Milford chronicle., 1960-03-11
Progress Report
StSee The First State-Fwst-In
'607 Campaign
by DAVID S. HUGO
State Tnforr,ation omcar

by DAVID S. HUGO
State Information Officer
The most intensive tourism pro-
gram campaign in the states his
tory was. appropriately enough,
launched on Delaware Day" (De-
cember Z, 1959). when, at various
gatherings throughout the state,
speakers not only described Della
wares heritage, traditions and his
toric lore and the, special signifi-
canoe of December Z, but also urged
their listeners to join in a con-
certed effort to publicize and pop
ularize Delaware's historic shrines
and many other attractions.
Plans for this year-long promo
ton had previously been outlined
at a welI-attended meeting of rep
resentatives of state agencies and
various organizations held Novem-
Der %, 1853, at the Dover Hotel.
Ways and means of implementing
these plans were found at subse-
quent meetings of the directors of
the Delaware Travel Council with
representatives of the Delaware
State Development Department.
In his annual New Years mess
age, Governor ]. Caleb Boggs, re-
ferring to the promotion campaign,
called attention to the fact that
Sin 1860, Delaware and ,Delawar-
cans will be hosts to the greatest
influx of visitors in the long,
proud history of the First State, !"
and urged that "the warm welcome
that is traditional with residents
of the First State be extended to
these guests" Earlier, Governor
Boggs had proclaimed 1860 as See
the First State -First-Year" as
Delaware's part in the nationwide
"See the u. S. A. in 1860" cam
paign.
From the start, the slogan "See
the First -First-in so"
caught on and soon began to ap-
pear on letterheads and mailing
pieces used by various state agen-
cies and private industry. Since
December, all official state
mail going out of the main mail
room in the Old State House at
Dover has displayed the slogan as
part of a metered postage cancella-
ton; in January, the City of Will
mington also incorporated the slO-
gan as part of its metered mail can
tcellation.
The slogan is also being fea-
tured in all advertising of the Del
aware Memorial Bridge and of the
Development Department, and now
appears regularly in publications
of Recreation, Promotion and Ser
vice, Inc; the Associated General
Contractors of Delaware, Inc; and
other organizations.
While it may be the influence of
Perry Como musically asking
What Did Della Wear?" or-more
likely-an accelerated public re-
sponse to the current tourism pro-
motion campaign, the State Devel-
opment Department has already
noted definite increase in its mail
volume
Not only are more people these
days writing to the Development
Department for general information
concerning Delaware-its historic
past and its many present day at
tractions=but many Of the inquir-
ers are requesting specific infor-
nation on the facilities available to
visitors. Some are even inQuiring
not only as to what Della wears
but what they, too, should wear on
future visit to Delaware.
In reply to the apparel question,
the state information agency is
pointing out that any type of light
and cool clothing is adequate for a
late spring or summertime visit to
sunny Delaware.
Despite the fact that the mail vol
ume peak ordinarily occurs in April
when thousands (1200 to 1900 per
week. write for information con-
corning the states springtime at
fractions and vacationtime facili-
ties, the Development Department
is currently receiving up to 25O
pieces of mail daily, noticeable
increase in what has ordinarily
been the mail volume at this time
of year.
Many of the inquirers have un-
doubtedly read some of the public
ity produced by the state infOTma-
tion agency as specific types of lit
erature, prepared and distributed
by the Development Department,
are frequently requested by actual
title.
The Departments Welcome to
Delightful Delaware" a colorful
brochure telling of the states s
many attractions; "The Delaware
Calendar of Events" listing many
of the outstanding events occurring
in the First State; "A Historical
Guide to Delaware; and "Adven-
ture Out-of-Doors in Delaware, 7"
this latter giving information con-
corning the states outdoor recrea-
ton facilities, are reported as be-
ing the pieces of literature most
frequently requested by title.