Evening star., 1955-10-03
1000 See Nixon Dedicate
National Housing Center
Private Capital
Booking Stressed
By officiuIs

Vice President Nixon this
morning dedicated the new Ma
tional Housing Center ''to the
thousands Of builders, the MI
lions yof proud craftsmen ii the
building industry and To Q more
abundant life Of It's consumers
The Vice President delivered
the dedication address in front
Of the $3.5 million center built
BY the National Association Of
Home Builders at 1875 Z street
NV.
After his address w. Hamilton
Crawford, chairman Of the board
Of directors Of the National
Housing Center. presented Mr..
Nixon with q gold key.
More than q thousand specta.
tors watched the Vice President
unlock the door to the building
and q huge royal blue curtain.
two stories high--was drawn
aside TO unveil the glass front
Of the n1odernistic center.
Debt and Heritage Remarked
Mr.. Nixon declared the dedi.
cation Of the display building.
full Of eye-catciing gadgets for
modern h6meowners, is an occa.
sion which reminds us OF the
debt we owe to other countries
and Of the heritage We have
acquired"
He declared that housing cen
tiers such as this have been
erected In q number Of foreign
cities.
Mr.. Nixon asked the audience
to hold three objectiyes in mind:
/. That the center represents
research and an exchange Of
ideas from which the entire
population win benefit.
2. That the center Is dedicated
mot Just to housing but to
homes" /" He said the associa-
tion has long been working
toward the improvement Of in-
dividual homes rather than mere
housing projects.
3. There is still q need to step
up the already dynamic program
to eradicate blight and slun
areas.
Boiling Band Plays
The occasion was also marked
by music by the Boiling Air
Force Base Band, which pre-.
ceded the invocation by the Rev.
Frederick Brown Harris, chap.
lain Of the United States Senate.
Mr.. Crawford, who presided,
introduced Brig. Gen. Thomas
A. Lame. Engineer Commissioner.
who declared that the Housing
Center adds another fins Jewel
to the Districts CROWN Gen.
Lane declared that the center
enhances the attraction Of our
Capital TO visitors"
Albert M. Cole, Administrator
Of the Housing and Home Fi-
nance Agency, praised what he
called an emphasis on com.
munity and private enterprise
action contained in the Housing
Law passed by the Republican.
controlled Congress last year.
Although Federal aid can be
made available II it Is desired" I"
Mr.. Cole said OF the Urban Re.
newal provision in the law, Il
stress that any program Of i'm.
pruvement Is essentially q pro.
gram conceived and executed by
private industry.
Recognition that this respon.
sibility belongs to private indus.
try was d revolutionary feature
OF the Housing Act Of 1854. Its
i lboldness and soundness have
Ibeen triumphantly tested during
1.-THE past year. For every dollar
Iof public money spent on rede-
lvelopment. between 50 and SIS OF
Iprivate enterprise money have
been spent"
I . /.
More Such Projects Sought
Edward r. Carr, president OF
THE Washington Board Of Trade,
former president Of the National
Association Of Home Builders
land q member Of the Center's
board Of directors. declared the
trade board has been trying to
encourage the bringing Of such
projects to the District. He said
the building of the center here
Is an example OF the city,s em-
phasis on bringing more payrells
and projects other than the Fed.
eral Government to Washington.
Other speakers included Ma
than Manilow, Of Chicago, the
first chairman Of the center's
board Of directors, and Earl w.
Smith. Of El Cerrito, Calf, pres
tident OF the National Association
of Home Builders.
The II am. ceremonies In
lcluded q tour Of the center
by the Vice President and al,
array Of American and foreign
dignitaries.
Ten Russian housing officials
apparently were delayed by bad
weather on the Stockholm New
York leg of their trip to the
United States and were not ex.
Ipected to arrive in Washington
until later today.
Late Reception Scheduled
The NAHB said the Soviet
delegation may get here In time
to attend q late-afternoon re-
|ception for the associations
board Of directors. The Russians
|month-long tour Of 13 American
cities is being sponsored BY the
association.
The building houses gadgets.
including a mechanical color se-
lector, a garage door that opens
at the touch Of a control on an
automobile dashboard and q
central vacuum cleaner built into
the floor joist, with an attach