Oklahoma Honors McLAURIN FAMILY Oklahoma City, Okla.—In a special press conference, jointly called by Oklahoma's Governor Hall and the only state Black Senator, Melvin Porter, the Governor announced that the House and the Senate had passed concurrent resolutions memorializing the "educational and cultural contributions which have been made to the state of Oklahoma by the entire McLaurin Family, and by G. W. McLaurin in particular." This was the first time any such action has been taken by a state legislature honoring a black family. The occasion was the state's official expression of regrets and condolences upon the death of the third member of the family. Phyllis Cardeza McLaurin, who was buried in Oklahoma in services on May 5. Miss McLaurin was the sister of Brother Dunbar S. McLaurin. Miss McLaurin, who resumed her maiden name after a brief marriage, died the previous week in California. Her body was brought to Oklahoma for burial in accordance with the wishes previously expressed by the then Governor Dewey Bartlett of Oklahoma when her father died in 1968, that his body and all of the McLaurins be returned to "their native soil" of Oklahoma to be buried. Establish Plot The community has since established a McLaurin Memorial Plot in Trice Cemetery in Oklahoma City. At the time of the death of George W. McLaurin, the City Housing Authority executed another "first" by a Resolution naming a housing project in his honor. The honoring of the McLaurin family stems from their continuing efforts to integrate the schools of Oklahoma, beginning with Mrs. McLaurin, who in 1921 became the first Black to seek admittance at a white southern school. She was laughed at and it was called ridiculous. Their efforts continued, however, and finally culminated in the famous "McLaurin vs Oklahoma" case in the late 1940's. In that case the father, G. W. McLaurin, was finally admitted as tne first Black to the University of Oklahoma.
ETA ETA LAMBDA NEWS Annapolis, Maryland
Brother Robert Haygood
Miss Phyliss McLaurin
He was represented by the NAACP and a battery of attorneys who have now become judges and achieved other fame, including Arthur Goldberg and Thurgood Marshall of the U. S. Supreme Court, and Amos T. Hall, the first black Asst. District Judge in Oklahoma. A.B.A. plus 16 Phyllis Cardeza McLaurin, like her brothers, made history by receiving her high school diploma at 12. At 16 she received her A.B. Degree and by 17 she had her A.M. from Howard. She was a teacher in the public schools of Los Angeles until her lengthy and terminal illness of few weeks ago. She is survived by two brothers, Prof. Joffrey McLaurin in Los Angeles, and Brother Dunbar S. McLaurin, wellknown economist and attorney, who has been credited with starting more black banks than any other person, including Freedom National. He recently received approval for a second black bank, Universal National, which he is seeking to locate in the Wall Street area.
April 3, 1971, the members of this chapter visited the home of our Jewel Brother Henry A. Callis. This visit was most rewarding to all of the Brothers who were able to go because they were able to see him; talk with him, listen to the many challenges that confronted him and the deceased Jewel Brothers and most of all encouragement to our chapter to continue to do the things that we are doing and send our information to the national office for publication. This June will complete a $2,000.00 scholarship that was awarded a student from our immediate area four years ago. We are very proud of our student because during the four years of his studies he was on the dean's list at Tennessee State University. Last October a new program was started by the chapter called OPERATION K.A.F.T. WITH THE L E T T E R S MEANING KEEPING A FAMILY TOGETHER. This program is designed to adopt and help a family financially ($500.00 a year with a fiscal advisor from the chapter), tutorial services and assistance in finding those agencies that will help them secure glasses, shoes, etc. Some months members of this chapter buy items for the family on a voluntary basis. Our family has five children that attend the public schools within our community, one child in college on a partial scholarship and a child who works, lives at home, but can contribute little to the financially deprived family. The mother's yearly salary is approximately $1,800.00. In as much that we are a small chapter, we feel that we must begin to put back into the community funds that will help our fellow man live a better life, also we hope that other chapters who do not have projects would consider doing something similar to enhance the living conditions of others in our community. This program was written, coordinated with the chapter programs, local and federal agency in the area and serving as fiscal advisor to the family for the chapter by Brother William A. Hayes.
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