2012 COVER: The Miami Herald Building by Robin Hill ©, Robin Hill Photography

Dade Heritage Trust 190 SE 12th Terrace | Miami, FL 33131 305.358.9572 * Fax 305.358.1162 www.dadeheritagetrust.org | email: Info@dadeheritagetrust.org

Message from the President Dear Preservationists, 2012-2013 OFFICERS President Olga Vieira First Vice President/Treasurer Brian Alonso Second Vice President/Membership Judy Pruitt Secretary Francena Koch At Large Dolly MacIntyre Enid C. Pinkney Past President Bertram “Chico” Goldsmith Trustees Marcia Anderson Federico Fernandez Joseph Furst Matthew Greer Linda Collins Hertz Dwight Hill Ruth Jacobs Megan Kelly Lois Randall Vinson Richter Susan Shelley Scott Silver Sandra Suarez Venny Torre Todd Tragash Venny Torre Lilian Walby B.R. ‘Randy” Witt Aymee V. Zubizarreta Advisors Walter Alvarez Gay Bondurant Ann Marie Clyatt Gary Held Adolfo Henriques Sallye Jude Penny Lambeth Nancy Liebman Bruce Matheson Thomas J. Matkov William Murphy

George Neary Leslie Pantin Arva Moore Parks Rafael Penalver Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk Jeanette Poole Norah Schaefer Don Slesnick II Herb Sosa Ellen Uguccioni Mary Young

Chief Executive Officer Becky Roper Matkov

It is with great honor that I carry the torch as President of the Dade Heritage Trust for the next two years, following in the footsteps of some of Miami's most dedicated citizens and preservationists. This year, as every year, we are faced with many challenges, not just as an organization, but as to our ideals and the preservation cause itself. As I write this note, I am corresponding with a journalist and a County Commissioner regarding the tragic loss of a historic home that was demolished after a petition for preservation was filed but not yet considered by the County's preservation board. We are working on sponsoring new preservation provisions to prevent this from happening again. This is just one of our many ongoing advocacy efforts. I honestly do not know how Becky and the rest of our small staff do all they do within their waking hours. We greatly appreciate everything our Board of Trustees, Advisors and other volunteers do to tirelessly support our herculean efforts. As we all recognize, we speak for a history that has no voice other than ours. Ultimately, forces that are not our own will determine the fate of our history, but our message of preserving our history must be conveyed. If we do not advocate for the landmarks that make Miami the Magic City, there will be no magic left in the city. I urge you to continue to pledge your support, financially and as an advocate, to the Dade Heritage Trust. Help us by pointing out new projects that need our advocacy, by volunteering your time and talents, and providing us with the funds to continue our work. It is on your behalf and on behalf of your descendants that we do this work. Please feel free to contact me with your ideas and concerns. During my two years as President, I want the Dade Heritage Trust to be your vehicle for preserving all that you love and treasure in Miami. Very truly yours,

A^YS H[W[dS 7

DHT’s Annual Holiday Celebration Great food and good conversation were enjoyed by guests at DHT’s Annual Holiday Celebration at the lovely home of Bob and Arva Moore Parks McCabe

Hosts Arva and Bob McCabe

Sam Boldrick and Ed Casado

Ari & Carol Milllas

Andres Viglucci, DHT Trustee Judy Pruitt Don and Janet MacCullough

Chris Rupp and Dean Richardson

DHT Treasurer Brian and Alexina Alonso

Cindy and DHT President Chico Goldsmith

William Medellin & Julie Zepnick

Paulo De Almeida, Bill Murphy, Erik Jerome and James Murphy 9

FROM THE CEO/EDITOR

WHY THE MIAMI HERALD BUILDING MATTERS

he Miami Herald newspaper has been a vital part of Miami’s life for over a century, and it has been a vital part of my life since the day our family moved here from Virginia in 1978.

The Herald was our “one-stop shopping” source of information from world news to local politics, from real estate ads to food recipes, stocks, sports, comics and movie listings. It alerted us to bad weather and bad traffic. It showed us who was in society— and who was in jail. It was an impressive, easy-to-read, fullsized daily paper, delivered to our door for less than the cost of a cup of coffee. As a graduate student in journalism at the University of North Carolina in the 1970s, I had

The glow of the Herald from Biscayne Bay Photo by Meg Pukel 10

Miam i Hera ld, Au gust 2

6, 199

studied the Miami Herald to compare coverage of international news in major cities across the country. The Herald was enjoying a golden age of prosperity in its state-of-the-art headquarters, built on Biscayne Bay in 1963 as an emphatic statement of the Knight brothers’ confidence in the bright future of Miami. In the 34 years we’ve lived here, the Miami Herald has decoded the complexity of Miami as a community. Editorials have enlightened us on environmental and preservation issues, governmental performance, ballot questions, crime and social problems, candidate qualifications, business trends and cultural events. Writers over the years like Charles Whited, Al Burt, Leonard Pitts, Beth Dunlop, Edwin Pope, Fred Tasker, Tom Fiedler, Jay Clarke, Andres Viglucci, Fabiola Santiago, Carl Hiaasen and Dave Barry

Miam i Her ald, A 1992 ugus t 29,

have inspired, informed and entertained us. We’ve witnessed in action the leaders at the Miami Herald who have been out-front, handson community builders and civic supporters, shaping Miami for the better. After Hurricane Andrew’s destruction in 1992 left us and so many with no power, no phone, no water, no security—no roof!—the Miami Herald became our lifeline to the rest of the world. The Herald staff resolutely continued to put out the paper in the Herald Building, which had been carefully designed and constructed to withstand hurricanes. At our community’s lowest point, the Herald’s venerable leader Alvah Chapman stepped forward and organized We Will Rebuild! to

restore devastated lives and neighborhoods. The Miami Herald has been such a force in Miami, and the Miami Herald Building such a solid, monumental landmark, that it never occurred to us that either would ever be endangered. This perception changed dramatically when the Miami Herald Building and its surrounding land were sold by the Herald’s current owners, the McClatchy Company, to the Malaysian-based Genting Group in May 2011.

In September, 2011, Genting announced plans to build a 10-million-square-foot resort and gambling casino on the site, unveiling a design that would demolish the Herald Building to make way for the gargantuan project. The Board of Dade Heritage Trust, in keeping with our mission of preserving Miami’s heritage and historic places, sought to avert the loss of the Miami Herald Building by proposing historic designation of the 49-year-old Mid-Century Modern structure.

Historic designation would prohibit demolition and encourage adaptive re-use, saving environmental, historic and architectural resources. Thanks to the expertise of Morris Hylton, director of historic preservation at the University of Florida, Sandra Suarez, adjunct professor of architecture at Florida International University, historian Arva Moore Parks, and Alvah Chapman’s files, we were able to prepare a nomination for the historic designation of the Miami Herald Building. Dade Heritage Trust submitted this proposal to the City of Miami’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board, the entity which has the legal authority to designate a building as historic. The fate of the Miami Herald Building now lies in the hands of the members of the Miami Historic and Environmental Preservation Board, and, in case of appeal, the City of Miami Commissioners. As newspapers across the country downsize, discontinue printed editions, and join the thousands of online voices competing for credibility, we hope the Miami Herald, departing Downtown Miami for Doral, will thrive. And we fervently hope that the Miami Herald Building on Biscayne Bay will be preserved, re-used and endure as an embodiment of a half century of Miami’s history—and a symbol of the power of a free press.

%HFN\ 5RSHU 0DWNRY The second floor of the Miami Herald Building, 2012 Photo by Becky Roper Matkov

DHT’s Student Tours of Historic Miami Sites Dade Heritage Trust’s educational outreach to schools includes tours for Adult Education and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students. The tours are designed to enrich a student’s appreciation of Miami’s history through its architecture. A recent tour for students from Homestead included the Flagler Memorial Chapel in First Presbyterian Church, the 2000-year-old Miami Circle archeological site on the Miami River, the Freedom Tower and DHT’s Headquarters in the Historic 1905 Office and Clinic of Dr. James Jackson.

Visiting the Freedom Tower

Listening to stories about pioneer days in Miami

DHT Trustee Lois Randall points out Downtown landmarks

Enjoying the shady porch at Dr. Jackson’s Historic Office and Clinic 12

Dade Heritage Days 2012: A Taste of Heritage Dade Heritage Trust annually orchestrates Dade Heritage Days as a two-month-long celebration of Miami’s heritage. Over 70 events throughout Miami-Dade County showcase Miami’s historic places and neighborhoods, encouraging a sense of unity and pride in our community.

The Bahamian Junkanoo Band entertains thousands at the historic Deering Estate at Cutler during the Deering Seafood Festival. The annual event features fresh seafood, music, dancers, boat rides, historic tours, nature hikes, art and craft booths and entertainment for kids of all ages.

Crowds pack the Taste of Brickell Food & Wine Festival, held on the waterfront across from DHT’s historic headquarters. Villagers Margaret McCaffery, Becky Matkov and Jeanne Bunten sample garden fare.

Norah Schaefer, Tara Finley and guest enjoy The Villagers’ 2012 Annual Garden Tour, which showcased outstanding gardens in Pinecrest and South Miami.

The Freedom Tower restoration is featured at the Rediscover Downtown Miami: Tapping the Value of Historic Buildings program presented by the Miami Downtown Development Authority and ULI SE Florida/Caribbean. 13

Cape Florida Lighthouse Day Historical re-enactors, live music, activities for children, and candlemaking made for a fun and educational family day at the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. The historic lighthouse and lighthouse keeperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cottage were open with reenactors transporting visitors back to the 1850s for a taste of Old Florida.

Visitors observe the art of candlemaking Dulcimer players entertain all ages in the Lighthouse Keepers Cottage

Stephen and Joseph Foster

DHT Event Coordinator Carol Larsson, Cape Florida Lighthouse Park Services Specialist Art Levy and Luis Gonzalez

DHT President Chico Goldsmith at the Royal Palm Walkway

David Foster, Park Manager, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park 14

Taste of Historic Downtown Miami DHT and Downtown Miami Partnership, Inc. hosted a “historic happening” with complimentary cocktails, wine tastings, savories prepared by the Miami Dade College Culinary Institute, a book signing and a peek into Miami’s unique landmarks. Stops included La Epoca, Tre Italian Bistro, the Ingraham Building, the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, Alfred I. duPont Building, Soya & Pomodoro, Macy’s and Kork Wine & Cheese.

Tamarind and Federico Fernandez, Scott and Susan Silver

Pepe Alonso, Brian Alonso, Becky Matkov and Chico Goldsmith at La Epoca, the party’s first stop, which featured music and mojitos

Susan and Robin Shelley are framed by the bank teller’s cage at the Alfred I. duPont Building

Progressing through Downtown

Josie Correa, Downtown Miami Partnership executive director, on the DuPont Building’s escalator

Host Neil Fritz at his Flagler First condo

Owner Jose Goyanes welcomes guests to Tre Bill Green and Margaret Lake, Gusman executive director

Admiring the arcade at Soya & Pomodoro

Author Seth Bramson and Anthony Atwood at Kork Wine & Cheese in the historic Burdines building 15

Dade Heritage Trust’s Women’s History Month Luncheon The African American Committee of Dade Heritage Trust presented its 14 th Annual Women’s History Month Luncheon March 19, 2012 to honor pioneer women buried in the Historic Miami City Cemetery. The event included music, award presentations to descendants of the honorees and the re-enactment, “Voices from the Grave.”

Bernadette Poitier

Participants recognized for their contributions

Historic Miami City Cemetery Commemorative Service & Youth Talent on Parade The Historic Miami City Cemetery Commemorative Service and Youth Talent on Parade, chaired for its 19 th year by Enid Pinkney, was held on April 15, 2012. Honored were black incorporators of the City of Miami, followed by awards to young performers and the winners of DHT’s “Why I’m Proud of My Heritage” Student Essay Contest.

Rhoer Club of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority First Place Essay Winner

Performers Jayson Michel and Jaquan Jordan Cannon thanked by Maud Newbold 16

An appreciative audience

Abdias Armenteros

Rev. Jesse Martin, Becky Matkov, Miami-Dade Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, Enid Pinkney and Rev. James McPhee

Architectural Heritage & Historic Preservation Workshop for Educators Dade Heritage Trust presented From Balustrades to Cheese Holes: Miami’s Architectural Heritage on March 30, 2012 at the historic Miami City Hall, originally the Pan Am Seaplane Terminal. Thanks to a generous grant from The Villagers Inc., the workshop was free for educators from throughout Miami-Dade County. Presentations and a William Jennings Bryan-themed tour demonstrated creative ways of engaging students in learning about their community’s heritage. Rosemarie Wolfson, Yvonne Moyers and fellow teachers tour the 1890 classroom. A re-enactor welcoming visitors to the First Coconut Grove Schoolhouse, on the grounds of Plymouth Congregational Church.

Miami Country Day Art Teacher Yvonne Moyers discussing how advocacy to save the Miami Circle engaged her students in civic affairs

DHT tour guide Lois Randall leading a bus tour of Coconut Grove and Coral Gables

Presenter Teri D’Amico listens as Architect Sebastian Eilert gives a presentation on sustainable design

Participants admire the original stained glass windows of the Flagler Chapel at the First Presbyterian Church on Brickell Avenue 17

DHT’s Student and Teacher Art and Photography Competition Dade Heritage Trust and Miami-Dade County Public Schools partnered to sponsor a countywide competition and exhibition of student and teacher artwork inspired by Miami's historic architecture. First, second and third prizes were awarded to students and teachers at the elementary, middle and high school levels in both public and private schools. The finalists' work was exhibited at HistoryMiami, which hosted the awards presentation, and at the Deering Estate at Cutler.

Artists Make Historic Landmarks Shine Congratulations to the winners of Dade Heritage Trust’s Student and Teacher Art & Photography Competition

Elementary School Level

Teacher Hiroshima Soto with student Nayyirah Abury of Edison Park Elementary School

1st Place: :DJQHU +RPHVWHDG Nayyirah Abury, 5th Grade Edison Park Elementary Teacher: Hiroshima Soto

2nd Place: 2SD ORFND &LW\ +DOO Marlin Burke, 5th Grade Edison Park Elementary Teacher: Hiroshima Soto

3rd Place: 9L]FD\D Juan Paola Delgado, 4th Grade Dr. Carlos J Finlay Elementary Teacher: Zaida Ruiz

Middle School Level

MDCPS’ Linda Mangual, teacher Beth Harrison, and Garret Kraft of Gulliver Academy

1st Place: 'U -DFNVRQ &OLQLF Chloe Castillo, 7th Grade South Miami K-8 Center Teacher: Parra/Polin

2nd Place: *RLQJ 2OG 6FKRRO Garret Kraft, 6th Grade Gulliver Academy Teacher: Beth Harrison

3rd Place: 7KH %LOWPRUH Merrett Fay, 8th Grade Westminster Christian School Teacher: Donna Underwood

High School Level

1st Place: &DVLQR DW 9L]FD\D Robert Hodgson, 11th Grade Robert Morgan Education Center Teacher: Gerald Obregon

2nd Place (tie): &RQJUHJDWLRQDO &KXUFK Ivan Garcia, 12th Grade Homestead Senior High School Teacher: April Sharpe

2nd Place (tie): *UDQDGD 6HYLOOD Jessica Forbes, 12th Grade Westminster Christian School Teacher: Donna Underwood

Teachers Teacher Gerald Obregon with student Robert Hodgson, 1st Place winner, of Robert Morgan Education Center

1st Place: %UHH]HZD\ DW WKH .DPSRQJ Gerald Obregon School: Robert Morgan Education Center

DHTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2012 Annual Preservation Awards Outstanding Community Service by an Organization: Stiltsville Trust, Inc. Outstanding Community Service by an Individual: Charles Kropke * Ronnie Hurwitz Ronnie Hurwitz , DHT Advisor Penny Lambeth

Henriette Harris Award , for many years of dedicated community service for historic preservation George Neary

George Neary, City of Miami Beach Mayor Mattie Bower

DHT Trustee Lilian Walby, Charles Kropke

DHT President Chico Goldsmith and City of Miami Mayor TomĂĄs Regalado

Benjamin Baffer, Lisa King & Murrell Perry

DHT Treasurer Walter Alvarez, Leigh Heinlein

Robert & Susan Cowen, Omar Morales & guest, Jeannette Martinez & husband

Chico Goldsmith, second from right, with Stiltsville Trust, Inc., Board members Jena Jenkins Staly, Duffy Matson, Gail Baldwin, Jose Perdomo, Greg Truitt and Jim Bowers 19

DHT’s 2012 Outstanding Restoration Projects

Martinez Residence | 313 Sarto Ave., Coral Gables Owner Jeanette Martinez | Architect, Omar Morales FORMGROUP Freedom Tower | 600 Biscayne Blvd, Miami Owners: Miami Dade College Architect: Rodriguez and Quiroga Architects Chartered

Villa Serena | 60 NW 33rd Avenue, Miami Owner: Adrienne Arsht Architect: RJ Heisenbottle Architects

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens’ East and West Gate Lodges | 325 South Miami Ave. Owner: Miami-Dade County Architect: RJ Heisenbottle Architects 20

Hammock Residence 5200 SW 63rd Court, South Miami Owner: Susan & Robert Cowen Architect: Omar Morales, FORMGROUP

Cherokee Lodge | 3734 Main Highway, Coconut Grove Owners: Cesar & Cheryl Guerrero Contractor: Huber & Associates

DHT’s 2011 Annual Preservation Awards Outstanding Restoration Projects:

1-Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables Architect: Jorge L. Hernandez | Contractor: Dooley Mack Constructors 1

2-Hangar 102 at Opa-Locka Airport, 4200 NW 145th Street, Opa-Locka Owner/Developer: AA Acquisitions | Architect: Shulman + Associates 3-SoHo Beach House, 4385 Collins Ave., Miami Beach Owner/Developer: Nick Jones of SoHo House London | Architect: Shulman + Associates 2

4-David’s Café, 1058 Collins Ave., Miami Beach Owners: Alfredo & Maria Gonzalez | Architect: Shulman + Associates 5-Worcester Apartments, 400 SW 10th Ave., Miami Owner: Hugh Ryan | Hugh A. Ryan Construction Company 6-4320 Santa Maria, Coral Gables Owner: Gary and Amanda Brown | Torre Construction & Development 3

Distinguished Community Service by an Organization: Miami Pioneers/Natives of Dade Outstanding Community Service by an Individual: Anthony Atwood | William Cary | Maud Newbold Henriette Harris Award, for many years of dedicated community service for historic preservation Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower

6 21

The Miami Herald: :ULWLQJ DQG 0DNLQJ +LVWRU\ By Arva Moore Parks

Stoneman participated in a variety of civic causes and even served as municipal judge for ten years. He was a man of high principles who never lost the strong Quaker values of his parents even though he later became a stalwart in the Episcopal Church. His daughter Marjory wrote that he took “fiendish delight” in fining his friends for speeding and once even gave himself a ticket for running a red light.

ong before the late Marjory Stoneman Douglas left her mark on South Florida, her father, Frank Bryant Stoneman made his own indelible imprint. It was late summer 1903. The City of Miami was in its usual summer slumber awaiting the arrival of the next tourist season that would bring it back to life. Stoneman and his partner Ashton T. LaSalle had just arrived from Orlando with an ancient flatbed press and ambitious plans to launch Miami’s first daily newspaper. It was a risky move. Miami already had two established weekly newspapers—the Miami Metropolis and the Miami News—and only 3,000 residents. The Flagler interests backed the Metropolis that began publication two months before the city’s founding. It thrived with abundant Flagler advertising while the News struggled. Undaunted, Stoneman and LaSalle believed that Miami needed an antiFlagler voice and a daily newspaper. On September 15, 1903, they produced the first issue of their sixday-a-week Miami Evening Record. It was not much of a newspaper in the beginning but it forced the Metropolis, sensing its first real competition, to start publishing a daily edition. Editor Stoneman quickly became a community leader and a powerful voice. Within a year, he editorialized for a charity hospital and then became chairman of the group that helped create Friendly Hospital— the forerunner of Jackson Memorial. Within four years, the Evening Record did well enough for Stoneman and LaSalle to purchase a building on Miami Avenue, acquire 22

Editor Frank Bryant Stoneman, the solid foundation on which today’s Miami grew State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

the News and create the Miami Morning News Record. Their timing, however, could not have been worse. The Panic of 1909 caused banks to fail and businesses to close. PANIC OF 1909

his event brought Flagler’s lawyer, Frank B. Shutts to Miami from Indianapolis as receiver of the shuttered Fort Dallas Bank. Stoneman, impressed with Shutts ability, asked him to help the floundering Morning News Record as well. With a loan from Flagler, Shutts solved Stoneman’s problem by purchasing the paper for himself. Without missing an issue, he simply changed the paper’s name to The Miami Herald and kept the presses rolling. Appreciating Stoneman’s community standing, Shutts kept him as editor—a position he would hold until his death 31 years later. Miami and Stoneman were made for each other. Besides guiding the morning paper’s editorial page,

But more importantly, Stoneman meted equal justice in an era when African Americans rarely received it. Marjory recalled a Yankee woman who visited his court and was shocked to see a Southern judge treat black and white people the same. His reply: “Madame, that is the purpose of this court.” Marjory also loved to tell the story of the time her father suddenly accelerated his car and raced toward a crowd of hooded Ku Klux Klanners preparing to march down Flagler Street. “Get out of my way,” he

Publisher Frank B. Shutts gave the Miami Herald its name in 1910. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

scattered in all directions. During the 1920s, most Miami newspapers treated the Klan like another social club. Stoneman, in sharp contrast, stood alone in his strong opposition to their activities.

Of course, Marjory, known for her role in protecting the Everglades, also was proud of her father being the only local newspaper editor to skeptically look at the 1909 plan to drain the Everglades. He strongly supported the Everglades National Park movement—although he died six years before the park became a reality. (In 1947, Miami Herald Editor John Pennekamp led the crusade to finally make it happen.)

Marjory Stoneman Douglas was the Herald’s first female reporter. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

ith this kind of reputation, it is not surprising that the leaders of the Negro Civic League came to Stoneman in 1934 to solicit his help in exposing the terrible living conditions in Overtown, then known as “Colored Town.” Strangled by overcrowding due to a strict “color line” and an indifferent, often hostile white population, residents had few if any white supporters. Father John Culmer, chairman of the Civic League’s fact-finding committee, convinced Stoneman to take up the cause. Their historic meeting resulted in the Herald’s launching an unprecedented threeweek, front page and editorial campaign to expose the problems— including the key role of white landlords. This pointed expose helped galvanize the community behind Liberty Square—the first black housing project in Florida—that opened three years later.

fter Stoneman’s death on February 1, 1941, his widow and daughter had his ashes sprinkled into one of the columns of the new Herald building then under construction on Miami Avenue. The Knight brothers, who purchased the Herald in 1937, placed a bronze marker in the lobby in his memory. In 1963, when the Herald moved into its current headquarters on the bay, columnists Larry Thompson wrote, “I am happy to find the bronze plaque, honoring this fine pioneer of Miami journalism, has been moved to the new building…. Even though his ashes are no longer literally part of the building, Frank Bryant Stoneman has moved with us into our new home.” A NEW ERA

new voice and community presence came to Miami on October 15, 1937 when John S. Knight purchased the Miami Herald from Frank B. Shutts for $2.5 million. After his father’s death four years earlier, Knight inherited what he characterized as “opportunity” –the debt-ridden Akron Beacon Journal and the rural Massillon Independent. Within four years, he paid off his father’s debts, made the papers profitable and began looking around for more challenges.

Plaque of Frank Stoneman on the 5th floor outside the Editorial Board offices of the Miami Herald Building Photo by Arva Moore Parks

hen the Knights arrived, Miami and Miami Beach were in the midst of a mild tourist-infused comeback following the burst of the 1920s land boom and subsequent depression. Mesmerized by an “anything to please the tourists,” mentality, most Miamians-including the police, political leaders and the local press—turned a blind eye toward the rampant illegal gambling and other assorted vice. Posh casinos, like the Brook and Royal Palm Clubs, as well as the ever-present cigar-stand bookies and numbers racketeers, operated in open defiance of the law. Although Jack Knight was known to frequent the clubs, within a few years the Knights, and their able reporters and editors, would create the climate for change. James Knight made Miami Beach his permanent home, and brother Jack spent five months there each year. Although listed as publisher, Jack Knight did not act like the usual publisher. He passionately supported the separation of the newspaper’s business and editorial departments and fostered local autonomy. 23

In the case of the Herald, he saw his role as editorial and his brother’s as “nuts and bolts”—business and technology. When it came to key positions, however, Jack Knight was a one-man human resource department. He seemed to have an instinct for ferreting out talent—an uncanny skill that proved true when he hired Lee Hills. In 1969, Hills became the Herald’s second “Knight-style” publisher while also serving as publisher of the Detroit Free Press. Widely respected and honored, he later became the first non-family member to head Knight Newspapers and the first CEO of Knight-Ridder.

ee Hills’ legendary Herald career began in 1942, when he accepted Knight’s offer to become its news editor. Within months, he became the managing editor and guiding light. Believing in Knight’s philosophy that a good newspaper was the “conscience of the community,” he promoted the idea that a viable newspaper should “become involved in community affairs, while reserving the right to criticize.”

Lee Hills practiced what he preached. Through an innovative Herald series, Hills led the crusade to clean up Miami’s illegal gambling and run the racketeers out of town. While Jim Knight organized major leaders into what was dubbed the “Secret Six” to fight organized crime, the Herald launched “Know Your Neighbor” that featured the pictures and home addresses of notable gamblers. This series, plus similar coverage in the Miami Daily News and on radio station WKAT, woke up the community. Community outrage plus Jim Knight’s leadership in launching of the Greater Miami Crime Commission, culminated in the 1950 Kefauver investigations. As a result, Miami’s wideopen, albeit illegal casinos and gambling houses passed into history along with the notion that Miamians could tolerate anything as long as it pleased the tourists. For his editorial leadership, Lee Hills received the Herald’s first Pulitzer Prize.

esides the Herald’s strong voice for change, the Knight brothers also became personally involved in philanthropy and other worthwhile causes. They provided leadership on community boards

Miami Herald ownership transfers from Frank Shutts to John S. Knight in 1937 State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

and helped initiate stalwart community institutions like the United Way and the Dade Community Foundation. Jim Knight was an active member of the Orange Bowl Committee and a major supporter of the symphony. Jack Knight served on the University of Miami Board of Trustees for 14 years and his brother gave the university more than $25 million.

ne of the Knights’ greatest gifts to Miami was people. Besides Lee Hills, a 39-year-old Georgian named Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. arrived in 1960 to be Jim Knight’s personal assistant. “I was supposed to stay in Miami for one year,” Chapman recalled. It didn’t take long, however, for Jim Knight to want Chapman as his successor. Chapman quickly rose to top positions at the Herald, Knight Newspapers and ultimately Knight-Ridder. But as important as his leadership was within, his influence in Miami was equally impressive, if not singular.

s the Herald’s public face, Chapman spurred the evolution of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce into an action-driven organization that helped galvanize a $2 billion rebuilding of downtown Miami in the mid-1970s—including Jim Knight’s gift toward the James L. Knight, University of Miami Conference Center. He also cofounded the sometimescontroversial coalition of powerful businessmen and civic leaders called the “Non-Group.” In its early years, members were handpicked and exclusively white non-Hispanic males. (In the 1980s they enlarged and diversified.) Their power, though one-dimensional, was awesome. Using their individual and collective clout, they galvanized political and community support for the 1972 Decade of Progress Bond Referendum that funded much

needed parks and public and cultural facilities. They also worked together to help Metrorail survive a whisker-thin referendum vote.

or more than 30 years, Chapman, with military-honed leadership ability, led the all-out assault on a myriad of problems. From opposing casino gambling to the war on drugs to a $7 million privately funded rebuilding effort after the 1980 riots, in a crisis, all facets of Miami’s diverse community looked to Chapman for help. After his 1989 retirement as CEO and Chairman of Knight--Ridder, Chapman showed no signs of abandoning his commitment to Miami. He led “We Will Rebuild” following Hurricane Andrew and was the godfather and founding chair of the Community Partnership for Homeless, Inc., the work he considered his most important.

im Batten, who succeeded Chapman, was another KnightRidder executive who left his mark on Miami from the time of his arrival in 1975 to his untimely death in 1995. Batten’s leadership style was appreciated by all areas of the community, and his death left a void that has not been filled.

Jack Knight died in 1981 and the following year, the Herald entered a new era with the arrival of Dick Capen—the newspaper’s first locally based chairman and publisher. Breaking with the Knight tradition, the new publisher had overall responsibility for the paper’s business, news and editorial functions.

apen, whose career had been on the business side of journalism, was a senior vice president of Knight-Ridder. He assumed the helm at one of the most difficult periods in Miami’s history. Open wounds continued to fester from the

John Knight, Lee Hills, Alvah Chapman and James Knight in 1973 Photo courtesy of the Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Archives

traumas of the 1980 Mariel boatlift and the Liberty City riot. Capen, with his own brand of optimism and enthusiasm, saw a clear mandate. He directed the Herald’s editorial attention to “Building Bridges of Understanding” throughout the fractured community. Capen hosted town hall meetings to bring diverse and conflicting groups together for dialogue and to help the Herald staff better understand the ever-changing community. To help bridge his own gap of understanding, he learned Spanish. He worked to diversify the Herald staff and oversaw the debut of el Nuevo Herald to better connect the Herald to the ever-increasing Spanishspeaking community.

avid Lawrence, a man with a long and impressive career on the editorial side of journalism, succeeded Capen as publisher in 1989. He whirled into Miami like a white tornado. Within days, he was out in the community, asking questions

and soaking up information. His oft stated goal was “to be open and accessible to all—to set a tone of listening and fairness.” “I always thought I could make a difference,” he wrote, “first, through the quality of the journalism in the newspaper. But it also could be through community projects.” Lawrence’s community presence was all encompassing. He is especially proud of leading the effort to save Overtown’s St. Francis Xavier School from closing and the Herald’s efforts during Hurricane Andrew, which gave him the opportunity to meld his goals for the Herald with those of the community. Lawrence inspired the staff, many of whom were homeless, to make the Herald the indispensable, community-connecting life-line. For weeks, he and other Herald and Knight-Ridder executives, including Jim Batten, personally delivered copies of the newspaper to the battered survivors. (The Herald staff won the Pulitzer’s gold medal for 25

The 1975 Orange Bowl Festival parade was just one of the many civic endeavors supported by the Miami Herald State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

meritorious public service for their coverage of Hurricane Andrew.) When Lawrence resigned as Herald publisher in 1998, he directed his legendary energy and steely focus on a new cause—the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation that provides funds and advocacy for early childhood education.

lberto Ibarguen, whom Lawrence had recruited in 1995 to become publisher of el Nuevo Herald and director of international operations for The Miami Herald Publishing Company, succeeded him as publisher. Ibarguen became the first publisher of Hispanic origin in the Herald’s history and, at the time, the only Hispanic publisher of a major U.S. daily.

Born in Puerto Rico with both a Puerto Rican and Cuban ancestry, Ibarguen grew up mostly in the northeastern United States and seemed to personify Miami’s diverse, amalgamated and “Spanglish” personality. His goal was “to make 26

the newspaper more a part of the community and to tell the truth fairly and completely—even if it hurts.” Like his predecessors, Ibarguen also gave his time and talent to the community—serving on community boards and supporting worthy causes. Ibarguen left the Herald in 2005 to become President and CEO of the Knight Foundation.

n this new role, he continues to impact Miami, and the other cities where the Knights had a newspaper, in a positive way. He was followed at the Herald by Jesus Diaz and then David Landsburg who continues to serve as publisher. CHANGING TIMES The McClatchy Newspapers acquired Knight-Ridder in March 2006, launching another new era for the historic newspaper. McClatchy sold the Herald Building to the Malaysian-owned Genting Group in May 2011, planning to move all its operations from the Miami Herald’s

downtown location on Biscayne Bay to a site in Doral in 2013.

n the years since the Knights acquired the Miami Herald, it has evolved and re-invented itself a time or two just like the region it serves.

Today, like Miami, the Miami Herald continues to re-define itself and to strengthen its connection to the everchanging multiracial, multi-cultural community that gives it life.

Arva Moore Parks, a Miami native with a master’s degree in history, has been researching and writing about South Florida for almost 40 years. She has authored, co-authored or contributed to more than 20 books and documentaries. She is also an indefatigable historic preservationist and many South Florida landmarks have been preserved because of her leadership. Widely honored, she was inducted into the State of Florida Women’s Hall of Fame and received a presidential appointment to the Federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. She is past-chair of the City of Miami Planning Advisory Board and recently served as Acting Director and Curator of the new Coral Gables Museum.

By Becky Roper Matkov

Photo courtesy of the Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Archives

ew business or civic leaders in Miamiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history have left as great a legacy to Miami as the Knight brothers.

-RKQ 6KLYHO\ .QLJKW, known as Jack, was born in Bluefield, West Virginia in 1894. -DPHV /DQGRQ .QLJKW known as Jim, was born in 1910 in Akron, Ohio. Their father, Charles Landon Knight, was a fiery journalist who published the Akron Beacon Journal, where both Jack and Jim first learned the newspaper business. When their father died of cancer in 1933, the Knight brothers and their mother were left with a newspaper deep in debt during the height of

the Depression, having to borrow to pay taxes. John Knight became president and editor of the Akron Beacon Journal and turned around the newspaper financially and editorially. In 1936 he began writing a daily column he called â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Notebook.â&#x20AC;? This column ran for 40 years, winning him a Pulitzer Prize in 1968 â&#x20AC;&#x153;for clearness of style, moral purpose, sound reasoning and power to influence public opinion.â&#x20AC;? As longtime Herald columnist Charles Whited described in his biography of John Knight, in 1936 the Knight family took an automobile trip to vacation in Miami and

Miami Beach, where they enjoyed fishing, thoroughbred racing at Hialeah, golfing and the clubs. A year later John Knight paid $2.5 million for the debt-ridden Miami Herald newspaper owned by Col. Frank Schutts. He took control of the Miami Herald on October 15, 1937. His brother James Knight moved to Miami to become the Heraldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secretary-treasurer and reshape the business enterprise. John Knight set up a code of ethics for the Herald and encouraged an editorial policy that would no longer ignore widespread crime and corruption in the name of tourism. John Knight stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;In our news columns, we believe in facts, aggressiveness and giving

score their belief in the bright economic future and growth of Miami, in 1963 they opened as a signature architectural statement the new Miami Herald Building on Biscayne Bay.

both sides a hearing. We think of our editorial page as a public defender and a builder of causes.” The paper under its new ownership thrived. The successful financial turnaround of the Miami Herald enabled the Knights to acquire other newspapers, eventually creating one of the most powerful media companies in America. The August 29, 1970 issue of Business Week magazine stated that Knight Newspapers was “one of the best-managed, most profitable and most aggressive chains in the country,” with John Knight as “company overlord” establishing editorial independence and autonomy among his papers and complete separation of editorial and financial functions.

It took years to plan and design the state-of-the-art newspaper plant James Knight envisaged on a technical scale never before attempted by a newspaper. Construction began in 1960 on what would then be the largest building in Florida. On February 13, 1963, the first of seven new presses went into production. John F. Kennedy and John Knight in Miami four days before the President’s assassination in Dallas

James Knight served as board chairman and chief executive officer and presided over the business side of the company. James lived full time in Miami, and John summered in Akron and wintered in Miami at his home on La Gorce Island.

can Society of Newspaper Editors. That same year he acquired the Chicago Daily News. Other acquisitions included the Charlotte Observer in 1956, the Charlotte News in 1959, the Tallahassee Democrat in 1965, and the Philadelphia News, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Boca Raton News, the Macon Telegraph, and the Macon News in 1969.

John Knight acquired the Detroit Free Press in 1940. In 1944 he was elected president of the Ameri-

The Knight brothers believed in owning newspapers in cities with strong growth potential. To under-

The newspaper moved into its new facility in March, 1963, not missing a single edition. Management had an open house for employees and their relatives and friends on Sunday, March 31, 1963, with over 3100 touring the Herald’s new headquarters. John and James Knight hosted a grand opening for the public in April, 1963, with 10,000 people filing through to admire the Herald’s magnificent new Modernist structure. Over the next decades, 19 Pulitzer Prizes would be awarded to Herald staff working as writers, editors and photographers in the Herald Building on Biscayne Bay. In 1969 Knight Newspapers went public. By 1973, Knight owned 15 newspapers. In 1974 Knight Newspapers merged with Ridder Publications, Inc. to become at that time the biggest newspaper publisher in the United States, with John Knight the biggest shareholder. Knight-Ridder Newspapers, Inc. grew into a major media conglomerate, known for its innovations in technology.

John Knight and Thomas E. Dewey on the Herald’s terrace in August 1968 Photos courtesy of Knight Foundation, from Knight by Charles Whited (New York, E.P. Dutton, 1988)

that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts.” Like the Knight brothers, the Knight Foundation believes “that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.”

The Miami Herald Building on Biscayne Bay stands as a manifestation of the belief the Beryl and John Knight greet Isreal Curtis, the Herald’s first black press man, with his nephew Ken Curtis and Enid Curtis (Pinkney) at the Herald Building’s 1963 grand opening Photo courtesy of Kenneth Curtis

From its beginning in 1974 to 1998, Knight-Ridder Newspapers was headquartered on the top floor of the Miami Herald Building on Biscayne Bay. When John Knight died on June 16, 1981, according to Knight biographer Charles Whited, “KnightRidder Newspapers, Inc. was a $1 billion-a-year enterprise and flourishing, its operations including newspapers, publishing, television broadcasting, electronic distribution of commodity and financial news, newsprint production, and computerized information services.” At John Knight’s funeral, Lee Hills, a Knight executive for 45 years, gave a eulogy saying “John Shively Knight was a Renaissance man, entrepreneur, reporter, sportsman, business executive, writer, publisher, philanthropist, columnist. But first and last, he was an editor. He believed fiercely that newspapers must be independent editorially and economically. He practiced journalism with passion,

energy and courage. He left a legacy of excellence.”

Knight brothers had in the future of the Miami community and in the vital role a free press plays in society.

John Knight also left a major philanthropic legacy, bequesting $428,000,000 to the Knight Foundation, which the brothers had started in 1940 as a memorial to their father. In 1990, the Knight Foundation headquarters moved from Akron to Miami. James Knight died in February, 1991. He left a $200,000,000 bequest to the Knight Foundation. In 1993 the Knight Foundation became the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to honor the memory of the brothers who created it. Thanks to the legacy of the Knight brothers, over a billion dollars has been awarded in grants in Miami and across the country to support “transformational ideas

Business Week cover with John Knight Photo courtesy of the Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Archives

ALVAH H. CHAPMAN, JR.: THE HERALD’S LEADER EXTRAORDINAIRE By Becky Roper Matkov

hen Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. moved to Miami in 1960, he was 39 years old. He would prove to be a “natural born leader” whose determination, organizational skills, convictions and integrity would shape not only the Miami Herald, but the entire Miami community for the next 48 years. Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. was hired in 1960 as an assistant to James L. Knight. Born in Columbus, Georgia on March 21, 1921, he graduated first in his class from The Citadel and was a decorated B-17 bomber pilot and squadron commander in World War II. A third generation newspaperman, he worked at the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, the St. Petersburg Times and was part owner of the Savannah Morning News and Press before coming to Miami.

CEO, and served as chairman until 1989. In 1986-87 Chapman served in the prestigious position of chairman and president of the American Newspaper Publishers Association. In 2004 he was inducted into the Florida Newspaper Hall of Fame. In addition to his outstanding business success, Chapman was one of Miami’s most prominent civic and philanthropic leaders of the latter decades of the twentieth century. When Chapman took over as chairman of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce in 1968, it was near bankruptcy. He redefined its mission and established the New World Action Committee to address downtown revitaliza-

tion. He worked for the passage of the Decade of Progress Bond and co-led a campaign to raise $7 million for the revitalization of Liberty City. He served as president of Goodwill Industries of Florida, was an influential member of the Orange Bowl Committee and co-chaired the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra Campaign. Chapman was a major opponent of the legalization of casino gambling in 1978 and in the years following, and he took a strong stand against slot machines in 2005. In response to Miami’s soaring crime problem, in 1981 Chapman called community leaders to one of his famous breakfasts. This led to

Alvah Chapman oversaw the move of the Herald to its new headquarters on Biscayne Bay, which opened March 23-24, 1963. By 1969, he had proven to be so invaluable that he was appointed president of the Herald. By 1973 he became president of Knight Newspapers, the parent company of the Herald. Following the 1974 Knight-Ridder merger, he continued as Knight-Ridder president. In 1976 he became KnightRidder president and CEO. From 1982 to 1988 he was chairman and

James Knight and Alvah Chapman at the Miami Herald Photo courtesy of the Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Archives

chairman of Miami Citizens Against Crime, Chapman chaired the National Coalition Committee of the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Drug Advisory Council and founded CADCA, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, which continues as an active national coalition today. Chapman led the fundraising efforts to bring Pope Paul II to Miami in 1987 to meet with President Ronald Reagan at Villa Vizcaya, an event drawing international coverage.

Alvah Chapman with President Ronald Reagan, the Rev. Billy Graham and Katharine Graham of the Washington Post Photo courtesy of the Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Archives

Miami Citizens Against Crime, formed by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Latin Chamber of Commerce, the Citizens Crime Commission of Greater Miami and the Orange Bowl Committee. (For an article I wrote on

Alvah Chapman in 1986, Attorney Bill Colson remarked â&#x20AC;&#x153;You know you have power when you can get every civic leader in town to turn out for a 7 a.m. meeting.) In addition to serving as founding

For his leadership and collaboration with the Archdiocese of Miami in promoting the common good among the people of South Florida, Chapman was honored in December 2000 with the Benemerenti Pontifical Medal. At that time, he was one of only five nonCatholics in the Archdiocese of Miami to ever receive this papal recognition. Following Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Chapman led We Will Rebuild!, a coalition to restore and

Alvah Chapman welcomes Pope John Paul II to Miami. Photo courtesy of the Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Archives

Alvah Chapman, accompanied by Florida Governor Lawton Chiles, visiting the homeless in 1992

Alvah Chapman with President George H. W. Bush Photo courtesy of the Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Archives

Photo courtesy of the Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Archives

revitalize devastated portions of Homestead and South Dade, bringing millions of dollars to the rescue of a suffering community. As Chapman’s wife, Betty, recalled in a recent interview, in 1991 she and Alvah were moved by the sight of large numbers of homeless persons living under expressways. At the same time they were inspired by a Disciples Bible Class at Coral Gables First United Methodist Church to make a personal commitment to take a leadership role in addressing the problem of homelessness. In 1992, Governor Lawton Chiles appointed Chapman as chairman of the Governor’s Commission on Photo by Alexandria D’Agostino

Homeless. Chapman then cochaired a Task Force which developed the Miami-Dade County Community Homeless Plan, recognized nationally as a model program. In 1993 he founded the private sector Community Partnership for Homeless, now known as Chapman Partnership, to help those in need get off the streets and become self-sufficient. He served as chairman until 2001. The Miami-Dade County Commission named the Homeless Assistance Center at 1550 North Miami Avenue after Betty and Alvah Chapman in 2002. Notably, the Center is on 15th Street,

the same street that runs west from the Herald Building and that had been named Chapman Boulevard in 1984. Florida International University‘s College of Business Administration Graduate School of Business was also named in Chapman’s honor. Chapman had served as chairman of the FIU Foundation from 1988-1993. For 30 years, Chapman served on the Board of Trustees for the Knight Foundation, which awards millions of dollars for the betterment of Miami and communities across the nation. For decades, every Florida Governor and U.S. President called upon Alvah Chapman to lead on crucial issues for the public good. From 1963 until the day Alvah Chapman died on Christmas Day 2008 at the age of 87, Alvah Chapman’s office was in the Miami Herald Building on Biscayne Bay. With many thanks to Betty Chapman and Jane Moreau, Alvah's executive assistant for 15 years, for sharing information, photos and memories.

THE EVOLUTION OF EL NUEVO HERALD Sam Verdeja, who worked at the Miami Herald from 1967-1996, for 29 years saw firsthand the changes in Miami and the newspaper business. These changes led to the birth of el Nuevo Herald. A graduate of Lousiana State University in mechanical engineering, Verdeja started in the Heraldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s management engineering department, working to make the stateof-the-art equipment run smoothly. He worked under the leadership of Alvah Chapman, who had learned the importance of technological superiority in World War II, and who was instrumental in making

the Miami Herald the most technically modern newspaper of the era. Following a stint working six months in 1972 on the Knightowned Philadelphia Inquirer and News, Sam moved into the business side of the Herald, and in 1974 became in charge of circulation for the Herald in Miami-Dade County. Verdeja was asked to co-chair a Herald task force with Roy Frazer to respond to the thousands of Cubans who had fled Castro and were living in Miami. They proposed a Spanish language supplement. Following the Knight-

Ridder merger in 1974, KnightRidder approved a proposal for a Spanish language newspaper as part of the Herald. This posed a technical challenge as words for layout and printing had to be hyphenated and cut differently than the English format in place. A system developed in Puerto Rico was found that could be used by the

El Nuevo Herald, located in the Miami Herald Building, is the largest Spanish-language Sunday paper in the U.S. and the second-largest daily and is a major influence in Latin America. In 2002 el Nuevo Herald received the Ortega y Gasset Journalism Award as the best Spanish-language newspaper in the world. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

Herald, and on March 29, 1976, the first issue of el Miami Herald was printed. Hal Simmons was the first editor, followed after six months by Frank Soler. The staff numbered 30. The first issue was sent free in the Herald to 30,000, with the Herald “guessing” who could speak Spanish from people’s names and neighborhoods. Verdeja recalls that this at first led to people being offended for being included—or for being excluded. The problem was ironed out over time as people called and requested delivery one way or the other. The now famous TV host Cristina Saralegui was an early writer, as was Guillermo Martinez, now news director of Univision. The Miami Herald’s Second Floor Business & Advertising Department, 2012

After serving as Miami News circulation manager from 1980-85, Verdeja became Herald Vice President for Community Relations. In 1987, the Herald decided to improve el Miami Herald. It grew from a staff of 30 to100, and doubled the number of pages. Photo by Becky Roper Matkov

On November 21, 1987, el Miami Herald name was changed to el Nuevo Herald, to emphasize the new and improved product. The first editor was Gustavo Pupo Mayo. The force behind the new creation of el Nuevo Herald was Roberto Suarez, a former president of the Knight-Ridder-owned Charlotte Observer, who became publisher of el Nuevo Herald and then president of the Miami Herald. He was the highest ranking Cuban American in Knight-Ridder Newspapers at that time. Cuban-Americans may have taken issue with the Herald’s editorial policies over the years, Verdeja comments, “but Cubans did very well on the business side of the Herald through the ’90s, and in more recent years CubanAmericans have also held the top three editorial positions.” Sam Verdeja left the Herald in 1996. He recalls with fondness his years at the Herald, remembering the beautiful view of the Bay and cruise ships from his office on the fourth floor. Coming down from Atlanta to the Miami Herald long ago “was a great move.” 34

Biscayne Bay from the Herald Building’s terrace Photo by Steven Avdakov

that cities needed two newspapers, thereby offering two voices. Through his resolve, the Miami News was saved – for more than two decades.

THE MIAMI NEWS AND THE MIAMI HERALD PHOTO COURTESY OF MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC LIBRARY, FLORIDA C OLLECTION

he truth be known, the Miami News likely would have been out of business before its eventual closure at the end of 1988. The afternoon newspaper’s circulation and advertising had been on a steady decline and the Miami Herald’s was on a spectacular rise. Since World War II, the Herald was firmly the dominant newspaper in Miami and the News was barely hanging on. In an authorized 1998 history of Cox Newspapers, its late president, Charles Glover, wrote that by the end of 1965, “the balance sheet of the News showed a deficit of $24,394,370.” Something had to be done; the blood was freely flowing out of the newspaper.

On July 29, 1966 it was announced that the News, as part of an agreement between its owners, Cox and Knight Newspapers – owners of the Herald – signed a Joint Operating Agreement whereby The Miami News would move into the Miami Herald Building from its home on

By Howard Kleinberg

the Miami River and Northwest Tenth Avenue. In 1957, the Miami News had abandoned its iconic plant in the News/Freedom Tower for the $8 million facility at the river’s edge. For Cox Newspapers, it was seriously wounded by cost overruns and diminishing revenue and circulation. The bayside Herald Building, opened in 1963 in place of its aging South Miami Avenue plant, had room enough for both newspapers – and then some. For the people of the Miami News, it was somewhat akin to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox – a feisty group still yearning for a fight but devoid of resources. Not everyone at Knight Newspapers was happy about the deal either. Many of its executives could not understand why it was done – just let the News go away. The answer was in the soul of Knight Newspaper’s publisher John S. Knight who felt strongly

To facilitate this Joint Operating Agreement, the News and Herald remained separate editorial entities – neither to encroach upon each other. The buffer was a newly created Miami Herald Publishing Company, which printed both newspapers, provided circulation and delivery and sold advertising, the latter at a combined rate. Formulae were created for costs and profits. For the News, many in all its departments were let go as part of the general and necessary downsizing. The News also gave up its Sunday editions. Iconic editor Bill Baggs once called the News “our little portable newspaper,” not entirely for the moves before the shift to the Herald Building but because of its moves within the building. When what remained of the paper’s staff first arrived in the building, it was located in offices on the sixth floor, directly east of the elevators. Several years later, to make room for leased space for the Social Security Administration, the staff of the News had to pack up again and move about 40 yards to the north, in newly created but lesser office space. After Baggs’ 1969 death, the nomadic Miami News was further pushed, into newly constructed space literally on the fifth floor roof of the building. The new quarters were well done but the trek to the elevators was stretched. And time consuming. 35

Despite close quarters, the competition between the two newsrooms remained intense. They were one floor apart but within sight and earshot of each other when in the building’s cafeteria or its composing room. The bottom line between the two staffs was that they remained professional. After John S. Knight died and Knight Newspapers merged with Ridder Newspapers, corporate headquarters were moved from Akron, Ohio to the sixth floor of the Herald Building. Where the News had been now was home to those corporate offices. The relationship between the News and the Herald Publishing Company began turning sour after Knight’s passing. The agreement was working to no one’s satisfaction. The publishing company was suffering huge losses in printing the afternoon newspaper as well as providing circulation and advertising services. On the other side, people at the News were complaining that the publishing company wasn’t doing much to help the paper. Other than forced combination rates for classified advertising, combination display ads were minimal. It showed most obviously on Thanksgiving, when the start of Christmas shopping season brought a burst of advertising inserts in the Herald. The News had none. “Whatever happened to combination advertising?” came questions from the sixth floor. Professional surveys revealed why The Miami News was not pulling in combination advertising. A lopsid36

ed number of the News’ shrinking readership also read the Herald. Therefore, there was little motivation for the advertiser to repeat its ads in the afternoon editions, despite an appealing combination rate. It was a good reason, but the people at the News maintained the Herald Publishing Company salesmen weren’t trying hard enough. As things became more rancorous, and as the 25-year agreement was coming to a close, negotiations between Cox and Knight-Ridder for a new agreement reached an impasse. Knight-Ridder sought new terms. They were far different from the original, transferring most of the cost of publishing the paper back to Cox and cutting the formula for sharing profit—of which there was none from the News. Atlanta-based Cox Newspapers eventually agreed to the severe financial terms. However, no clause in the new contract specified that the paper had to be published. Cox signed the new pact for another 15 years. In October 1988, Cox announced it would close the paper but hold KnightRidder to its newly agreed-upon profit terms. On December 31, 1988 the Miami News published its last edition, breaking a string that began in May 1896 with the establishment of the Miami Metropolis, later renamed the News & Metropolis, later renamed The Miami Daily News and finally renamed The Miami News. The little portable newspaper was gone.

Howard Kleinberg was the last editor of The Miami News. Joining the newspaper as a high school sports correspondent in 1949 and as a full-time staffer the following year, he rose through the ranks of the newspaper from sports writer to executive sports editor to news editor, then managing editor and, ultimately, editor from 1976 through 1988. The death of The Miami News did not end his career, however. His twice-weekly column on national and international affairs for Cox Newspapers was distributed worldwide by the New York Times News Service into the turn of the century. He also wrote a weekly local history column for the Miami Herald for 10 years after the News folded. Howard has written six books; one on Miami’s history, another on Hurricane Andrew, a third on the history of Miami Beach, a book on the 100-year history of Miami High School (which he attended), then a history of Miami Beach’s hotels and, in 2008, a history of the famous Joe’s Stone Crab restaurant. He also was a major participant in a book of the Cuban exile experience. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He lives in Miami in Palmetto Bay with Natalie, his wife of almost 60 years. They have four adult children – one a reporter for the Palm Beach Post – and nine grandchildren. Presently, he is working on a biography of Orange Bowl originator and impresario Earnie Seiler.

Memories of a Herald Trail Blazer By Bea L. Hines When I learned the Miami Herald building had been sold, and that soon the beautiful building I had called my professional home for almost 40 years would be torn down, I wanted to cry.

few days later asking me to come in for an interview on my next day off. I did, and well, as they say, the rest is history.

A flood of memories filled my mind as people in the office wondered if this would also be the end of a great daily newspaperâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Miami Herald. I thought back to the first day I had walked through the front doors of the beautiful, yellow and blue building nestled between two causeways in downtown Miami. It had been a dream come true for me. A young widow with two small sons (my husband had been killed three years earlier), I had been a maid, working for two families, one in Miami Beach and the other in Coral Gables. The work was hard. But even worse was the demeaning way I was treated. The woman-of-the house in Miami Beach often told me, "Maids are a dime a dozen..." And the Coral Gables woman set out broken plates, chipped cups and tarnished flatware for me to use. Even so, I'd been taught to do my best at whatever job I was given. And so I did. Still, I dreamed... of a better job, and a better life for me and my little sons. One day, I started my job search. I had learned to look for all the ads that said, "We are an equal opportunity employer." After several disappointing starts, one Sunday

Reporter Bea Hines in 1972 at the Miami Herald Photo courtesy of Bea Hines.

after reading the comics to my sons, I sat down to search the Want Ads section of the paper and saw the ad for a file clerk in the library of the Miami Herald. There was no phone number to call, just a post office box address. I was sure the person who put the ad in the paper wanted to know if the person(s) responding could read, write and/or spell. Fair enough, I thought.

I started my new job on the first Monday of January in 1966. I remember how proud and happy I was that morning as I dressed in my good light green skirt, white dotted Swiss blouse and shiny black pumps. I held my head high as I walked from the bus stop in front of what was then the Jordan Marsh Department Store, to the Miami Herald Building. Once inside, I told the receptionist that I was there to see Mr. Sykes, the supervisor of the library. When he came out, he shook my hand and took me to meet Mr. George Beebe, then the managing editor of the paper. Mr. Beebe took me from office to office, introducing me to the editors and reporters in the newsroom. I was delighted. I thought, "What a great place to work..." Little did I know that this

I sat down to compose the letter that would change my life forever. It was only a few lines, statPostcard of the Miami Herald Building, 1967 ing that I was applying for the file clerk position. I included a resume, which explained my marital status, my education and experience. To my surprise, I got a letter a

The Miami Herald today

was Mr. Beebe's way of letting everyone know that I was their "first" black in the editorial department. Looking back, I'm glad nobody told me that I was breaking new ground at the paper. I'm not sure I would have had the courage to take the job. There would be dark days ahead, when no one in the department would speak to me or even have lunch with me. And when dear Hazel befriended me, and invited me to share a table in the cafeteria with her and some others, everyone had something to do and left the two of us there alone. One day I walked into the cafeteria alone, and as I was moving through the line, a Cuban server expressed his surprise that I was working for the Miami Herald. I thought it was ironic, that here was a man who had just arrived on these shores, but already knew how American blacks were treated. He thought it strange that I would be working for this major newspaper. That day, as I took my seat at an empty table, everyone in the cafeteria stopped eating to look at 38

Photo by Steven Avdakov

me. I sat down, blessed my food and kept my head down a little longer after praying. When I looked up, everyone was staring at me. It seemed that they wanted to know if I had prayed for them. I had. It was while working in the library that I met a man who would be my mentor--- the late, great Fred Shaw. Mr. Shaw was the book editor for the paper and he was also the vice president of Miami-Dade Community College, where I was a student. I asked him to read over my papers before I turned them in. One day he asked me what my major was. "Education," I said. "You are a talented writer and you can have a future here as a reporter," he said. I laughed. "Who would hire me? I'm black," I said, as if he hadn't noticed. "Bea, things are going to change in this country. You need to be ready. I want you to change your major to journalism and get in Barbara Garfunkle's class and be a reporter for the Falcon Times."

Reluctantly, I did as he said. That was in 1967. In 1970, I became the paper's first black female reporter. (The late Thirilee Smith, my childhood friend, had been hired in 1968 as the first fulltime black reporter. He left after a year, to return to his first love of teaching.) I got the job after two of my friends, Juanita Green and the late Helen Coram, had taken several of my Falcon Times articles to Larry Jinks, then the paper's managing editor, and challenged him to give me a try as a reporter. He did so, without first asking me if I wanted the job. So everyone in the newsroom knew that I'd been hired as a reporter before I did. As my mom used to say, a lot of water passed under the bridge from January of 1966 to January of 2001, when I retired. I'd been a general assignment reporter, covered education, wrote features for the Living Today section of the paper, covered religion and in 1981, became the first black woman columnist for the paper. My column on local issues ran on the front page of the local section of the paper for nearly five years. For that column I was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and was named by SAVY Magazine (now defunct) as one of the five top women columnists in the country. It was one of my grandest moments. These are just a few of the memories that flood my mind when I think about the Miami Herald Building and its place in my heart. It's hard for me to imagine life in Miami without that grand and beautiful building that is at the edge of Biscayne Bay, nestled between two causeways.

WORKING IN THE HERALD BUILDING: CLOSE TO HEAVEN By Linda Collins Hertz One day to our delight, we were told that the new Miami Herald Building needed tenants (probably for a very favorable rental rate) and the entire office moved to the Sixth Floor of that amazing building. We were so excited! When we moved into the space, my fellow workers Linda Collins Hertz on the Herald's terrace overlooking Biscayne and I immediately began Bay, where she recalled days working in the building in the’60s. Photo Credit: Becky Roper Matkov lobbying for a desk near the floor-to-ceiling winot many people realize dows overlooking beautiful Bisthat from late 1965 to cayne Bay. There we could look around 1970, the Miout the windows, marvel about the ami Office of the Soever-changing skies, see the traffic cial Security Administration was on MacArthur Causeway, and the located on the Sixth Floor of the ships plying the waters of the bay, then-new Miami Herald Building. dreaming we were on one of them. It was a beautiful experience for a young twenty-something who had I cannot tell you how happy we arrived in Miami in 1961, having were in our new working quarters been transferred from Atlanta to in the largest building in Miami. work as a Claims Representative at Entering the building every mornthe Miami Social Security Office. ing and riding up the two-story escalators to the elevators made it Originally our crowded office was so pleasant to begin our work day. located in a low-ceilinged one-story Moreover, the parking was FREE! storefront building on North Miami Avenue and Third Street across We did not use cubicle dividers, from Wometco Enterprise Inc., and because we wanted to be able to WTVJ. We expanded our space see the open spaces and enjoy the into another storefront. airy vaulted ceilings. As it turned out, my desk was quite near the It certainly was an interesting expewindows and my view was breathrience for a small-town Georgia girl taking. When I interviewed claimand, while the surroundings were ants for Social Security Old Age inauspicious, that fact was not a or Disability benefits, many had deterrent to my doing my job or to difficulty concentrating on the task my love of Miami, my new home at hand because of the gorgeous city. view and felicitous surroundings.

We often took our lunch at the inhouse cafeteria on the Third Floor of the building, or walked to any number of nearby locations on Biscayne Boulevard. Indeed, we could walk to the Jordan Marsh Department Store on Fifteenth Street, or the Boulevard Shops on Biscayne Boulevard. (I am so happy to report that the Boulevard Shops building is still there and does enjoy historic designation protection.) It was a unique experience to work in that area of Miami and especially in that amazing building. I do fervently hope that the well-built, sturdy, and historic Miami Herald Building remains standing for a long, long time. My pleasant memories of that building and my time working there will remain etched in my heart forever.

After working at the Social Security Administration, Linda Collins Hertz began her family and graduated from the University of Miami School of Law. She worked for the Attorney General of Florida, then the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, where she became the Chief of the Appellate Division for almost 20 years. After retiring from the U.S. Justice Department, she worked for the law firm of Holland & Knight. She is a past president of The Villagers, Inc., and serves on the boards of Dade Heritage Trust, Women’s History Coalition and Natives of Dade/Pioneers. She was honored in 2010 as a Woman of Impact by the Women’s History Coalition.

The Miami Herald: Winning the Pulitzer

he Pulitzer Prize is America’s most prestigious award in journalism, letters and music. It was established in 1904 by the will of famous newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, who stated, “I am deeply interested in the progress and elevation of journalism, having spent my life in that profession, regarding it as a noble profession and one of unequaled importance for its influence upon the minds and morals of the people.”

The Miami Herald won its first Pulitzer Prize in 1951 for a six-year-long relentless campaign led by Lee Hills, the Herald’s top news executive, and John Pennecamp, managing editor, against illegal gambling, prostitution and the corruption of public officials, which resulted in sweeping criminal convictions. Nineteen more Pulitzer Prizes would follow, attesting to the Herald’s important role in the history of Miami.

The Miami Herald’s Pulitzer Prizes 1951: Meritorious public service, Staff, "for their crime reporting during the year." 1967: Specialized Reporting, Gene Miller, “whose initiative and investigative reporting helped to free two persons wrongfully convicted of murder.”

1976: General reporting, Gene Miller, “for his persistent and courageous reporting over eight and one-half years that led to the exoneration and release of two men who had twice been tried for murder and wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death in Florida.”

1980: Feature writing, Madeleine Blais, "for 'Zepp's Last Stand’.” 1981: International reporting, Shirley Christian, "for her dispatches from Central America." 40

1983: Editorial writing, Herald Editorial Board, "for its campaign against the detention of illegal Haitian immigrants by federal officials."

1986: General reporting, Edna Buchanan, “for her versatile and consistently excellent police beat reporting.”

1986: Spot news photography, Michel duCille and Carol Guzy. 1987: National reporting, staff, "for its exclusive reporting and persistent coverage of the U.S.-Iran-Contra connection."

1988: Commentary, Dave Barry, "for his consistently effective use of humor as a device for presenting fresh insights into serious concerns."

1988: Feature photography, Michel duCille, "for photographs portraying the decay and subsequent rehabilitation of a housing project overrun by the drug crack."

1991: Spot News Reporting, Staff, "for stories profiling a local cult leader, his followers, and their links to several area murders."

1993: Commentary, Liz Balmaseda, "for her commentary from Haiti about deteriorating political and social conditions and her columns about Cuban-Americans in Miami."

1993: Meritorious public service, Staff, "for coverage that not only helped readers cope with Hurricane Andrew's devastation but also showed how lax zoning, inspection and building codes had contributed to the destruction."

1996: Editorial cartooning, Jim Morin 1999: Investigative reporting, Staff, "for its detailed reporting that revealed pervasive voter fraud in a city mayoral election that was subsequently overturned."

2001: Breaking news reporting, Staff, "for its coverage of the seizure by federal agents that took the Cuban boy Elián González from his Miami relatives and reunited him with his Cuban father.”

2004: Commentary, Leonard Pitts, Jr., "for his fresh, vibrant columns that spoke, with both passion and compassion, to ordinary people on often divisive issues."

2007: Local Reporting, Debbie Cenziper, "for reports on waste, favoritism and lack of oversight at the Miami housing agency that resulted in dismissals, investigations and prosecutions."

2009: Breaking News Photography, Patrick Farrell, "for his provocative, impeccably composed images of despair after Hurricane Ike and other lethal storms caused a humanitarian disaster in Haiti." 41

A Taste of Health at The Herald By Linda Gassenheimer Writing for the Miami Herald has provided a platform to keep readers informed with ideas and news vital to their health and interests in food and cooking. When I first started traveling for the Herald, other journalists praised the Herald food section. I was thrilled to be part of a trend-setting paper of national renown. Soon after my Dinner in Minutes column started, in 1988, Knight Ridder (now McClatchy), asked if the column could travel on their wire. It now is seen by over 6 million readers each week. Its popularity is a source of great personal satisfaction and has led to my being asked to write another column for McClatchy, Diabetes Quick Fix, based on my latest books for the American Diabetes Association, Mix â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Match Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes and Fast and Flavorful Great Diabetes Meals from Market to Table. The Miami Herald and its iconic building have been an important force in Miami-Dade County for 109 years, 49 of which have been from the current building. Several years ago, the Herald partnered with WLRN National Public Radio. The station is a few blocks west of the Miami Herald Building, forming a vibrant media center in the heart of downtown Miami. My WLRN Food News and Views radio program, a segment of Topical Currents, includes interviews with food personalities and presents a wide range of food-related stories. As part of this partnership, a special radio studio was set up in the Miami Herald Building enabling reporters to add local content to the radio news. Miami is a cosmopolitan, energetic city and we are lucky to have a news organization that keeps us well informed about what is happening here and abroad.

Photo by Steven Avdakov, 2012

A MIAMI MODERN LANDMARK

By Randall Robinson

he Miami Herald Building occupies a commanding site in a nerve center of the modern metropolis on a choice stretch of ten acres of bayfront property between the MacArthur and Venetian Causeways. Few buildings were so fully shaped by the climatic concerns of Subtropical Modernism, and fewer still were so lavishly executed. Modeled after the Sun-Times and Daily News Building in Chicago, also by the firm of Naess & Murphy, the Herald was the largest building in the state of Florida when it opened in 1963.

The Herald epitomizes the Subtropical Modern office building, with its eggcrate facades, sun grilles, and external expression of its interior functions. It is essentially two structures in one, an office building and a printing plant. The offices occupy the southern portion of the building, with its rows of finely crafted sun grilles, which were originally painted a pastel blue to contrast with the gold-and-butter-colored mosaic tile of the spandrels. Although the grilles are now bare metal, the brightly colored spandrels are complemented by piers clad in luxurious white marble. The main body of the building is raised one story, to protect against flooding from the bay in the event of a hurricane. While the ground floor of the pedestal is open, exposing pilotis, the ground floor of the printing plant is screened with a two-toned diamond checkerboard grille. The parking pedestal is clad in a contrasting brown aggregate The Herald building was elevated eight feet on stilts, over a folded-plane surface. or pilotis, for flood protection. Photo by Becky Roper Matkov

The Herald’s sun grilles, or brise-soleil, white marble-clad piers and yellow mosaic tile spandrels Photo by Steven Avdakov, 2012

The Miami Herald’s escalators leading to the business office

The Herald’s expansive terraces afford sweeping waterfront views Photos by Becky Roper Matkov, 2012

The Herald’s porte cochere entry with skylights in 2012 Photo by Arva Moore Parks

Folded-plane facade and grassy lawn overlooking Biscayne Bay

sweeping views of Biscayne Bay and Miami Beach. On week nights, the vast illuminated space is often distinguishable behind the rows of sun grilles. A wide terrace wraps around the office building.

Six helicopters could land simultaneously on the Herald’s flat roof From Miami Herald 1963 Advertising Brochure. Courtesy of the Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Archives.

The porte cochere combines Classical proportions with Modernist detailing. A colonnade of rectilinear piers supports a canopy that tapers aerodynamically at its edges and rises three stories to serve as a low canopy over the parking pedestal. The canopy is punctured by large, round glazed openings allowing light to enter the grand lobby space. Entering the double-height lobby, the visitor immediately encounters escalators leading to the secondfloor business office, another expansive double-height space with

The press building is housed in the windowless volume at the north end. The vibration of the presses was buffered from the offices by a specially designed airspace. Press design improved to the point where an additional office floor could be added to the press building (in 1984-88), thus the top-floor windows. Like the Sun-Times and Daily News building in Chicago, the Herald was designed to receive paper for printing via barge. While the activity has long since ceased, vestiges of the unloading apparatus remain. It may seem odd that the narrow south façade, with a million-dollar vantage point overlooking

downtown, is clad in windowless white marble, but at the time of construction, the building looked over a gasoline depot that served the port. The above is an excerpt from MiMo, Miami Modern Revealed, by Eric P. Nash and Randall C. Robinson Jr., published in 2004 by Chronicle Books LLC. A longtime resident of Miami Beach, Randall C. Robinson Jr. has been active in protecting postwar modern architecture in Greater Miami as an advocacy planner for the Miami Beach Community Development Corporation and a member of the City of Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board. With interior designer Teri D’Amico, he coined the word “MiMo” for Miami Modern architecture. The Miami Herald Building, 1963 State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

Chicago Sun-Times, on lower left, before its demolition in 2004 Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

Sigurd E. Naess:

“The Herald is my swan song—the best song of my life” Sigurd E. Naess and Charles F. Murphy of the architectural firm Naess and Murphy were the designers of the current Miami Herald Building. John Knight insisted that the job of designing the new Herald facility be given to Sigurd Naess, who had designed the Chicago Sun-Times building, which the publisher admired. Naess, who was 68 and planning to retire when offered the Herald project, postponed his retirement to be lead designer and oversee the mammoth project’s completion.

Architect Sigurd E. Naess as shown in Miami Herald April 1963 Dedication Issue Courtesy of the Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Archives

At one time, Naess oversaw 80 men doing structural, electrical, mechanical and architectural design for the Herald Building. From the time ground was broken in August, 1960 to the building’s completion in 1963, Naess was at the site practically every day. He was 75 when the Herald Building opened.

Sigurd Naess was born in Norway, immigrated to the U.S. and studied architecture at Armour Institute. He had worked for the firm founded by the renowned Chicago School architect Daniel Burnham. He and Charles Murphy then started their own firm, and went on to create some of Chicago’s most complex and iconic Mid-Century Modern structures. These included O’Hare Airport, the $50 million Prudential Building, which was the tallest building in Chicago when it was built, and the Chicago Sun-Times Building. Other projects included the Merchandise Mart, the Civic Opera House and New York’s Chase National Bank. Many well-known, modern architects received their early training at Naess and Murphy, including Gertrude Lempp Kerbis, whom the National Trust for Historic Preservation referred to as “First Lady of Modernism.” The Miami Herald was a fitting finale to Sigurd Naess’s long career. He called it “My swan song--the best song of my life.” Herald columnist Nixon Smiley wrote in his book, Knights of the Fourth Estate, that 10,000 people toured the Miami Herald Building when it opened with a public dedication on April 7, 1963, “to gape in wonder at the expensive equipment and the immense space occupied by the various departments in a splendid modern setting.” But the most inspiring view of the building, Smiley recalled, was from the causeways, “where it stood out as the most striking structure on the bayfront. The yellow color trimmed in blue, a combination selected by architect Sigurd Naess, seemed just right on a building that rose from the edge of a tropical bay and against a blue sky.”

Postcard of Prudential Building in Chicago

SAVE THE DATE!! Dade Heritage Trust’s Annual Gala

Viva Miami: Discovering Florida’s Heritage Celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Landing of Ponce de Leon 7:00 PM | APRIL 12, 2013 at the Historic Biltmore Hotel DHT’S BENEFIT TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE MIAMI’S ARCHITECTURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE *RSVP: 305.358.9572 Join Dade Heritage Trust A pril 12th f or a gala evening celebrating Fl orida’ s Spanish Heritage *$200 per person for DHT members | $250 per person for non-DHT members

YES! Sign me up for

Dade Heritage Trust membership At the following level: $35 Student

JOIN DADE HERITAGE TRUST! Help fight to save Miami’s historic landmarks and neighborhoods with Miami’s largest non-profit historic preservation organization. Name__________________________________________________________________

$50 Individual $75 Couple/Family

Address________________________________________________________________

$75 Nonprofit Org.

City, State, Zip___________________________________________________________

$100 Heritage Member $250 Renaissance Member $1000 Corporate Member Dade Heritage Trust 190 SE 12th Terrace Miami, FL 33131 305.358.9572 305.358.1162 (Fax)

Phone__________________________________________________________________ Email__________________________________________________________________ Payment Method Donation are tax deductible

By check (payable to Dade Heritage Trust)

Credit Card Master Card Visa American Express Credit Card #____________________________________________________ Exp. Date_________________________

dadeheriage@dht.comcastbiz.net Info@dadeheritagetrust.org

Signature________________________________________________________

www.dadeheritagetrust.org

Like us on Facebook!

Preservation News TWO OUTSTANDING PRESERVATIONISTS HONORED Congratulations to two Dade Heritage Trust Board members for being honored for their outstanding work in preserving Miami’s heritage.

ENID CURTIS PINKNEY, DHT Trustee and Past President, received national acclaim recently when she was honored by the National Trust with the Peter H. Brink Award for Individual Achievement in Historic Preservation. She received the award onstage at the National Trust Convention in Spokane, Washington in October. DHT Advisor and National Trust Vice Chairman Jorge Hernandez nominated her for this tremendous tribute. Enid’s advocacy and support of historic preservation efforts include serving as chairman of DHT’s African American Committee for 19 years and fighting to save the Miami Circle, the Historic Miami City Cemetery, the Historic Hampton House, and the Lemon City Cemetery. She has inspired all those around her. DOLLY MACINTYRE was recently honored by Miami-Dade County with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Historic Preservation Advocacy, which was presented to her at Pinecrest Gardens. Dolly became involved in historic preservation in 1966 and has been a member of The Villagers, Inc. for over forty-five years. In 1972 she founded Dade Heritage Trust. In 2012, Dolly was awarded the Mary Call Darby Collins Award by Florida’s Department of State “in recognition of dedication and volunteer action that has forever changed the course of historic preservation in Florida.”

Miami Marine Stadium DHT continues to support the Marine Stadium restoration efforts of the now separately incorporated nonprofit Friends of Marine Stadium, Inc. DHT has an official seat on the City of Miami Marine Stadium Steering Committee, with Chico Goldsmith serving as DHT’s representative. A Capital Planning Study is currently underway. An Economic Impact Study completed in October, 2012 by the Washington Economics Group shows the Marine Stadium should generate an annual $18 million of economic benefit to Miami Dade County. The Marine Stadium Steering Committee requested a site plan for the amount of land required, as well as renderings for the "Great Lawn" to the East and the "commercial space/Maritime Center" to the West, which will help support the operations of the Stadium. The plans prepared to date are fully consistent with the Virginia Key Master Plan, approved by the City of Miami in July, 2010. The Steering Committee will present its site plan to the Miami City Commission and Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority to seek approval in the near future.

Tobacco Road Tobacco Road recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. The oldest bar in downtown Miami, it has operated nearly continuously since opening in November 1912. It was down briefly at times for run-ins with the law, such as when the upstairs, now a live music venue, was used as a speakeasy during Prohibition. Tobacco Road is located at 626 South Miami Avenue, on the south side of the Miami River, across the street from Swire Properties’ new Brickell CitiCentre development. The bar and adjoining buildings were sold last spring to the Carlos J. Mattos group, a Columbian developer, with Tobacco Road having a lease-back to remain open for business for three years. The new owners have not confirmed their future plans for the 49,950-square-feet of land they purchased. 48

Preservation News Glen Curtiss Mansion After years of restoration efforts, a group of Miami Springs residents who incorporated Curtiss Mansion, Inc., or CMI, formally opened the Mansion’s doors to the public in September 2012. CMI was tasked to raise $4.5 million dollars and restore the long neglected, three-time arson site, and former home of aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss to its original 1925 condition, including the site’s pond and gardens. The restoration work included an entirely new structural system and roof, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems. The meticulous architectural restoration included new custom windows, doors, stairways, and an elevator. Substantial support was obtained from Miami-Dade County GOB Bond Preservation Funding, which Dade Heritage Trust had initiated.

LOSS OF TWO VISIONARY LEADERS Tony Goldman: "At its core, preservation is about recognizing the value of historic buildings and neighborhoods, and restoring life to places that define and enrich our communities. That is what Tony Goldman does, and nobody does it better." Stephanie Meeks, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, presenting Tony with the prestigious Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award in 2010. Dade Heritage Trust mourns the loss of the visionary, Tony Goldman, who passed away on September 11, 2012, at the age of 68. Tony was a remarkable preservationist who was a key figure in reviving South Beach, along with New York's SoHo neighborhood, Wall Street's Financial District, and Midtown Village in Philadelphia. His latest triumphs were centered in Miami's Wynwood district. The City of Miami was looking forward to his wisdom and guidance in reinventing Downtown Miami through an increased appreciation of its historic resources. At Tony’s beautiful Memorial Service at Temple Emanu-El on Miami Beach, his son Joey said, "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives." Tony did indeed live life to the fullest, loving his family, old buildings, wine, art, music and style--and melding them together as a business that benefited whole communities.

Y Z Tony Alonso: The nicest guy in downtown Miami. A true gentleman. An incredible father. Those who knew Tony Alonso had their own superlatives to describe the pioneering businessman who championed downtown Miami — and especially Flagler Street. His family-run store, La Epoca, has been a landmark of the area since the 1960s. Tony passed away at the age of 67 on October 25, 2012 at his home in Coral Gables. A lovely Memorial Service was held in the historic Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center, with his six children, including his son Brian, a DHT Trustee, speaking poignantly of their father. Tony was a former Dade Heritage Trust Board Member, and DHT CEO Becky Matkov recalls, “It was a joy to work with Tony on historic preservation issues, to hear him talk with pride about restoring the historic Walgreen’s building for La Epoca.” Tony was also a longtime member of the Downtown Development Authority and sat on the Flagler Street Committee. He served as board chairman of Palmer Trinity School and spearheaded the building of West Kendall Baptist Hospital. Tony brought leadership, insight, humor, warmth, and genuine goodness to every endeavor he undertook.

Re-Use of the Historic Bacardi Building Celebrated

ade Heritage Trust and preservationists everywhere applaud the exciting news that the original headquarters of the Bacardi Building at 2100 Biscayne Boulevard, vacated in 2010, will become the new headquarters of the National YoungArts Foundation.

The 1963 Miami Modern building was designated historic by the City of Miami in 2009. The Bacardi Tower features blue and white tiled murals painted by Brazilian artist Francisco Brennand on the north and south facades of the building. The Tower was designed by Puerto Rican architect Enrique Gutierrez, who was honored by Dade Heritage Trust at a 2011 MiMo Conference as a “Living Legend” for his creation. The beautiful “Jewel Box” annex was designed by Ignacio Carrera-Justiz of Coral Gables and was completed in 1973. It will be used for studios and classrooms. Architect Frank Gehry, who designed the New World Symphony building on Miami Beach, has been hired to develop a master plan for the complex. DHT’s Trustee Todd Tragash of STA Architectural Group has been hired to provide architectural and interior design services. Lin Arison was the force behind the $10 million acquisition, which was less than half the property’s market value, thanks to Bacardi. She and her late husband Ted, who owned Carnival Cruise Lines, founded both the New World Symphony and what is now YoungArts. Neither building's exterior will be touched by Gehry, who will turn the complex's parking lot into a park and transform an adjoining, non-landmark office building into a performance space. The plaza will be ideal for having performances, art shows, and social gatherings—as was proven at a recent YoungArts reception celebrating its purchase. YoungArts reception Photos by Becky Roper Matkov

7DVWH RI +LVWRU\ 5HVWDXUDQW 6SRWOLJKW by Alexandria D’Agostino Caffe Abbracci Since June 1989, Caffe Abbracci’s charismatic proprietor, Nino Pernetti, has achieved the perfect blend of Italian tradition and modern Northern Italian cuisine in his award-winning Coral Gables restaurant. Upon entering this Italian oasis, you will be intrigued by the chic clientele, warm ambiance, unique collection of antiques, and the delicious fare. Everywhere you look, Nino’s passion for history and contemporary art is present. In the bar and lounge area, the breathtaking Florentine stained glass ceiling from the late nineteenth century will capture your attention, while the innovative “Bursting Sun” red ruby and gold dusked spike chandelier is the focal point in the main dining area. If you wish to test your culinary abilities and learn more about Nino’s incredible life experiences, “Nino Pernetti’s Caffe Abbracci Cookbook – His Life Story and Travels Around the World,” is the book for you. Each chapter is garnished with classic Northern Italian recipes with exciting modern twists, such as the Risotto al Tartufo Bianco (White Truffle). As Nino says, “La vita è bella!” Caffe Abbracci is located at 318 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables. For reservations and special events, call (305) 441-0700.

Joe’s Stone Crab A trip to Miami is not complete without an outing to the famous Joe’s Stone Crab, open mid-October to mid-May. This world-renowned restaurant is a classic in Miami Beach. Opened in 1913 by Joseph “Joe” Weiss and his wife, Jennie, the couple set up a small lunch counter on the front porch of their bungalow. Praised for the fish sandwiches, the restaurant quickly became a hit. Nearly one hundred years later, this family-owned restaurant continues to allure patrons from around the globe. Joe’s accepts customers on a first come, first serve basis. If you find yourself craving this unbeatable seafood on a crowded night, try Joe’s Take-Away. Another indulgence is Joe’s overnight shipping to any destination in the continental United States, where you may order popular dishes via Joe’s website or hotline. (Stone crabs with mustard sauce and key lime pie made a memorable birthday lunch when I was a student at Boston University.)

Perricone's Marketplace & Café If you find yourself near Brickell Avenue, take the short trip over to Mary Brickell Village to visit this Italian gem. Perricone’s is much more than an Italian gourmet market and restaurant. Preservationists will be allured to the charming, rustic eighteenth-century setting. If you can believe it, the building was actually a barn in Vermont and relocated to Downtown Miami. Along with the historic ambiance, recipes have been passed down from generation to generation. Owner Steven Perricone’s top priority is comfort, and you will certainly feel at home in this casual locale. Restaurant highlights include delectable pastas, quick sandwiches, and healthy salads. The market boasts fine wines, perfectly prepared meals, sinfully delightful desserts, and much more. Not only will you leave satisfied, but your wallet will be happy too! Perricone’s Marketplace & Café is open daily and offers on-site private events, delivery, catering, and Sunday brunch. For more information, call (305) 374-9449 or visit http://www.perricones.com. 51

ade Heritage Trust celebrated its 40th Anniversary by “Dancing Through the Decades” at the Historic Coral Gables Country Club. Dressed in black tie or “fashionable decade” attire, 200 guests enjoyed a silent auction, BACARDI bar, dinner dance and entertainment by Fred Astaire World Champion professional ballroom dancers Vera and Vladimir Kosarev and the Suman Entertainment Miami Heat Band. Nick Di Donato and Chairman Judy Pruitt

Judy Pruitt chaired the event, and former Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick served as master of ceremonies. Robert J. Fewell was honored for his many community contributions to preserving Miami’s historic legacy.

Jonah and Judy Pruitt, Jeannett and Don Slesnick, Becky and Tom Matkov

Standing: David Garcia, Erik and Olga Vieira, Xavier Durana, Joey Aguiar. Seated: Eileen Garcia, Francis and Gloria Suarez, Nataly Durana, Carolina Aguiar

Standing: Aura Reinhardt, Coco and Venny Torre, Carmen and Mayor Jim Cason, Tony Gebauer Seated: Ruth Jacobs, Lisa and Frank Mackle, Bob and Arva McCabe

Tracy Nance, Jeanette and Don Poole

Barbara and Bill Reese

Luis Gonzalez, Debbie Tackett

DHT CEO Becky Matkov, Robert and Marion Fewell DHT Founder Dolly MacIntyre, DHT President Chico Goldsmith

Marlin Ebbert, B.R. Witt

Cheryl Jacobs, Douglas Wood, Neil Robertson Coral Gables Mayor Jim Cason

Christopher and Tania Baros

Francena Koch, Frank and Enid Pinkney, Ann Marie Clyatt Murray Diamond and Lois Randall

Lilian and Tom Walby

Bobbi and Roger Rosenberger, Mary Beth Burke and James Tillett Olga and Erik Vieira

Joyce and Peter Kory

Michael Suman

Gloria and Francis Suarez

Charles Kropke, Charmia Nielsen

Susanne Kayyali, Priscilla Greenfield, Barbara Guilford

Louis and Ileana LaFontisee, Frank and Gabriele Armstrong

Laura Camayd, Bruce Matheson, Debbie Tackett

Diana and Charlie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, Cindy and Chico Goldsmith, Lynn and John Fernandez

Robin and Susan Shelley Vicki Dennis, Ramona and Aldo Busot, Darby Collins and Richard Smith

Alex and Lizz Wiegandt, Lisa and Lynn Chaffin Joan Bounds, Karen Alexander, Thane Malison, Gayle Duncan, Janet Green Marie Hernandez, Amanda Bush

Standing: Stanley Shapiro, Martha Valdes-Fauli, Ralph ValdesFauli, Carol Brock, Andrew Ware , Danny Martinez Seated: Carol Shapiro, Ben & Jaye Turnbull, Ed & Elizabeth Parnes, Debi Martinez

Vladimir & Vera Kosarev, Fred Astaire Dancers

Myrna & Seth Bramson

Rita Michel, Eric Algarushi Marcia Anderson and friends

THANK YOU, THANK YOU! OUR SINCEREST APPRECIATION TO: MAJOR SPONSORS MIAMI-DADE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL, THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY MAYOR AND BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THE GOLDSMITH FAMILY FOUNDATION JOHN S. AND JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION THE MIAMI FOUNDATION ROBERT J. FEWELL THE BATCHELOR FOUNDATION THE VILLAGERS, INC. THE WILLIAM J. AND TINA ROSENBERG FOUNDATION CHARLES N. AND ELEANOR KNIGHT LEIGH FOUNDATION SINGING FOR CHANGE ROD HILDEBRANT AND MATTHEW MEEHAN

Gary Held

Padron Cigars

Betty Brody

Adolfo Henriques

Leslie Pantin

Laura Camayd

Jorge Hernandez

Hilario Candela

Linda Collins Hertz

Robin Parker Ed Parnes

Dwight Hill

Rafael Penalver

Horwitz Dermatology

Kim Pender

William Cary Lisa Chaffin

Investors Solutions

Enid Pinkney

City of Coral Gables

Ruth Jacobs

Don and Jeanette Poole

Ann Marie Clyatt

Jim and Sallye Jude

Rick Poston

Coral Gables Community Foundation

Megan Kelly

Jonah and Judy Pruitt

Vera and Vladimir Kosarev

Lois Randall

Josie Correa

Francena Koch

Toni Randolph

Teri D’Amico

Penny Lambeth

Bill and Barbara Reese

Dragonfly Expeditions

Carol Larsson

Sheila Revell

Jonathan Dann, Photography

Le Creuset

Rex Art

Jean-Francois Lejeune

Vinson P. Richter

Vicki Cole Dennis

Liberty Entertainment Group/ Coral Gables Country Club

Neil Robertson

Manola Doreste, IN-Focus Studios

Nancy Liebman

Peggy Rolando

Dolly MacIntyre

Gayle and Fuller Duncan

Roger and Bobbi Rosenberger

Mackle/Torre Group

Season 52 Restaurant

Beth Dunlop

Lisa Mackle

Shulas 347 Steakhouse

Dunwody White & Landon

Bruce Matheson

Shake-A-Leg Miami

Eden Roc Hotel

Tom & Becky Roper Matkov

Snow’s Jewelers

Marlin Ebbert

Norah Schaefer

Deborah Desilets

Randall Robinson

CARLTON FIELDS MARTA N. FERNANDEZ

EWM Realty International

Mercedes-Benz of Cutler Bay Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables Bill Ussery Motors Companies

Federico Fernandez

Margaret McCaffery

Scott Silver

TODD TRAGASH LOIS RANDALL

Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau

Margaret McMahon

Don and Jeannett Slesnick

William B. Medellin

Herb Sosa

John Fernandez

Melissa Memory

Sandra Suarez

Tara Finley

Joyce Meyers

Deborah Tackett

Fred Astaire of Coral Gables

Anne Robertson and Bud Meyer

Venny Torre

Neil Fritz

Miami Design Preservation League

Capt. Ben Turnbull

Joseph Furst

Miami Seaquarium

Gables Plastic Surgery

Rita Michel

University of Miami

Robert Geitner

William Murphy

University of Florida

Dr. Paul George

George Neary

Lilian Walby

Bertram “Chico” Goldsmith

Sarah Giller Nelson

Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering

PROFESSIONAL BANK

CORPORATE MEMBERS SWIRE PROPERTIES SABADELL UNITED BANK SHELL LUMBER AND HARDWARE COMPANY MIMOLINE DONORS AND SUPPORTERS Brian Alonso Walter and Annette Alvarez Marcia Anderson Bacardi, U.S.A., Inc. Bunny Bastian Cynthia Bettner The Biltmore Hotel Sam Boldrick and Ed Casado Gay Bondurant 56

Jim and Carol Brock

Eleazar Delgado Studio

Christine Madrid French

Thorn Grafton Matthew Greer Priscilla Greenfield

Northern Trust Nordstrom

Saul and Jane Gross

J. Dell Olmo Bridal Gallery & Couture

Barbara Guilford

Arva Parks and Bob McCabe

Enrique Gutierrez

Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk

The Historic Hampton House Community Trust, Inc.

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Robin and Susan Shelley Allan Shulman

Todd Tragash

Jaye Turnbull Ellen Uguccioni

Don and Maxine Winer B.R. “Randy” Witt Douglas Wood Associates Randy Wool Don Worth Jody Verrengia Olga Vieira

THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Mary Young Zulu Nyala African Safari Aymee V. Zubizarreta

SPECIAL THANKS City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado and City of Miami Commissioners Frank Carollo Wilfredo Gort Michelle Spence Jones Marc Sarnoff Francis Suarez City of Coral Gables Mayor Jim Cason City of Miami Beach Mayor Mattie Bower City of Miami Parks Actors Playhouse At the Miracle Theater Judy Pruitt Steven Avdakov

Plant Society Bob Powers, The Historic Palm Grove Neighborhood Association Gioia DeCarlo, Spring Garden Civic Association

Deering Estate at Cutler Downtown Development Authority Downtown Miami Partnership

Charles Urstadt, MDPL

Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach

Christine Madrid French 3

Coral Gables Historic Preservation Board

Everglades National Park

Greg Allen, National Public Radio

HistoryMiami

Gold Coast Railroad Museum

Miami-Dade County Public Schools MiMo Biscayne Association North Bay Village Optimist Club Olympia Theater at the Gusman Palm Grove Neighborhood Association Redland Riot Lois Randall Shenandoah Middle Museum Magnet School

Barbara Falsey, Urban Environment League

Ingraham Building

Enid Pinkney, Historic Hampton House Community Trust, Inc. ______________________

Kampong of the National

South Florida National Parks Trust

Tropical Botanical Garden

Soya & Pomodoro

Kork Wine & Cheese

Taste of Brickell

La Epoca

Tre Italian Bistro

Macy’s

Unity Coalition/ Coalicion Unida

Judy Pruitt

DADE HERITAGE DAYS 2012 PARTICIPANTS

Miami Beach Botanical Garden

ULI SE Florida/ Caribbean and Miami

African American Committee of Dade Heritage Trust

Miami Dade College Culinary Institute

Jane Moreau

Alfred I. duPont Building

Morris Hylton III

The Bank Lounge

Miami Design Preservation League

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Gordon B. Loader

Barnacle Historic State Park

Miami Friends Meeting

Sandra Suarez

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

William Jennings Bryan Museum Magnet School

Betty B. Chapman

Arva Moore Parks Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Nathalie Wright, Historic Preservation Consultant

Miami Memorabilia Collectors Club Miami River Commission

The Biltmore Hotel

Miami Springs Historical Society

Biscayne National Park Cloisters of the Ancient Spanish Monastery

Miami Springs Historical Museum

Dade Chapter Florida Native

The Villagers, Inc.

Y Z And many thanks… To all who joined Dade Heritage Trust as members. Your support is vital to our organization!

Dade Heritage Trust Invites You to Enjoy Miami’s Historic Places

during DADE HERITAGE DAYS 2013

Viva Florida: Sailing into History Special Events| Presentations | Tours March 1st—April 30, 2013 305.358.9572 www.dadeheritagetrust.org

With the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.

Preserving the Past, Enriching the Future

190 SE 12th Terrace | Miami, FL | 33131

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Miami, Florida Permit No. 6022