Evening star., 1941-05-11
Capital Officials
Hail Star-Legion
Soap Box Derby
Annual Coaster Race Gets
Endorsement Of School
And District Leaders

Leaders in the National Capital
areas official, educational, civic and
business circles have added their
Endorsement and support to Wash
tngton's fourth annual Star-Ameri-
can Legion sponsored Soap Box
Derby to be held July II.
Dyed-in-the-wool fans of the
coaster race for boys are the men,
bers of the 194l Soap Box Derby
Committee, headed by Derby Di-
rector Zeb T Hamilton of the
American Legion. The main prob
lens Of the running of the annual
youth classic are ironed out at ad-
vance meetings of this group, which
includes as its members Maj Ernest
w. Brown, superintendent of police;
Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, District di-
rector of highways; William A. Van
Duzer, director of the Bureau of
Vehicles and Traffic: Howard P.
Bailey, assistant to the managing
editor of The Star: William G. Illch
of the Chevrolet Motor Co., and Bill
Coyle, radio director of The Star
The Derby Is open to boys be-
tween II and Is years of age. inclu-
sive. who must race their own coast
er cars built at a cost of not more
than $40. The Washington cham
pion will travel to Akron, Ohio. in
August to compete in the national
finals of the Soap Box Derby for
the first prize of four-year college
scholarship to the college of his own
choosing.
Must File Registration.
To enter the Derby, boy must
go to the Chevrolet dealer nearest
his home with one of his parents,
or his guardian, and fill out the
official registration forms. The boy
then receives a rule book.
Stanch supporters of the Derby
since it was first held here in 1888
are the District public school Of
ficials and those of the nearby
schools. Letters of Endorsement
have come from DR.. Frank w. Bal
lou, superintendent of District
schools, and Assistant Superintend-
ents Lawson J. Cantrell and Ches-
ter w. Holmes. Strong support
comes also from Nicholas Orem,
Prince Georges County Md su-
perintendent of schools: Fletcher
Kemp, Arlington County tVa)
school head. and Edwin w. Broome,
superintendent of schools in Mont
gomery County, Md.
On the Sponsors Committee for
the Derby are District Commission
ers Melvin C. Hazen, David Nc
Coach, jr., and John Russell Young.
Other members include Robert V.
Fleming, president of Riggs Ma
tional Bank: E. D. Merrill, presi-
dent of the Capital Transit Co.;
Clark Griffith. president of the
Washington Baseball Club, and
John A Remon of the Chesapeake
& Potomac Telephone Co.
Linn c. Drake, Scout executive
for the National Capital Area Coun-
Gil of the Boy Scouts of America,
is another member of the commit
tee. Each year the Scouts volun-
teer their services to help control
the large crowds attending the
Derby. Other active committeeman
include Forrest L. BinsWanger, di-
rector of the Metropolitan Police
Boys Club. and Charles M. Fyfe,
managing director of the Washing
ton Boys Club.
Impressive List of Sponsors.
Other members of the Sponsors
Committee are Fred A. Smith, presi-
dent of the Washington Board of
Trade; Harold D. Fangboner, presi-
dent of the Junior Board of Com
merce: George B. Burrus, president
of the Advertising Club of Wash
ington; Francis w. Hill. jr., presi-
dent of the Bar Association of the
District of Columbia: Mrs. Henry
Grattan Doyle, president of the
Board Of Education: DR.. Florence
A. Armstrong, president of the Busi-
ness and Professional Women's
Club; c. J. Mack, president of the
Cosmopolitan Club; A. M. Nc
Lachlen, president of the D. C.
Bankers Association, and Mrs.
Ernest Humphrey Daniel. president
of the D. c. Federation of Womens
Clubs.
Also Washington I. Cleveland.
HldIldReI Ol The DlSCrlcC OF Columbia
division of the American Automo-
bile Association; w. S. Shelby, sec
retary, the Washington Lodge of
Elks; Harry N. Stull, president of
the Federation of Citizens Associa-
tions; De Witt Harry, regional di-
rector, Izaak Walton League: George
z. Keneipp, manager, Keystone Au-
tomobile Club; w. C. Hanson, vice
president, Lions Club: DR.. Daniel L.
Borden, former president of the
Medical Society of the District: Ar
thur j. Sundlun, president of the
Merchants and Manufacturers As
ISOLATION, and Melbourne Christer-
son, president, National Press Club.
Also Hardie Meakin, chief barker,
Variety Club: James R. Skinker,
president of the Washington Build
Ing Congress; Alfred H. Lawson,
president of the Y. NJ. c. A: Lee
D. Butler, J. Elmer Zearfoss, head
of the department of manual arts,
District public schools; Leonard w.
De Cast, general secretary, Y. M.
c. A.; Rufus Lusk, president, Wash
ington Taxpayers Association, and
Frank r. Jelleff, president of the
Washington Boys Club.
(Watch The Star for Derby neWSJ