Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1957-11-14
Acc Dedication
SideIights

SidelIghfs
The folloauinq is an on-the-spot record
of Sentinel staff reporters observations and
reactions to the dedication last Friday OF the
haze nelu Atomic Energy Commission head
quarters building
There are about 1000 people here, ma
iority of them, happily sporting raincoats or
umbrellas. Most of them are waiting, patient
w for the President to appear Some must be
getting soaked to the skin because it's rain
ing hard.
The minute you arrive you get the i'm
preston that this thing has been planned
right down to the finest details and it's 60
ing to go off with split-second timing. ut
did,
Everybody is assuming Ike will cancel
plans to come out by helicopter because it's
so gray and wet. That means he'll DE late
and the folks will get even wetter. But every
body seems determined to stick 1t out.
Suddenly, precisely on schedule at 2:40
D. M, we all hear the unmistakable clatter of
a whirlly-brd coming from the direction of
Washington Then it appears out of the over
cast 1t is followed by another Marine hell
copter Then another. Which one is the Pres
ident in? One after another they slowly de-
scend. All disappear behind the tremendous
ACC building heading for the helioport
The place is crawling with Secret Serv-
ice men. And they're starting now to move
around little faster. Their eyes are rowing
over everybody and everything.
Stassen just came in, smiling and shak-
ing hands. He's taller than we had pictured.
Sen. Beall is up on the stand talking to a
dignitary. Photographers, of which there are
about so, are herded into one spot near the
cornerstone, and newsmen, probably about
SO of them, too, are asked to stay in an area
about the same distance from the corner
stone on the other side of the front door.
This leaves wide clearing for Ike and the
dignitaries to perform in front of the corner
stone.
Suddenly heads bend, necks crane and
the President has arrived. He is wearing
coat but doffs it, then walks vigorously up
the three or four stairs to the speakers plat
form. This is the signal for Acc Chairman
Lewis L. Strauss to begin the ceremony.
The Rev. Frederick Brown Harris, chap
lain of the United States Senate, delivers the
invocation. It's long one. His voice rises
and falls as the amplifiers boom it out over
the rolling green fields around the big new
building.
Television and newsree cameras are
grinding away on a raised platform in front,
and to the side of, the speakers platform.
The still photographers have moved around
front, too.
With the benediction over Ike-still in
hurry-walks over to the cornerstone. In
his wake are Strauss and Rep Carl T. Dur
ham (D-N. c., chairman of the Joint Com
mittee on Atomic Energy. Rep. Durham has
cone. All three are asked to stand in small
circles that have been drawn for them Ike
is the only one who obeys. Then the Presi-
dentis handed small trowel. He dips it into
small mound of fresh mortar and gingery
puts some of it on top of the cornerstone
He is followed by Rep. Durham, then Com
missioner Strauss in the seemingly foolish bit
OF business Of the three, Strauss put the
cement on most skilfully At the end, he
scraps the wet cement off the edge as a
bricklayer or stonemason would
Then the photographers take over Ike
is asked to repeat his performance again and
again. He meekly complies with the orders
OF each photographer. Several times he Is
called upon to leave his little circle. But each
time ne makes it point to return to it. Com
missioner Strauss and Rep. Durham never
do stand in their circles.
Returning to the speakers platform
nearby, the President listens while Strauss
mfr