Evening star., 1951-03-17
Capital Now Has Song of Own
And Special Day to Celebrate
Actor-Musiciun Gets
ST 900 First Prize
For Contest Entry


Washington at last has a song
of its own and Monday has been
proclaimed Song for Washington
Day" by the District Commits
SiCners.
+ Simply entitled "Washineton," !"
the song was written by Jimmie
ICo6d, 40-year-old actor. musician,
singer and composer. The Dis
trict Commissioners yesterday in
an official proclamation urged
residents to adopt it as the song
of the District of Columbia"
1t was chosen winner over more
than 5000 entries from every State
in the Song for Washington Con-
test" The contest was sponsored
by the Simon Distributing Corp,
615 Pennsylvania avenue NV, and
| Motorola. Mr.. Dodd received
$1,000 as first prize in the con-
tests.
Mr.. Dodds may have been ex-
cited when informed of his Win-
ing the contest, but no more SO
than James H. Simon, president
of the sponsoring firm.
"We wanted a song that would
live and that would be easy to
sing" Mr.. Simon said this morn
ling.
"Jimmie's song is the greatest,
igrandest civic song I have ever
heard" he exclaimed. IF you're
a Warrington resident, you'll be
proud of it. too"
The song, which will be pub
IliShed in sheet-music form tomor-
row in The Star, can be sung as
a ballad. a hymn, a march, or
even to Latin American time.
But Jimmie Dodd marked the
score to be sung brightly" and
it's at it's best then.
Mr.. Dodd and his wife were to
fly here today to be on hand for
Mondays celebration. And he has
reason to be proud on the occa-
sion for his song was way out in
front in the 81 songs which were
chosen as the best.
Judges represented almost every
phase of the musical world and
included Howard Mitchell, direc-
tor of the National Symphony
Orchestra; Sigmund Romberg,
composer; Maj. William F. San
Itelmann, director of the United
States Marine Band; DR.. Sigmund
lSpaeth, music critic, composer
land author, and Gordon jenkins,
composer, bandleader and ar
ranger.
Ready for Broadcasting.
Sam Jack Kaufman and his
Capitol Theater Orchestra made
the first recording of the new song
with their vocalist. Roy Roberts.
The song was to be introduced
to by disk jockeys this week end.
The recording was being distrib-
uted to all stations and enter
tainers last night and today.
DR.. Hobart M. Corning has Civ
en- support to the song and all
school bands and orchestras were
to receive the recording and ar
arrangements.
The lyrics of Mr.. Dodd's and
now Washington's song run:
Washington, the fairest city in the
greatest land of all, =.
Named for one, our country's
father who first answered free
dom's call,
God bless our White House, or
Capitol too, and keep ever
flying the Red, White and
Grandest spot beneath the sun is
Washington.
Cherry blossoms bring lot of joy
each spring, and the statue of
Abe Lincoln greets your eye,
When parades pass in review down
Pennsylvania avenue, everybody
lifts their voices to the sky :!
Transplanted Ohioan.
Jimmie Dodd is an Ohioan (Cin-
cinnatD transplanted to Holly
wood via job of driving his wife's
uncle there. He attended the Uni
versity of Cincinnati, Vanderbilt
University and the Cincinnati
Conservatory of Music.
He has been a singer, guitarist
and pianist on a number Of radio
stations and has had parts in sew
eral movies, including Flying
Tigers, Corvette K-225, ""Janie, u
|"Whiplash" and "Quicksand." He
is a member of the American So
ciety of Composers, Authors and
Publishers. During World War II