Evening star., 1938-07-24
.LEC|0NMEMBERS
PUT DERBY OVER
o. c. HolIeran Headed Group
That Worked 2 Months to
Make It Success.


cess of Washington's first Soap Box
Derby
Leadership of the Derby, sponsored
by The Star and the American Le-
gion, was placed early in May in the
hands of Owen C. Holleran, native
Georgian. combat aviator with the
Royal Air Force of Great Britain dur
ing the World War and chairman of
the Americanism Commission of the
District Department of the Legion.
Mr.. Holleran is chief of the industrial
marketing unit, Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce, in the De-
partment of Commerce.
Centralized in the American Legion,
fnanpower and resources nevertheless
were marshaled from more than a
score of sources to whip together the
organization that made the Derby
function through numerous prelim-
mary obstacles and six hours of rain
yesterday on the New Hampshire ave-
nue. NE. racing course.
Work Began in May.
With Mr.. Holleran, who exercised
the firm tactics of army leadership,
were the other two members of the
Americanism Commission, Zeb T.
Hamilton and Joseph A. Walker who
acted as assistant directors of the
Derby.
The real work began on May %
when the initial announcement of the
Derby was carried in The Evening
Star, More than 400 boys in all sec
tons of the metropolitan area entered
the Derby, and 224 competed in yes
terday's races. repsenting high per-
centaee of finished soap box racers.
Preliminary contributions came
from more than a score of public
officials and prominent citizens who
served as members of the Derby Ex-
ecutlve Committee. extended their
official co-opera ton and smoothed
swav obstacles that arose from day
to day.
Among these were Maj. Ernest w.
Brown. superintendent of police;
William A. Van Duger, director of
traffic: Washington l. Cleveland,
manager of the District branch of the
American Automobile Association;
George E. Keneipp, local manager of
the Keystone Automobile Association.
and Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, District
highway director. whose forces pre-
pared the race course area for the
Derby.
200 Policemen on Duty.
The race course was policed yes
terday by 200 uniformed patrolmen
of the Metropolitan police and 100
members of the Legion Police and
Fire Post, the patrolmen under the
supervision of Inspector Holmes and
Capt. Joseph Pearson of the sixth
precinct.
Radio announcers and engineers
from The Stars station, WMAL, and
hnemen from the telephone company
hattled all day yesterday against the
rain to keep open communications
that kept the public steadily informed
of the events progress.
Chief Announcer Bill Coyle was
confronted with microphone failure
three or four minutes before the final
heat. as rain poured into the mouth
piece and finally wet the cable.
1T was remarkable that our engi-
neers. Mac McGonegal and Walter
Goodwin. were able to connect an ex-
ira mike soon enough to save the
day and to give the public the result
of the last heat in which Norman
Rocca won the championship, he
said.
Electric Eye Used.
Mr. Coyle was assisted by Announc-
ers George Gum and Bud Barry The
chief announcer ended his comment
on the Derby weather with the re-
mark that the rain stopped soon after
the finals"
The electrical timing device of the
American Automobile Association used
In all the big automobile races
throughout the country, was used to
time the running of each heat win
her in the Derby Set up on each side
at the finish line, units Of the timer
threw a beam of light across the line
and the time was recorded each time
the beam was broken. Operation was
in charge Of Ted Allen, nationally
known A. A. A. racing official and head
OF the Contest Board of the American
Automobile Association, who super-
vises the Memorial Day classic in In
dianapolis. Assisting him was Steve
Cr1ck, also Of the Contest Board.
Sixteen uniformed patrolmen of
the Keystone Automobile Association
weighed in the Derby candidates and
their cars on Toledo scales at the
course before the races began.
Individuals Commended.
Commenting upon manpower con-
trlbuted by the Legion to the DERBY,
Mr.. Holleran especially commended
the efforts of the following: Col.
lemuel L. Bolles, member of the
Board of Veterans Appeals chairman
OF the Derby Awards Committee
Donald Wakefield Smith, member of
the National Labor Relations Board
and chief judge of the Derby: Grover
w. Trlbble, chairman of the Regis
tratlon Committee, which worked un-
til midnight Friday preparing and GER
tifylng the final list of DERBY en-
trants and arranging the heats; Miss
Jane Cox, department vice COM
msnder Of the Legion and chief clerk
OF the race course; Haywood Saunders,
chief starter for the Derby; William
Hargrave. chairman of the Derby Pa
rade Committee, and Thomas Mason,
tr,, department commander of the Le-
glon. and James L. Brady, COM
mander of National Cathedral Post
OF the Legion and chief inspector of
Derby racers, and their assistants.
We are also highly appreciative
OF cooperation accorded by the Dis
trict Board of Education, headed by
Mrs Henry Grattan Doyle. the assist
ant superintendent of schools; Mrs
Elizabeth K. Peoples, head of the
Community Center Department which